3 out of 4 stars
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Hiram McDowell is a renowned surgeon, regent of the International College of Surgeons, and maintains his status as founder of a hospital in Nepal. He is not shy about his success as he often carries himself in an arrogant and boastful manner. The respected doctor soon finds himself in the middle of an investigation for falsifying data during a medical study. Simultaneously, tragedy falls on the McDowell family, and Hiram is thrust into another unwanted spotlight. As the McDowell family fights for peace, the reader follows McDowell and those who seek to punish him.
As McDowell begins, the reader is presented with a scene of Hiram McDowell climbing in the mountains with a friend. Hiram reveals his true character in the first few pages as a shallow and selfish individual who feels little for those who are less fortunate than him. When discussing the subject of women, he objectifies them and openly degrades them, even in front of his children. Overall, Hiram McDowell is not a likable person at this point.
Later in this story, Hiram faces a lot of mental and physical challenges that reveal his true character. While playing the role of Dr. McDowell, Hiram exudes confidence. After facing accusations of falsifying data from a double-blind study, McDowell begins to unravel. During a conversation with a woman named Maud, he struggles to impress his innocence upon her. When challenged, he becomes irate and his words are aggressive. His reactions can be compared to that of a child throwing a temper tantrum. After this interaction, it's hard for the reader to feel sympathy for Hiram. My reaction after this was an increased desire to see Hiram brought to justice.
Early in the book, William H. Coles depicts Hiram's son, Billie, as shy and tentative towards the opposite sex. While facing increased responsibility for his family, Billie is forced to take the initiative during pressing matters. An example of his developing maturity is when he and his sister, Sophie, are in Kathmandu. Sophie is busy taking pictures of locals and she doesn't want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime moment as she observes a funeral ceremony. However, Billie is concerned about being left by their driver after dark in this foreign land. Rather than behaving like the "Old Billie" and allowing his sister to do as she pleases, the "New Billie" puts her life first and forces her back to the truck so they can return to their rooms safely.
On the surface, this book doesn't seem very complex, but as the story progresses, the author reveals a lot of information. Although there are many details in this book, it can be considered fast-paced. It is jam-packed with different scene changes, plot twists, and conflicts between characters. Some of these components may be hard to keep up with. If you have trouble following a plot that has multiple scene/character changes or is constantly introducing new information, I would not recommend this book.
Coles did an amazing job when he wrote McDowell. The entire story is planned out to the last detail and it is obvious that he took a lot of time and effort when writing this book. It is because of this amount of detail and the author's exceptional writing skills that I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I noticed a few errors while reading the book, but they did not diminish my reading experience. I would have preferred if the author had provided time stamps for each chapter or each character/scene change. While reading, I didn't notice a time change until a character mentioned it. It can be a bit confusing to the reader if three years go by and that time lapse is not mentioned until midway through a chapter.
I enjoyed reading this book. It brought out every emotion on the spectrum and made me think deeply about an individual's impulse to do what it takes to reach the top of their profession. This book would be great for those who enjoy a thrilling crime-based novel.
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McDowell
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