A Cure to Die For by Stephen G Mitchell ****

What happens when you cross "one of the most poisonous plants on earth" from Mongolia with marijuana from the good ole USA? You get pot that cures everything from the common cold to cancer ... all types of cancers. If that science really bothers you, you can stop reading now.

However, if you can suspend disbelief, A Cure to Die For by Stephen G Mitchell could be the book for you. This book is a mash-up of an allegory in support of legalizing marijuana and speculative fiction on the implication of such a miracle drug.

The story travels from Marina del Rey to Indian reservations  in Montana and Arizona to a big estate in Virginia to Rancho Cucamonga to the jungle in Mexico.  People impacted by this miracle drug include the entire medical establishment, but especially pharmaceutical companies which would obviously kill to prevent this drug becoming generally known or available. On the other side is a wide range of folk with various terminal cancers. In the middle are idealistic scientists, just plain nice people, and, of course, crooked politicians and drug dealers.

In a tale with a pleasantly surprising low body count, the fate of this miracle drug twists and turns with one surprising resurrection after another. The book is certainly a fun ride ... a romantic comedy with a subversive political message ... I can't wait for the movie.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway on November 11, 2013. I received the book on November 27, 2013.