Book Review: Medical Error

Written by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.
Reviewed by Nora St. Laurent –

Back Cover:
Dr. Anna McIntyre’s life was going along just fine until someone else started living it. Her patient died because of an identity mix-up, her medical career is in jeopardy because of forged prescriptions, and her credit is in ruins. She thought things couldn’t t get worse, but that was before she opened the envelope and saw a positive HIV test with her name on it. Her allies are two men who are also competing for her affection. Dr. Nick Valentine is a cynic who carries a load of guilt. Attorney Ross Donovan is a recovering alcoholic. The deeper Anna digs to discover who’s behind the identity thefts, the higher the stakes. Finally, when her life is on the line, Anna finds that her determination to clear her name might have been a prescription for trouble.

Review:
I’m so thrilled to have received a review copy of such suspenseful medical thriller that reminded me of the movie, The Net with Sandra Bullock, but taken to a whole new level.

This book opens with Dr. Anna McIntyre performing emergency surgery on Eric Hatley. It was descriptive and I wasn’t sure where the author was leading the reader. But then the pace picks up and Dr. Anna McIntryre discovers her credit cards have been maxed out and it wasn’t by her. This was not a great way to end her horrible day!

On the same day Anna discovers someone has stolen her identity she also finds out she’s is being sued for malpractice. Could things get worse? Dare she ask the question? She had to find out who stole her identity—the police weren’t making her a priority. “Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? It all seemed unfair?” in Anna’s way of thinking, she wanted answers and she wanted them now.

Why had things gone so wrong, all Dr. Anna McIntyre wanted to do was be a surgeon and help people, she hadn’t signed up for all this. I quickly felt for Anna and her situation. The author’s casts of characters are colorful, likable and believable. I was quickly drawn in by how the author takes the reader to places they haven’t gone before. Dr. Richard Mabry’s experience in hospitals and the system makes this medical mystery scary and believable and has you look at the ER, doctors and the hospital in a whole new way.

This author shows the non-glamorous side of being a doctor along with all the red tape they go through and how it can be horrific at times. Doctors don’t have lots of time and information to go on when a patient arrives in the ER unconscious! They have to depend on their medical experience, information in the computer of their patience and what they are told about the situation the patients got  into before they arrived.

Richard Mabry did a great job of pacing of the events that unfold, allowing me to experience this story to the fullest. Richard’s plot twists and turns definitely kept me up late wanting to know what happened next. I enjoyed and was surprised at the wit and humor used by this author. He had masterfully woven well timed humor into the suspenseful parts of his book. I didn’t expect to laugh out loud while reading a medical mystery. I loved it.

Dr. Anna McIntyre is forced to take a look at her life and tries to figure out what she holds dear. She worked so much she hadn’t stopped long enough to have this thought before. I was intrigued with her journey through this process and beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this medical suspense thriller with heart. It’s made me want to check out Richards’ first book Code Blue. I’m also looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Diagnosis Death. This is one author I’ll be keeping an eye out for. You will too.

Nora St. Laurent
The Book Club Network
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