Misfire

Kadence is a new type of implanted defibrillator designed to correct dangerous heart rhythms, but in Misfire it causes the very problem it was built to fix. During a routine procedure at University Hospital, one patient's device malfunctions. Dr. Kate Downey, an experienced anesthesiologist, manages to revive the patient, but she soon fears for her beloved Great-Aunt Irm, who recently received the same implant.

When another device fails, Kate brings in Nikki Yarborough, a friend who is also Irm's cardiologist. Nikki works to protect Kate's aunt, but the department chairman's business interests keep her from warning other patients. He invented the device and holds a share of MDI, the company formed to bring it to market, and he insists the failures stem from a software flaw that will soon be fixed. Kate discovers that his explanation does not hold up.

The shocks continue as Christian O'Donnell, a friend and lawyer, arrives in town to help arrange the sale of MDI. Kate and Nikki race to uncover what is behind the malfunctions, but threats against Nikki and a puzzling murder slow their progress. Kate must decide whether these seemingly random shocks are accidents or deliberate attacks. A twist forces her to reconsider much of what she believed, yet she remains determined to protect her aunt and every other patient whose implant could turn against them without warning.

Readers who enjoy Robin Cook and Tess Gerritsen may find a good match here. The novels in the Kate Downey Medical Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, though Fatal Intent is the earlier title in the publication sequence and Misfire follows it.