The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer

In true Michael Palmer fashion, The Last surgeon is spellbinding. Having read many of his books (and posting a few reviews last year), Palmer likes to pack a lot into his stories. Not just a lot of action, but many twists and unexpected connections. This latest book is no exception. Ride along with Nick and Junie, a doctor and nurse in a traveling RV that helps treat Vets and the homeless. Follow Jillian as she searches for answers in her sister’s supposed suicide. Get inside the mind of a hired killer who lives for his work. Find out how a renowned plastic surgeon, a sardonic medical records clerk, a terrorist and a political candidate are all connected. Like in all of his stories, Palmer saturates your senses without overwhelming you. He keeps you glued to the page wondering what he will come up with next, yet infuses the story with realism so you become invested in the outcome of these characters. A mystery/thriller at its finest! Five out of five stars.

Join me in congratulating Michael on making the New York Times Best Seller List this week.
Ok, I admit, I’m a big fan of Michael Palmer’s books and have purchased most of them. So, it was a nice surprise to receive a signed ARC of this one from the man himself. In the accompanying letter he has promised a signed copy for one of my readers. If you would like the chance to win this fabulous book then leave a comment with a question for the author.

Be sure to check out his website for a glimpse of all his titles and great tips for authors.

For reviews of Silent Treatment and The Fifth Vial (one of my very first review posts) click here.

Prophecy of Power by Andrew Parker

I’m always delighted when I come across a debut novel that blows me away. There are some reviewers that feel they need to be more critical of an author’s first work, focusing on an in-depth analysis of all the technical components of the work. It’s a given that every first novel is going to have some flaws. To be honest, I read to enjoy a story not dissect it. However, we’ve all read a book where the flaws make it hard to focus on the story. Prophecy of Power is Andrew Parker’s first novel, but it is so captivating, I was instantly drawn into the story and kept enthralled until the last page. Actually, I’m still enthralled and anxiously waiting for him to finish the sequel. I read others reviews of this book before I picked it up and while they were favorable, several did make a point of focusing on minor technical flaws. For me, if there were mistakes, I was too mesmerized by the characters and story to notice.

Prophecy of Power brings to life parts of the Book of Revelations in a very timely manner. Parker takes the mysticism out of the bible’s final book and gives it modern relevance. The central character, Rabbi Jacob Droutman has led an unassuming life. As he discovers he is questioning his Jewish beliefs and exploring his curiosity of other religions, he becomes entangled in murder, missing persons, government deceptions and cover-up plots by religious powers. He begins a journey that will put his life and others in jeopardy as he tries to solve a mystery that could reveal who the final world power is that signals the end of days. There are those who will do anything to find the answers and others who will stop at nothing to keep them hidden. Parker has written an enigmatic page turner that will have you holding your breath as you wait to see what happens next. Five out of five stars.

Be sure to check out his website http://www.andrewjparker.co.uk/

This ebook was provided by the author

Book Review- A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

A Circle of Souls takes the reader to Newbury, Connecticut, where a little girl has been brutally murdered and left the quiet town and it's law enforcement in shock. When the girl's backpack is found on the property of a presidential candidate, FBI agent Leia Bines, who specializes in cases involving children, is called in to help solve the crime and catch the killer quickly. Meanwhile child psychiatrist, Dr Peter Gram, is puzzled by his seven year old patient, Naya's nightmares. When Naya begins drawing the images from her disturbing dreams, Leia and Peter's paths converge, as her sketches are the only clues to the murder.

This is the debut novel of Dr. Preetham Grandhi, who immigrated to the US from Bangalore, India to pursue a career in child and adolescent psychiatry. He has been the chief of service for House 5 at Bronx Children's Psychiatric Center as well as has a private practice in New York. His extensive background into the psyche of a child helps to make this story compelling and believable.

Grandhi takes the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters involved. His story is reminiscent of a classic Hitchcock tale. He keeps you glued to the book and on edge page after page until the mystery is resolved. He includes twist and hints that lead you to believe you know who the killer is before Leia and Peter, but then at the very end surprises you with a twist you didn't see coming. He does an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and making you care about the outcome. While there are some elements of the supernatural, he keeps these reigned in so that they don't come across as completely far fetched. He also connects his characters in a way that makes the phrase "It's a small world," come to mind. An engaging read, I highly recommend. Can't wait to read his next novel. Five out of five visions.

*This book was provided by the author. However, I have purchased additional copies.

This review is part of Cym Lowell's Book Review Party. Click here to see where the party starts on Cym's blog and links to other great reviews/blogs!

Book Review - Killing Fear by Allison Brennan

Killing Fear is the story of serial killer, Theodore Glenn and the two people he loves to terrorize the most..... Detective Will Hooper and business woman Robin McKenna. Glenn is a sadistic killer who years ago mutilated strippers until he was convicted and locked away thanks to Hooper and McKenna. To just characterize Glenn as a serial killer or even a sadist is too simple. Author, Allison Brennan creates a character to send chills up a readers spine. This is the first book I have read by this author, and as the moderator of a mystery/thriller book club, I am often disappointed in the books we read. That is not the case here, Killing Fear delivers. Brennan gives you the background you need to understand the characters without going overboard with too many extraneous details. Her characters are believable. Their actions in the story are believable. Could an earthquake do enough damage to San Quinton for inmates to escape and seek revenge on the ones who locked them up? Absolutely, which makes one wonder why they would even build a maximum security prison on a fault line. I know the odds are slim but anyone who has lived in California can attest, it can happen. Brennan draws you into the human psyche of her characters so that you empathize with them while her action leaves you on the edge of your seat. Who will Glenn kill next? Will he get caught or put down like the beast he is? Will Robin ever feel safe again or will she always be afraid to walk into a dark room and turn on the lights? Will Detective Hooper waste his career in search of a madman?

I won't spoil it, you'll have to read the book to find out.

Book Review - Silent Treatment by Michael Palmer

I moderate a mystery/thriller book club that meets the last Tuesday of each month. For May, we were all a little busy so we ended up meeting this past Tuesday. Our book this month was Silent Treatment by Michael Palmer. We choose it because the month before we had read his book The 5th Vial which was excellent and we all enjoyed it so much we decided to read another one of his books. This is a first for us as we try to read different authors.

Since this is my virgin post, so to speak, I'm going to back track a little and briefly tell you about The 5th Vial. The book jumps a little between the story lines of three different characters. Many times this can get confusing and an author doesn't bring them together well in the end. That was not the case here. Palmer beautifully kept you going with the three story arcs and then brought them together in the end seamlessly. We follow a medical intern who although over-coming some obstacles in her past seems to be on the track of a brilliant future....... A doctor in Africa is making a breakthrough in his third world country.... a down on his look PI is taking work just to pay the bills..... the thing that brings all of them together is a secret society that is harvesting organs for transplants..... Sounds sinister, oh it definitely is. I don't want to give too much away, so I will leave you with the fact that each of the three main characters will impact not only this corrupt society but will change each others lives. Definitely a must read!

Which brings us to Silent Treatment. . . . ultimately it is about corruption in managed care and insurance companies. The story follows an aging general practitioner. He has a dis-interested wife with a brain aneurysm, who is secretly having an affair; the hospital he practices at is trying to ban general practitioners and he's started having chest pains that he thinks are part of a family curse. Meanwhile, there is a group of unscrupulous insurance bigwigs that want to line their and their companies pockets with money by killing off patients whose treatments would cost them too much. Sound complicated? The premise is great, however in this book there are so many extraneous story arcs that it lacks consistency. It starts off unbelievably slow and I was forcing myself to continue reading ( I read about 4-5 novels a week, It took me a week to get to chapter 7) then it finally starts picking up and is so full of action you can zip through the rest of it. But....you knew that was coming..... so many completely whacky things happen that it really was impossible for any of us to suspend our disbelief and truly enjoy the book. It really felt to us like this was a first time novel and unfortunately it wasn't. Overall, it wasn't the worst I've read and I do have two more of his books which I will be reading in the near future. Anyone interested in more details can check out his website, michaelpalmerbooks.com . He has a great website and is a very personable author.

I would love to hear what others think of the books or suggestions for future mystery/thriller readings.