Book Review: Toxic Minds by Anthony Lee

Reviewed by Addison Ciuchta

Medical disinformation meets a mysterious cult in this tense medical thriller

Mark Lin is a hospitalist, a doctor who works on patients admitted for further care from the emergency department. Dr. Lin’s workload is light when the novel opens, discharging a patient and monitoring a few others on a typical day.

That afternoon, however, the patient he discharges, Shannon Dixon, calls him from the waiting room of an OB/GYN clinic to ask Dr. Lin follow-up questions. While on the phone, though, Dr. Lin hears a commotion and then an explosion. The OB/GYN has been bombed by an unknown person.

Dr. Lin tells police what he heard and tries to resume business as usual, traumatized by the sounds he overheard. Then a new patient says something eerily similar to a phrase he heard the attacker say, and soon Dr. Lin finds himself investigating a mysterious cult that seems to be putting multiple members in the hospital.

The medical cult in this thriller is particularly intriguing due to its relevance to modern society. Called the Path to Purity, the cult puts its members through strange trials to prove their commitment and discipline, all in the hopes of catching the attention of the Sun Priest and achieving true purity. It’s notable and impactful that those drawn into it are vulnerable, frustrated people looking to feel better, to be healthier, or just to be happier. It’s easy to understand why they were drawn into the cult’s grand promises, why they end up doing horrible things to their bodies in the hopes of moving up the ranks to achieve “purity.”

At times, Dr. Lin’s actions are difficult to relate to, especially as he gets deeper into the cult and, without spoiling anything, in two fairly critical moments when he knows violence will put innocent lives at risk, he doesn’t attempt to warn anyone or tip off the authorities. Instead, he tries to fend off the threats himself. In fact, most of the book, he doesn’t let the police know what he knows, instead investigating the Path to Purity by himself even when he knows it could lead to a tragic end for him and, with him, an end to his knowledge of what was actually happening. However, his intentions are good and it is easy to root for him, even if his actions aren’t always entirely logical.

The pacing is good, especially for a long book, with the tension escalating as Dr. Lin is pulled deeper into the Path to Purity and as more and more patients turn up at the hospital needing care as a result of the cult’s practices. The author’s medical knowledge shines in this book, with creative and detailed explanations of the consequences of the cult’s bizarre trials.

Toxic Minds is a unique thriller with a modern take on the dangers of medical disinformation.

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