Liza Larkin, a recent med-school graduate on the cusp of her pathology internship, isn’t like most people. She would rather study the human brain or pound the heavy bag at the gym than spend time with others, and as an outsider she doesn’t let societal norms confine her.
So when a stranger’s picture sends Liza’s schizophrenic mother deeper into psychosis, Liza does a reverse-image search to identify him. Upon discovering he is a trauma surgeon at a Massachusetts teaching hospital, she impulsively changes her pathology residency program of choice to his center.
She wants to be near him. She wants to know what he’s up to. She wants to protect her family.
See you in the ring soon, Dr. Sam Donovan. The bell has rung.
Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: The storyline here is mesmerizing. The intimate details of Liza's schizoid personality disorder, or antisocial personality disorder, are a convincing study in personal experience with a mental illness. The condition makes it difficult for her to interact with others, but her intelligence enables her to become a resident in pathology at Titus McCall Medical Center. She believes a charismatic doctor has been stalking her, and may even be killing people, but which part of her mind can she trust? Can her friends and colleagues trust her?
Prose/Style: A bold, intelligent voice is enhanced by sharp wit that is sometimes gallows humor. The prose in areas of suspense is spellbinding.
Originality: A smart pathology resident who has a mental illness, trying to find answers to what starts as “an intriguing puzzle”, is a splendidly peculiar mystery.
Character Development: Complex characters stand out as living people. Liza Larkin is an extraordinary example of a functioning individual with a personality disorder. Her strength, courage, and determination are easy to love and root for.
Blurb: The champion of this murder mystery will hold readers in her grip—even when she sometimes has slips of judgment—and she won't let go until she has finished wringing the truth out of every question.
Date Submitted: May 28, 2019
“Physician-turned-author Rubin knows her way around a hospital and a literary thriller, setting up a bout that unfolds with scalpel-like precision … A knockout that’s just what the doctor ordered for thriller enthusiasts.”
“Rubin (The Seneca Scourge) makes the most out of an uber-creepy premise in this superior medical thriller…Lisa Unger fans will be riveted.”
“Heroine Liza is unusual, likable, and unreliable … A brisk, page-turning read.”
