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In Sickness and In Health
Nothing in Stan Andino's unremarkable life could prepare him for the day he discovers his wife naked, except for a black apron, bleaching out a stain from the carpet that only she can see. A CT scan one week later explains the seemingly inexplicable; Carmen Andino has a brain tumour. As Stan and their teenage sons grapple with the diagnosis and frightening personality changes in their wife and mother, Austin Lamb, a close friend and local doctor, does everything possible to assist the family in crisis. Months later, Austin's wife's body is discovered at the bottom of Browns Bay cliffs by Eliot Bard. But who is lying, and who is telling the truth?
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2022
22 people are currently reading
630 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Sussman
6 books115 followersAward-winning author Fiona Sussman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and immigrated to New Zealand over thirty years ago. A former family doctor, she hung up her stethoscope in 2003 to pursue another long-held dream, to write.
Published internationally, she is the author of four novels and numerous critically- acclaimed short stories.
Her novel 'The Last Time We Spoke' won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel 2017 and was shortlisted for the NZ Heritage Prize 2016. An early draft won the Kobo/NZ Society of Authors Publishing Prize.
'Addressed to Greta' launched Bateman Books’ fiction list and went on to win the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction 2021.
'The Doctor's Wife', her fourth novel (and first in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in October 2022. It was shortlisted for the NZBooklovers award for Best Adult Fiction 2023 and is a finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Fiction.
'Hooked Up', Fiona's fifth novel (and second in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in September 2025.
To find out more about Fiona, go to her website:
www.fionasussman.co.nz
Published internationally, she is the author of four novels and numerous critically- acclaimed short stories.
Her novel 'The Last Time We Spoke' won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel 2017 and was shortlisted for the NZ Heritage Prize 2016. An early draft won the Kobo/NZ Society of Authors Publishing Prize.
'Addressed to Greta' launched Bateman Books’ fiction list and went on to win the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction 2021.
'The Doctor's Wife', her fourth novel (and first in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in October 2022. It was shortlisted for the NZBooklovers award for Best Adult Fiction 2023 and is a finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Fiction.
'Hooked Up', Fiona's fifth novel (and second in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in September 2025.
To find out more about Fiona, go to her website:
www.fionasussman.co.nz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
December 14, 2022
EXCERPT: It had been a strained, supposedly informal chat at the police station. Ramesh Bandara's manner tempered by an obvious awareness that he was questioning a woman who in all likelihood was going to die within the year.
The same couldn't be said for the trainee detective, Hilary Stark, who emphasised that Carmen's behaviour had, according to several sources, grown increasingly erratic and aggressive over the past months. There was the supermarket incident; the altercation with their neighbour one down. The threat to April Edelman's dog. Carmen's increasing paranoia that Tibbie was 'making a move' on Stan. Her accusations of poisoning.
Only Austin could have supplied this 'inside information' in such a comprehensive bundle. After all, only he, Carmen's doctor and long time friend, had been privy to all the dramas.
Stan couldn't help but feel betrayed. Austin had pretty much thrown Carmen under the bus. What about patient confidentiality? In what capacity had Austin reported Carmen's behaviour? Surely there were laws to protect patients?
Of course, Stan knew it was complicated. It was not just about Austin being Carmen's doctor and friend. They were talking about the death of Austin's wife. It was such a bloody mess.
ABOUT 'THE DOCTOR'S WIFE': Nothing in Stan Andino's unremarkable life could prepare him for the day he discovers his wife in the living room, naked except for a black apron, bleaching out a stain in the carpet that only she can see. A CT scan one week later explains the seemingly inexplicable; Carmen Andino has a brain tumour. As Stan and their teenage sons grapple with the diagnosis and frightening personality changes in their wife and mother, Austin Lamb, close friend and local doctor, does everything possible to assist the family in crisis. Months later, just when it feels as though life couldn't possibly get any worse for the Andinos, the body of Austin Lamb's wife Tibbie is discovered at the bottom of the Browns Bay cliffs.
MY THOUGHTS: Dark and twisty. Tense. Compelling. Riveting. I need to read everything else this author has written.
I have, in the past two years, known three people who have had surgery for brain tumours. Two, like Carmen, experienced major changes in their personalities. One didn't. Scary stuff. And a brilliant background for a novel about a suspicious death. Add into the mix the wonderful character of Eliot Bard, the young man with special needs who discovers the body, and it gets even better.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints: Eliot; Stan, Carmen's husband; Austin, Tibbie's husband; Carmen; Tibbie; Reuben and Leon, Stan and Carmen's twin sons; Andrea, Eliot's mother; and Ramesh Bandara, the detective. Yes, a lot of viewpoints, but it never gets confusing or overwhelming.
The characters are expertly drawn. Realistic. There were times I yelled at Stan, and would have slapped him if I could. I adored Eliot's character and loved his mum.
Did Tibbie jump? Or was she pushed?
Encompassing medical issues, family dynamics, friendship, a suspicious death, and detective fiction, Fiona Sussman has hit the ball out of the park with the brilliantly written The Doctor's Wife.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheDoctorsWife
I: @fionasussman @batemanbooks
T: @FionaSussman @BatemanBooks
#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #friendship #mystery #detectivefiction #nzfiction
THE AUTHOR: Award-winning author Fiona Sussman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and immigrated to New Zealand over thirty years ago. A former family doctor, she hung up her stethoscope in 2003 to pursue another long-held dream, to write.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Waitomo District Library for the loan of The Doctor's Wife by Fiona Sussman. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmF-7Okr4...
The same couldn't be said for the trainee detective, Hilary Stark, who emphasised that Carmen's behaviour had, according to several sources, grown increasingly erratic and aggressive over the past months. There was the supermarket incident; the altercation with their neighbour one down. The threat to April Edelman's dog. Carmen's increasing paranoia that Tibbie was 'making a move' on Stan. Her accusations of poisoning.
Only Austin could have supplied this 'inside information' in such a comprehensive bundle. After all, only he, Carmen's doctor and long time friend, had been privy to all the dramas.
Stan couldn't help but feel betrayed. Austin had pretty much thrown Carmen under the bus. What about patient confidentiality? In what capacity had Austin reported Carmen's behaviour? Surely there were laws to protect patients?
Of course, Stan knew it was complicated. It was not just about Austin being Carmen's doctor and friend. They were talking about the death of Austin's wife. It was such a bloody mess.
ABOUT 'THE DOCTOR'S WIFE': Nothing in Stan Andino's unremarkable life could prepare him for the day he discovers his wife in the living room, naked except for a black apron, bleaching out a stain in the carpet that only she can see. A CT scan one week later explains the seemingly inexplicable; Carmen Andino has a brain tumour. As Stan and their teenage sons grapple with the diagnosis and frightening personality changes in their wife and mother, Austin Lamb, close friend and local doctor, does everything possible to assist the family in crisis. Months later, just when it feels as though life couldn't possibly get any worse for the Andinos, the body of Austin Lamb's wife Tibbie is discovered at the bottom of the Browns Bay cliffs.
MY THOUGHTS: Dark and twisty. Tense. Compelling. Riveting. I need to read everything else this author has written.
I have, in the past two years, known three people who have had surgery for brain tumours. Two, like Carmen, experienced major changes in their personalities. One didn't. Scary stuff. And a brilliant background for a novel about a suspicious death. Add into the mix the wonderful character of Eliot Bard, the young man with special needs who discovers the body, and it gets even better.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints: Eliot; Stan, Carmen's husband; Austin, Tibbie's husband; Carmen; Tibbie; Reuben and Leon, Stan and Carmen's twin sons; Andrea, Eliot's mother; and Ramesh Bandara, the detective. Yes, a lot of viewpoints, but it never gets confusing or overwhelming.
The characters are expertly drawn. Realistic. There were times I yelled at Stan, and would have slapped him if I could. I adored Eliot's character and loved his mum.
Did Tibbie jump? Or was she pushed?
Encompassing medical issues, family dynamics, friendship, a suspicious death, and detective fiction, Fiona Sussman has hit the ball out of the park with the brilliantly written The Doctor's Wife.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheDoctorsWife
I: @fionasussman @batemanbooks
T: @FionaSussman @BatemanBooks
#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #friendship #mystery #detectivefiction #nzfiction
THE AUTHOR: Award-winning author Fiona Sussman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and immigrated to New Zealand over thirty years ago. A former family doctor, she hung up her stethoscope in 2003 to pursue another long-held dream, to write.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Waitomo District Library for the loan of The Doctor's Wife by Fiona Sussman. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmF-7Okr4...
December 7, 2022
The absolute definition of a page-turner, and as well as that, brilliant, well-rounded characters. I loved the short chapters from multiple POVs, and it kept me guessing to the very end. Highly recommend and I look forward to whatever Fiona is working on next.
November 7, 2022
How have I not read this author before! New Zealander Fiona Sussman is the winner of numerous awards including the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. How exciting that I have previous novels to read.
There is a strong list of interesting characters in this novel, including the Dr as the title indicates and his wife. Tibbie and Austin Lamb have the perfect life, he is a successful doctor and she is the funny endearing beautiful wife. In fact Tibbie, Austin and Carmen Andino have been friends since teenagers and when Carmen married Stan, he was accepted into the tight knit group. All is not right however when Stan returns home to find his wife naked except for an apron, bleaching the carpet of a stain only she can see, while her teenage sons watch on in horror. A CT scan finds she has several brain tumours including a large one at the front of her brain. Months later as if this isnt enough for them to deal with, Tibbie Lambs body is found at the bottom of some cliffs. It’s not long before clues point to Carmen.
There is also the great character of Eliot Bard. The young man with a learning issue, who finds the body.
All in all a very satisfying read.
There is a strong list of interesting characters in this novel, including the Dr as the title indicates and his wife. Tibbie and Austin Lamb have the perfect life, he is a successful doctor and she is the funny endearing beautiful wife. In fact Tibbie, Austin and Carmen Andino have been friends since teenagers and when Carmen married Stan, he was accepted into the tight knit group. All is not right however when Stan returns home to find his wife naked except for an apron, bleaching the carpet of a stain only she can see, while her teenage sons watch on in horror. A CT scan finds she has several brain tumours including a large one at the front of her brain. Months later as if this isnt enough for them to deal with, Tibbie Lambs body is found at the bottom of some cliffs. It’s not long before clues point to Carmen.
There is also the great character of Eliot Bard. The young man with a learning issue, who finds the body.
All in all a very satisfying read.
January 28, 2023
Set in suburban Auckland, this is about two couples who have been friends for many years. Austin is the popular local GP, married to Tibbie. Tibbie's best friend Carmen is married to Stan. But things are about to be dramatically upended in both couple's lives. Carmen is about to receive a shocking medical diagnosis while Tibbie's body is discovered in the first chapter. Long term friendships will fray under the strain.
I tore through this a page turner, which is reminiscent of Liane Moriarty. There are lots of twists and misdirection in the first half but less suspense in the second half as it becomes obvious to the reader what has happened. The detectives on the case are great characters too and were they to make a reappearance in a subsequent novel that would make this reader very happy.
I tore through this a page turner, which is reminiscent of Liane Moriarty. There are lots of twists and misdirection in the first half but less suspense in the second half as it becomes obvious to the reader what has happened. The detectives on the case are great characters too and were they to make a reappearance in a subsequent novel that would make this reader very happy.
April 1, 2024
Another easy to read, pretty page turning, thriller/who-dunnit.
It did catch me off guard that it was set in Auckland.
It did catch me off guard that it was set in Auckland.
October 3, 2023
This is a fast-paced, full-bodied story of a murder, populated with unsettlingly ordinary characters - it is gripping in part because as a reader one feels, there but for the grace of god or chance, go I. I loved the police team DS Ramesh Bandara and DC Hilary Stark, the twins, and Eliot. Sussman has such a good eye for the details that make a person and her dialogue remains spot on. Also, low gore-factor for sensitive readers. I reckon this is a great crime novel for readers wanting to dip their toe in the genre.
October 8, 2024
A crime fiction with more plot twists than you can swing a cat at!
Carmen is the prime suspect in her best friend’s murder as her brain tumour diagnosis causes her to present as paranoid, delusional and volatile.
But not all is as it seems. Secrets, lies and betrayals come to light in this gripping thriller that will leave you blindsided with the deceit and the lengths to which the players in this story will go to to hide their true motives.
An incredibly devious mystery novel set in New Zealand.
I was sent this book by the publisher and all opinions are my own.
Carmen is the prime suspect in her best friend’s murder as her brain tumour diagnosis causes her to present as paranoid, delusional and volatile.
But not all is as it seems. Secrets, lies and betrayals come to light in this gripping thriller that will leave you blindsided with the deceit and the lengths to which the players in this story will go to to hide their true motives.
An incredibly devious mystery novel set in New Zealand.
I was sent this book by the publisher and all opinions are my own.
January 16, 2023
THE DOCTOR’S WIFE. By award -winning New Zealand author Fiona Sussman.
What’s an epitome of a dilemma? When your favourite author writes a family drama , a ‘whodunit’ novel.
Let me begin by fessing up - I will read anything and everything author Sussman writes. I would even read her shopping list if she let me.
So what’s the dilemma? I am not a fan of crime but once in a while we simply have to bend the rules! Right? For Fiona, I finally succumb and challenge my reading genre.
Yes! I am so happy I stepped outside my comfort zone!
Sussman writes a novel about two families, best of friends - life is just perfect.
We have the Adinos - Stan, Carmen and their teenage twin sons.
And close friends - childless couple Doctor Austin Lamb and his gorgeous wife Tibbie. The Adinos and the Lambs enjoy so many great times together.
Life, love and friendship are about to be tested in the toughest way possible.
Two perfect wives - one found with a life threatening brain tumour and the other found dead at the bottom of a cliff.
I might leave you to discover how the story unfolds…
A gripping thriller that will keep you
riveted until the very last page.
Loved it. Highly recommended.
5 stars.
What’s an epitome of a dilemma? When your favourite author writes a family drama , a ‘whodunit’ novel.
Let me begin by fessing up - I will read anything and everything author Sussman writes. I would even read her shopping list if she let me.
So what’s the dilemma? I am not a fan of crime but once in a while we simply have to bend the rules! Right? For Fiona, I finally succumb and challenge my reading genre.
Yes! I am so happy I stepped outside my comfort zone!
Sussman writes a novel about two families, best of friends - life is just perfect.
We have the Adinos - Stan, Carmen and their teenage twin sons.
And close friends - childless couple Doctor Austin Lamb and his gorgeous wife Tibbie. The Adinos and the Lambs enjoy so many great times together.
Life, love and friendship are about to be tested in the toughest way possible.
Two perfect wives - one found with a life threatening brain tumour and the other found dead at the bottom of a cliff.
I might leave you to discover how the story unfolds…
A gripping thriller that will keep you
riveted until the very last page.
Loved it. Highly recommended.
5 stars.
November 20, 2022
I very much enjoy this writer's books, especially when she tackles crime. In this one, which reminds me a little bit of a Sally Hepworth style of crime novel, there's a mystery death, mental health issues and family dynamics all playing a part in the story. There is deception at the heart of this and it was very well revealed. I'm not going to talk about the story, you can read the blurb, but I think that it is a fantastic, strong storyline, the reveal is handled perfectly and I'm now looking forward to the next book that Fiona Sussman brings us.
And in a lovely coincidence, I'm going to see my friend Annie Villiers in conversation with this author in the next fortnight and I'm really excited about that.
And in a lovely coincidence, I'm going to see my friend Annie Villiers in conversation with this author in the next fortnight and I'm really excited about that.
July 23, 2023
After picking up a copy at the Readers and Writers festival a few months ago, really enjoyed my first Sussman novel.
A well written story and logical plot.
Another great example of NZ crime fiction.
A well written story and logical plot.
Another great example of NZ crime fiction.
August 19, 2023
2.8. This book is unusually heavy physically for its size. Told from the point of view of the main players, all the suspects seem to have something to hide and no one shows their hand. Neatly laid clues and red herrings, this is an honest well played mystery. Could there be a new NZ detective series in the making?
November 8, 2023
Loved it. Set in Auckland. Didn’t guess who did it.
November 1, 2024
First time reading a book set in Auckland. Pretty cool knowing the places mentioned.
August 24, 2023
Highly recommend
October 3, 2023
This is a fast-paced, full-bodied story of a murder, populated with unsettlingly ordinary characters - it is gripping in part because as a reader one feels, there but for the grace of god or chance, go I. I loved the police team DS Ramesh Bandara and DC Hilary Stark, the twins, and Eliot. Sussman has such a good eye for the details that make a person and her dialogue remains spot on. Also, low gore-factor for sensitive readers. I reckon this is a great crime novel for readers wanting to dip their toe in the genre.
March 25, 2024
This was a really good thriller. The chapters were quite short, which I loved, because it made the book much easier to go through. I loved how I was kept guessing the whole time and how I questioned everyone and their intentions. It was really fun to read, but I feel like there were some loose ends left untied when it came to Stan.
It was overall very enjoyable.
It was overall very enjoyable.
June 3, 2024
4.5⭐️. A surprisingly good and well written thriller.
It didn’t induce a single eye roll.
It didn’t induce a single eye roll.
January 8, 2024
Murder on the Shore
"The Doctor's Wife" (Bateman Books, 2022, reprinted 2023) is a contemporary psychological thriller, the fourth novel by Fiona Sussman, winner of the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (2017) and the 2021 New Zealand Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction. Drawing on her background in medicine, and on the empathy and fascination with the complexities of the human psyche developed while a General Practitioner, The Doctor's Wife opens fresh perspectives into life in the suburbia and into the human nature. Originally from South Africa, Sussman explores Auckland’s North Shore social dynamics with the unbiased, yet affectionate eye of a migrant who has lived long enough in the adoptive country to understand its people’s idiosyncrasies and endearing (or less so) foibles.
The story of a long friendship affected by illness, The Doctor's Wife is a mesmerising read, perfectly paced, artfully crafted in the exposition stages (that act as captatio benevolentiae), alert and sparse during the rising action. Well researched and structured, alternating the perspectives of the main characters, among whom the journalist Carmen Andino and her much wealthier friend Tibbie Lamb, this suburbia thriller charms even the occasional reader of crime fiction. Firmly anchored in New Zealand geography and mores, it explores the lives of lower to upper middle class ̶ with their plight, obsessions, and aspirations ̶ , in ways that reveal them as cautionary tales, or as illustrative of entrancing human traits.
The intense, high-strung personality of Dr Andino’s patient, Eliot Bard, a young man with Asperger’s syndrome, shows a fascination with words and their musicality, as well as a willingness to pull up one’s sleeves and potter around the house:
His garden was ramshackle. Eliot liked that word. Ramshackle. There was always something to be done ̶ weeding, watering, digging in compost, mowing the lawn. Then lawnmower was seriously temperamental, though, and sometimes Eliot and Mr McDougal would spend an entire morning tinkering with it, trying to make it work. Tinkering. Another favourite word. (46)
Eliot’s innocence and guilelessness, his love for words, and authenticity counterbalance the murderer’s cunningness, and their elaborate ploys. His subplot portrays the dangers that ensue when one’s naïve dreams of closure come true, when one’s misplaced affections boomerang back with a vengeance.
Fiona Sussman’s whodunit is captivating and strangely reassuring, her craft testimony to the beauty that can be found even in the darkest of places despite the looming threat posed by the calculating, cold recesses of the human mind when devoid of empathy. When the murderer confesses their crime, the narrative voice reflects: “Passing. An unemotive word, cleverly chosen.” Then, when the murderer extemporises, “‘These days, whatever one’s line of work, being without one’s phone is like being without a limb, don’t you think?’”, the narrator glosses: “This was not an anxious, ‘I’m innocent’ account of events, but one pitched more in the style of a dinner party story embellished for maximum satisfaction and enjoyment” (272).
Fiona Sussman’s novel, much like Megan Nicol Reed’s recent domestic thriller, "One of Those Mothers" (Allen & Unwin, 2023), explores eroding friendships, middle class hypocrisy, and suburbia closing ranks when threatened. These are, perhaps, seemingly trivial issues when there are young people who walk to school in sandals and short sleeve shirts during the New Zealand winter, when they should be wearing a few layers, when children are so stressed about the rising cost of living and mortgage rates that they burst into tears during class time, when one in fifty students need to be referred to support services for suicide ideation. Yet in a world where first and third world problems coexist and often collide, none of these issues are irrelevant.
"The Doctor's Wife" (Bateman Books, 2022, reprinted 2023) is a contemporary psychological thriller, the fourth novel by Fiona Sussman, winner of the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (2017) and the 2021 New Zealand Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction. Drawing on her background in medicine, and on the empathy and fascination with the complexities of the human psyche developed while a General Practitioner, The Doctor's Wife opens fresh perspectives into life in the suburbia and into the human nature. Originally from South Africa, Sussman explores Auckland’s North Shore social dynamics with the unbiased, yet affectionate eye of a migrant who has lived long enough in the adoptive country to understand its people’s idiosyncrasies and endearing (or less so) foibles.
The story of a long friendship affected by illness, The Doctor's Wife is a mesmerising read, perfectly paced, artfully crafted in the exposition stages (that act as captatio benevolentiae), alert and sparse during the rising action. Well researched and structured, alternating the perspectives of the main characters, among whom the journalist Carmen Andino and her much wealthier friend Tibbie Lamb, this suburbia thriller charms even the occasional reader of crime fiction. Firmly anchored in New Zealand geography and mores, it explores the lives of lower to upper middle class ̶ with their plight, obsessions, and aspirations ̶ , in ways that reveal them as cautionary tales, or as illustrative of entrancing human traits.
The intense, high-strung personality of Dr Andino’s patient, Eliot Bard, a young man with Asperger’s syndrome, shows a fascination with words and their musicality, as well as a willingness to pull up one’s sleeves and potter around the house:
His garden was ramshackle. Eliot liked that word. Ramshackle. There was always something to be done ̶ weeding, watering, digging in compost, mowing the lawn. Then lawnmower was seriously temperamental, though, and sometimes Eliot and Mr McDougal would spend an entire morning tinkering with it, trying to make it work. Tinkering. Another favourite word. (46)
Eliot’s innocence and guilelessness, his love for words, and authenticity counterbalance the murderer’s cunningness, and their elaborate ploys. His subplot portrays the dangers that ensue when one’s naïve dreams of closure come true, when one’s misplaced affections boomerang back with a vengeance.
Fiona Sussman’s whodunit is captivating and strangely reassuring, her craft testimony to the beauty that can be found even in the darkest of places despite the looming threat posed by the calculating, cold recesses of the human mind when devoid of empathy. When the murderer confesses their crime, the narrative voice reflects: “Passing. An unemotive word, cleverly chosen.” Then, when the murderer extemporises, “‘These days, whatever one’s line of work, being without one’s phone is like being without a limb, don’t you think?’”, the narrator glosses: “This was not an anxious, ‘I’m innocent’ account of events, but one pitched more in the style of a dinner party story embellished for maximum satisfaction and enjoyment” (272).
Fiona Sussman’s novel, much like Megan Nicol Reed’s recent domestic thriller, "One of Those Mothers" (Allen & Unwin, 2023), explores eroding friendships, middle class hypocrisy, and suburbia closing ranks when threatened. These are, perhaps, seemingly trivial issues when there are young people who walk to school in sandals and short sleeve shirts during the New Zealand winter, when they should be wearing a few layers, when children are so stressed about the rising cost of living and mortgage rates that they burst into tears during class time, when one in fifty students need to be referred to support services for suicide ideation. Yet in a world where first and third world problems coexist and often collide, none of these issues are irrelevant.
September 3, 2025
#LAFEMMEDUMÉDECIN #NetGalleyFrance
Lorsque le corps de Tibbie, la jolie femme du médecin, est retrouvée au pied de la falaise de Browns Bay près d'Auckland par Eliot un adolescent autiste, les soupçons de la police se tournent vers plusieurs personnes ayant pu intervenir dans la chute : Carmen, l'amie d'enfance atteinte d'une tumeur au cerveau qui faisait avec elle une marche chaque matin, ou pourquoi Eliot, perturbé par la vision des cheveux rouge et collectionneur dans l'âme qui semble cacher un objet d'importance ? Les interrogatoires se succèdent et finissent par dévoiler l'investigateur insoupçonné de cette terrible mise à mort.
Lorsque je suis en panne de lectures (et cela m'arrive très souvent car, si j'ai de nombreux livres en attente sur mes étagères, j'ai aussi des périodes et des envies) je fais un tour sur les offres du site Netgalley afin de détecter une histoire qui m'intéresse. J'ai choisi ce roman qui promettait un "mystère inextricable" et j'avoue que jusqu'à la fin je n'avais pas d'idée ferme et définitive sur qui avait tué Tibbie, j'étais en revanche persuadée qu'elle ne s'était pas suicidée.
Les courts chapitres s'intéressent aux protagonistes et nous montrent une partie de la réalité, comme des morceaux de puzzles et c'est étonnant de se dire à chaque fois, "c'est peut-être elle" ou "c'est sûrement lui", j'avoue que même si je trouvais un personnage bizarre, jamais je n'aurais imaginer qu'il était le coupable. Le suspens est bien mené mais j'ai trouvé les détails médicaux un peu trop (too much), détails qui s'expliquent par le premier métier de l'auteur qui était médecin !
L'intérêt de l'histoire réside en peu de choses : un meurtre hélas, des comportements douteux, de la jalousie, et comme l'enquête piétine le livre s'allonge mais comme le style n'est pas très littéraire : la lecture est très facile et le roman se lit rapidement. La localisation prend place en Nouvelle-Zélande mais il manque un petit quelque chose pour nous transporter véritablement dans le Pacifique. Le binôme de policiers ne m'a pas convaincue mais il faut dire qu'ils n'avaient pas trop de preuves évidentes. Une lecture distrayante mais pas un coup de coeur en ce qui me concerne.
https://lecturesencontrepoint.blogspo...
Lorsque le corps de Tibbie, la jolie femme du médecin, est retrouvée au pied de la falaise de Browns Bay près d'Auckland par Eliot un adolescent autiste, les soupçons de la police se tournent vers plusieurs personnes ayant pu intervenir dans la chute : Carmen, l'amie d'enfance atteinte d'une tumeur au cerveau qui faisait avec elle une marche chaque matin, ou pourquoi Eliot, perturbé par la vision des cheveux rouge et collectionneur dans l'âme qui semble cacher un objet d'importance ? Les interrogatoires se succèdent et finissent par dévoiler l'investigateur insoupçonné de cette terrible mise à mort.
Lorsque je suis en panne de lectures (et cela m'arrive très souvent car, si j'ai de nombreux livres en attente sur mes étagères, j'ai aussi des périodes et des envies) je fais un tour sur les offres du site Netgalley afin de détecter une histoire qui m'intéresse. J'ai choisi ce roman qui promettait un "mystère inextricable" et j'avoue que jusqu'à la fin je n'avais pas d'idée ferme et définitive sur qui avait tué Tibbie, j'étais en revanche persuadée qu'elle ne s'était pas suicidée.
Les courts chapitres s'intéressent aux protagonistes et nous montrent une partie de la réalité, comme des morceaux de puzzles et c'est étonnant de se dire à chaque fois, "c'est peut-être elle" ou "c'est sûrement lui", j'avoue que même si je trouvais un personnage bizarre, jamais je n'aurais imaginer qu'il était le coupable. Le suspens est bien mené mais j'ai trouvé les détails médicaux un peu trop (too much), détails qui s'expliquent par le premier métier de l'auteur qui était médecin !
L'intérêt de l'histoire réside en peu de choses : un meurtre hélas, des comportements douteux, de la jalousie, et comme l'enquête piétine le livre s'allonge mais comme le style n'est pas très littéraire : la lecture est très facile et le roman se lit rapidement. La localisation prend place en Nouvelle-Zélande mais il manque un petit quelque chose pour nous transporter véritablement dans le Pacifique. Le binôme de policiers ne m'a pas convaincue mais il faut dire qu'ils n'avaient pas trop de preuves évidentes. Une lecture distrayante mais pas un coup de coeur en ce qui me concerne.
https://lecturesencontrepoint.blogspo...
August 26, 2025
Chronique sur un polar choral, sensible, qui parle de maladie, de secrets et de culpabilité, et bien sûr de meurtre...
Tout parle de ce postulat de départ. Deux couples de très bons amis, les deux femmes se connaissent depuis l'enfance, l'un des deux couples est aisé, l'autre plus indigent. Ils partagent plein de choses, se voient régulièrement, mais il y a quelques grains de sable qui rayent cet engrenage bien huilé.
Et puis un jour, Tibbie est retrouvée morte au bord de la plage. Suicide ou meurtre ? le doute est permis d'autant plus que la personnalité de Carmen a bien changé depuis qu'elle est atteinte d'une tumeur cérébrale et qu'elle est la dernière personne a l'avoir vu vivante...
J'avoue, j'ai beaucoup accroché à cette histoire, à la fois intime et troublante, dans laquelle des drames de la vie ordinaire viennent peu à peu basculer l'intrigue dans un suspense finement mené. Et ça, j'adore.
Mine de rien on est pris dans une toile d'amitiés, de non-dits, de douleurs anciennes, et tout cela, sans artifice, avec une narration très fluide.
Bien sûr on élabore des pistes, on pense déceler les indices qui mènent vers le coupable. Mais beaucoup de personnages ont des secrets bien cachés, présentent une façade lisse pour mieux cacher leurs jeux.
Et on progresse lentement à l'image de ce flic, qui n'arrive pas à clore l'affaire, malgré un coupable idéal tout désigné. Il est discret, avance à pas feutrés mais sûrs, et il y a chez lui une forme de bienveillance, qui le rend éminemment sympathique.
Et si vers la fin, on sait qui est le coupable, l'intérêt reste entier, car on veut savoir comment il s'est pris pour monter son coup. Et croyez moi, c'est tordu.
Bref, c'est un excellent polar, qui tient en haleine, à l'écriture tellement fluide qu'on avance à pas de géant dans l'histoire. Ça parle de maladie, des relations conjugales et familiales, du poids de la famille, de jalousie, d'infidélité, bref de beaucoup de sujets actuels. Et puis, pour finir, mention spéciale pour Elliot, dont l'étrangeté m'a bien mis mal à l'aise au début.
Tout parle de ce postulat de départ. Deux couples de très bons amis, les deux femmes se connaissent depuis l'enfance, l'un des deux couples est aisé, l'autre plus indigent. Ils partagent plein de choses, se voient régulièrement, mais il y a quelques grains de sable qui rayent cet engrenage bien huilé.
Et puis un jour, Tibbie est retrouvée morte au bord de la plage. Suicide ou meurtre ? le doute est permis d'autant plus que la personnalité de Carmen a bien changé depuis qu'elle est atteinte d'une tumeur cérébrale et qu'elle est la dernière personne a l'avoir vu vivante...
J'avoue, j'ai beaucoup accroché à cette histoire, à la fois intime et troublante, dans laquelle des drames de la vie ordinaire viennent peu à peu basculer l'intrigue dans un suspense finement mené. Et ça, j'adore.
Mine de rien on est pris dans une toile d'amitiés, de non-dits, de douleurs anciennes, et tout cela, sans artifice, avec une narration très fluide.
Bien sûr on élabore des pistes, on pense déceler les indices qui mènent vers le coupable. Mais beaucoup de personnages ont des secrets bien cachés, présentent une façade lisse pour mieux cacher leurs jeux.
Et on progresse lentement à l'image de ce flic, qui n'arrive pas à clore l'affaire, malgré un coupable idéal tout désigné. Il est discret, avance à pas feutrés mais sûrs, et il y a chez lui une forme de bienveillance, qui le rend éminemment sympathique.
Et si vers la fin, on sait qui est le coupable, l'intérêt reste entier, car on veut savoir comment il s'est pris pour monter son coup. Et croyez moi, c'est tordu.
Bref, c'est un excellent polar, qui tient en haleine, à l'écriture tellement fluide qu'on avance à pas de géant dans l'histoire. Ça parle de maladie, des relations conjugales et familiales, du poids de la famille, de jalousie, d'infidélité, bref de beaucoup de sujets actuels. Et puis, pour finir, mention spéciale pour Elliot, dont l'étrangeté m'a bien mis mal à l'aise au début.
November 25, 2022
Great story idea and written in a readable style. There was too much "telling" and not enough "showing" for my liking, but for the most part the writing flowed, the pace was good and the dialogue seemed natural.
However, there were 11 points of view (I think I've counted them all!): Eliot, Stan, Austin, Carmen, Tibbie, Reuben, Leon, Andrea, Ramesh, Terrance and Hilary. This was far too many to get my head around; it was quite unnecessary for the story to have them all, and they weren't all distinctive enough voices to stand out. Some only had one short chapter.
The most authentic-sounding, memorable and endearing character was Eliot, a young man who has Asperger's type behaviour. I didn't really bond with the other characters much, and wanted to get to know Ramesh and Hilary better. I would have stuck to the POVs of Eliot, Ramesh (the main detective) and Stan - these three are the main ones, although Ramesh doesn't enter the story till about a third of the way through.
Medical and neurological conditions feature in this novel, including the behavioural and mood changes brought about by a brain tumour. The author is a former family doctor; she writes knowledgeably about these topics and has no doubt done her research.
By about halfway through the novel I had a pretty good idea of who the murderer might be, and I turned out to be right - it got more and more obvious until it was no longer a whodunit but more of a howdunit and whydunit.
There were a few instances of an odd and annoying style of repetition which tripped me up each time - for example: "All Terrance could hear was the sound of his own breathing. His own breathing. His own breathing."
However, there were 11 points of view (I think I've counted them all!): Eliot, Stan, Austin, Carmen, Tibbie, Reuben, Leon, Andrea, Ramesh, Terrance and Hilary. This was far too many to get my head around; it was quite unnecessary for the story to have them all, and they weren't all distinctive enough voices to stand out. Some only had one short chapter.
The most authentic-sounding, memorable and endearing character was Eliot, a young man who has Asperger's type behaviour. I didn't really bond with the other characters much, and wanted to get to know Ramesh and Hilary better. I would have stuck to the POVs of Eliot, Ramesh (the main detective) and Stan - these three are the main ones, although Ramesh doesn't enter the story till about a third of the way through.
Medical and neurological conditions feature in this novel, including the behavioural and mood changes brought about by a brain tumour. The author is a former family doctor; she writes knowledgeably about these topics and has no doubt done her research.
By about halfway through the novel I had a pretty good idea of who the murderer might be, and I turned out to be right - it got more and more obvious until it was no longer a whodunit but more of a howdunit and whydunit.
There were a few instances of an odd and annoying style of repetition which tripped me up each time - for example: "All Terrance could hear was the sound of his own breathing. His own breathing. His own breathing."
July 28, 2025
⚕️Ce livre est un thriller psychologique
⚕️les chapitres sont courts et l'écriture est fluide. Le livre se lit très facilement et assez rapidement. C'est un livre de 409 pages
⚕️Eliot, le gardien de la maison. Il a 21 ans et vit encore chez sa mère
⚕️l'histoire se déroule en nouvelle Zélande
⚕️Austin, Tibbie et Carmen étaient trois bons amis et Stan était arrivé alors que leur amitié étaient déjà très étroite. Il était le fiancé de Carmen
⚕️austin était médecin
⚕️les 2 couples se retrouvaient chaque 1er samedi du mois, pour dîner tous ensemble
⚕️Stan était professeur de poterie. Il était papa de jumeaux.
⚕️Carmen était bizarre, Austin pensait à la ménopause mais ce n'était pas ça... c'était bien plus grave...
⚕️le médecin avait mis Carmen en arret de travail. Il fallait qu'elle se repose. Mais c'était son travail de freelance qui rapportait plus d'argent à la famille et Stan accepta l'aide de Tibbie pour sortir du découvert.
⚕️le corps de Tibbie Lamb est retrouvé en bas de la falaise de Brown bay. Comment est elle morte?
⚕️ce livre est en 3 parties.
⚕️on a le point de vue de différent personnages et ça c'est un truc que j'adore!
⚕️je ferme ce livre et je n'ai qu'une chose à dire wow ce livre nous tiens en haleine jusque la fin et on ne s'attend pas du tout à ce dénouement.
⚕️j'ai passée un agréable moment de lecture. J'aime vraiment beaucoup les livres de chez mera edition!
⚕️les chapitres sont courts et l'écriture est fluide. Le livre se lit très facilement et assez rapidement. C'est un livre de 409 pages
⚕️Eliot, le gardien de la maison. Il a 21 ans et vit encore chez sa mère
⚕️l'histoire se déroule en nouvelle Zélande
⚕️Austin, Tibbie et Carmen étaient trois bons amis et Stan était arrivé alors que leur amitié étaient déjà très étroite. Il était le fiancé de Carmen
⚕️austin était médecin
⚕️les 2 couples se retrouvaient chaque 1er samedi du mois, pour dîner tous ensemble
⚕️Stan était professeur de poterie. Il était papa de jumeaux.
⚕️Carmen était bizarre, Austin pensait à la ménopause mais ce n'était pas ça... c'était bien plus grave...
⚕️le médecin avait mis Carmen en arret de travail. Il fallait qu'elle se repose. Mais c'était son travail de freelance qui rapportait plus d'argent à la famille et Stan accepta l'aide de Tibbie pour sortir du découvert.
⚕️le corps de Tibbie Lamb est retrouvé en bas de la falaise de Brown bay. Comment est elle morte?
⚕️ce livre est en 3 parties.
⚕️on a le point de vue de différent personnages et ça c'est un truc que j'adore!
⚕️je ferme ce livre et je n'ai qu'une chose à dire wow ce livre nous tiens en haleine jusque la fin et on ne s'attend pas du tout à ce dénouement.
⚕️j'ai passée un agréable moment de lecture. J'aime vraiment beaucoup les livres de chez mera edition!
March 30, 2023
✍️ The day Stan Andino discovers his Wife Carmen has a brain tumour things start to go wrong. Family GP Austin and his Wife Tibbie Lamb their best friends try all they can do to help them. When Tibbie's body is discovered at the bottom of the cliff by Eliot Bard an Autistic boy, Detectives Bandara and Stark are called to investigate the incident and determine what really happened.
Firstly, a big Thank You to the lovely people @batemanbooks for sending me a copy all the way from New Zealand.
Secondly, as soon as I started reading this I Categorically LOVED it! I was Hooked right from the beginning. What a THRILL! It's not often I start a book that gets me speculating and pondering and simply entranced so early on like this did.
The writing style was Graceful and Smooth with striking attention to detail in the narrative. I enjoyed the multiple POV's of the characters as well as the short chapters that encompassed them.
Each page had me feeling tense and in suspense and guessing till the end. I didn't see it coming. A cleverly crafted and well executed piece of work.
There were many different themes and features in the story that made for an interesting read. Mental health, Family dynamics, Medical conditions. Highly recommend.
Firstly, a big Thank You to the lovely people @batemanbooks for sending me a copy all the way from New Zealand.
Secondly, as soon as I started reading this I Categorically LOVED it! I was Hooked right from the beginning. What a THRILL! It's not often I start a book that gets me speculating and pondering and simply entranced so early on like this did.
The writing style was Graceful and Smooth with striking attention to detail in the narrative. I enjoyed the multiple POV's of the characters as well as the short chapters that encompassed them.
Each page had me feeling tense and in suspense and guessing till the end. I didn't see it coming. A cleverly crafted and well executed piece of work.
There were many different themes and features in the story that made for an interesting read. Mental health, Family dynamics, Medical conditions. Highly recommend.
March 18, 2024
I see a lot of books come past as a library manager, so by the time I came to read this one, I'd forgotten what it was about and why I wanted to read it - that didn't matter, it was on my radar, and its time came. I read the first 60 pages in one sitting, and by the end of that I was a little puzzled - wasn't this supposed to be a thriller? It wasn't shaping up that way, but I was enjoying the story all the same.
*Then* I read the rest of it the next day - and there it was! Definitely a thriller, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing. This was my first book by this author, though she'd written three before this one, and it won't be my last.
52 Book Challenge 2024 prompts:
#3 - More Than 40 Chapters
#4 - Lowercase Letters on the Spine
#7 - At Least 4 Different POV
#8 - Features the Ocean
#9 - A Character-Driven Novel
#10 - Told in Non-Chronological Order
#14 - A Grieving Character
#18 - An Apostrophe in the Title
#24 - A Cover Without People on it
#30 - Picked without reading the blurb
#52bookchallenge2024
https://www.the52book.club/2024-readi...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/the52...
*Then* I read the rest of it the next day - and there it was! Definitely a thriller, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing. This was my first book by this author, though she'd written three before this one, and it won't be my last.
52 Book Challenge 2024 prompts:
#3 - More Than 40 Chapters
#4 - Lowercase Letters on the Spine
#7 - At Least 4 Different POV
#8 - Features the Ocean
#9 - A Character-Driven Novel
#10 - Told in Non-Chronological Order
#14 - A Grieving Character
#18 - An Apostrophe in the Title
#24 - A Cover Without People on it
#30 - Picked without reading the blurb
#52bookchallenge2024
https://www.the52book.club/2024-readi...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/the52...
July 16, 2025
Un thriller avec beaucoup de suspens comme je les aime. Un meurtre. Oui, mais par qui ? Beaucoup d’hypothèse sont données et l’auteure nous emmène dans de nombreuses théories qui nous poussent à la réflexion. Et bien que j’ai deviné le coupable au 2/3 du roman, le suspens est présent jusqu’au bout notamment sur le déroulé et les raisons du crimes.
Des protagonistes bien exploités avec leurs côtés tant positif que négatif bien mis en valeur au moment venu pour nous faire douter sur le résultat de cette intrigue.
De nombreux sujets tabou sont glissés dans ce roman, tels que la maladie ou le handicap. J’ai trouvé que c’était très bien inséré et utilisé ; ça fait du bien de voir ça de temps en temps dans des romans, chapeau à l’auteure.
De nombreux point de vue sont utilisés, tant par les différents suspects, que par les témoins ou encore par les enquêteurs. Ce qui m’a légèrement perturbé et perdu sur quelques chapitres et qui ne me fait pas mettre plus dans ma note.
Une fin qui s’arrête net dès la résolution de l’intrigue. Un choix scénaristique voulu par l’auteure et très bien mis en valeur dans l’écriture, mais qui me laisse un peu sur ma faim.
Des protagonistes bien exploités avec leurs côtés tant positif que négatif bien mis en valeur au moment venu pour nous faire douter sur le résultat de cette intrigue.
De nombreux sujets tabou sont glissés dans ce roman, tels que la maladie ou le handicap. J’ai trouvé que c’était très bien inséré et utilisé ; ça fait du bien de voir ça de temps en temps dans des romans, chapeau à l’auteure.
De nombreux point de vue sont utilisés, tant par les différents suspects, que par les témoins ou encore par les enquêteurs. Ce qui m’a légèrement perturbé et perdu sur quelques chapitres et qui ne me fait pas mettre plus dans ma note.
Une fin qui s’arrête net dès la résolution de l’intrigue. Un choix scénaristique voulu par l’auteure et très bien mis en valeur dans l’écriture, mais qui me laisse un peu sur ma faim.
July 6, 2025
Wow! This was a great read, a new to me author and one I look forward to reading more by her.
A woman called Tibbie is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and her best friend Carmen, who’s going through cancer treatment starts questioning everything and everyone. The question is, who done it?
🩷 Atmospheric
🩷 Character driven
🩷 Intense
🩷 Page turner
I found it slow to start with but once I was hooked I didn’t want to put the book down. It’s one of those slow-burn reads where the tension creeps up on you. The characters feel so real that you can’t help but get pulled into their lives. I loved that it was set in New Zealand and thought the imagery was fantastic.
Definitely not a super twisty, fast-paced thriller, but if you like emotional mysteries with lots of character drama, this one’s for you.
I’m not going to spoil it for you but I can tell you it was beautifully written and well worth a read.
A woman called Tibbie is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and her best friend Carmen, who’s going through cancer treatment starts questioning everything and everyone. The question is, who done it?
🩷 Atmospheric
🩷 Character driven
🩷 Intense
🩷 Page turner
I found it slow to start with but once I was hooked I didn’t want to put the book down. It’s one of those slow-burn reads where the tension creeps up on you. The characters feel so real that you can’t help but get pulled into their lives. I loved that it was set in New Zealand and thought the imagery was fantastic.
Definitely not a super twisty, fast-paced thriller, but if you like emotional mysteries with lots of character drama, this one’s for you.
I’m not going to spoil it for you but I can tell you it was beautifully written and well worth a read.
February 26, 2025
I guessed the perpetrator fairly quickly, and even once it was apparent to the reader (after the attempted murder of Elliott), the book took a long time unspooling the "reveal" without any more real suspense. I didn't mean the switching of perspectives, but I think it would have been more interesting to have a chapter from Tibby's perspective (so that she felt more like a fleshed-out character) and it wasn't really necessary to have one from Carmen's. Also, we were told they were such good friends, but we didn't get much background on how they met or any real sense of their connection other than that they knew almost everything about each other. Nonetheless, the book was fairly well written and engaging.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2025
Si La Femme du Médecin est le premier roman de Fiona Sussman à être traduit en français, gageons que ce ne sera pas le dernier ..
Nous voici en Nouvelle -Zélande dans la banlieue d'Auckland. Je vous présente Stan et Carmen Andino et leurs jumeaux, 13 ans. et par la même occasion Austin et Tibbie Lamb leurs amis les plus proches. Austin Lamb est le médecin de la ville, apprécié au plus haut point par ses patients.il est aussi le médecin des Andino c'est donc à ce titre qu'il va diagnostiquer les tumeurs cérébrales de son amie d'enfance Carmen. La vie chez les Andino devient un enfer, Carmen est sujette à des emportements violents, à des trous de mémoire liés et à sa maladie et aux différents traitements instaurés pour soulager la douleur. Tibbie est l'ange gardien des enfants et de Stan.
Quand on découvre au pied de la falaise le corps sans vie de Tibbie Lamb, une enquête est ouverte. C'est le tandem DS Ramesh Bandara and DC Hilary Stark, qui la mène. Tibbie était dépressive, ... la thèse du suicide est évoquée. Mais était sur place Eliot Bard , 22 ans, un jeune homme diagnostiqué "Asperger", et suivi par le Dr Lamb pour un diabète insuline-dépendant. Eliott ne ment jamais , parfois il ne dit rien.. et il est surtout doté d'une mémoire infaillible assortie d' un sens de l'observation surmultiplié...
Voilà, voilà. Il est à présent trop tard, Fiona Sussman a férré la modeste lectrice que je suis et j'ai supputé, hésité, fait marche arrière, avancé de deux pas dans mes déductions et ...
Des personnages fort biens campés, en particulier le détective Ramesh Bandara, l'écriture est fluide, pas de temps morts dans la narration ... A noter le soin apporté au contexte médical à la fois très documenté et parfaitement explicité , chapeau.
Un grand merci aux éditions Mera pour ce partage via Netgalley
#LAFEMMEDUMÉDECIN #NetGalleyFrance !
Nous voici en Nouvelle -Zélande dans la banlieue d'Auckland. Je vous présente Stan et Carmen Andino et leurs jumeaux, 13 ans. et par la même occasion Austin et Tibbie Lamb leurs amis les plus proches. Austin Lamb est le médecin de la ville, apprécié au plus haut point par ses patients.il est aussi le médecin des Andino c'est donc à ce titre qu'il va diagnostiquer les tumeurs cérébrales de son amie d'enfance Carmen. La vie chez les Andino devient un enfer, Carmen est sujette à des emportements violents, à des trous de mémoire liés et à sa maladie et aux différents traitements instaurés pour soulager la douleur. Tibbie est l'ange gardien des enfants et de Stan.
Quand on découvre au pied de la falaise le corps sans vie de Tibbie Lamb, une enquête est ouverte. C'est le tandem DS Ramesh Bandara and DC Hilary Stark, qui la mène. Tibbie était dépressive, ... la thèse du suicide est évoquée. Mais était sur place Eliot Bard , 22 ans, un jeune homme diagnostiqué "Asperger", et suivi par le Dr Lamb pour un diabète insuline-dépendant. Eliott ne ment jamais , parfois il ne dit rien.. et il est surtout doté d'une mémoire infaillible assortie d' un sens de l'observation surmultiplié...
Voilà, voilà. Il est à présent trop tard, Fiona Sussman a férré la modeste lectrice que je suis et j'ai supputé, hésité, fait marche arrière, avancé de deux pas dans mes déductions et ...
Des personnages fort biens campés, en particulier le détective Ramesh Bandara, l'écriture est fluide, pas de temps morts dans la narration ... A noter le soin apporté au contexte médical à la fois très documenté et parfaitement explicité , chapeau.
Un grand merci aux éditions Mera pour ce partage via Netgalley
#LAFEMMEDUMÉDECIN #NetGalleyFrance !
August 4, 2025
** Mon ressenti : **
Un thriller psychologique où se mêle la réalité et la folie à la perfection.
Au rendez-vous, suspens et intrigue soupoudré de rebondissement. Les protagonistes sont très bien développés et chacun possède une forte personnalité qui s’amplifie au fur et a mesure du récit.
L’autrice à intégrer parfaitement au cœur du récit la maladie avec tous les symptômes qui en découle et aussi les sentiments que l’on ressent face à tout cela.
On navigue de point de vue en point de vue des protagonistes au fil des chapitres et cela rend notre lecture addictive.
Comme vous l’aurez compris, j’ai passé un excellent moment de lecture avec ce thriller !!!
Je remercie MERA EDTIONS pour leur confiance et l’envoi du service de presse via la plateforme NETGALLEY.
Un thriller psychologique où se mêle la réalité et la folie à la perfection.
Au rendez-vous, suspens et intrigue soupoudré de rebondissement. Les protagonistes sont très bien développés et chacun possède une forte personnalité qui s’amplifie au fur et a mesure du récit.
L’autrice à intégrer parfaitement au cœur du récit la maladie avec tous les symptômes qui en découle et aussi les sentiments que l’on ressent face à tout cela.
On navigue de point de vue en point de vue des protagonistes au fil des chapitres et cela rend notre lecture addictive.
Comme vous l’aurez compris, j’ai passé un excellent moment de lecture avec ce thriller !!!
Je remercie MERA EDTIONS pour leur confiance et l’envoi du service de presse via la plateforme NETGALLEY.
September 2, 2025
Ce thriller psychologique met en scène l'amitié de deux couples et la mort suspecte d'un protagoniste. L'enquête se déroule en Nouvelle-Zélande, menée par un officier de police d'origine étrangère. L'auteur utilise son expertise de médecin pour aborder le mental des protagonistes. Mais la fréquence des dialogues, tout en apportant du rythme, empêche une étude approfondie de la psychologie des personnages. Le suspens est atténué par de rares descriptions trop révélatrices. Cela dit, le roman est dynamique et peut facilement s'adapter à l'écran. C'est une histoire simple et assez classique sur fond d'une Nouvelle-Zélande fort peu décrite et cela est regrettable. Vous pourrez lire ma critique prochainement dans mon blog littéraire.
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