by Bob Parsons
First published 2020
Jim Gottstein sits in his Alaska law office, holding documents that could destroy one of America's biggest pharmaceutical companies. The papers prove Eli Lilly knew their bestselling drug Zyprexa caused diabetes and deadly metabolic disorders, yet they hid this from doctors and patients. Worse, the company illegally pushed the dangerous medication on children and elderly patients. Gottstein believes he obtained these documents legally, but Eli Lilly and a federal court in Brooklyn disagree. They accuse him of conspiracy and theft. Criminal contempt charges loom over his head. As Gottstein battles in court, a network of psychiatric survivors helps spread the explosive documents across the internet, staying one step ahead of corporate lawyers trying to suppress the truth. At the center of this legal war stands Bill Bigley, a psychiatric patient whose suffering made the entire exposure possible. Gottstein must navigate complex legal traps while fighting for justice against a pharmaceutical giant with unlimited resources.
Genres: american-fiction, medical, crime, non-fiction, activism, legal-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, legal-battle, whistleblower
Setting: Alaska, Brooklyn
Period: 21st-century
232 pages · Paperback · Jim Gottstein
Content warnings: medical-trauma, mental-illness