Review of Near Death by Glenn Cooper

Alex Weller is a scientist that has an obsession with after death experiences. He finds that in animals and humans there is a natural drug-type substance that is extractable just after they have died. He becomes obsessed and starts getting prostitutes, kills them, and extracts the substances. He finds that the younger the human, the better the "trip". he starts using the substance. He finds a scientist that can replicate the substance and starts giving to his core group. Cyrus is an FBI agent who has a young daughter that is dying from an inoperable brain tumor. He meets Alex, who is a neurologist who happens to be on his daughter's case trying to prevent the seizures that are a side-effect of her tumor. Eventually Cyrus is put on the case of whom is killing the young prostitutes.

This book was really good. You really sympathize with Cyrus as he is forced to work on this case while he is trying to be at his daughter's side as much as possible before she dies. It's also very tangible to feel his hatred towards the unknown murderer as the story plays out. Throughout the book, as Alex's character changes, you really grow to hate a character that, in the beginning, was ambivalent.