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Reader Reviews | |
Review by Chrissi (280403) Rating (8/10) Review
by Chrissi It is the first time that we meet journalist Jack Parlabane, and Dr. Sarah Slaughter, and strangely enough, it is the first time that they meet each other as well. The book opens with a crime scene, over which the poor postman has stumbled (and vomited and wet himself), so there is an indication of the gruesomeness that sets the tone for the rest of the story. I started to read this while eating my breakfast and I am so glad that it was cereal and not a sausage fry up, otherwise the fingers could have really put me off. Jack at this point has a stinking hangover and an aversion to the police, but as a nosy journalist he cannot resist a quick look over the stairs and lo! The door slams shut behind him. The obvious solution? Ask a policeman? Or nip into the flat below and climb back up to his window. Yep, the latter. Except that (turn away now if you are easily grossed out…) he paddles through the mess left by the postman and looks at the crime scene (you can almost imagine the sensations squelching through his toes…urghh…), seeing his neighbour dead he takes in the salient points before heading for the window, whereupon he is stopped by a policewoman. Having been taken to the police station he finds out the name of the murdered man, Dr Jeremy Ponsonby, and discovers that he worked for one of the Edinburgh Hospitals Trusts. Well, Parlabane’s nose for a story is twitching and he decides to investigate with the help of Ponsonby’s ex-wife. What he discovers is corruption in the chief executive’s office, with a mass murderer and a villain in a shell suit who opens with a missing finger and eventually loses a whole hand (gross again…) Now, you probably know that I work in the NHS and that was probably what attracted me to this book, after all, the description of the admin offices being nice places with airy rooms and pot plants, while the wards are short staffed and manky, with horrible smells and unreliable computers is pretty true to life. I have never, though, come across such an underhanded chief exec as Stephen Lime, and I hope that I never do. One thing about this book, I was reading it in the college canteen with a cup of tea and a group of young men went by, back to wherever they lurk in the college, and one of them (non too subtly) stage whispered to his mate, ‘did you see that book!’ and he laughed, so, reader beware, the cover (of my copy) is black with multicoloured lettering, rather eye-catching if I may say so. So
if you are likely to be embarrassed by being seen reading such
a title, I would suggest that it might be hidden, but do not let
the title put you off, because it is really good. I laughed and
squirmed in equal measure, and fully intend to read more of these
over the next few months. |
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