The world is full of social imbalances, iniquities, and stratifications, and these injustices are glaringly obvious when looking at the prison system. One death row inmate looking to accept his due punishment volunteers to expedite his execution specifically to donate his heart to a politician’s wife in dire need of a transplant. His sacrifice saves several lives and sparks new legislation. After the successful arrangement becomes front-page news, the congressional bill that allows healthy organs to be harvested from executed prisoners is widely embraced. But Crystal Rigler isn’t so naive. She’s already apprehensive about death penalty statutes, and a provision like this could influence the judgment of prisoners whose health is good but whose guilt might not be irrefutable. Crystal organizes a campaign to protest the alternative transplant policy and its increasingly dubious reputation of prioritizing wealthy organ recipients while fast-tracking or entirely overlooking due process for prisoners. Fortunately, Crystal isn’t alone in her passion project. Her husband Derek is the handsome face and charming spokesman for their growing national movement. Unfortunately, Derek is a selfish, philandering egotist with little concern for others. As their marriage begins to crumble, a family medical emergency highlights what truly matters most.
Deven Greene presents two sides of an ugly coin in The Organ Broker, a medical thriller of ethic proportions. As human greed feeds the illicit organ trade, the novel becomes increasingly polarizing and electrifyingly intense. The implications of harvesting organs from prisoners go far beyond the contentious issues surrounding capital punishment, and Greene brings these considerations down to a personal level when Crystal’s family faces their own life-or-death situation. While Derek has a backstory that engenders a bit of compassion, his deplorable nature becomes increasingly abhorrent as his attractive outer layer gets peeled back. Crystal, though sometimes petty, becomes more sympathetic and relatable as she balances her needs with the greater good, especially as Derek’s actions become increasingly erratic. By crafting such realistic characters, the author thrusts readers into the churning center of many moral dilemmas. Despite a few continuity and grammatical discrepancies, Greene’s talent shines in the medically technical scenes. As a dual criminal investigation emerges and time runs short for an organ recipient, suspense builds toward an ending audiences will find immensely satisfying. Introspective and entertaining, The Organ Broker navigates the delicate balance between principles and priorities.
