The Organ Broker | devengreene

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Available April 15, 2025

A devoted wife and mother faces the unimaginable as her life crumbles.

Crystal Rigler seems to have a perfect marriage. Derek, her handsome and charismatic husband, and their adult daughter, Cordelia, are her whole world. In addition to her already busy life, Crystal supports the volunteer organization she and Derek started: STOP (Stop Transplants of Organs from Prisoners).

STOP aims to end a new government policy of harvesting organs from executed prisoners. Crystal and her husband learn that these organs are not distributed in accordance with the national transplant list, established to allocate organs fairly. Instead, a shadowy figure known as Broker Al pulls the strings. He expedites the execution of young and healthy prisoners and sells their organs at a high price to the rich and well-connected.

After Crystal learns a disturbing secret, events are set in motion that will potentially dismantle STOP, change her life, and cost her everything. Unless she is willing to do the unthinkable . . .

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Literary Titan Review

Deven Greene’s The Organ Broker weaves an electrifying tale of corruption, morality, and personal conflict, set against the backdrop of a controversial organ procurement program tied to capital punishment. The story follows Crystal, a passionate activist, and her charismatic but flawed husband, Derek, as they navigate the complexities of their anti-death penalty organization, STOP, and uncover unsettling truths about a sinister organ harvesting conspiracy.

What gripped me most was the story’s daring concept. The idea of condemned prisoners’ organs being prioritized for the politically connected is as chilling as it is thought-provoking. Greene doesn’t shy away from exploring the murky moral waters—do the ends ever justify the means? This debate becomes real and visceral as Crystal, often overshadowed by her husband’s public persona, struggles to find her voice in a cause that consumes her. For instance, her confrontation with the journalist Britt about corruption in organ allocation left me questioning my own moral boundaries.

The writing is compelling. Derek’s arrogance and charm are described so vividly that I felt genuine disdain for him, especially during moments like his dismissive attitude toward Crystal’s contributions to STOP. However, I sometimes found myself impatient with the dialogue-heavy scenes, such as their marital disputes, which were slow but integral to character development. Still, these moments gave me insight into Crystal’s inner turmoil, which deepened my empathy for her.

One of the standout aspects of the book is Greene’s ability to balance suspense with intimate, human moments. The protests described in Chapter 1 were electric. By contrast, Crystal’s quiet decision to secretly plan for her independence—starting with a hidden bank account—was a subtle but powerful moment of rebellion that had me cheering for her. These contrasts make the story not just about systemic injustice but also about personal survival and growth.

The Organ Broker is a thought-provoking thriller that I think is perfect for fans of stories that merge activism with personal stakes, like The Hate U Give but with a darker and grittier tone. If you enjoy moral dilemmas, complex characters, and a plot that feels uncomfortably plausible, this book will leave you thinking long after the ending.

Readers' Favorite Review

In Deven Greene's The Organ Broker, prisoners faced execution at New Lake Hospital, where their organs were harvested. This method of organ procurement was becoming increasingly common. Crystal formed the Stop Transplants of Organs from Prisoners (STOP) to fight against this injustice. Significant sums of money were involved, and all arrangements were managed by an individual known as Broker Al. A prominent investigative journalist named Britt was looking into death penalty cases that resulted in organ harvesting. Crystal and Britt discovered that the organs were not allocated to people at the top of the donor list but rather to wealthy people with high-level connections. During a visit to her parents' home, Crystal heard that her daughter urgently needed a liver transplant. After receiving a call from Broker Al, Crystal faced the toughest choice any mother could encounter. The Organ Broker by Deven Greene was intricate and captivated my attention from the first page. The story was fast-paced with not a single dull moment. Several storylines were intertwined throughout the plot, but none overshadowed the others. Everything harmonized beautifully in a way that felt just right. The characters were genuine and relatable. They could easily represent people I know. My favorite character was Crystal. She was a remarkably strong woman who faced her challenges with resolve. The writing style was compelling, prompting me to race through the pages to discover what would happen next. The significant twist at the end was completely unforeseen. I had no idea it was coming at all. I enjoyed reading this novel

Midwest Book Review
D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer

Some books—quite often, the best—defy pat categorization.

The Organ Broker is an example of such a book. It teeters between thriller, novel, a story of medical and social challenge, and more. It stands out from others about organ harvesting simply because it evolves a complex plot that engages characters and readers in a moral and ethical dance spiced with intrigue and the unexpected.

The story opens on a hot East Texas day. Protestor Crystal Rigler has spearheaded a community-wide effort to save prisoner Kwami from the death penalty. Issues of immorality give Crystal and handsome husband Derek visibility as they protest Texas’s death penalty laws on the grounds of:

...the uneven death penalty sentencing, the ugliness of exacting revenge, and the irreversibility of the punishment once meted out.

The organization STOP (‘Stop Transplants of Organs from Prisoners’) that Crystal and Derek have created specifically addresses the practice of using executed prisoners as organ donors. It’s a new government policy that turns out not to support the national transplant list, but is, in actuality, for those who are rich enough to pay big sums for life-saving organs.

Their effort seems morally correct and cut-and-dry. But when secrets emerge that implicate STOP in a dilemma that forces Crystal and Derek to consider their own inadvertent involvement in unethical practices, readers will appreciate a taut, gripping story that sets the couple at odds with each other and their cause.

Deven Greene captures their interpersonal relationship and the forces that test it with a deft attention to psychological discovery:

“What if I talk to him? We need that money.”

“Don’t you dare call that prick. He’ll think I’m not man enough to speak up for myself. That motherfucker’s been jealous of me ever since I started working there. He’s always been gunning for me. I forbid you to call him.”

“You forbid me? You don’t own me. I can do what I want.” It had been a long time since Crystal had confronted Derek. She was usually the one to give in when they argued. She either wanted to maintain the peace or his smile eased her into submission.

As organ donor issues impact family life, readers will find the contentions and circumstances both unexpected and riveting as Crystal and Derek find their ideals tested and challenged in novel ways.

From protest and organization-building to what happens when uncomfortable truths hit too close to home, Greene creates a story packed with personal reflections and self-examination. These evolve under the bigger picture of organ donor profit and purpose:

Britt had to go. If he had any suspicions, he hoped he hadn’t shared them with Crystal. He needed her in his corner. Is there no end to what I have to do just to get on with my life? I try to do the right thing, but It seems there’s always someone in my way.

The Organ Broker is a tense story of discovery and struggle that libraries will find appropriate to highly recommend to thriller readers seeking more depth and food for thought from their reading than conflict resolution alone.

Book clubs will find The Organ Broker to be fast-paced, riveting, and packed with fodder for group discussion. Its potential topics for debate range from interpersonal relationship to organizational changes; how worthy programs can be corrupted by predators that ignore ethics for the sake of profit; and how organ donor and prisoner management issues intersect (in this case) to create dangerous outcomes.

Filled with tension, twists, and poignant moments of choice and consequences, The Organ Broker is a page-turner that proves hard to put down—and is difficult to peg as an action-packed social analysis alone.