3 out of 4 stars
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As a medical practitioner, I have encountered a significant number of doctors and other healthcare providers, and I relish the intricacies of medicine. Her Charm Was Contagious by Dimitri Markov is a medical fiction book in the series of Dangerous Doctors. It is written from a third-person narrative perspective. The work explores the lives of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers – their day-to-day activities and their actions with the corresponding implications.
The book opens in the fictional private hospital – Haven General. The hospital’s medical group, Haven Medical Associates, comprises four partners. Dr. Vincent Pasternak is the medical group’s founder. He is a whiz at primary care diagnosis and treatment, but he reacts poorly to criticism and is believed to be sometimes paranoid. Dr. Stanley Beiberstein is the self-centered cardiologist. He has a combative personality, and he is involved in an on-going feud with Dr. Pasternak. Dr. Evrett Westerhauser is the group’s gastroenterologist. He is often reserved, and the other partners barely know him personally. Dr. Keith Tamborer is the most junior partner. He has a strong moral compass, and he prefers to work in the E.R. rather than the clinic.
One night in the E.R., while Keith is on call, thirty-six-year-old Alex Winston is wheeled in gasping and panting. Despite all efforts to save him by Keith and Stanley, he ultimately dies. Coincidentally, he was in the hospital a few weeks prior to his death. He consulted with Vincent and received a clean bill of health. His wife, and Stanley, suspects foul play. Stanley identifies the prevailing situation as an opportunity to force out Vincent from the group. The tension rapidly escalates, and the ensuing drama implicates the charming medical representative, MaryBeth Mullin.
I appreciate the technical aspects of the book. The medical processes and procedures are gracefully articulated and engaging. It is even more commendable that the author stylishly inserts definitions for medical parlances employed. Since Markov (his true name is Donald H. Marks) is a physician as well, I believe the caliber of the book is amplified by his experience. Furthermore, he expounds the hopes, fears, and motivations of physicians intently; I laud his ratiocination and savoir faire.
Nevertheless, the book contains a surfeit of grammatical errors, misspellings, and punctuation slips. Double periods are used after the abbreviation “E.R.” when it ends sentences, and there are several instances of the use of only one comma while employing parenthetical expressions. Although most of the characters are well-developed, Evrett remains a mystery throughout the book (even to the reader). I dislike this choice by the author because the character could have benefited from a worthier characterization. In addition, there are several erotic and violent references in the book; hence, it is inappropriate for younger audiences.
I award the book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. Despite its deficits, it is concise, fluid, and satisfactorily enjoyable. I would recommend it to lovers of titles in the C/T/M/H genre, especially medical fiction devotees.
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Her Charm Was Contagious
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