Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
"A well-crafted, fast-paced medical crime thriller that will put you in the middle of the ER, holding your breath. The plot will unfold and suck you right in. And, as a bonus, there's a great dog!" –Jeffrey Jay Levin, author of Watching

AJ Docker (Doc) and his guard dog, Banshee, move to a small town in the mountains for a slower-paced lifestyle. Doc settles into the idyllic setting with a rewarding job and enriching colleagues, as well as with a romantic interest who leads him to contemplate marriage. His new life seems perfect until he begins to uncover the town's dirty secrets. A serial killer hunts in the woods, and dirty money flows throughout the town.

Doc and Banshee win allies in their search for truth, but they also make powerful enemies. These sophisticated figures who control the town's economy will stop at nothing to end Doc's threat to expose them. Doc must fight for his freedom, and even for his life to escape.

Faulty Bloodline, a fast-paced thriller, continues the adventures of Doc and Banshee that began in Last Patient of the Night. Gary Gerlacher's writing will keep you up late into the night as you want to keep reading the next page.

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 14, 2024

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Gary Gerlacher

28 books473 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
7,986 (62%)
4 stars
3,760 (29%)
3 stars
862 (6%)
2 stars
100 (<1%)
1 star
42 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
Profile Image for Merry.
930 reviews317 followers
September 28, 2025
The second book in the series and I really enjoy the writing style as I get a Reacher vibe. Multiple mysteries and loaded with action I read the book over 2 days. The book is written by a physician, so it feels very authentic. The quibbles that I had with the plot are how some of the characters react to some soul crushing actions by others. It felt a bit off. Another plot device is having a service dog making rounds with the Dr but this is fiction, so I got over it. I plan to read the next book and recommend the series if you want action and good ole fashion country lawyer that is smart as can be with a Dr who owns a loveable working police dog.
Profile Image for Teju  A.
441 reviews37 followers
September 17, 2025
Love love AJ!
So Aj find himself in a small town with hidden secrets! His dog tags along with him and he ends up falling for the Otho surgeon who just happens to be related to the Sherriff. But when AJ starts to get too close to the truth buried under the town's history. He may just be paying a hefty price when it comes to his heart!
Family is sometimes more dangerous than we could ever imagine!

Solid 4.5 stars!!!!
Profile Image for Anirudh Kukreja.
660 reviews6 followers
May 13, 2024
I saw the cover of this book and I was like "If something happens to my boy Banshee I'm ripping my phone in half and deleting kindle forever". Not really a spoiler since a third part in the trilogy called AJ Docker and Banshee is due to be released in June, my phone is safe.

I'll start with the bad stuff
1. Once again Doc is a superhuman capable of espionage, seduction and more heart than a regular James Bond. Gives alot of plot armor and makes the story almost supernatural.
2. There is something very juvenile about description of characteristic. It's like a teenage with raging hormones describing people.

THE GOOD STUFF (SO GOOD THAT DESPITE WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THE NOVEL I GAVE IT A 5/5).
1. The storyline was amazing, although there were no twists.
2. BANSHEE HAS MY WHOLE HEART AND HE CAN KEEP IT FOREVER
3. We get to see alot more of Doc's Captain America nature, a huge leap from the douche that I assumed him to be in the beginning of the first book.
4. The humor was alot better and character building was at its peak.
5. Loved the scenic description of a small town village (a very personal opinion as a I love small town thrillers).
6. I also enjoyed how this book changed genres in the last stretch, and, yet, the transition was smoother than the creamiest peanut butter that I've had.

Can't wait for part 3 in June
Profile Image for Anne.
711 reviews120 followers
December 28, 2025
Page turner and adorable police dog!

In book two, Doc has taken a three month contract in a Montana small town ER for a little R & R after surviving the conflict with Russian gang in the last story. Since Banshee, the police dog, was injured and had to retire from duty, he now lives with Doc. They don’t get much down time before chaos breaks loose.

What initially seems idyllic about the town, Doc finds that it has rot at the core where one controlling family is concerned. It isn’t long before bodies turn up, police corruption is uncovered, and Doc’s love life is threatened.

Besides the gripping, fast paced writing, the characterization is just as thorough as it was in book one. This one also had a melodramatic climax and satisfying conclusion.

A series to continue.

Profile Image for Sakugami.
94 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2025
⭐ 3/5 ⭐

I was a bit disappointed by this book. I might have high expectations after the first one.
This second book is flat, foreseeable, less funny, less endearing characters (even though Banshee and Travis are the best).
Also, I found people's grief in this book very odd or unrealistic.
The book was easy to read, and I still enjoyed the investigation part.
Profile Image for BAMF_Book_Nerd.
158 reviews20 followers
February 11, 2025
The Faulty Bloodline is book two in the A.J. Decker Medical Thriller Series by Gary Gerlacher, MD. After book one in the series, I didn't think this author could write a book that would draw me in quicker than before. However, I was wrong; the author produced an exceptional read with a fantastic plot and excellent characters that you either love or absolutely hate and can get even the coldest hearts in their feelings. And, of course, Banshee is still my favorite character, but Travis quickly became my second favorite. I highly recommend this author and this series to anyone who enjoys reading thrillers.
3 reviews
January 21, 2025
I am hooked on Gary Gerlacher!

Very nice read that kept me wanting to see what the next page brought! My second book to read and can’t wait to start the next one!
136 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2025
While I appreciate the accuracy of the medical situations I find other aspects to be shallow. I guess if you fall in love in 2 days then you don’t mourn very deeply when she dies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
19 reviews
February 18, 2024
Gripping,
Faulty Bloodline by Gary Gerlacher is totally gripping, well written, and entertaining. It grabs you from the 1st page to the end. The story fallows the main character Dr. AJ Docker (Doc), and his dog Banshee (Belgian Malinois) at a 3 month job at a hospital in a small town in Montana.. There they meet a bunch of very interesting characters leading to many twists, and turns. Great flow, fast paced, and thourougly delightful. It had my attention from the 1st page.
Profile Image for Geena.
21 reviews
September 21, 2025
3.5 - quick read, liked this one better than the first book
Profile Image for Denise (Dee) Lopez.
51 reviews
June 28, 2026
I’m liking the series moving on to #3. Pick it up and start with “The last patient of the night”! You might get hooked, you decide!
72 reviews
March 7, 2025
Second in the series……and I’m not complaining. Doc remains an awesome main character. Despite a move to a different state, he still manages to encounter some pretty significant goons and manages to stir up some big trouble. He puts some much more admirable effort into a relationship in this one, and without “spoiling”, I must say I did not like how this turned out. Looking forward to the next one. PS I would take a dog like Banshee in my world any day of the week.
188 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2025
Okay, glad I kept going because this one was good!!! It kind of solidified that Doc is just a guy who butts in where he doesn't belong, but because he is trying to do what's right. This one had more my kind of relationships, drama, and plot twists!
25 reviews
September 27, 2025
Book 2 of this series!

I loved it and couldn’t easily put it down. I kept going back to it to read some more and finished easily in 48 hours. Gary Gerlacher is my new favorite author and I am now moving on to the 3rd book in the AJ Docker series!
Profile Image for Jen lambie.
7 reviews
Read
March 23, 2026
The storyline of these books are slightly ridiculous and unbelievable but in a good way, I’m enjoying the cheesiness.
4 reviews
December 7, 2025
fast paced and loved it

This is the second book I’ve read in this series. Couldn’t put the book down. For sure fell in love with Banshee.
Profile Image for Sally Tiffany.
239 reviews
April 3, 2026
I really liked this one. It’s entertaining and I enjoyed the unique characters. It’s very very unrealistic, so you have to turn your brain off. But if you do, it’s a relaxing read.
Profile Image for Whitney.
985 reviews5 followers
October 24, 2025
I absolutely love Doc and banshee. this is such a good series! I already have book 3 on hold.
Definitely a must read!
113 reviews
February 16, 2025
I am enjoying this series about a traveling ER doctor who seems to enjoy getting involved in police investigations which often put him in danger. A quick read with an interesting ending.
Profile Image for Linda.
1,706 reviews1 follower
November 20, 2025
3.5 stars
I didn't like AJ as a character with the previous book so I was hoping the second book would have him as a better character. AJ wasn't the cocky know it all man character, it was toned down a lot for this book. The first half of the book the character grated my nerves a bit but the last half I started to like him a bit more. I think it was because he wasn't invincible and couldn't "Macgyver" his way out of everything. I'll give the next book a listen and hope this character has more development and less cockiness.

Narrator was good, listened at 2.5 speed.
177 reviews
November 16, 2025
Just a Great Read !!!

A well written adventure, outstanding character development, with just enough happiness and tragedy to keep me looking for book 3 !! (I would have liked to see Doc settle here but maybe in the next book).

Thanks to Gary Gerlacher !! Consider me a FAN !!
6 reviews
June 9, 2025
Researched?

This book was a struggle since the plot was obvious and the book not well researched. I didn't realize it was book 2 of a series but that wasn't an issue since I have read book 1 and frankly wasn't a fan.
Profile Image for Shay.
41 reviews
November 12, 2025
Still giving me Emily Slate vibes! I did know who done it immediately, but there were a couple twists in there to keep me going. 3.5 rounded up to 4. Gonna keep reading this series!
Profile Image for Aleta Proffitt.
63 reviews18 followers
August 29, 2024
Predictable

One quarter of the way into the ,book and you know who, what and where. My favorite part is the dog. AJ is ok but can't decide if he is a doctor or PI. Hence the next book
5 reviews
January 11, 2025
Good sequel to first book

I think the author should have included more grief for the supposed Loss of the love of Doc's life. Made him seem coldly cavalier about it in jail. Really stood out to me. Too few tears too late at the very end.
Profile Image for brittles.
279 reviews
February 28, 2025

”Faulty Bloodline” by Gary Gerlacher had an interesting premise but failed to deliver. The pacing was uneven, characters felt flat, and the plot was predictable. The writing style also didn’t capture my attention. Overall, a letdown.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews