BookAwards.com
Award-Winning Books from Today's Best Authors
A Free Resource for Book Lovers, Authors, Agents, Publishers and Journalists
Recommend this book:
 in Atlanta, GA. She enjoys her work and has a boyfriend and a close relationship with her family. Other than being claustrophobic, Mallory’s life is good. Dr. Erik...){kind=link}
Particles in the Air
A Dr. Mallory Hayes Medical thriller, Book 1
Jenna Podjasek
2023 Gold Medal
285 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite
Jenna Podjasek pens a hold-your-breath, action-packed medical thriller in her debut Particles in the Air. Dr. Mallory Hayes works at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. She enjoys her work and has a boyfriend and a close relationship with her family. Other than being claustrophobic, Mallory’s life is good. Dr. Erik Lindgreen, a genius-level research scientist in the field of gene therapy, works at Paragon Genomics in Sweden. Erik is meticulous, arrogant, and prone to acts of violence. When Erik’s manipulative dark side takes a diabolical turn for the worse, he is called into a meeting and fired! Driven by revenge, Erik partners with a local radical Islamic cell group to engineer a deadly virus. He will have his fame in one way or the other. During the development of this despicable plan, a record-breaking tsunami hits the coast of southern California. Thousands are killed, and tens of thousands are missing. This disaster is perfect for an act of bioterrorism. Dr. Mallory Hayes finds herself in the middle of this horrendous outbreak, fighting against a biological evil never seen or imagined before.
Particles in the Air by Jenna Podjasek is a thrilling read. Time is counting down, pages must turn quickly to keep up with the fast pace of the plot. Podjasek pens short chapters, changing locations often, interconnecting the characters in the timeline of events. The narrative reveals what happens when a sociopathic scientist and ISIS pair up with the disastrous force of mother nature. As she states: “Nature isn’t always predictable,” and neither are Podjasek’s characters. The heroine’s supporting characters shape, sharpen, and prove her dynamic growth throughout the narrative. Likewise, the evil cohorts entangling the villain and his malevolent scheme fuel the fire of good versus evil at an accelerated rate. The surprising twists and unexpected turns propel the action and create an oh-my-goodness shock and awe factor. Podjasek being an immunologist pens authentic science, making bioterrorism real and threatening, which subsequently makes the virus the ultimate antagonist. This is an extraordinary and equally exhilarating read. I am looking forward to what happens next in the life of Dr. Mallory Hayes.
Jenna Podjasek pens a hold-your-breath, action-packed medical thriller in her debut Particles in the Air. Dr. Mallory Hayes works at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. She enjoys her work and has a boyfriend and a close relationship with her family. Other than being claustrophobic, Mallory’s life is good. Dr. Erik Lindgreen, a genius-level research scientist in the field of gene therapy, works at Paragon Genomics in Sweden. Erik is meticulous, arrogant, and prone to acts of violence. When Erik’s manipulative dark side takes a diabolical turn for the worse, he is called into a meeting and fired! Driven by revenge, Erik partners with a local radical Islamic cell group to engineer a deadly virus. He will have his fame in one way or the other. During the development of this despicable plan, a record-breaking tsunami hits the coast of southern California. Thousands are killed, and tens of thousands are missing. This disaster is perfect for an act of bioterrorism. Dr. Mallory Hayes finds herself in the middle of this horrendous outbreak, fighting against a biological evil never seen or imagined before.
Particles in the Air by Jenna Podjasek is a thrilling read. Time is counting down, pages must turn quickly to keep up with the fast pace of the plot. Podjasek pens short chapters, changing locations often, interconnecting the characters in the timeline of events. The narrative reveals what happens when a sociopathic scientist and ISIS pair up with the disastrous force of mother nature. As she states: “Nature isn’t always predictable,” and neither are Podjasek’s characters. The heroine’s supporting characters shape, sharpen, and prove her dynamic growth throughout the narrative. Likewise, the evil cohorts entangling the villain and his malevolent scheme fuel the fire of good versus evil at an accelerated rate. The surprising twists and unexpected turns propel the action and create an oh-my-goodness shock and awe factor. Podjasek being an immunologist pens authentic science, making bioterrorism real and threatening, which subsequently makes the virus the ultimate antagonist. This is an extraordinary and equally exhilarating read. I am looking forward to what happens next in the life of Dr. Mallory Hayes.
Recommend this book:
Burned Out
Dean Mafako
2023 Silver Medal
526 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite
Burned Out is a medical thriller by Dean Mafako. Eric Philson’s life is perfect on the surface. However, he feels too comfortable in his profession and unchallenged. Eric is offered a job at the Children’s Hospital of Biloxi; he has to build the cardiac intensive care unit. Eric will be provided with any financial support he needs to hire the necessary staff and purchase equipment to construct the cardiac unit from scratch. When Eric arrives at the hospital, he realizes many things have been withheld. There is a shortage of nurses, and he disagrees with the procedures being followed. However, Eric will do everything he can to provide the best medical treatment for his patients.
Burned Out by Dean Mafako is complicated and intriguing. I was hooked from the start until the end. I could not put it down and kept turning pages, afraid I would miss something. A surprise was always waiting around the corner, and I never knew what to expect next. I was drawn into the life of a doctor willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his goal. The medical terms and practices are never overwhelming. I was drawn into the medical world, and the story was easy to read and follow. It opened my eyes to the sacrifice medical staff make to do their best for patients. The characters were brilliantly developed. They were authentic and relatable. This story is excellently written and exceeded all my expectations.
Burned Out is a medical thriller by Dean Mafako. Eric Philson’s life is perfect on the surface. However, he feels too comfortable in his profession and unchallenged. Eric is offered a job at the Children’s Hospital of Biloxi; he has to build the cardiac intensive care unit. Eric will be provided with any financial support he needs to hire the necessary staff and purchase equipment to construct the cardiac unit from scratch. When Eric arrives at the hospital, he realizes many things have been withheld. There is a shortage of nurses, and he disagrees with the procedures being followed. However, Eric will do everything he can to provide the best medical treatment for his patients.
Burned Out by Dean Mafako is complicated and intriguing. I was hooked from the start until the end. I could not put it down and kept turning pages, afraid I would miss something. A surprise was always waiting around the corner, and I never knew what to expect next. I was drawn into the life of a doctor willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his goal. The medical terms and practices are never overwhelming. I was drawn into the medical world, and the story was easy to read and follow. It opened my eyes to the sacrifice medical staff make to do their best for patients. The characters were brilliantly developed. They were authentic and relatable. This story is excellently written and exceeded all my expectations.
Recommend this book:
The Algorithm Will See You Now
A Novel
JL Lycette
2023 Bronze Medal
303 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite
The Algorithm Will See You Now by JL Lycette is a prophetic medical thriller set in the year 2035, where artificial intelligence serves as a medical diagnostician. One doctor questions its efficacy and ramifications, and it doesn’t stand well with her superiors. Doctor Hope Kestrel is a High Resident at Prognostic Intelligent Medical Algorithms, a Seattle-based hospital taking a quantum leap in diagnostic services, and which is about to merge with Seattle Healthcare Associates. PRIMA is everything that Hope has ever wanted in a healthcare system, the one she wished had existed for her ailing mother. But despite PRIMA’S optimization to help patients flourish, it still makes an error. One patron or patient that is admitted into the service triggers Hope and her intern, Jacie Stone, to scrutinize and investigate. Hope begins to doubt the infallibility of the algorithm. She will come face to face with Marah Maddox, an imposing figure in the business, where Hope will discover a dark secret in the creation of the algorithm.
The Algorithm Will See You Now brings you a theme that is sublime and alternately shocking. The story touches on a subject that we have all experienced. If you have ever gone to the hospital for treatment, this tale is enough to reverberate in your heart and soul. JL Lycette takes inspiration from the medical field and with visionary panache gives you a jaw-dropping what-if scenario in the future of medical diagnostics. The pace has the right balance between building up the tension and giving revelations. Details are evocative and the medical jargon is easy to understand. The fascinating subject matter and the bravura of its protagonist make the medical innovations mesmerizing to read about. This story has an intense emotional structure that will appeal to fans of medical thrillers.
The Algorithm Will See You Now by JL Lycette is a prophetic medical thriller set in the year 2035, where artificial intelligence serves as a medical diagnostician. One doctor questions its efficacy and ramifications, and it doesn’t stand well with her superiors. Doctor Hope Kestrel is a High Resident at Prognostic Intelligent Medical Algorithms, a Seattle-based hospital taking a quantum leap in diagnostic services, and which is about to merge with Seattle Healthcare Associates. PRIMA is everything that Hope has ever wanted in a healthcare system, the one she wished had existed for her ailing mother. But despite PRIMA’S optimization to help patients flourish, it still makes an error. One patron or patient that is admitted into the service triggers Hope and her intern, Jacie Stone, to scrutinize and investigate. Hope begins to doubt the infallibility of the algorithm. She will come face to face with Marah Maddox, an imposing figure in the business, where Hope will discover a dark secret in the creation of the algorithm.
The Algorithm Will See You Now brings you a theme that is sublime and alternately shocking. The story touches on a subject that we have all experienced. If you have ever gone to the hospital for treatment, this tale is enough to reverberate in your heart and soul. JL Lycette takes inspiration from the medical field and with visionary panache gives you a jaw-dropping what-if scenario in the future of medical diagnostics. The pace has the right balance between building up the tension and giving revelations. Details are evocative and the medical jargon is easy to understand. The fascinating subject matter and the bravura of its protagonist make the medical innovations mesmerizing to read about. This story has an intense emotional structure that will appeal to fans of medical thrillers.
Recommend this book:
The First Harm
A Medical Action Thriller
Steven Piskula
2023 Honorable Mention
328 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
Is it too early for me to say that The First Harm by Steven Piskula is the best medical thriller I’ve read this year? Perhaps…but it’s going to take a far more chilling and better-written novel than this one to supplant it. Firstly, too many medically-based thrillers are so heavy on medical jargon I end up skipping pages. Secondly, I rarely, if ever, read a 300-plus page in 2 days, but this one kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! Now that’s my kind of novel, regardless of genre.
Picture if you will, a brilliant, but smug scientist hell-bent on saving mankind from succumbing to crippling old age by modifying weaknesses in our basic DNA. A noble mission, but getting the formula perfect is a challenge without being able to use humans. It’s also expensive and ultimately requires the use of nefarious methods. When Tanna, a first-year med student, spots an anomaly during a dissection and shares her discovery with her roommate, her world is turned upside down. Suddenly Tanna is on the run from a hired assassin out to silence her. Who wants her and Jason, her unexpected protector, dead?
With the skilled eye of an award-winning screenwriter, Steven Piskula takes Tanna, Jason, and readers on a thrilling motorcycle ride through traffic-clogged streets as the pair, now suspected of murder, race to get proof of their innocence into the hands of those who can exonerate them. Piskula makes it so easy to experience all the exciting action as if it were on the big screen. What a fabulous movie this would make! Marvelous visuals, snappy dialogue, and nasty characters contrast sharply with Tanna’s innocence and the burgeoning romance between Jason and Tanna. And then there is that clever twist at the end that lets you close The First Harm with a satisfied sigh. This is superb writing from a skilled author whom I am delighted to have discovered. So, as I asked at the beginning of this review, is it too soon to consider this the best medical thriller I’ve read this year? Don’t think so!
Is it too early for me to say that The First Harm by Steven Piskula is the best medical thriller I’ve read this year? Perhaps…but it’s going to take a far more chilling and better-written novel than this one to supplant it. Firstly, too many medically-based thrillers are so heavy on medical jargon I end up skipping pages. Secondly, I rarely, if ever, read a 300-plus page in 2 days, but this one kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! Now that’s my kind of novel, regardless of genre.
Picture if you will, a brilliant, but smug scientist hell-bent on saving mankind from succumbing to crippling old age by modifying weaknesses in our basic DNA. A noble mission, but getting the formula perfect is a challenge without being able to use humans. It’s also expensive and ultimately requires the use of nefarious methods. When Tanna, a first-year med student, spots an anomaly during a dissection and shares her discovery with her roommate, her world is turned upside down. Suddenly Tanna is on the run from a hired assassin out to silence her. Who wants her and Jason, her unexpected protector, dead?
With the skilled eye of an award-winning screenwriter, Steven Piskula takes Tanna, Jason, and readers on a thrilling motorcycle ride through traffic-clogged streets as the pair, now suspected of murder, race to get proof of their innocence into the hands of those who can exonerate them. Piskula makes it so easy to experience all the exciting action as if it were on the big screen. What a fabulous movie this would make! Marvelous visuals, snappy dialogue, and nasty characters contrast sharply with Tanna’s innocence and the burgeoning romance between Jason and Tanna. And then there is that clever twist at the end that lets you close The First Harm with a satisfied sigh. This is superb writing from a skilled author whom I am delighted to have discovered. So, as I asked at the beginning of this review, is it too soon to consider this the best medical thriller I’ve read this year? Don’t think so!
Recommend this book:
Barren
J.J. Savaunt
2023 Finalist
266 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite
Barren is a mystery novel by J.J. Savaunt about women who have fertility issues. When Dr. Jacqui Stevenson receives a promotion, she believes it to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Jacqui is expecting to help women with fertility issues conceive. Instead, she discovers that after they sign the paperwork, their most precious organs are harvested and transplanted into someone else. When Jacqui realizes the truth, she cannot walk away. Her daughter Ashley’s life is on the line. Elsewhere, Officer Justice Reeves has a new colleague, as his previous partner, Mason, was shot while on the job and is in a wheelchair. Officer Reeves misses working with him. He notices that females are disappearing. Justice has a mother and a sister, Grace, and he wants to solve the mystery of these missing women.
Barren by J.J. Savaunt is intriguing, compelling, and thrilling. I was hooked from the beginning and could not stop turning the pages. It was a suspenseful story and at times scary. The doctor was supposed to help women, but by helping them, many other women were hurt. The events were vivid and descriptive. I could not imagine what the women were forced to go through. The themes of abortion, human trafficking, and race are handled with great sensitivity. The characters were well-developed and authentic. They grow throughout the story and are relatable. I was pulled into this world of wealth, inhumanity, and crime. The story was well-written, and the ending was captivating.
Barren is a mystery novel by J.J. Savaunt about women who have fertility issues. When Dr. Jacqui Stevenson receives a promotion, she believes it to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Jacqui is expecting to help women with fertility issues conceive. Instead, she discovers that after they sign the paperwork, their most precious organs are harvested and transplanted into someone else. When Jacqui realizes the truth, she cannot walk away. Her daughter Ashley’s life is on the line. Elsewhere, Officer Justice Reeves has a new colleague, as his previous partner, Mason, was shot while on the job and is in a wheelchair. Officer Reeves misses working with him. He notices that females are disappearing. Justice has a mother and a sister, Grace, and he wants to solve the mystery of these missing women.
Barren by J.J. Savaunt is intriguing, compelling, and thrilling. I was hooked from the beginning and could not stop turning the pages. It was a suspenseful story and at times scary. The doctor was supposed to help women, but by helping them, many other women were hurt. The events were vivid and descriptive. I could not imagine what the women were forced to go through. The themes of abortion, human trafficking, and race are handled with great sensitivity. The characters were well-developed and authentic. They grow throughout the story and are relatable. I was pulled into this world of wealth, inhumanity, and crime. The story was well-written, and the ending was captivating.
Recommend this book:
Fat Girl
Dark Obsessions
Mark Donahue
2022 Gold Medal
316 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
If your idea of an exciting read is a story that stretches the boundaries of mental and sexual morality and reality, you’ll love Fat Girl by Mark Donahue. As the title indicates, this psychological thriller is centered on an 800lb woman, Sara. When readers and the male protagonist, Brandon, first meet the bedridden Sara, she’s an unpleasant sight. But far more unpleasant is her sharp-tongued, sexually strange, and wealthy mother, Elaine, who despite her disposition, loves her daughter very much and makes sure Sara has the best care money can buy. When Elaine learns she has little time left to live, her primary concern is making sure Sara will be well looked after when she dies. To secure Sara’s future care, she hires Brandon. The terms of his contract are lucrative, but the conditions are, well, weird. Brandon accepts the job, but over the next 10 years, readers watch in horror as Sara very slowly rebounds while Brandon crumbles into borderline insanity.
The supplied description of Fat Girl says enough about the plot. So I’m not going to spoil your enjoyment by saying any more about the content. Instead, I will say that while the plot is unique, for me, Mark Donahue’s strength as a writer is how he makes me feel about the characters: I found Elaine repulsive but sad; Brandon was pathetically despicable; and Sara? She was the most human, the most likable, the one whom readers cheer on and applaud in this unusual story of retributive justice. For more “genteel” readers, I offer a warning: you might find the sex scenes and motivations not for you. Otherwise, this is a fast-paced story, complete with unexpected asides and turns, colorful descriptions, and plenty of well-done dialogue to keep readers turning pages. Fat Girl is a psychological thriller that evolves into horror, the most horrific concept being “what if something like this could happen?”
If your idea of an exciting read is a story that stretches the boundaries of mental and sexual morality and reality, you’ll love Fat Girl by Mark Donahue. As the title indicates, this psychological thriller is centered on an 800lb woman, Sara. When readers and the male protagonist, Brandon, first meet the bedridden Sara, she’s an unpleasant sight. But far more unpleasant is her sharp-tongued, sexually strange, and wealthy mother, Elaine, who despite her disposition, loves her daughter very much and makes sure Sara has the best care money can buy. When Elaine learns she has little time left to live, her primary concern is making sure Sara will be well looked after when she dies. To secure Sara’s future care, she hires Brandon. The terms of his contract are lucrative, but the conditions are, well, weird. Brandon accepts the job, but over the next 10 years, readers watch in horror as Sara very slowly rebounds while Brandon crumbles into borderline insanity.
The supplied description of Fat Girl says enough about the plot. So I’m not going to spoil your enjoyment by saying any more about the content. Instead, I will say that while the plot is unique, for me, Mark Donahue’s strength as a writer is how he makes me feel about the characters: I found Elaine repulsive but sad; Brandon was pathetically despicable; and Sara? She was the most human, the most likable, the one whom readers cheer on and applaud in this unusual story of retributive justice. For more “genteel” readers, I offer a warning: you might find the sex scenes and motivations not for you. Otherwise, this is a fast-paced story, complete with unexpected asides and turns, colorful descriptions, and plenty of well-done dialogue to keep readers turning pages. Fat Girl is a psychological thriller that evolves into horror, the most horrific concept being “what if something like this could happen?”
Recommend this book:
Cassia
D C Mallery
2022 Silver Medal
405 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite
Cassia is a powerful thriller by D. C. Mallery that permeates your psyche. Dr. Jack Temple, a doctor at St. Vincent’s Psychiatric Hospital, is working on a promising drug that treats personality disorders. His guinea pig, Edmund Lewis Lasker, is a cold-blooded murderer. Temple’s rationale is that if the drug Kyronane worked on Lasker, it would work on anyone. Experimenting on a famous killer and writing up the results in a journal article is the kind of career that could make Temple famous. His wife, Wendy, a cancer survivor, suffers a cerebral hemorrhage which gives Temple’s work a new turn. A mental patient named Cassia gets involved in the process when she catches the attention of Temple’s assistant, Lillian. Meanwhile, Lasker wakes up from a coma and escapes, determined to settle a score with Temple.
Cassia is pitched at a higher level than most medical thrillers. The dialogue is intelligent and delivered by three-dimensional characters. It is the type of thriller I would like to see adapted for the big screen. This novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys high-level suspense in medical thrillers. D.C. Mallery is a craftsman that sustains fear, piece by piece. Everything is brought together by the psychological foreshadowing of an experimental drug. The brisk pace intensifies as you get closer to the denouement. At the heart of this story is a lurking moral dilemma that makes the novel more thought-provoking than most thrillers. The narrative has an ominous aura, yet it will keep you reading and turning the pages. If you are searching for a good medical thriller, this should be your top pick.
Cassia is a powerful thriller by D. C. Mallery that permeates your psyche. Dr. Jack Temple, a doctor at St. Vincent’s Psychiatric Hospital, is working on a promising drug that treats personality disorders. His guinea pig, Edmund Lewis Lasker, is a cold-blooded murderer. Temple’s rationale is that if the drug Kyronane worked on Lasker, it would work on anyone. Experimenting on a famous killer and writing up the results in a journal article is the kind of career that could make Temple famous. His wife, Wendy, a cancer survivor, suffers a cerebral hemorrhage which gives Temple’s work a new turn. A mental patient named Cassia gets involved in the process when she catches the attention of Temple’s assistant, Lillian. Meanwhile, Lasker wakes up from a coma and escapes, determined to settle a score with Temple.
Cassia is pitched at a higher level than most medical thrillers. The dialogue is intelligent and delivered by three-dimensional characters. It is the type of thriller I would like to see adapted for the big screen. This novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys high-level suspense in medical thrillers. D.C. Mallery is a craftsman that sustains fear, piece by piece. Everything is brought together by the psychological foreshadowing of an experimental drug. The brisk pace intensifies as you get closer to the denouement. At the heart of this story is a lurking moral dilemma that makes the novel more thought-provoking than most thrillers. The narrative has an ominous aura, yet it will keep you reading and turning the pages. If you are searching for a good medical thriller, this should be your top pick.
Recommend this book:
Unforeseen
Erica Rosen MD Trilogy Book 3
Deven Greene
2022 Bronze Medal
331 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite
Unforeseen by Deven Greene is the story of a pediatrician determined to find answers to the origin of drugs killing her young patients. Erica also is confused as to why many of her patients are being seen by the new Dr. Nilsen and why her trusted assistant Martha is suddenly being so mysterious and distant. Erica discovers that the medicine making many youngsters sick and even dying is being administered through a trial involving a new prescription drug from a company she is unfamiliar with, even though her name is associated with it. Her investigation begins in earnest as she and her best friend Daisy go undercover to collect as much information as they can on the drug company in question. They face danger which puts them and their loved ones at risk, but they will not quit until the drug company is exposed and all the guilty parties are caught and made to pay.
Unforeseen: Erica Rosen MD Trilogy Book 3 by Deven Greene was an awesome thriller from beginning to end. I loved Unforeseen as there was suspense, mystery, medical intrigue, family, friendship and so much more involved. I kept thinking as I read that I would love Dr. Rosen as my doctor. I neglected all of my morning chores to finish the book and put all the pieces together. While I did not read books 1 and 2 in the series, book 3 stood strong on its own, but I am sure I will be going back to read them and spend more time with Dr. Rosen. If you enjoy medical thrillers, this book by Deven Greene is a must-read to be placed on top of your list.
Unforeseen by Deven Greene is the story of a pediatrician determined to find answers to the origin of drugs killing her young patients. Erica also is confused as to why many of her patients are being seen by the new Dr. Nilsen and why her trusted assistant Martha is suddenly being so mysterious and distant. Erica discovers that the medicine making many youngsters sick and even dying is being administered through a trial involving a new prescription drug from a company she is unfamiliar with, even though her name is associated with it. Her investigation begins in earnest as she and her best friend Daisy go undercover to collect as much information as they can on the drug company in question. They face danger which puts them and their loved ones at risk, but they will not quit until the drug company is exposed and all the guilty parties are caught and made to pay.
Unforeseen: Erica Rosen MD Trilogy Book 3 by Deven Greene was an awesome thriller from beginning to end. I loved Unforeseen as there was suspense, mystery, medical intrigue, family, friendship and so much more involved. I kept thinking as I read that I would love Dr. Rosen as my doctor. I neglected all of my morning chores to finish the book and put all the pieces together. While I did not read books 1 and 2 in the series, book 3 stood strong on its own, but I am sure I will be going back to read them and spend more time with Dr. Rosen. If you enjoy medical thrillers, this book by Deven Greene is a must-read to be placed on top of your list.
Recommend this book:
Death Target
Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles Book 2
Edwin Dasso
2022 Honorable Mention
354 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
It always amazes and impresses me how professionals, like lawyers and doctors, can so expertly work their career experiences into fabulous plots. Edwin Dasso, an MD whose specialty is anesthesiology, is one such author who is now exploring his long-time passion for writing. If you have yet to indulge in the 7-book series Dasso has created around his protagonist, Jack Bass, Death Target will get you off to a pleasing start.
Intense thriller fans might find the plot complications coming at a more controlled pace than they are used to, but that’s because Dasso is giving readers time to get to know the key players, especially Jack Bass. Though he’s undergone treatment for severe PTSD, he is far from over what happened to the love of his life when they were medics in the Iraqi War. His description of her murder when the PTSD rears its ugly head struck me harder than the rest of the violence that occurs in the primary plot…and there’s plenty of it. But here’s the thing: that painful memory makes Jack Bass so relatable to readers that we want to scream “Stop” when a revolting security guard hounds Bass following the discovery of two brutally murdered lab technicians. Did Bass murder them when he was in a PTSD episode? The evidence and an eyewitness point to him. But what readers sense as they get to know Bass is that, while this well-crafted protagonist is capable of killing, he does it for a reason…and he had no reason to murder the technicians. So who did?
Edwin Dasso’s writing style is interesting. He uses dialogue to keep the pace moving, throws some nasty events and unpleasant characters at us to keep us turning pages, and then gives us a time-out to enjoy easy-going banter and even some romantic exchanges. The result is a thriller that is friendlier than most. Going by the many positive reviews Dasso has received for his impressive number of books, Dasso’s style resonates with his fans. Will you be one of them? Check out Death Target for an enjoyable and realistic read.
It always amazes and impresses me how professionals, like lawyers and doctors, can so expertly work their career experiences into fabulous plots. Edwin Dasso, an MD whose specialty is anesthesiology, is one such author who is now exploring his long-time passion for writing. If you have yet to indulge in the 7-book series Dasso has created around his protagonist, Jack Bass, Death Target will get you off to a pleasing start.
Intense thriller fans might find the plot complications coming at a more controlled pace than they are used to, but that’s because Dasso is giving readers time to get to know the key players, especially Jack Bass. Though he’s undergone treatment for severe PTSD, he is far from over what happened to the love of his life when they were medics in the Iraqi War. His description of her murder when the PTSD rears its ugly head struck me harder than the rest of the violence that occurs in the primary plot…and there’s plenty of it. But here’s the thing: that painful memory makes Jack Bass so relatable to readers that we want to scream “Stop” when a revolting security guard hounds Bass following the discovery of two brutally murdered lab technicians. Did Bass murder them when he was in a PTSD episode? The evidence and an eyewitness point to him. But what readers sense as they get to know Bass is that, while this well-crafted protagonist is capable of killing, he does it for a reason…and he had no reason to murder the technicians. So who did?
Edwin Dasso’s writing style is interesting. He uses dialogue to keep the pace moving, throws some nasty events and unpleasant characters at us to keep us turning pages, and then gives us a time-out to enjoy easy-going banter and even some romantic exchanges. The result is a thriller that is friendlier than most. Going by the many positive reviews Dasso has received for his impressive number of books, Dasso’s style resonates with his fans. Will you be one of them? Check out Death Target for an enjoyable and realistic read.
Recommend this book:
Conundrum
Tom Bleakley and Marcia Lange
2022 Finalist
364 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - Thriller - Medical
Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite
Conundrum by Tom Bleakley and Marcia Lange is a thought-provoking work that explores the question of what’s keeping the world from ending AIDS. In October 1985, Dr. Pittsburgh is aware that declaring HIV to be the cause of AIDS is an important milestone in science. There is a great deal of merit in his paper that could pave the way for further research. As the leader in this study, he would benefit greatly from generous funding. But he is hiding something that he cannot back out from, for to do so would make him look like a fool in the scientific community. In 2018, someone becomes aware that he is a fraud. His claim about HIV and AIDS overshadowed the role of endocrine disruption as the real probable cause of AIDS. Awareness of endocrine disruption as a major health problem was set back for years, all because of his lies. But Pittsburgh aims to win, as telling the truth only plays a small part in the recipe for success.
It has been decades since AIDS was first identified, and through their book, Tom Bleakley and Marcia Lange revisit the anatomy of the disease and the slow progress made toward its total eradication. It breaks thrilling new ground as globalization and changing values contribute to shaping public awareness about the malevolence of the disease. In Dr. Pittsburgh, Bleakley and Lange created a powerful personification of the greed and big fat lies that make the root cause of AIDS synonymous with the definition of a conundrum. It is a brilliant novel, and perhaps even more than that. Bleakley and Lange handle their scenes with powerful dialogue that allows you to access genuine motives. You can see, for example, how sentiments about homosexuality in connection with the disease changed over time. Conundrum is a must-read story that takes a rightful step in questioning our perception of AIDS.
Conundrum by Tom Bleakley and Marcia Lange is a thought-provoking work that explores the question of what’s keeping the world from ending AIDS. In October 1985, Dr. Pittsburgh is aware that declaring HIV to be the cause of AIDS is an important milestone in science. There is a great deal of merit in his paper that could pave the way for further research. As the leader in this study, he would benefit greatly from generous funding. But he is hiding something that he cannot back out from, for to do so would make him look like a fool in the scientific community. In 2018, someone becomes aware that he is a fraud. His claim about HIV and AIDS overshadowed the role of endocrine disruption as the real probable cause of AIDS. Awareness of endocrine disruption as a major health problem was set back for years, all because of his lies. But Pittsburgh aims to win, as telling the truth only plays a small part in the recipe for success.
It has been decades since AIDS was first identified, and through their book, Tom Bleakley and Marcia Lange revisit the anatomy of the disease and the slow progress made toward its total eradication. It breaks thrilling new ground as globalization and changing values contribute to shaping public awareness about the malevolence of the disease. In Dr. Pittsburgh, Bleakley and Lange created a powerful personification of the greed and big fat lies that make the root cause of AIDS synonymous with the definition of a conundrum. It is a brilliant novel, and perhaps even more than that. Bleakley and Lange handle their scenes with powerful dialogue that allows you to access genuine motives. You can see, for example, how sentiments about homosexuality in connection with the disease changed over time. Conundrum is a must-read story that takes a rightful step in questioning our perception of AIDS.
Contact Author -
