Review of Caretaker

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Amy Murdoch Coleman
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Latest Review: Caretaker by George Farrell

Review of Caretaker

Post by Amy Murdoch Coleman »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Caretaker" by George Farrell.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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Fictional pieces inspired by the recent COVID-19 pandemic have become relatively commonplace, but I admit that the concept of this particular narrative impressed me. Caretaker by George Farrell presented a disease as something very like a man and then set it before a group of ordinary people to handle. A blend of allegory and good old-fashioned thriller, Caretaker felt refreshing and original.

Harry Joyner is an understandably frustrated detective in the Bronx, New York. Middle age is catching up with him, his wife is dangerously ill with sickle cell anemia, and his children are becoming increasingly distant from him. Amidst his downward-spiraling circumstances, Harry must face a new challenge: the entrance of one Dr. Oddvar Bodkin. Dr. Bodkin supposedly can heal patients of their illnesses with transfusions of his blood, and when he offers to heal Harry's wife, sparks of dissension fly. In the meantime, a series of mysterious and gruesome murders are peppering the Bronx, and Harry is convinced that the culprit is none other than this suspicious doctor. However, proving Dr. Bodkin's guilt is a difficulty of extreme proportions.

The unique nature of this book made it worth savoring, and I didn't mind that the guilty party was revealed right away. Typically, it grinds against my preferences when I can immediately tell who committed the crime, but in Caretaker, it was to the reader's benefit to see what was happening at each crime scene. I also typically balk at explicit and unnecessary gore; however, the amount of violence and carnage in this book is undeniably appropriate for the subject matter.

While I enjoyed the story as a whole, Caretaker is far from polished. I came across ten grammatical errors on the first twelve pages, and there were hundreds more to follow. My chief complaint is in regards to character development and style. The story explores at least five different perspectives, and I had a hard time differentiating between them. The diction, slang, and speech patterns are consistent between all of them, so they each seemed to have the same voice.

Overall, this is a good story, but it desperately needs an editor. Due to the aforementioned points, I am giving Caretaker a score of 2 out of 4 stars. With some intense revision, this could be an excellent book. Lovers of detective novels and thrillers should give it a try, but sensitive readers should be aware that there is an exceptional amount of profanity, sexuality, and violence.

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Caretaker
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Kavita Shah
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Post by Kavita Shah »

Good story but style and character development wasn't up to the mark. It's a thriller waiting for a round of editing.
Thank you for your review!
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angelap5467
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Post by angelap5467 »

With this, you can see how much of an impact takes or gives editing because the plot is really amusing, and would love to read it. Great review.
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Dzejn_Crvena
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Post by Dzejn_Crvena »

This is an interesting story about a suspicious doctor.
I enjoy reading a book with distinct characters, so thank you for pointing out that it's not the case in this book.
Thank you for your review.
just call me "jane" :tiphat:
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Buk Nerd
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Post by Buk Nerd »

As a fan of detective novels, I am intrigued by the premise and would love to give this book a try. Hopefully, the shoddy editing won't put me off too much. Splendid review.
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

This seems like a thriller with good potential that wasn't properly developed and with a lot of mistakes that can distract from the enjoyment, so I hope the author follows your recommendation and does more editing. Thank you for your honest review!
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Massimo
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Urvashi Tripathi
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Post by Urvashi Tripathi »

The plot seems interesting. Lots of errors spoils the excitement and interest while reading. I hope that all the errors may get corrected soon. Thank you for your honest review.
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k_madhu_jha
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Post by k_madhu_jha »

It should have been edited well. Seems like a good book with lots and lots of errors thank you for the detailed review.
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MsH2k
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Post by MsH2k »

This sounds like a great plot. With a name like Dr. Oddvar Bodkin, who can help but keep an eye on him and his blood! I hope this book gets the editing attention you suggested.
Thank you for your thorough review! :balloon:
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Post by Dami Bassam »

The book is correct , it is like a thriller with nice perspective. There is many errors that the author can repair. It would be more confortable to readers in the futur.
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