The Book
A Painkiller To Die For
It was difficult for Will Jeavons to imagine just how his life could possibly get any better. Having overcome a traumatic childhood, he had gone on to study molecular pharmacology and win tenure as a lecturer at his beloved Cambridge University. But his life was soon to become better still, the CEO of a biotech company. Will’s unique research led to the discovery of a non-addictive drug for chronic pain. A remarkable solution for the opioid epidemic which had claimed the life of his mother.
Will’s flourishing company was subsequently acquired, and this was when he first met Celeste Simmonds. The beguiling Celeste would steer Will away from his earlier hedonistic, womanising lifestyle. However, the only way he could ensure the success of his drug was to bury key safety data which could have led to the clinical trials being terminated. Clinical trials which resulted in the husband of Lydia Goldberg falling into a deep coma. It was Lydia’s scientific training which led her to discover Will’s fraudulent cover-up. She was determined to seek vengeance and concocted an elaborate honeytrap and a decision for Will to make. A career ending confession or being submitted to a life-threatening game of Russian roulette.
The author
Dr Martyn Pritchard is currently moving towards retirement following on from a 35-year long career in drug discovery research focusing on neuroscience as well as novel medicines to treat pain. He is the author of over 50 scientific papers and book chapters along with one novel written under a nom de plume: A Practical Arrangement.
How the book came to be
Martyn explains: "The ambition for the book was to lay bare the raw emotions of a man confronted by his inner demons and facing agonising, life-defining decisions where personal ambition collides with profound questions of humanity and mortality. The heart of the novel lies in the protagonist’s moral dilemma: should he conceal his medical fraud for what he truly believes to be the greater good of science, or reveal his secret and risk the demise of a potential breakthrough medicine as well as bringing to a premature end his glittering scientific career?"
RELEASE DATE: 28/07/2025 ISBN: 9781836283591 Price: £9.99
What We Thought:
A very topical novel that deals with addiction and how to find the antidote. But what happens when the solution adds to the dilemma, is it worth the risk? Natalie Key for Female First
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