THE BRIDE COLLECTOR by Ted DekkerThe following is a review from Hachette Book Group.
FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.
It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.
In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.
As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target.
The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?
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As in Ted Dekker's previous book, the Bone Man's Daughter, this book's main theme is Good vs Evil. It has Christian overtones, although it's extremely grisly for a book billed as Christian literature, in my opinion! You find out who the killer is right away. But it's a cat and mouse game for most of the book. It's the FBI vs the serial killer who believes he is acting in God's name by killing beautiful women to become the Bride of Christ and will be rewarded in the end with his own "bride," whom he has already targeted. Brad Raines works even harder to stop the killings when things become more and more personal.
The story revolves around Brad Raines, FBI Agent and his possee of "helpers" from CWI, a private psychiatric institution for the mentally ill and extraordinarily gifted. In particular, a patient aptly named Paradise, leads him in the right direction with her "gift" for seeing who the last person was that the dead women saw. Another patient, nicknamed Sherlock, saves the day with his astute deductions later in the book. Paradise and Brad immediately bond, mainly because she can see that he has been hurt and forces him to deal with his trauma. He, in turn, helps her deal with her demons. These characters are very likable and make the book immeasurably more interesting.
The book was never dull. Even though you knew who the killer was, you had to keep reading to see how Brad and Paradise manage to thwart him. There are several surprise turns and you aren't sure what will happen right up until the end. It was definitely suspenseful! I enjoyed this book more than Dekker's previous book, "The Boneman's Daughter." I recommend this book if you enjoy a fast-paced psychological thriller.
I give this book an A+.
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NEXT by James Hynes
The following is a review from Hachette Book Group.
One Man, one day, and a novel bursting with drama, comedy, and humanity. Kevin Quinn is a standard-variety American male: middle-aged, liberal-leaning, self-centered, emotionally damaged, generally determined to avoid both pain and responsibility. As his relationship with his girlfriend approaches a turning point, and his career seems increasingly pointless, he decides to secretly fly to a job interview in Austin, Texas. Aboard the plane, Kevin is simultaneously attracted to the young woman in the seat next to him and panicked by a new wave of terrorism in Europe and the UK.
***
This book all took place in just 8 hours of Kevin Quinn's life. He hadn't told anyone, including his girlfriend in Michigan, that he was flying to Texas for a job interview. Nobody knew where he was. His job was boring him. He wasn't entirely sure he was in love with Stella, his girlfriend, and he was sure he didn't want a child with her. Getting a new job and a new life in Texas seemed like the answer, yet every obstacle he ran across seemed to be an omen to him that he should just skip the interview and go back to Michigan.
He spent some time chasing a girl he had met on the plane all over Austin because she reminded him of an ex-girlfriend. He also worried about a terrorism event that had just taken place in Scotland, which hit home with him because the terrorist was also named Kevin. Most of the book has to do with his reminiscing about the past and his various romantic escapades from years and years ago. He seemed like a typical middle-aged man in the midst of a mid-life crisis. He had a good heart, though, and would have made the right choices in his life had he been given the chance.
After wandering the streets of Austin for four hours getting into minor scrapes, he finally ends up in the offices on the 52nd floor of Hemphill Associates, ready for his job interview. What happens next totally took me by surprise, although it shouldn't have. The last 50 pages were the inevitable culmination of the rest of the book, I suppose. It was chilling. Downright terrifying, in fact. Kevin was heroic and passionate. James Hynes is an excellent writer, making the reader become totally absorbed in Kevin's thoughts and feelings. This was even more painfully true during the last few pages of the book.
I give this book an A-
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WORST CASE by James Patterson & Michael LedwidgeThe following is from the Hachette Book Review:
Best case: survival
The son of one of New York's wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. His parents can't save him, because this kidnapper isn't demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury. In this exam, wrong answers are fatal.
Worst case: death
Detective Michael Bennett leads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can't begin to understand what could lead someone to target anyone's children. As another student disappears, one powerful family after another uses their leverage and connections to turn the heat up on the mayor, the press--anyone who will listen--to stop this killer. Their reach extends all the way to the FBI, who send their top Abduction Specialist, Agent Emily Parker. Bennett's life--and love life--suddenly get even more complicated.
This case: Detective Michael Bennett is on it
Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI's intrusion on his case, the mastermind changes his routine. His plan leads up to the most devastating demonstration yet--one that could bring cataclysmic devastation to every inch of New York. From the shocking first page to the last exhilarating scene, Worst Case is a non-stop thriller from "America's #1 storyteller".
***
James Patterson doesn't disappoint with his new thriller, Worst Case. I enjoy the James Patterson books with Detective Alex Cross, but Michael Bennet is also enjoyable. Having 10 well behaved kids with just the help of a Nanny seems a bit of a reach, but Michael is still a witty, good-humored type of guy. There was a romantic sideline to the story, which was the attraction between him and FBI Agent Emily Parker. She passed the test of meeting his large family. Will the romance be re-introduced in the next novel starring Michael Bennet? Or will his nanny, Mary Catherine, win Michael's heart? Guess we'll have to wait and see. This book had an unusual twist: A serial killer with a conscience, albeit a somewhat twisted one. The children being kidnapped by this highly educated serial killer were sons and daughters of New York's wealthiest, elite residents. His identity was revealed about halfway through the book, but bits and pieces of the puzzle continued to be unraveled. It was interesting trying to second-guess what was going to happen next. I found the book hard to put down and thought there was a lot of suspense, just like all of Patterson's other books. I like how James Patterson has two themes going in his stories -- the personal side and the "cop" side. You get to know and like the characters quite well in both the Michael Bennet and the Alex Cross series. They are both devoted to their families and dedicated to their jobs. They both worry how being a cop will affect their families, yet they don't hesistate to take on the "worst case" killers and make sure justice is served.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and look forward to the next installment in the Michael Bennet series.
I give this book an A+.
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DEATH OF A VALENTINE by M. C. Beaton The following is from the Hachette Book Review:
Amazing news has spread across the Scottish countryside. The most famous of highland bachelors, police sergeant Hamish Macbeth, may actually marry at last. The entire village of Lochdubh adores Macbeth's bride-to-be. Josie McSween is Hamish's new constable, and she is a pretty little thing, with glossy brown hair and big brown eyes. The local folk think that Josie is quite a catch, but Hamish couldn't be more miserable.
The wedding wouldn't be happening if it weren't for the murder of a beautiful woman in a nearby village. After the gorgeous woman receives a deadly Valentine's Day gift, Hamish and Josie take on the case. However, they soon discover that the list of the victim's admirers is endless. The case confirms Hamish's belief that love is extremely dangerous, but he still can't avoid the events that lead up to his celebrated engagement.
***
This is the 26th book in the Hamish MacBeth Series. This is the first book by M.C. Beaton I have ever read, but it did not detract from the enjoyment of the book. The book is easy to read and humorous.
I found Hamish MacBeth to be a likeable, if not somewhat clueless, character; Josie McSween, not so much. She was conniving, inept, and pathetic. She spent her time coming up with ways to make Hamish fall in love with her. Some of these ways were not things a normal policewoman would even think she could get away with! It made me wonder how she ever managed to get on the police force in the first place!
Hamish's goal was to not advance in his job. He wanted to stay where he was and keep doing what he was doing in his little crime-free village. He didn't want to be bothered with Josie, and he certainly didn't want the hassles that ensued when the local beauty queen was murdered by a letter bomb! Who done it? Hamish had to contend with solving the mystery of who killed the beauty queen while Josie relentlessly pursued him. Poor Hamish seemed unaware that Josie and a former girlfriend were both in love with him. He was apparently still in love with yet a third woman he had a history with. He certainly had his hands full and this produced some humorous situations.
The way the book ended made a perfect transition to book number 27! I will be getting some of the previous books in this series.
I give this book an A-
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CLEAVING BY Julie Powell
From the cover: "A story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession." I think it was mostly about obsession. I thoroughly enjoyed Julie Powell's first book, "Julie and Julia," where she cooked her way through a year's worth of Julia Child's book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," with her husband by her side cheering her on. It was fun to read and I was excited when I found out there was a sequel to it. But "Cleaving?" I had a hard time getting through it for several reasons. She used to live in New York City with her husband Eric and worked at an office job. Somewhere along the line, she got bored with her job AND her husband. She decided she wanted to be a butcher, so she lands an apprenticeship at Fleisher's Butcher Shop which happens to be 100 miles away from her home (and husband) in New York City. The first half of the book is about learning the art of being a butcher, which to me was a big yawn. A little description is fine, but only a butcher would find this in-depth description fascinating in my opinion. Interspersed between the descriptions of breaking down a side of beef is an equally detailed description of her affair with "D". She admits she loves her husband and cannot bear to think of losing him, yet she has been carrying on this obsessive, pretty much one-sided, affair with "D". For "D", it's pretty much over. But Julie tries to revive this one-sided, dead relationship with the fervor of a lovesick fifteen year old. It truly is obsessive and quite annoying. There are two reasons I didn't particularly enjoy this book.
The third reason is her quest to "find herself" (I guess that's what she was doing) by jumping on a plane (alone) at the last minute and heading to Argentina. At least the jaunt to Argentina made a little sense because she hooked up with some friends there who showed her around the Mercado, the largest cattle market in Argentina. She gets home from Argentina and almost immediately takes off to The Ukraine, Tanzania, and Japan. This, to me, was really off the wall and had very little to do with the rest of the book. She is still lusting for "D" the entire time. When she returns to her husband (yes, he still loves her even though he knows about "D") and it's still not clear whether she dumps him or not. She is a good writer, but this book was somewhat disjointed and very whiny -- it was not my "cup of tea." I don't think I'll be reading the sequel, if there is one.
I give this book an D
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The main character is Veronica "Ronnie" Miller. The story begins with her and her brother being taken to visit their father in a small beach town in North Carolina. Ronnie's parents had divorced, leaving Ronnie bitter and angry at her father and not talking to him for three years. Steve, Ronnie's father, was a former classical pianist and teacher at Julliard who had worked with Ronnie, turning her into a piano prodigy. As a way of rebelling against her father, Ronnie refused to play the piano ever again.
The characters in this story were well developed and believable. Ronnie started out as a rebellious 17-year old, slowly beginning to fall in with the wrong crowd. Then she met Will Blaklee, the town hunk. She fell in love with him before she found out he was from a rich, prominent family in town. From the beginning, Ronnie was a strong person, comfortable with who and what she is. She has a strong sense of right and wrong and expects that of everyone else as well. Ronnie's younger brother immediately connects with their father, helping him over the summer to build a stained-glass window to replace one that had been destroyed in a fire a few months earlier. That stained-glass window played an important part throughout this book. Ronnie's father did not judge her; he trusted her to make the right decisions. She slowly warmed up to him, realizing what a good man he was. Even though playing the piano was an important part of his life, he boarded it up because he knew Ronnie wanted nothing to do with it. The book deals with growth, change, acceptance,understanding, and death. Nicholas Sparks has a way of tugging at your heartstrings, and "Last Song" is no exception. Ronnie learns things aren't always what they seem. She learned how much her Dad always loved her and her brother, even though she thought otherwise. She changed from a rebellious child into a caring, responsible adult over a few months time. The book turned out much like I thought it would, but it was still an easy, enjoyable read. If you have liked other books by Nicholas Sparks, you should like this one.
I am glad that I read the book before I learned that Nicholas Sparks apparently wrote this book with Miley Cyrus in mind. It appears that she will play Ronnie in the movie, due out in January 2010. When reading a book, we all form opinions of "who" the characters are, and Miley Cyrus did not fit my vision of Ronnie. If I had to name an actress that I could envision Ronnie as, it might have been Kristin Stewart from Twilight. Greg Kinnear is supposed to play her father. Why not Billy Ray Cyrus -- might as well take it all the way! I can only hope that by the time Miley turns 18 that she will turn out like Ronnie. Hmmmm....time will tell.
I give this book an A+
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APRIL & OLIVER by Tess CallahanApril and Oliver are cousins, related only through marriage. They grew up together, along with April’s younger brother, Buddy, and Oliver’s brother, Al. The book begins when April and Oliver are re-united after many years. Oliver, who is engaged to be married, brought his fiancée with him from California to attend Buddy’s funeral. Oliver gave up his dream of being a classical pianist to go to law school. April’s life had taken a completely different turn. She worked in a bar and continued to find herself in abusive relationships from a very young age. It seemed they had absolutely nothing in common except the shared memories which came alive when they were thrown together again. Yet it is obvious from the beginning that April and Oliver are still drawn to each other. They shared a long history together and were both still committed to their grandmother, Nana – a central character in the book. The family relationships were expertly woven throughout the book. This book was well-written with excellent character development.
The book makes a statement about there being consequences for one’s actions. It makes it clear that even though people change and grow apart over the years, that shared memories and secrets remain alive and dreams are hard to give up.
The book keeps you guessing: “Will they or won’t they?” Will Oliver dump his fiancée and resume his relationship with April? Will April choose him or his brother Al? Will Oliver realize how much he misses his music? Will April get her life back together? You will find yourself rooting for your favorite character. While the sexual tension is strong between them, there is much more to their relationship than sex. Oliver seemed like a good person, but I felt sorry for his long-suffering fiancée who had to deal with his infatuation with April throughout the book. Even though April made bad choices, I respected her more. April obviously had feelings for Oliver, but she kept him at arm’s length throughout the book, telling him he belonged with his fiancée. Had April encouraged him, it was obvious how the book would have turned out. It didn’t end the way I thought it would, but it wasn’t a bad ending.
I give this book an A-.
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MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP by Lauren LiptonWhen I began reading this book, I was prepared to dislike it. I thought it was your standard, sappy, chick-lit book with the ever predictable ending. The predictable ending part was true, but I actually ended up enjoying this book. Even though you knew what was going to happen, it was all the events in-between that kept it interesting.
It begins with an uptight young career woman, Peggy Adams, waking up in a Las Vegas hotel room next to an equally uptight -- but handsome -- strange man. Peggy was horrified to find out that a night of heavy drinking led to her presumably sleeping with a man she had never met! She quickly flew back to resume her predictable life and her relationship with her predictable long-term boyfriend, Brock. To her surprise, she receives a call from the stranger identifying himself as Luke Sedgewick, her husband! They had gotten married in Vegas!
Luke was the ultimate WASP royalty. He hated scenes and showing his emotions. Turns out he loved Peggy from the beginning, but couldn't bring himself to admit it to her -- or even to himself for quite awhile. It was pretty much the same with Peggy. Luke's eccentric Great Aunt Abigail was delighted that Luke had finally found himself a bride worthy of the Sedgewick name (or so she thought). She wanted Luke, the last of the Sedgewicks, to carry on the Sedgewick name and continue to live in the Sedgewick Manor. After all, no Sedgewick had ever left this house unless it was through the coffin door! Luke had other ideas -- he wanted to go somewhere -- anywhere -- else and write poetry. He did not want to be tied down with the aging Sedgewick Manor, but he didn't have the monetary resources to pursue this dream. Peggy, on the other hand, co-owned a small boutique in New York City. Rent was going up and she and her partner realized they could no longer afford to keep their business much longer. Enter Miss Abigail Sedgewick. She made them an offer they couldn't refuse: Stay married for a year and the house would be theirs to do with as they pleased. So the marriage turned into a week-end business relationship. With the money from the sale of Sedgewick Manor, Peggy could keep her boutique and Luke could pursue his dream of writing poetry somewhere other than New Ninevah, Connecticut! And then they could get the marriage annulled and go their separate ways.
Peggy spent every weekend with Luke and his Great Aunt Abigail pretending to be happily married. This was easy because her quasi-fiancé back in New York City was always away on business. While they were pretending they were happily married, they were actually falling in love with each other. But both were too stubborn to admit it. Everybody seemed to be able to see this but them, including Miss Abigail. She knew something was amiss with their "marriage", but went along with the charade till the end, probably confident that they would eventually realize how much they loved each other. After all, everyone else did! A series of twists and turns and misunderstandings kept the book interesting. There were some downright hilarious scenes in the book also.
Mating Rituals is the perfect summer beach read. The writing is witty and smart. It's a romance book for those who hate conventional romance books!
I give this book an A-
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SWIMSUIT By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro The synopsis from Hachette Books:
Syd (I think they mean Kim), a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.
LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.
A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports readers to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors.
My Review
I have always been a fan of James Patterson. This particular book was filled with more graphic details than his previous novels and the subject matter is also quite disturbing. Young women are turning up murdered all over the globe, but it was the murder of Kim McDaniels in Maui that started Ben Hawkins' journey in his "deal with the devil." Kim's parents received a sinister call at their home in Michigan, telling them that Kim had "fallen into bad hands." They flew to Hawaii, where they met Ben Hawkins, a reporter who was on assignment with the L.A. Times to cover the story. Ben saw this as a subject for a book that might help him reach his goal of being a first-rate author, something he had never quite achieved. He also developed a close relationship with Kim's parents and hoped to use his talents as an ex-cop to find out what had happened to their daughter.
Back in L.A., Ben was approached by a man named Henri Benoit, claiming to be the killer. He wanted Ben to write a tell-all story of why he did this, giving him the exclusive chance to see into the mind of a psychopathic killer. Little did Ben know that he was signing a pact with the Devil. This was not an amateur killer and once he made the pact, he knew there was no turning back. Ben was torn between turning the information he learned over to the police or trying to take Henri down on his own. Both of these options meant there was a good chance that he and his girlfriend would be the next ones to die. It then became a classic tale of "cat and mouse," with the killer and the would-be author trying to stay one step ahead of the other. When interviewing Henri Benoit, the last question Ben asked him was "Why do you want to write this book?" Henri said "If you're half the writer I think you are, if you're half the cop you used to be, you'll figure out why I want to do this book. I think you'll be surprised." Since we are told near the beginning of the book who the killer was, the question was not "who" or "how", but rather "why." There was a lot of suspense, especially towards the last half of the book. In my opinion, James Patterson may have gone a little overboard with the number of killings and the gory and graphic details, but it was still very suspenseful and held my interest to the end. The subject matter and graphic descriptions of the killings aren't for the faint of heart and many people may find the book disturbing. But it was well-written and suspenseful up until the very end.
I certainly admire James Patterson's versatility as an author -- to be able to write such wildly different books such as "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas", the Alex Cross Series and the "Maximum Ride" series, and then to write a book like this, requires a great deal of talent as an author, in my opinion.
I give this book an A-
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THE BONEMAN'S DAUGHTER by Ted Dekker Ted Dekker has been tremendously successful in the Christian market. This book deals with good and evil and mentions God and Satan, yes. But so do many other Psychological thrillers. Ted Dekker also compares the main character's love and willingness to sacrifice his life for his daughter to how Jesus sacrificed his life for us. This book, however, does not really dwell on a Christian theme. This is an intricately woven story that examines the depth of one father’s love and asks the age-old question: How far are you willing to go to save someone you love? The dilemmas faced by Ryan Evans cause the reader to stop and ponder what they would do in a similar situation.
Ryan Evans returns from war after having been taken captive and tortured. He returned home prepared to make up for the years he lost with his wife and daughter as a result of his career as an Intelligence Officer in the Military. After having gone through the horrors of war, he realized the thing he wanted most was to have a relationship with his daughter. He was too late, though. His wife was involved with another man and his sixteen year old daughter considered him 'dead to her." While he was overseas, the BoneMan had killed six teenage girls in Ryan's home state of Texas, torturing them by breaking all of their bones because they were not "the perfect daughter" that he was looking for to love him as much as he loved himself. The wrong man was convicted and set free about the same time Ryan returned home. Shortly thereafter, Ryan's wife and her boyfriend were killed and his sixteen year old daughter went missing. These incidents, combined with Ryan's description of the method of torture he had witnessed in Iraq, lead the FBI to believe that Ryan is the BoneMan. Now Ryan has to use his skills as an Intelligence Officer to hunt for his daughter and dodge the FBI. The hunter becomes the hunted and only one father will survive at the end. The book has lots of action, but it also has a lot of soul searching on Ryan's part. While this was necessary to explain his actions, it did bog things down at times.
The book is definitely cringe worthy. It gets gruesome in parts. You learn early on who the BoneMan is, but you never know what he is going to do next or how he will be caught. The book is dark and suspenseful. It raises some interesting questions but is not without hope.
This book was sparked by a personal situation in Ted Dekker's life, the relationship of his daughter with an abusive boyfriend. On his blog, he ends with this statement: "Read the novel. Then go to your daughter, your father, your son, your mother, hold them close, and cherish them forever."
I give this book an A-.
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RUN FOR YOUR LIFE by James Patterson and Michael LedwidgeOnly the names have changed. I have been a fan of the Alex Cross series by James Patterson for years. The protagonist in “Run For Your Life” is a big city cop, as was Alex Cross. Both specialize in hunting down psychopathic killers. Detective Michael Bennett was left a widower with ten young children; Detective Alex Cross was left a widower with two young children. Both series have twists and turns that leave you guessing till the end! If you enjoyed James Patterson’s previous books, this one won’t disappoint. If you have never read any of James Patterson's books before, you will find this an easy to read, fast-paced thriller that is hard to put down!
In Run For Your Life, Detective Michael Bennett takes on a case involving an egotistical, psychotic killer who is killing rich, snobbish and rude New Yorkers. This maniac calls himself the “Teacher” and it is his mission to kill those who need to be taught a lesson in civility. It isn’t till the book is nearly over before Bennett even begins to think he knows who is responsible, if not why. But he turns out to be wrong when there is yet another twist in the story.
Though obviously a coincidence, fiction and real life parallel each other at one point in this book. Bennett finds himself on a Cessna aircraft with the killer, using his hostage negotiator skills to save his life, his daughter’s life, and the lives of other New Yorkers who would have otherwise been killed. The Cessna goes down in the Hudson River and Bennett emerges a hero. Even though there was a vast difference in the two situations, it was still slightly reminiscent of Flight 1549 that went down in the Hudson only two weeks before the book was released.
I give this book an A-.
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BEAT THE REAPER by Josh BrazellThe book begins begins when Pietro Brwna/Peter Brown (aka "Bearclaw") is 14 years old and becomes friends with Adam "Skinflick" Locano. After Pietro's grandparents are gunned down in their home, the Lucano family takes him in and treats him like their own son. Pietro is bent on avenging his grandparents death, which he ends up doing a year later. This impresses Skinflick's father, who just happens to be high up in the Mafia. The book moves back and forth between young Pietro working as a hitman for David Locano and Peter who has become a doctor after joining the Witness Protection Program. By becoming a doctor, Peter sets out to re-invent himself and somehow make up for the lives he snuffed out as a hitman. But the past catches up with him in the form of one of his patients and the hunter becomes the hunted.
I found the book to be rather confusing at times with the constant flashback scenes. And it is not for the squeamish! There is a lot of blood and carnage and graphic language which may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the book is a combination of black humor, murder, with a little romance thrown in. There are lots of footnotes thrown in to explain some of the medical terms. It's not the "Godfather", nor is it a particularly good medical or legal drama. But by mixing the medical world with the world of the Mafia, along with our flawed Justice System, it makes for an interesting, bizarre novel with a rapid tension-filled pace. Not bad for a first novel, actually.
I give this book a B-
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