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There are currently 37 member reviews
for Doing Harm
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Gary R. (Bolingbrook, IL)
Game on
I wasn't sure, starting this book, what I was in for. A debut novelist writing a medical thriller who just happens to be a doctor! Not being a great fan of medical thrillers I must say this book is a really good read. A series of accidents seem to point to the incompetence of chief resident Steve Mitchell,rising surgeon and supervisor of a group of med students,but is it really his fault? With all signs pointing to Steve, he sets out to prove his innocence. Even though you find out who's really responsible halfway through the book the game is on! Great read that sucks you in and is hard to put down. Recommended! Why only four stars? A few medical terms I had to stop reading and look up disrupted the flow, but still well worth it!
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Julie M. (Minnetonka, MN)
Junk Food Suspense
This novel is not great literature, but sometimes you just want a quick, fun, wild ride through a novel. Doing Harm does a pretty good job of providing it. It will grab you and not let you go until the end. I thought the part where his wife shows up at the end was a little far fetched, but overall an interesting read. Great book to take to the beach.
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Lori L. (La Porte, IN)
Doing Harm
This medical thriller takes the reader inside the world of chief surgical resident Steven Mitchell at University Hospital. Steven has the stereotypical arrogance of the gifted surgeon, which leads him to make some questionable decisions both medically and personally (flying solo on a difficult surgery when instructed to wait for help, defying hospital protocol, hacking, and cheating on his wife with a beautiful medical student). While he is not a very likeable character, as a reader you can certainly empathize with the predicament he finds himself in. More character development and less plot contrivances would have made this a better thriller. Readers who enjoy ER and Grey's Anatomy will likely enjoy this book.
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Deborah D. (Old Forge, NY)
a rollercoaster ride
Like the carnival ride this book starts out slow building toward the wild ride. I wanted the action to start a bit sooner but once it did it was a heck of a ride. Lots of twists and turns indeed a thrilling read.
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Laura P. (Atlanta, GA)
Medical Malpractice
Dr. Steve Mitchell has the world by the tail until, overconfident, he makes some serious mistakes that play into the plans of a killer working his hospital. The book's strengths: Author Kelly Parsons, a doctor, knows what he's talking about , so the medicine is convincing, and he really puts you inside of the main character's head. The weaknesses: Sometimes the technical medical language seems almost gratuitous - like he's showing off, and the head he puts you inside has some pretty unattractive thought patterns. Steve is not a very good guy. The writing is good, the story well-told -- but this falls into the "good on an airplane" category, not great literature.
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Erica M. (Chicago, IL)
Not what I expected
The opening sentence and first third of the book led me to believe that I was reading a very different book than what it turned out to be. I found the book to be engaging, the writing good, the story compelling. As opposed to many thrillers I have read, this one did not overuse contrivances to set up the plot. The technical medical language that was used helped to set up the story, rather than to bog it down. I would give it a 4.5 if such grading was available. I thought the ending was a little too convenient and instead of telling me how it would play out, I would have liked to have had the epilogue provide more detail.
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Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
Couldn't sleep. Had to finish it.
I enjoyed this medical thriller. It was very suspenseful, and I confess, I jumped ahead to the ending - so I could sleep at night. The medical information was written so the average person could understand the situations, and the reader realizes that there are mistakes and doctors aren't perfect but for the most part, doing their best. My only criticism was GG - somewhat unbelievable, larger than life - attractive, confident, super intelligent, and a black belt in tae kwon do. The ending was somewhat Hollywood with everything working out, but it is definitely a fun read.
