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Lori L. (La Porte, IN)
Doing Harm
This medical thriller takes the reader inside the world of chief surgical resident Steven Mitchell at University Hospital. Steven has the stereotypical arrogance of the gifted surgeon, which leads him to make some questionable decisions both medically and personally (flying solo on a difficult surgery when instructed to wait for help, defying hospital protocol, hacking, and cheating on his wife with a beautiful medical student). While he is not a very likeable character, as a reader you can certainly empathize with the predicament he finds himself in. More character development and less plot contrivances would
…more have made this a better thriller. Readers who enjoy ER and Grey's Anatomy will likely enjoy this book. (less)Like the carnival ride this book starts out slow building toward the wild ride. I wanted the action to start a bit sooner but once it did it was a heck of a ride. Lots of twists and turns indeed a thrilling read.
Laura P. (Atlanta, GA)
Medical Malpractice
Dr. Steve Mitchell has the world by the tail until, overconfident, he makes some serious mistakes that play into the plans of a killer working his hospital. The book's strengths: Author Kelly Parsons, a doctor, knows what he's talking about , so the medicine is convincing, and he really puts you inside of the main character's head. The weaknesses: Sometimes the technical medical language seems almost gratuitous - like he's showing off, and the head he puts you inside has some pretty unattractive thought patterns. Steve is not a very good guy. The writing is good, the story well-told -- but this falls into the "
…more good on an airplane" category, not great literature. (less)The opening sentence and first third of the book led me to believe that I was reading a very different book than what it turned out to be. I found the book to be engaging, the writing good, the story compelling. As opposed to many thrillers I have read, this one did not overuse contrivances to set up the plot. The technical medical language that was used helped to set up the story, rather than to bog it down. I would give it a 4.5 if such grading was available. I thought the ending was a little too convenient and instead of telling me how it would play out, I would have liked to have had the epilogue provide more detail.
Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
Couldn't sleep. Had to finish it.
I enjoyed this medical thriller. It was very suspenseful, and I confess, I jumped ahead to the ending - so I could sleep at night. The medical information was written so the average person could understand the situations, and the reader realizes that there are mistakes and doctors aren't perfect but for the most part, doing their best. My only criticism was GG - somewhat unbelievable, larger than life - attractive, confident, super intelligent, and a black belt in tae kwon do. The ending was somewhat Hollywood with everything working out, but it is definitely a fun read.
Sharon B. (Rome, GA)
Medical Thriller
Life is great and the future is assured for senior surgical resident Steve Mitchell until inexplicable mistakes start happening causing serious complications for his patients. An investigation reveals foul play and, with his career on the line, Dr. Mitchell must figure out who is sabotaging treatment and what patient will be chosen next. The suspense in this book kept me reading even when I had to skim through much of the clinical detail (the author is a surgeon). The main characters were not very likable and I felt that Dr. Mitchell pretty much deserved whatever happened to him. I would recommend the book for a
…more quick and easy read. (less)Doing Harm is a very suspenseful medical mystery which I read in a couple of days. I probably would have given it 5 stars except for the unlikeable protagonist and the fact that the author seemed to want to constantly impress the reader with his medical knowledge. He, in fact, is a doctor but some of the descriptions were pretty nauseating to me and not necessary. This would make a great beach read or a book for someone who doesn't read much. I had to find out the ending!
Kathleen W. (Appleton, WI)
Doing Harm
This was a difficult review for me to write because I wanted to like the book more than I do. The premise of "what would you do in this situation?" intrigues me and as a medical thriller, the book is successful. I found myself reading late into the night engrossed in the story. Usually this is sufficient for me to consider a book above average and worth recommending. The problem arises, however, in that the main characters aren't believable, the minor characters are caricatures, and the dialogue is often awkward or stilted. Other than plot, the book doesn't have much to offer.
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