4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
McDowell by William H. Coles is a fictional drama novel. The book was published in 22nd August 2015. The book follows the story of Hiram McDowell, a celebrated surgeon and how his life changed. The author writes the story around Hiram and events that affect his life, directly or indirectly. The author writes the book from the perspectives of Hiram, his wife Carole, their children(Anne, Sophie and Billie) and many other characters.
Dr. Hiram McDowell is a renowned surgeon who is down to his third marriage. After returning from climbing the Himalayas, he sets his sights on becoming the director of the International College of Surgeons. His wife Carole is upset with him for his blatant infidelity and keeps threatening divorce. Hiram pays little to no attention to his children because he is dependent on his career. Hiram promises Michael O'Leary (one of his colleagues) a lucrative position if he helps him to be elected as director, but passes him over after gaining his position. Michael sets his new goal on revenge, making sure he ruins Hiram. Hiram gets called before the judicial committee of the International College of Surgeons on charges of misconduct. Hiram barely survives the committee. Hiram also has to deal with his children because his wife informs him that his teenage son Billie may be a father soon. This causes conflict between Carole and Hiram and may for cast a break. Will Michael ruin Hiram's career? Will Hiram reconcile with his wife? What will he do with the news that he may become a grandfather soon? Will Hiram change his ways? All these questions will be answered in this amazing book.
The main theme I encountered in this book was betrayal. Hiram betrays not only his marital vows, but his moral vows. The book starts with Hiram leaving his friend to die and this is a big betrayal. Hiram goes on to pass over Michael for a promotion and causes strife between the two. The other major theme I encountered was conflict. Hiram is written as a character terms who causes conflict in his wake. If not in his home, then at work and even with the women he sleeps with. The other themes I encountered in this book were; selfishness, immorality, vanity, loyalty, penance, love, grief and hope. The author uses these themes masterfully to not only make the characters interesting, but to also make the plot memorable.
The character development in this book was written masterfully. Hiram starts off as being a selfish womanizer with no regard to loyalty. His character takes continues to worsen with murder, but the author makes sure that he always has a chance to redeem himself. The author writes the book from various perspectives including his wife Carole and their children. The time line is progressive and the entire story takes about a decade to unfold. The many characters used to drive the book made this book a masterpiece. The excellent plot and amazing characters made me compare this book to George R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because the plot was captivating and exceptionally written. The story flowed effortlessly from the beginning and I found myself wanting to see Hiram fail or hurt and captured. I did not encounter any spelling or editing errors and I would have to assume that the book was professionally edited. The only thing I did not like about this book was the ending. It felt too predictable and forced. The author wrote the book uniquely and I had hoped for a unique ending to this amazing book.
I would recommend this book to all fictional drama fans. The story was compelling and I enjoyed reading the book very much. The author used an amazing writing style that kept shifting the narrative depending on the narrator. I loved how the book was written and I look forward to reading more books from William H. Coles.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like Ferdinand_otieno's review? Post a comment saying so!
when I get a little money I buy books; and if I have any left l buy food and clothes
