Dr. Vigilante

by Alberto Hazan

Doctor by day.


Vigilante by night.


Robert lives a double life in New York City. He spends his days treating patients at the St. Jude’s Hospital ER and his nights going after the psychopaths who wrong them: the child molesters, wife beaters, and rapists. But when the fiery, beautiful new social worker discovers his secret identity and their love affair takes off, Robert is forced to face some hard questions:


Do the ends justify the means?


After years of hunting down psychopaths, is Robert turning into one himself?


An action thriller with strong, distinct characters, filled with suspense and surprise, Dr. Vigilante is also a love story unfolding amid the turmoil and drama of a busy ER.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Crime

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

After graduating from Harvard University, Alberto Hazan attended Stony Brook Medical School. He trained in emergency medicine at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, where he was chief resident. Since then, he has worked in clinics and hospitals all over the world, including Morocco, Nepal, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Haiti. As a former Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner, Dr. Hazan continues to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault in both New York and Las Vegas, where he currently practices emergency medicine. He is the author of the preteen urban fantasy series "The League of Freaks" and the medical thriller "Dr. Vigilante."

Reviews

[Jennifer-Eve Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

Dr. Vigilante was an outstanding book. I love the fact that the author, Alberto Hazan, is an activist in the fight against domestic violence and he decided to write this book with that in mind. Adding in national statistics throughout the book was such an excellent way to let the reader know that even though this particular book is fiction we all need to keep in mind that these types of atrocities do happen!

One of the main characters in the book, Robert, an ER Dr., who sees a countless number of battered women, victims of hate crimes and beaten children of abusive parents, decides that waiting around for the authorities to punish the guilty takes too much time. As a well trained mercenary he takes the title of vigilante to a whole other level! A super star doctor by day and a cut throat bringer of karma by night! The Dr. might have gone on like living like that for a long time to come. But then he meets the "her" of his life. The one who will surprise him and take his heart by surprise!

This is such an excellent book. It's one you are pretty sure won't become a series but really do spend a lot of time wondering what happens now once you're done reading it!! Also, there's nothing like a HAWT doctor with a sense of justice that can kick ass like a modern day superman, to get a minivan driving soccer mom's blood pumping!!!

[Kristin Hedstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever watched the news and became dismayed by how many criminals do not actually get punished? I know I have. Sometimes it seems our justice system protects more criminals than victims. Dr. Vigilante is the story of an ER doctor who has witnessed horrible acts committed against his patients and takes matters into his own hands to punish the evil doers. Robert, the protagonist is smug at times, but I was okay with that because he certainly has the skills to back it up! The author does a great job developing the characters and their relationships to each other. The novel was well-written and action packed. A friend told me that the author is writing a sequel, I hope that is the truth because I look forward to reading more about Dr. Vigilante!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through the Goodreads giveaway section and in thanks I am writing this review. I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fast paced novel that drew me in and kept me entertained. The antics of Robert and Midwestern charm of Sharon played nicely off one another. It was interesting to have an action book, but have injuries sustained described in medical terms. It added a sophisticated layer instead of ranting about gushing blood or something like that. I also am happy this author shined a light on social issues that exist more than they should in our society. I would recommended this book to anyone looking for a high energy read and would love to read more about Roberto's current escapades, hopefully with Sharon there with him.

[Georgette Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I couldn't put this book down. There are a lot of good people in the world and a lot of bad.

This book was a reality check on humankind. Made me feel thankful for my life. It also scared me and made me sad. The ending uncertain.

[Marla Bradeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Vigilante is a well-written, fast-paced novel with heart. Hazan does a good job building his characters, and their motivations were entirely believable. The story moves at a good pace, and maintained my attention throughout.

Although fictional, the story highlights several issues rampant in today's society. It's very easy to understand the driving force behind main character Robert's actions. I like how Hazan incorporated facts with the story to drive home that the problems touched upon in the book are real-world issues that don't disappear once the last page is turned.

One action scene struck me as rather unbelievable by book standards, although it would be standard fare for many movies. Readers sensitive to foul language might find some of the dialogue to be off-putting, but for the most part I found it fitting of the characters. There were also a couple medical scenes bordering on too graphic for my tastes, but they did add to the plot and the author did not embellish them with unnecessary queasy details.

Overall, I found Dr. Vigilante to be a very enjoyable read. The storyline was interesting and excellently told.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ER doctor decides to stand up and take action against the psychopaths of New York City by leading a double life. Doctor by day, vigilante by night. Add in the drama of a hospital and you've got yourself a fast-paced, action-filled book.

A great book indeed in my opinion. It was filled with action and epic moments from Dr. McKenzie. The reason why I rated this book 4 stars is because the plot was a little too typical, the romance part I mean. I'm not a fan of romance in books and would've been fine if this book contained no romance. Also, I'm not biased when I say this, but I found the plot a little too typical for the parts where Sharon and Dr. McKenzie interact. First the guy seems to be a sarcastic jerk, then you find out he likes Sharon, and finally they end up together. To be honest, I didn't really like the idea of Robert and Sharon. Maybe that's because Sharon believed in the authorities too much and kept trying to stop Robert from doing what he believed was right. Overall, I enjoyed this book because I tried not to focus too hard on the "side-stories".

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! Once I started reading it, had to go through with it all the way to the end. How positively surprised was I when I realised this was a trilogy weee

[Phillip · Rating 2 out of 5]

You might be wondering why I read a novel with this title. Truth be told? I have no idea. I guess I liked the premise of a doctor witnessing tragedy and injustice, and doing what he could to punish those whom the law can’t and doesn’t. I expected the hero—the doctor—to be a Batman-type character with special skill and training, who vanquishes his foes…not a perfect hero…certainly one with weaknesses…but at the very least, one who emerges from battle without nearly dying. Unfortunately, what the author, Alberto Hazan has given us is a pretty well fleshed-out character whom we sympathize with but also despise in some ways, who does try to seek justice for those who cannot do it for themselves, but I swear, every battle this guy (Robert) is in, he gets the crap kicked out of him! I mean, I’m all for some realism, but I want my hero to kick some serious butt—to inflict pain and anguish on the villains. At times, Robert barely walks away from his fights with his life. He’s stabbed, sliced up, body-slammed, head-butted, takes numerous shots to the chin, face, throat, stomach, etc, and in short repeatedly gets mauled by each villain. Yes, I suppose he ultimately comes out victorious, but my point here is that none of his battles are satisfying to read. Just once I wanted him to get revenge cleanly. That never happens, and it’s the most significant flaw in this book. There’s a female love interest, of course, who only serves to weaken Robert’s resolve, to the point that during battle, when he would normally kill the bad guy, he actually helps him!…and then promptly pays the price as the guy nearly beats him dead once again. I mean, give me a break. This series continues into two more novels. I admit that I’m mildly interested in finding out how all this turns out, and if I had some assurance that Robert becomes a true hero with ability, and emerges unscathed at least once, perhaps I’ll give the series a chance.
I mean…seriously?

[Casey]

Not my usual genre. I was kept interested and turning pages. Trigger warnings. I could see this as an action movie.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! It's about a doctor that gives bad guys what they deserve after they commit a crime that hurt another person, and how he falls in love with a social worker that cares to make a difference in this world. Everything in this book is so highly detailed, and that's what makes a book good.
Sharon had many wonderful job opportunities, but she decided on a hospital in New York. The nurses at the hospital don't think that she will last that long, so they only give her a small tour. They were wrong in thinking that she wouldn't stay. After a while, a budding relationship happens between her and Dr. Robert Mckenzie, the best ER doctor in that hospital. He's known for getting things done efficiently, and he never lets a patient down. He never lets anybody cheat the system or get away with any crime, either. He's like superman, but in a more realistic way.
If you like books with a medical touch in them and also have a baseline of crime fighting, this book is for you.
I hope you like this book and my review of Dr. Vigilante by Alberto Hazan!

[Whit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! I loved this book! This book is an exciting, well-written page turner. I could not put it down! I don't condone violence but I understand why Dr. McKenzie felt a need to right so many wrongs!
Dr. Robert McKenzie treats patients in the ER by day and goes after the people who put them in the hospital in the first place, at night. You know, the wife beaters; the child abusers; the rapists; and the racists. Robert was trained in Guerrilla Warfare in Guatemala and does the job that the police can't or won't do. It breaks his heart when a woman dies in the ER from her husband's vicious beatings or when he has to treat the innocent children abused by the very people who are supposed to love and protect them. As long as Robert is focused, he stays safe but then he falls in love with Sharon, the Social Worker. Then the story takes a very unexpected turn! Incredible story!

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was kind of like a cheesy made for TV Christmas movie: I genuinely wanted to know what happened to the characters and cared about them. I really wanted to keep pushing through to keep up with the story and get to the end so I knew how it all turned out. As much as my interest was there, however, the writing was not great. I felt at times we jumped or things were just a little too corny. I felt there were a lot of medical terms and references, and while I am not a medical person so I don't know if things were accurate, it just felt too much at times, forced at times, and like the author just wanted to throw in big words to prove that he knew medical terms.

Again, the plot and characters had my interest, but the writing wasn't great. I finished it (and I'm happy I did) but I probably wouldn't tell my friends about it.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride !! This story is hard hitting and rollercoaster fast. Who is the Vigilante ? How does a vigilante work into a busy NYC hospital's emergency room ? Can the quiet mousy social worker fresh from Indiana be able to cope with the carnage, and mentally strained Doc's in this busy ER ? Where does this social worker fit into vigilante's plans ? How does the vigilante come to find out where there has been done a wrong to deserve his medicine ? This wonderfully written thriller and somewhat who- dun-it flies page by page. Very difficult to put it down. Without a doubt 5 stars out of 5 !!! Outstanding read well worth your time !! Do not miss this one !!

[K.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Well-written, fast-paced and emotional. Robert as a vigilante/doctor has good motives and fights in a believable, not too far-fetched way with the worst of the worst roaming the streets of NY. To fellow fans of Dexter: this is a must read!

[Kathy Leveritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work in an ER and many times you want to do what the main characters does. I enjoyed the book and felt it was relatable

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Grabbed me from the first page.. main characters were very interesting. Lots of action and intrigue. Going straight to the next book in the series!

[Wheeler · Rating 1 out of 5]

The concept is ripe for a novel: doctor uses his access to patients, and trends, in the emergency room to carry out a war on the male criminal elements in the big apple.

The inherent tension in the idea would, seemingly, be enough fodder for a brilliant story. After all, it’s about a doctor who hurts people, and then proceeds to treat the people he’s intentionally harmed. A doctor violating his oath.

Dr. Vigilante does not live up to the lofty concept. It lives up to the pretension of a rich, hunky doctor living in New York City, who is written as a toned-down version of Batman.

The pretension, along with the terrible stereotypes and blatant sexism built into the plot, into the characters, even into the setting, helps drive this book down, down, down.



The Plot
So, there’s the jerk doctor who’s smarter than everybody else, has been around the block and has enough free time to do research on the people he’s going to maim in his personal capacity as a vigilante. He’s Dr. Robert McKenzie. He drives a Ducati, he has a penthouse, he has a private garage, presumably in Manhattan. He fought against genocide in Columbia. His body is marked by the scars of the war, of his vigilante efforts and, most importantly, his childhood abuse.

Then there’s the super-smart social worker who moved from the rural town in the mid-west to the Big City, New York, and is not-really living her dream in the emergency room. But she’s super hot and Dr. McKenzie, aka, Dr. Vigilante of the book’s title, well, he’s totally into her. But he can’t get too close, because he’s the Vigilante!

And, two thirds of the way through, there are some neo-Nazis in Manhattan who are beating up the gays, the Hispanics and the Chinese late at night. I guess that’s supposed to be the over-arching plot development: a badly-organized hate group.



Too many steps too far
Details are great. Details make stories real. As a journalist, I live for little details. The details in this book might, to the author, tell all the right things. To any of the readers who do not come from multi-million dollar families, the details become pretentious.

Recently, I went with a co-worker to a county commission meeting. I was helping him learn the ropes and we had been assigned to cover a permit being requested for a woman who wanted to run an eight-to-12-dog shelter out of her house in semi-rural New Mexico. One of her neighbors spoke against the shelter. The neighbor mentioned an incredible detail, which both my co-worker and I picked up on instantly, as did the rest of the crowd. The neighbor said she feared for her $150,000 horses, that they might be attacked by the dogs. That is a telling detail.

Alas, the details in this book become one facet of what is tiresome about it.

The doctor drives his Ducati motorcycle at speeds in excess of 120 mph on New York City streets. (Not while being chased. Just because. As if that were possible.)

“He chose an all-black outfit and secured a SIG Saur P226 on his calf and a Glock 17 around his shoulder.”

Personally, not being a gun person, I have no idea what type of gun a P226 is. I know the manufacturer Glock, but a Glock 17? I have no idea, let alone what caliber of bullet it fires.

A .45-caliber six-shooter? That’s fine. A .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol? That’s fine too. I know what it is. It’s descriptive. But the brand name? Might as well mention the designer who made his all-black outfit. Did he buy it at Eddi Bauer? Or Cabela’s?

Then, there’s the classic New Yorker jerk (a man) talks to dumb social worker liberal (a woman). Spoiler alert: she acquiesces.

“You can’t go after that gang any more.” (Sharon, the social worker, to Robert McKenzie, the vigilante doctor.)
“I can’t sit back and allow them (neo-Nazi gang) to fill the ER with victims.”
“You can’t stop all the crime in the city, Robert! The problem’s too big, and you can’t pull out its roots with weapons and spy equipment” (sic)
“What roots?”
“Poverty, access to guns, crappy education, violence in the media, drugs—”
“Those aren’t the roots, Sharon. That’s the worst kind of sloppy liberal thinking I’ve ever heard.”
…
“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t hold yourself personally accountable for getting rid of every wife beater and child molester in Manhattan.”

A hint of sexism
Writing of stereotypes, the premise and statistics pushed one little pet peeve of mine. The premise is, men are monsters. (A further premise is, only a man can stop the male monsters.)

Men are pedophiles. Men are rapists. Men are child-and-wife beaters.
Men come into the emergency room trying to bilk to system, as incorrigible homeless drunks who turn out to be violent attempted rapists. Men come into the emergency room begging for a note to get out of work because they’re 20-something alcoholics who just want a handout.

When men are victims, it is because they are either gay, Hispanic, or Chinese.(Neo-Nazis are proliferating in Manhattan. Oh no!)

This, and the men-are-the-only-perpetrators statistics, really bother me as someone who both knows better and who writes about crime for a living. I’m a cops and courts reporter in a small town and I can attest: domestic violence runs both ways. Sometimes she stabs him. Sometimes he stabs her. Sometimes she attempts to stab her son, his wife, and their children. Child abuse is (allegedly) perpetrated on children by abusers of both genders.

Men are even raped! (Catholic church scandals, or Penn State, anyone?) It’s ridiculous, I know, to try to break through the stereotypes and paradigms that make women the powerless victims and men the horrible aggressors. It’s easy that way. It’s a lot harder to write about the real violence in the communities, which does not discriminate between the sexes.

To be fair, as a child, Dr. Vigilante himself is sexually abused. But, this is done to him as a child, one of the two non-entities the author perpetuates in the book.

At the beginning of the book, the author, a doctor himself, quotes these statistics from the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Please, see if anything might be missing:

“A woman is assaulted every nine seconds in the United States
“Around the world, one in every three women is beaten or raped during her lifetime.
“Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women – more than car accidents, muggings, and other forms of trauma combined.
“Each day in the United States, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.”

If one were to point out these statistics single out women as victims, I think one would have a point. Although it certainly points out issues, it also creates them. It sets up a paradigm.

Women are the victims. Men are perpetrators and men are the saviors.
The protagonist, the doctor-slash-vigilante of the book’s title, is a man. He is the knight, and he wears armor and he saves his love interest, a social worker, from being raped by an angry drunk. If we were playing cliché bingo, I’m pretty sure we’d have a winner.

It’s a dangerous form of sexism and it cuts both ways.



All things aside
Personally, I didn’t like the book, for many of the reasons listed above. Bad execution. Stock, one-dimensional characters, stereotyped characters. Hackneyed dialogue spewed by the aforementioned characters. Pretentious details. Boring plot and ridiculous love story.

This book was received, free of charge, through the Goodreads First Read program.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say I downloaded this for free almost 5 years ago now but for some reason kept skipping past it.....I'd missed a terrific read. It isn't anything especially new but I love heroes who aren't full of political-correctness and his girlfriend evened things up, by being what I'd call a bleeding-heart liberal !! Thank goodness for the vigilante, I say. He has a healthy sense of humour as well.
It also lists some really appalling statistics regarding rapes and abuse. And that 10% of people commit 90% of all crime !! That one left my jaw hitting the floor and so I agreed with him-if that 10% could be put out of commission we'd all be much happier ! He is correct about rehabilitation, or the lack of it as well. I remain convinced that violent and sex offenders will never be rehabilitated and should either be kept off the streets for good, if we're not going to execute them, or castrated. Time after time after time, they'll re-offend, and many more than once, cos' we STILL don't learn that we're wasting our time and are putting law-abiding, innocent citizens at risk in order to satisfy some ridiculous council of human rights.....but the WRONG humans' rights.
One passage I found very touching, "I spent an hour trying to revive the dead and thirty seconds comforting the living".......I believe the author is a medical man so knows his stuff.
I REALLY enjoyed how we didn't know which doctor was Dr. Vigilante till we were 39% into the book. That was very cleverly done and I was very much enjoying the tease.
He left a needless space writing over whelmed but that was the only mistake I highlighted throughout which is to be greatly commended indeed these days.
I loved the ending which was very ambiguous and look forward to the next story in the series, although it looks like it's set in Guatemala, which doesn't sound much like my type of thing. I'd avoid it altogether if it wasn't a sequel to this one, I must say. I have zero interest in books set in places like that and I fear I may not like it as much so I'm hoping he is back to being in America in book 3, though I won't read the synopsis on that one in case it has an inadvertent spoiler.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

😊

A fast paced vigilante thriller, abused as a child and determined to get justice as an adult against those who harm others. Dr. Vigilante knows how to get the job done and get it done fast. That is until someone enters his life and almost turns it upside down. How long can they get away with murdering people who do the harm?
A good fast paced thriller that pulls you in and doesn't want to let you go. I'll admit I was wrong in who I originally thought the vigilante was but the more I read the more I realised why it had to be the other person.

[Jim A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay story. Nothing special. The vigilante, as the title states, is a doctor. He practices in an ER of a New York City hospital and finds the subjects of his wrath via the patients whom are treated in his ER. Mugging victims, victims of spousal abuse, child abuse. He metes out his own form of justice.

[Deana Christianson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vilgilante

Fast moving book. Kept me engaged and interested throughout the story. Definitely thinking about reading the sequel. Hard to put down.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 fairly predictable story/plot. Good pace and ending. Would make a good mini series. 😂

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, thought-provoking read. The story starts with a social worker from the Midwest starting a new job at a busy NYC hospital ER...and really this was the main part that I had difficulty with. She is basically turned loose in the ER on her first day with no orientation, no direction, nothing. This may have happened at sometime in the past, maybe 1960 or so, but in this day and age it most definitely does not. No one - not even the Red Cross volunteer - starts at a hospital in America without being oriented to the hospital and their job. No one sits down and has access to patient charts without HIPAA training or training on the hospital computer system. No one is just “turned loose” with no one to oversee their work on their first day. I’ve worked in hospitals since the late 70s - it just wouldn’t happen, not in a big facility or a little rural one.

Rant over. After that initial misstep, the rest of the book flowed fairly well. As Sharon, the social worker, gets acclimated to her job, she is frustrated by the sarcastic, opinionated, gruff Dr McKenzie. He terrorizes the medical students and residents, and disregards the rules of the other departments to serve the needs of his patients. Then, there’s his alter ego - he goes after the psychopaths he identifies in the ER. He uses skills developed in Guatemala to hunt down and take down the rapists / child molesters / wife beaters who’ve escaped (or never came to) the attention of the law. It’s kind of satisfying, if gory, to see the bad guys get what’s coming to them. The ending leaves open the possibility for more and I’ll likely be on lookout for them.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Robert is a take charge kind of guy and not only wants to save victims of all kinds of abuse, but also wants the abusers to pay for their crimes. I didn't realize that the author actually was a doctor until I read the acknowledgments so it makes sense why the medical terminology and procedures were so accurate. So, yeah, I was very happy with this read.

[Denaona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping tale about a New York City ER doctor who goes after psychopaths. This guy is our modern superhero ... the equivalent of a real life, present-day Superman!

[Cortney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of wish there was a sequel... great storyline and well developed characters.

[Judith Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Vigilante

Everyone likes a good vigilante story, and this is a good one. Captivating and having been abused, I was right there with the Doc, cheering him on.

[Deliah Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Dexter the TV series where Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter expert by day and a vigilante by night. So, I was immediately drawn to the premise of this novel where Dr. Robert McKenzie is a highly skilled ER doctor (St. Jude’s Hospital) by day and a vigilante by night.

When we first meet Dr. McKenzie, he bumped heads with the new ER social worker, Sharon Reede. A transplant from Indiana to New York City, Sharon was idealistic and went above and beyond in getting the services the patients needed (e.g., emergency Medicaid, rehab programs, placement at a shelter, etc.).

Everyone had a bet she wouldn’t last long in an environment where the patients were sometimes hostile, the staff were mostly unfriendly especially Dr. Jerk-Off McKenzie - always sarcastic, crude, and dismissive – the type of person you would want to punch in the face. However, this was a façade for Robert to hide that he truly cared. He would give money to folks anonymously, pay for their surgeries and at night he would dole out his own type of justice to child molesters, abusive husbands, and rapists.

When Robert saved Sharon from being assaulted by a “frequent-flying scumbag” patient, she subsequently confronted him about being the vigilante. She then decided to keep his secret and over drinks and dinner at his favorite Mexican restaurant, she began to know Robert the man who spoke fluent Spanish, trained to fight by Guillermo (a medicine and a general in Guatemala), enjoyed chiles rellenos, beer, and danced to the sounds of ranchera music. Hence, the beginning of their romance and a test of how they each viewed the world.

Overall, the storyline was realistic, gritty and touched upon the social ills of society where justice wasn’t always served. The pacing was good, the dialogue was authentic, the medical scenes were expertly described, and the characters were well developed. Hazan did a great job capturing the essence of New York (sights, sounds, smells) while Robert maneuvered the city to do his recon and catch his prey.

I also liked that Hazan gave statistics about domestic violence, child abuse and rape to ground readers about these acts of cruelty. But these folks don’t always get away especially when they are in the crosshairs of Dr. Vigilante.

This is a must read if you like Dexter and watching Law and Order: SVU. Two thumbs up!

Some of my favorite lines:

“I’m a soldier, Sharon, and you don’t believe in violence.”
“I do,” she said. “At least I do now. How could I not? You couldn’t have pulled that rapist off me without violence.”
“True. But you don’t agree with my lifestyle.”
“Not necessarily. The question we should be asking is, when is violence appropriate? I think you and I still have time to see if we can live with each other’s answer. But with a gorgeous day like this, let’s not talk about violence or about us being doomed or about work.”
“Yes, Ms. Reede. Sorry.” Robert gave her butt a little pat.

[kathleen r. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book by browsing and luck. I was fortunate enough to have written and defended my graduate thesis focusing on the long-term recovery from sexual trauma and rape, back when there was simply a dearth of material available either scholastically OR for a fictional presentation. I am also a nurse who has worked in ER, trauma, ICU, CCU, and acute/sub-acute settings. So I have been on the front lines and also in the background as a researcher and clinician. The medical presentations here rock; they are accurate and impressive for interesting details. The pace of the book is quick and easy to read even if someone doesn't have a health care background or interest.
The questionable presence of law enforcement wasn't quite as fully developed as it might have been, but that's about par for the course in real-life as well as fiction.
Three things were apparent and the reason why I could only give this a three-star review.
First, the social worker was just so wimpy and gutless. I've never worked around a social services model of immediacy in an ER setting. We put in a consult and then we wait. The patient waits. The family waits. Everyone waits. So the immediate consults and actions were just not believable. She's silly and somewhat foolish, worrying about asking a doctor out for a drink, or how her beige clothing looks in the mirror. She can't find her way around the unit and in the next paragraph, she's bringing the charge nurse her coffee. What? Totally unbelievable. We nurses don't sell our help for a silly cup of coffee. She'd have to do better than that, in the real world.
Next, the super-doc. There's no storyline that follows his training or how he developed his super skills. How does he get all the equipment he uses, the glasses, guns, and other murderous tools? We get the feeling he has money but we don't know how that began. Only something as shallow as "Guatemala". Mercenary, maybe? It would have been helpful to expand on his motives.
Finally, I thought the end was just too abrupt. The story just goes from one scene to nothing. I'm guessing there's a sequel lurking somewhere. I am ok with that if it gives the story some overall sense of conclusion. But I don't think I will bother to read it.
This story could have been opened up a little bit more, in terms of plot and character. I guess I read too much fiction so I look for things that take away from the overall cohesion of the story. But I sure couldn't have written better. I just know what I might have enjoyed as story arcs.
Overall the story is interestingly done for what it is supposed to be.

[Wendy Wanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-crafted thriller had it all: action, drama, human suffering and romance.

Sharon, a social worker newly arrived from Indiana, is unprepared for the busy pace of a New York City ER inundated with everyday domestic violence and an escalating spate of hate crimes perpetrated by a neo-Nazi group. While her new colleagues don’t expect her to last the week, she shows perseverance and dedication to her profession, quickly learning the tricks of the trade and earning respect as a valued member of the staff.

Relatable and honest, we support Sharon's decisions as she navigates the minefield of relationships running hot and cold in the hospital. She is a great heroine with a big heart, quick wit and admirable patience.

Robert, who by day works as one of the ER doctors (though Hazan withholds his identity so we don’t know which doctor he is), is a highly-skilled vigilante by night, targeting psychopaths whose violent attacks leave badly beaten and incapacitated victims in his ER. Robert’s double life comes to a head when he struggles to maintain his gruff exterior in the ER amidst budding feelings for the new social worker.

As the plot develops, Hazan depicts Sharon's changing interaction and feelings towards the various doctors, but doesn't let us in on which doctor Robert is until late in the story. Though I guessed correctly, I wasn't entirely sure, so Robert's identity was hidden well and created a nice twist in the story.

This book is more than just your usual thriller. The novel offers statistics on domestic violence, child abuse and rape and showed the physical and mental implications of these attacks on the victims as well as on ER staff, government infrastructures and society at large. It raises questions about psychopaths (defined as having a lack of remorse), rehabilitation and social work, and the inherent nature of people – good versus evil.

I enjoyed the Buddhist angle when Sharon and Robert discuss Buddha’s philosophical teachings about the relationship between human life and suffering, and the benefits of freeing yourself from relationships and worldly attachments.

In conclusion, Dr. Hazan's blend of fiction and truth, vigilantism and liberal ideals, and challenging social stereotypes coupled with a quick-paced, engaging plot made Dr. Vigilante an outstanding thriller.