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?”

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.

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.

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.

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.

Reviewed by Melany Constantinou for Readers' Favorite

Dagny and Brad are trying to work through their grief after their baby girl, Emma, died. Dagny is struggling to make sense of things, feeling raw with grief and confused about her relationship with Brad. Brad is trying to forget the bad feelings and wants very much to renew his relationship with Dagny. He suggests they go away for a while to gain some perspective on their lives and bring them closer together again. He hires a yacht to sail from enchanting Indonesia to the beautiful Maldives. He believes the time on the ocean might help them both find peace and wholeness again. Brad is excited to go on this trip. Dagny is quite reluctant, her feelings being tainted by her recent trauma of having lost her baby girl, and also by past experiences that leave her only with feelings of dread about being on the water for so long and away from humanity other than Brad. In Furious: Sailing Into Terror by Jeffrey James Higgins, Dagny’s reluctant feelings end up being far from paranoic. From the moment they leave the harbor in Bali, and their yacht glides away from civilization, a terrifying and perilous journey awaits them. All of Dagny’s initial feelings of dread and anxiety become a real nightmare when she finds herself alone on a yacht she hardly knows how to sail, with Brad who has suddenly fallen ill and turns into a predator hunting for his prey in the middle of nowhere.

Jeffrey James Higgins’s Furious: Sailing Into Terror very skillfully drew me into a nightmarish place where his characters struggle to understand each other’s essential selves. The mood remains desperate from the very beginning until the absolute last page, as the fates of both Brad and Dagny remain uncertain. Jeffrey cleverly paints Brad’s transformation into an unrecognizable beast threatening the very existence of Dagny who has no place to hide or escape. You end up asking yourself whether you really know a person’s very essence. You also wonder to what extent one must react and respond to survive in the most extreme moments of dread, uncertainty, and aloneness. Jeffrey had me in suspense throughout as he painted an abysmal picture, where the predicaments of both Brad and Dagny become emotionally intense. I could not shake this feeling of dread, as both of their lives are threatened by some unknown, terrifying, furious transformation, where neither character recognizes the other, and where it eventually seems that the only way through the terror might be that one character must perish if the other is to survive. A real page-turner for horror fans!

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Bad Medicine: A Medical Thriller by Geoffrey M Cooper is a taut ride of suspense that won't let you go. Professor Brad Parker thinks he's living an average life among academics in his new position as a temporary director at a research institute. But there is nothing routine about the deaths that occur during clinical trials. As suspicions rise, Brad is knee-deep in blackmail, sabotage, and possibly murder. He and Karen Richmond, FBI agent and partner, are in a race against time to solve the mystery, ending up in the crosshairs of a hired killer.

Cooper is a master at the medical thriller, cleverly weaving medicine into a dramatic conspiracy plot. Some novels go over the top in their attempts and end up being unconvincing, but this author has the perfect balance. Not only are the plot, characters, and dialogue believable, they would be quite chilling if true. From the first page, you are drawn like a magnet into the story. Brad Parker is a well-realized character and plays off Karen in a believable way. You are completely entrenched in this mystery, and you're compelled to ride it out to its conclusion. I love the science combined with the action, and the author's background and expertise in research lend authenticity. I enjoy Cooper's style, which is explanatory, but not overly so. He gets to the point and keeps moving forward, which makes for a perfect pace. Fans of Robin Cook medical thrillers will love Bad Medicine: A Medical Thriller by Geoffrey M Cooper.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Condition Black by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington is an action thriller with a bucketful of romance. Set in the future, the story revolves around two men who have a huge burden to bear, and only one of them can do the right thing. A war correspondent in Syria, Marie comes back to the USA with a bacterial disease that is slowly killing her. Now that she is in a coma, her brilliant scientist husband Evan Weyland is ready to do whatever it takes to find a cure for the unknown disease. Criminal Investigation Commander Captain Billy Vicks gets wind of Marie’s condition and a suspicious attack sanctioned on Syria. He believes something is wrong and wants to get to the bottom of it before it is too late. Both men are hellbent on achieving their goals, and only one can be the winner. Who will win this race against time?

I love it when authors do their due diligence in research, and it shows. You can tell that Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington read up on the autism spectrum, studied people who fall into this spectrum, and then wrote Evan’s character. His mannerisms and quirks are scarily accurate. Condition Black is an action-packed thriller with a fast pace and incredible development. All the characters are given a background that readers can explore. Billy’s character is my favorite (although Eva comes in at a close second). He has demons in the closet that rattle hard to come out, but he keeps his focus on the task at hand and does not let his personal life get in the way of duty. The authors add twists and turns at the right moments, introduce action to keep the story moving forward, and above all, they keep the story real!

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Unethical: A Psychological Thriller by Marla L. Anderson is a powerful medical thriller that will have you turning pages until the jarring conclusion. Josephine "Jo" Rinaldi has her hands full with her legal career and an elderly father with a dementia diagnosis. At her boss's suggestion, she grabs an opportunity that helps her father and herself: a research study that he can participate in. A win-win. Her father will receive good medical care from Dr. Kessler at the residential facility. She can continue her career, which helps fund his care. Little do they know that both of their lives are now in jeopardy. When Dr. Kessler doesn't give her answers, she turns to Scott Benson, a private investigator, for help, hoping he can look into the facility for the answers she needs. Scott finds out about a chain of deaths that don't add up, and Jo suspects something unethical is going on. Hence, she attempts to reclaim custody of her father. She thinks she has an ally in Scott but does she? Tensions multiply when the doctor won't allow Jo to have custody of her own father again.

Anderson lays out a taut medical drama that has all the trimmings. A perfect plot, engrossing characters that don't always fit the expected good guy/bad guy mold, some surprises, and writing that pulls you in and holds you captive until the final scene. This author has a real talent for characterization and builds it well through backstory, relationships, and a relatable plot. A lot of working adult children today grapple with the same issues Jo does. Her family history isn't perfect, but she's trying to do right by her father and hopes their relationship can improve before it's too late. These things help connect readers to the story and to the characters. It makes you care that much more when danger enters the picture. Some medical thrillers seem farfetched, but this one is quite convincing. The aspect of Jo trying to win her father's respect, and live up to the memory of her deceased older brother, is moving, so there is a level of pathos and personal struggle that you don't always find in a thriller. Their relationship feels real, not contrived, and the ending will bring tears to your eyes. Unethical: A Psychological Thriller by Marla L. Anderson is a medical roller coaster you don't want to miss.

Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite

Guardian of Deceit by William H Coles is an entertaining literary novel with well developed and rock solid characters. Darwin Hastings is an orphan and has been under the care of his aunt until she can’t take care of him any longer. Now, he boards a plane from Pittsburgh to New York to join his cousin, a football star, Luther Pinnelli. But things aren’t what he’d expected to find. His cousin is a self-serving and arrogant guy who lives luxuriously and does everything to make life miserable for Darwin, including cutting his access to an inheritance that is rightfully his. Darwin is determined to win and to pursue his dreams of studying medicine. Read on to find out how he learns to be shrewd, to connect with people that matter, and to get the help he needs to achieve his goals.

William H Coles is a terrific writer and he creates a story in Guardian of Deceit that will both entertain and inspire readers. The characters are believable and readers can easily connect to them. I enjoyed the portrait of Darwin Hastings, a young, energetic, determined, and resourceful personality. The conflict in this story is well developed, and while the reader watches with keen attention as the relationship between the protagonist and his cousin gets tenser, they also enjoy the psychological and personal conflicts in the characters. I loved the writing and the author’s unique signature phraseology. Here is a compelling story woven with great characters, a gripping plot, and a conflict that escalates quickly and with a perfect and satisfying finish.