9780684865638
Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story Of A Doctor Who Got Away With Murder share button
James B. Stewart
Genre Biography
Format Paperback
Dimensions 5.40 (w) x 8.40 (h) x 0.80 (d)
Pages 336
Publisher Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Publication Date June 2000
ISBN 9780684865638
Book ISBN 10 0684865637
About Book

No one could believe the handsome young doctor might be a serial killer. Wherever he was hired — in Ohio, Illinois, New York, South Dakota — Michael Swango at first seemed the model physician. Then his patients began dying under suspicious circumstances.

At once a gripping read and a hard-hitting look at the inner workings of the American medical system, Blind Eye describes a professional hierarchy where doctors repeatedly accept the word of fellow physicians over that of nurses, hospital employees, and patients — even as horrible truths begin to emerge. With the prodigious investigative reporting that has defined his Pulitzer Prize-winning career, James B. Stewart has tracked down survivors, relatives of victims, and shaken coworkers to unearth the evidence that may finally lead to Swango's conviction.

Combining meticulous research with spellbinding prose, Stewart has written a shocking chronicle of a psychopathic doctor and of the medical establishment that chose to turn a blind eye on his criminal activities.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This true-crime story of a serial killer doctor is handled by journalist pro Stewart (Den of Thieves) in unsparingly lean and mean terms. Broadway actor Gaines is equally wry and knowing in his telling, dwelling on the macabre details with barely suppressed relish. The villain, Dr. Michael Swango (even his name sounds creepy), worked his way through medical schools and numerous residency positions--allegedly poisoning and killing as many as 60 patients along the way--before finally being jailed on lesser charges. Obsessed with violence and death, Swango also moonlighted as a rogue ambulance paramedic. When Swango's reputation in the U.S. was finally scorched, he went on to practice his mayhem in Africa, before returning home to face incarceration. Stewart's hard reporting skills yield a great nail-biter of a story, making for riveting listening. Simultaneous release with the Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

What do we know about our doctors? After reading this book readers may decide the answer is, "Not enough." Michael Swango is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in the United States; he is thought to have committed at least 60 murders in hospitals throughout the country. How was he able to continue to work in these institutions even after he was convicted of poisoning some of his colleagues? Pulitzer Prize winner Stewart interviews many people to learn more about the man, how he was able to continue his reign of terror, and how he was finally stopped--temporarily. The author also talks with others within the medical field about the mind of the doctor and about ways the profession can work to stop people like him from practicing medicine. Boyd Gaines does a fine job narrating, but sometimes his characterizations are distracting, especially when he reads the report of the psychiatrist whom Stewart questioned. At times fascinating and at times downright scary, this recording will find a home in most collections.--Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\