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Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons

Doing Harm

by Kelly Parsons

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Readers' Rating (73):
  • Published:
  • Feb 2014, 368 pages
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There are currently 38 reader reviews for Doing Harm
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Power Reviewer
wdh-kentucky

Average Thriller
Doing Harm is a quick read, mostly from a typical thriller perspective. The storyline is a little predictable, but entertaining. The medical and technical information is presented very well but the characters just didn't really grab/keep my attention - could not quite connect with their motives. Overall, it was good for a first novel though. I'll watch for other books by this author.
Power Reviewer
Cheryl_Winter

Unbelievable
This book was an easy read and the story moved right along. The whole mystery was so unbelievable. How a doctor who has so much known technology cannot figure out how it was done. Also that no review board would back him. The story was also very predictable. I did like that the murderer was revealed early and the rest of the book was how to catch the murderer.
Aleksandra E. (Alpharetta, GA)

Interesting premise
I found the subject matter in this novel to be very intriguing yet for some reason I was not as "hooked" as I should be in a suspense novel. Revealing the antagonist half way through a book is an interesting approach but ultimately it lacked a "shocking" element to it. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining and light novel that would be perfect as a beach read.
Hazel R. (North Eastham, MA)

Fast Paced, but Disappointing
Kelly Parsons probably has a future in writing thrillers, if this book is any indication, but to be a true success, he might want to consider some character and plot development. Steve Mitchell, MD, the protagonist, is not a likeable character. He pays little attention to rules and authority (electronic hacking and privacy, defying senior MD orders) and cheats on his pregnant wife, even though there is absolutely no justification for this, other than the stress of the job and the intensity of work relationships when under stress.

Did Dr. Mitchell do what you would have done to thwart the serial killer? Unlikely. Unlikely that a moral, educated, family person would use such poor judgement. Dr. Mitchell should have confessed to his wife, and have involved hospital security, human resources and the police department in the mysterious deaths of patients. From there, an undercover strategy could have been developed that would be as interesting and fast paced, as the one used in the book.
Kimberly H. (Stamford, CT)

Doing Harm
A quick easy read. The author is a doctor so his descriptions ring true to his profession. I found the GG character a bit implausible but overall a good 'beach' book for those who like thrillers.
Catherine M. (Mankato, MN)

Doing Harm
I may be a poor judge of Kelly Parson's new novel "Doing Harm" since I am not a routine reader of mysteries/thrillers. Overall I thought the story was entertaining and, because the author is a medical doctor who works in a similar environment, his descriptions of a university hospital's protocols and politics were credible. What I found less plausible was Dr. Gigi (G.G.) Maxwell. Her actions, and her motives for those actions, were unconvincing, even with her (undiagnosed) psychopathology. I also thought that no person—in this case, Dr. Steve Maxwell—with remarkable technological knowledge and skills would ever share a highly confidential username and password with anyone, for any reason. I certainly would not.

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