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Biography

Leonard Goldberg is the internationally bestselling author of the Joanna Blalock series of medical thrillers. His novels, acclaimed by critics as well as fellow authors, have been translated into a dozen languages and sold more than a million copies worldwide. Leonard Goldberg is himself a consulting physician affiliated with the UCLA Medical Center, where he holds an appointment as Clinical Professor of Medicine. A highly sought-after expert witness in medical malpractice trials, he is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and rheumatology, and has published over a hundred scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals.

Leonard Goldberg's writing career began with a clinical interest in blood disorders. While involved in a research project at UCLA, he encountered a most unusual blood type. The patient's red blood cells were O-Rh null, indicating they were totally deficient in A, B and Rh factors and could be administered to virtually anyone without fear of a transfusion reaction. In essence, the patient was the proverbial "universal" blood donor. This finding spurred the idea for a story in which an individual was born without a tissue type, making that person's organs transplantable into anyone without worry of rejection. His first novel, TRANSPLANT, revolved around a young woman who is discovered to be a universal organ donor and is hounded by a wealthy, powerful man in desperate need of a new kidney. The book quickly went through multiple printings and was optioned by a major Hollywood studio.

On the strength of the critical and popular reception of TRANSPLANT, Leonard Goldberg was off to the races as an author of medical thrillers. He began writing a series of new books, with a continuing main character named Joanna Blalock. The "Joanna Blalock" series features a forensic pathologist at a prestigious university medical center who has a Holmesian knack for solving murders. The books, published in the U.S. by Dutton and Signet, include DEADLY MEDICINE, A DEADLY PRACTICE, DEADLY CARE, DEADLY HARVEST, DEADLY EXPOSURE, LETHAL MEASURES, FATAL CARE, BRAINWAVES and FEVER CELL.

Leonard Goldberg's novels have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, French and Czech book clubs, and The Mystery Guild. They have been featured as People magazine's "Page-Turner of the Week", as well as at the International Book Fair in Budapest. The series has been optioned on several occasions for development as a motion picture or television project.

Critics across the country have praised his novels as

"Fascinating.....devilish" (People Magazine)
"Cool cuttings by a sure hand..... scalpel-edged" (Kirkus Reviews)
"Imaginative, murderous..... captures the top shelf in the mystery world" (Kansas City Star)

"Compelling and suspenseful" (Associated Press)

"Diabolical" (Virginian Pilot)

"A medical thriller -- with uniquely ghastly murders" (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

"Bone-chilling and provocative" (Tulsa World)

"Fascinating and fast moving" (Booklist)

"Rushes along at a brisk clip" (Chicago Tribune)

"A page-turner with medical realism and characters who command our sympathies" (Charleston Post and Courier)

"Outstanding specimens of suspense" (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

"The stuff of nightmares" (Library Journal)
"All the excitement, intrigue and danger you could ask for."  (Kirkus Reviews)
His best-selling novels have also been praised by fellow writers as:
"Loaded with suspense and believable characters" (T. Jefferson Parker)

"Medical suspense at its best" (Michael Palmer)
Dr. Goldberg is a native of Charleston (with the accent to prove it) and a long-time California resident. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles and an island off the coast of South Carolina.