3 out of 4 stars
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McDowell by William H. Coles can perfectly be described as “a nemesis of hubris with a rise from the ashes”.
Hiram McDowell is a world-renowned surgeon, a mountaineer, a pro level musician and a father of the three. Hiram is a cynical guy who doesn't care about the people around him and is cheating on his third wife with another woman. Although he cares for his children. He gets himself selected as the president of The International College of Surgeons by using the unfair means. He does accomplish the tasks for the greater good, but he also uses his authority improperly. He is not malicious but ambitious and his ambitions make the life bitter for many people. His impropriety doesn't remain unknown and he is removed from the post of the president for the misconduct.
His fate turns completely against him when he is convicted of a second degree murder. Is he really a murderer? Hiram is arrested and luckily, escapes from the jail. And then the slow process of his spiritual learning and purification starts. He still has many queries about the life. Will he find the answers to his questions? Will he be able to escape the law forever or something else is waiting for him?
McDowell is a fast-paced and multidimensional novel. It is described from the perspective of the almost every character. Every character is made life-like with the colours of the minute details. Coles gives an insight into the every character that helps to explain their actions and attitude.
The thing I love about this book is that it is written in the grey terms. The characters are not the angels. They all are humanly flawed. No one is the perfect and that is the reality of the life. The characters are round. They realize their faults and grow up with the story. Another appreciable thing is the way the author questions the responsibility of the media and the insensible and the furious reaction of the public. We get a glimpse of the media, who omits the truth for its own gain and how the public reacts over the false reporting.
I didn't like the large number of the erotic scenes. They were very disturbing. The incestuous relation between Billie and Tasha was immoral and many readers would consider their marriage illicit.
I will rate this novel 3 out of 4 stars. I would have given it 4 stars if there had been less erotic scenes. Another reason for this rating is the defence of so-called euthanasia by the author. At times, the author seemed to defend the so-called assisted suicide, which was actually a murder. The patient wasn't brain dead. He was murdered because he would suck the life from the people around him if he remains alive. It couldn't be an assisted suicide as nobody knew the desire of the patient. Otherwise, the book was great and fascinating. I would recommend this novel to the every adult because it has something for every kind of readers. It is especially recommended to those who are seeking the meaning in their life.
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McDowell
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