Review: "A Case of Need" by Michael Crichton

“Morality must keep up with technology, because if a person is faced with the choice of being moral and dead or immoral and alive, they’ll choose life every time.” – A Case of Need

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Michael Crichton was a writer who knew how to write, and what he chose to write meant something to him. His later novels tended to deal with science, technology and ethics, and his early works – particularly the pseudonymous novels – dealt with youth and culture in a strikingly frank and meaningful manner. His 1968 novel A Case of Need, published as by Jeffery Hudson, won the 1969 Edgar Award for Best Novel and is an example of Crichton’s best work.
      John Berry, a pathologist at a Boston hospital, is pulled into a criminal investigation when an abortion – an illegal medical procedure at the time – goes horribly wrong and a young woman bleeds to death in the emergency room. Berry’s best friend, Dr. Art Lee, is the suspected abortionist, but John is certain his friend wasn’t involved. Berry sets out to prove Lee’s innocence, but as the story develops his actual motives become muddied and unclear.
      A Case of Need is a crossroads novel lying between Crichton’s early pulp adventure novels and his larger and more complex science-based thrillers. It was preceded by Crichton’s entertaining John Lange thriller, Easy Go (also published as The Last Tomb), and his hugely successful techno-thriller, The Andromeda Strain. What makes A Case of Need different from his earlier novels is how Crichton examines its thematic elements in depth – abortion, medical ethics, and societal ethics – while still spinning an entertaining mystery story. The hospital setting feels authentic. An opening scene when a heart surgeon rages after losing a patient is a good example of this:

“All heart surgeons are bastards, and Conway is no exception. He came storming into the path lab at 8:30 in the morning, still wearing his green surgical gown and cap, and he was furious.”

The plotting is concise and the dialogue, while not perfect, purposefully pushes the story forward. It’s a shame – which is likely due to the phenomenal success of The Andromeda Strain – Crichton didn’t follow A Case of Need with a few more Jeffrey Hudson medial thrillers.

a little more about A Case of Need… ·         Originally published in hardcover by World Publishing Co. in 1969, as by Jeffrey Hudson. A Case of Need was reissued by E. P. Dutton in hardcover, with Michael Crichton listed as the author, in 1993. ·         Michael Crichton was a student at Harvard Medical School when he wrote A Case of Need. ·         Michael Crichton never used the Jeffrey Hudson pseudonym again. The name was appropriated from the very real Sir Jeffrey Hudson – also known as Sir Minimus – born in 1619. According to Criminal Element, Hudson “became the court dwarf of Queen Henrietta Maria of France.” He fought in the English Civil War, killed a man in a duel, and was sold into slavery by pirates. ·         A Case of Need was included on a wish list of 850 books a Texas legislator – Matt Krause – wanted to ban from Texas schools. The reason for its inclusion on the list is likely due to its abortion revolving storyline. (see the Biokriot story about the potential Texas school book ban list)   Checkout Amazon’s page for A Case of Need