This article falls within the scope of an action-based research project conducted at the Dijon School of Medicine. It focuses on the medical FASP genre as a potential pedagogical tool.From December 2009 to April 2010, I asked 10 experienced health care professionals from various fields of medical practice, who had obtained an inter-university diploma in medical English, to fill in a questionnaire. The participants, who did not know the titles of the novels or the names of the novelists, were required to comment on six medically-based extracts taken from thrillers during continuing education classes. The aim of the questionnaire was to check the relevance of the specialized vocabulary and its potential as a tool for language acquisition, as well as the degree of authenticity of the texts.To conclude, I analyze the results of the survey with a view to gaining better insight into the representation of reality that such novels generate. I also assess the pedagogical role of the thriller as a factor of incitation or inhibition in EMP (English for Medical Purposes). Finally, I explore a few didactic avenues likely to be of interest to ESP teachers in general.