Irreparable Harm - Softcover

Singer, Randy D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578566347 ISBN 13: 9781578566341

Publisher: WaterBrook Press, 2003

Synopsis

A fight for life. A battle for right.
Attorney Mitchell Taylor is trapped in a lose-lose situation.

Bright but inexperienced attorney Mitchell Taylor is torn between warring personal and professional interests. Can he help his client–a young surrogate mother–and save the child she carries without sealing the fate of others? The compelling answer lies in Randy Singer’s new legal thriller Irreparable Harm.

When Dr. Nathan Brown and his wife, Cameron, undergo a controversial method of in vitro fertilization, some of their cloned embryos are used to achieve a pregnancy in surrogate Maryna Sareth while the others are cryogenically preserved. Dr. Brown’s premature death, however, and mounting evidence that the baby has Down’s Syndrome unleash a legal, ethical, and moral firestorm that will determine the future of thousands of unborn children.

Dr. Brown’s dying wish is that the remaining embryos be used for stem cell research. His wife wants to force the abortion of the baby Maryna carries in hopes that one of the remaining embryos can produce a “healthy” child. Meanwhile, Mitchell wrestles with an agonizing ethical dilemma: Can he protect the embryos, which requires that a federal legislative ban on cloning be overturned, while at the same time helping the beautiful young surrogate save the child she carries–possible only if the ban is upheld?

With time running out, Mitchell and Maryna must run a gauntlet of bioethical nightmares, corporate treachery, and life-threatening confrontations if they are to save the unborn and avoid Irreparable Harm.

About this title

About the Author

Randy Singer serves as General Counsel for the North American Mission Board and on the Board of Legal Advisors for the American Center for Law and Justice, a public service law firm that defends religious freedom both in the United States and abroad. He spent twelve years as a trial lawyer in one of Virginia’s largest law firms, working as head of the litigation section, and is the author of the legal thriller Directed Verdict. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Rhonda, and their two children.

Reviews

In his follow-up to Directed Verdict, Singer mixes courtroom drama with ethical issues to craft an interesting but protracted legal thriller for the CBA market. Star law student Mitchell Taylor finds himself working for the worst kind of personal injury attorney upon graduation (call 1-800-CASH-NOW!), but as a Christian, he's determined to make the best of a bad situation. It's not long before he finds himself defending the GenTech Clinic in Norfolk, Va., in a tangled case involving eight frozen embryos. Also, he learns that a surrogate mother and illegal immigrant, Maryna Sareth, may be forced to abort the implanted embryo she is carrying. GenTech wants the embryos for AIDS research-or is it really for financial gain? It's up to Taylor to defend his client without compromising his beliefs. As in Directed Verdict, the pace is slow, but the novel includes an appealing romance element and some welcome touches of humor. Most of the characters are multifaceted, including the unpredictable Hon. Cynthia Baker-Kline from the first book, who makes an appearance here. Evangelical Christians will appreciate the conversion of one character; however, the violence could alienate some readers, and the surprising evidence that clinches the case may seem in poor taste to others. Most readers, however, will enjoy the many twists and turns that Singer executes with aplomb. Legal thrillers seem to have found a home with CBA readers, and Singer once again adds a strong voice to this growing genre in the evangelical Christian market.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A fight for life. A battle for right.

Attorney Mitchell Taylor is trapped in a lose-lose situation.

Bright but inexperienced attorney Mitchell Taylor is torn between warring personal and professional interests. Can he help his client a young surrogate mother and save the child she carries without sealing the fate of others? The compelling answer lies in Randy Singer s new legal thriller Irreparable Harm.

When Dr. Nathan Brown and his wife, Cameron, undergo a controversial method of in vitro fertilization, some of their cloned embryos are used to achieve a pregnancy in surrogate Maryna Sareth while the others are cryogenically preserved. Dr. Brown s premature death, however, and mounting evidence that the baby has Down s Syndrome unleash a legal, ethical, and moral firestorm that will determine the future of thousands of unborn children.

Dr. Brown s dying wish is that the remaining embryos be used for stem cell research. His wife wants to force the abortion of the baby Maryna carries in hopes that one of the remaining embryos can produce a "healthy" child. Meanwhile, Mitchell wrestles with an agonizing ethical dilemma: Can he protect the embryos, which requires that a federal legislative ban on cloning be overturned, while at the same time helping the beautiful young surrogate save the child she carries possible only if the ban is upheld?

With time running out, Mitchell and Maryna must run a gauntlet of bioethical nightmares, corporate treachery, and life-threatening confrontations if they are to save the unborn and avoid Irreparable Harm.

Edition details

• Publisher: WaterBrook Press
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1578566347
• ISBN 13: 9781578566341
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 432