Seven years ago, deep into his 25-year career as an ER physician, Tom Combs suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage that forced him to give up medicine and trade in his scalpel for a pen. Last summer, the Plymouth resident released his debut medical thriller, Nerve Damage. The novel follows Twin Cities ER doctor Drake Cody and his family as they are placed in deadly peril by renegade agents of the trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.
Combs takes readers into the heart of the ER, where his own heart also lies. “The ER is more than setting, it’s almost a character in a sense,” he says. “Courage and nobility are regularly on display there.”
Although packed with plenty of medical drama, Combs worked to make sure content was accessible to readers without a medical background but still engaging to the medically expert. Nerve Damage has been well-received, with more than 100 positive Amazon reviews. Encouraged by the reception, Combs will continue the tale of Dr. Drake Cody: “If your protagonist is in trouble, put them in more trouble!” he says.
