The Doctor's Secret

by Cole Baxter

She thought she loved an innocent man. She was wrong.City coroner Doctor Stacy Lewis just learned that her fiance, Doctor Henry Goldberg, is the prime suspect in a serial murder case.She can’t believe for a moment that the man she loves and trusts more than anything is responsible for killing three women.But one man is convinced. And that’s her ex-boyfriend and the detective on the case, Matt Ensor.Her coworker at the city hospital, the charming ER doctor Henry, swept in quickly to steal her away--something that Matt has never forgiven.Stacy is convinced that Matt’s judgment is skewed by his hatred of Henry and desire to get Stacy back. She is willing to do anything to clear his name--even abuse her position as city coroner.Determined to convince Matt that he’s got the wrong man, she goes ahead with her plan and gets Henry out on bail.But then women start disappearing again.She has to figure out how to get herself out of this situation. Before it’s too late.The Doctor's Secret – the gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst, and K L Slater.

Genres: Thriller

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2024

About the author

Cole Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It's all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.
He grew up in New York, where there crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.
His stories will have you reading through the night--they are very addictive!

Sign up for Cole's VIP Reader Club and find out about his latest releases, giveaways, and more. Copy and paste this link to sign up: http://eepurl.com/dqL8yT

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a horrible book! Don’t waste your time. The main character is a woman who makes ridiculous choices. I hate stories that portray a woman as weak and stupid. It is poorly written. The story line is absurd and the author writes the same storyline over and over and over. I will never read another book written by Cole Baxter. Ugh!!!

[Julia Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so poorly written and researched that I’m irritated I spent the time on it. For example, he writes Henry was released on his own “reconnaissance.” The correct term is “recognizance.” Misuse of commas is rampant. The main character should have been referred to throughout as “Dr.”, not “Ms.” Real medical examiners would never refer to their subjects as “corpses.” And people don’t bruise once they’re already dead. Plus the main character is too dumb to be believable. What a waste of time.

[Mandy Petty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from the beginning, but towards the middle, the book got somewhat repetitive, and the major plot twist never really came. the entire book seemed like it was more about convincing Stacey (the FMC) that the main suspect wasn't the serial killer more than it was convincing us, however the plot twist of it being someone else never came and it was predictable about who the killer was the entire book. the story was still very entertaining and definitely gave me the creeps, especially with the vivid nightmares Stacey was having. the ending was conclusive but also left me wanting more and asking questions? i will definitely be reading another book by this author. I wouldn't recommend this if you are looking for a constant plot twist thriller because it was fairly predictable, and you won't be surprised by too much. also, this book had many typos and probably should've been proofread more before being published. but overall, i really liked the book.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book STUNK!!!!! OMG!!! I wish I had my time back and read a different book! This story kept going on and on and on like a freekin stuck record!!! Flip this one over and hope theres something better on the other side!!!! Shew!! :(

[Amanda Wiemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main character is frustratingly naive

This was a frustrating one to read given that the main character was so juvenile and naive. The whole book seemed juvenile because of that. Or maybe that was the point: to show how easily some can be manipulated and gaslit? I don’t know. I felt like I was reading an A paper that a high school student wrote. It was still an A paper, minus a few typos.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doctor's Secret

By: Cole Baxter
Narrated by: Meghan Kelly

A Dark, Twisty, Beautifully Narrated Thrill of a Ride!

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 04-07-25

Stacy thought she FINALLY had it all! A fulfilling career, meaningful friendships, AND she was engaged to the love of her life! When women start turning up dead … women bearing a striking resemblance to Stacy … Detective Ensor has a theory. What if he’s right? Ohh the twists I didn’t see coming! Were they rooted in sour grapes … jealousy … power … control … I’ll not tell! All I’ll say is “The Doctor’s Secret” had me consumed, hanging on the edge of my seat, hanging on every fabulously narrated word, NEEDING to KNOW! The plot is dark, the tension palpable, and the characters DEEP ~ well defined, and you’ll definitely form strong opinions on some of them, whether for yea or nay ~ I’ll not say! I will admit, as the story developed, I found my opinions changing on a few! I also found several aspects of the story AND some interpersonal relationships to be extremely … thought provoking! I can’t say which or who without giving away huge spoilers, but when you get there, you’ll know! The characters, action and story were brought brilliantly, believably and beautifully alive through fabulous voice acting! Every feel and emotional nuance was perfect and I felt it ALL! ~ “The Doctor’s Secret” was indeed a dark, twisty ride and I loved every perfectly written, beautifully narrated curve! Five Fantastic Stars!

[Mary Donegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘24 - 2 STARS

DESCRIPTION : City coroner Doctor Stacy Lewis just learned that her fiance, Doctor Henry Goldberg, is the prime suspect in a serial murder case. She can’t believe for a moment that the man she loves and trusts more than anything is responsible for killing three women. But one man is convinced. And that’s her ex-boyfriend and the detective on the case, Matt Ensor. Her coworker at the city hospital, the charming ER doctor Henry, swept in quickly to steal her away--something that Matt has never forgiven. Stacy is convinced that Matt’s judgment is skewed by his hatred of Henry and desire to get Stacy back. She is willing to do anything to clear his name--even abuse her position as city coroner.

REVIEW :

First book by this author was Don’t Open the Door (‘24 - 3 Stars) which my bestie Joanne found and it reminded me of the 2015 Keanu Reeves movie called Knock Knock. Would have gotten a higher score if it wasn’t so like the movie; “been there, done that”.

Sale $.99; reg 5.99

I wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t. It was very repetitive and dragged on endlessly. By 60% I didn’t like any characters and had no interest in seeing where the book ended-up. Sorry, but I think that’s it for Mr. Baxter.

[Erin Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if your fiancé was accused of being a serial killer? Especially if you knew he didn’t have an alibi for all three murders?

Stacy is a medical examiner. Her former boyfriend, Matt, is a detective and asks for Stacy to conduct autopsies because she’s the best and will know if the murders are linked. All is the victims display a striking resemblance to Stacy. Matt begins to suspect Stacy’s fiancé, Henry, of the murders, but is he jealous or is he onto something?

Henry is a well respected doctor. He’s been struggling with his mother’s suicide months earlier. He’s grieving. Henry and his mother were close. Some would say too close.

This was a good read. Some parts are a bit shocking (can’t say without giving away spoilers). Some parts may leave you wanting to yell at characters.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's OK.

There are periods of intense psychological suspense, but there are no surprises. My review might be a little tainted because I have gotten used to much better twists and turns from cold Baxter. Depending on what book annotation you read, just about everything that is in the annotation, is exactly what happens in the book. You are not left wondering what happened, why it happened, and who did it. The biggest disappointment for me was, we are told early on who did it, and they actually did do it. Don't expect a huge surprise, a huge twist or turn. Your only major surprise may be, how Matt is released from prison.

[David Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry Folks, I really enjoyed the first third of this thriller and told my Wife that she would love it. In fact we were comparing it to the writing of Freida McFadden. A pretty city coroner has two men wanting her favors. One, her Ex, the other, a respected doctor. All three have an assortment of flaws, and there is a serial killer to uncover. About this time we are fully aware that the coroner is a bit of a ditz and can't put two and two together. This could have been a real page-turner, instead it became a chore to get past these people and finish the book. "The Doctor's Secret" started so well . . .

[Cynthia Locke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review

Okay this writer has written many really good books but I absolutely hated this one. Stacy Lewis was a totally clueless idiot who could have damaged her own reputation, And could have ended up in jail.And the idea of her beating up a corpse to get her fiance out of jail even though she's had doubts about him all along is just ludicrous. Also her doctor fiance was so obviously crooked and evil, that she couldn't have possibly been that stupid. She was supposed to be a an intelligent woman. No matter the abuse she suffered in the past, she should have known better. Not to mention that her fiance was an abusive nasty person.

[Patricia Baxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cole Baxter definitely knows how to scare the bejeezus out of his audience. This one is crazy good—and scary! Oh man…the storyline is so psychologically compelling; the characters are somewhat twisted; the plot is full of crazy twists and turns; and the ending gives you resolution—yet still makes you question what you’ve read. This one deserves more than 5 stars in my opinion! If you like psychological stories with a touch of romance—grab this book today. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and was totally blown away by it!) ❤️❤️❤️

[Dori Stiles · Rating 2 out of 5]

No likable characters

Book rambled around, often contradicting itself from one chapter to another. Several typos and the most insufferable main character. The end was weird, the story resolved, but then several chapters continued , and the main character just continued to whine and moan and naval gaze again for no real credit to the story. Then, bam, it ended abruptly with a ridiculous decision by the main character that, again, contradicted previous exposition.
I can't believe I bothered finishing it.

[CoolKactus16 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Predictable

This book was boring, too predictable. It didn’t have a twist, I figured it out within the first few chapters. It was written in a way that dragged on and seemed repetitive and ultimately it felt like a waste of time. If you want really twists and turns go read Freida McFadden.

[Katie Bolsinger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly written

The main character was betrayed like a scatter brained teenager with an over driven sex fantasies even though she was supposedly a highly educated professional.

Then the legal ramifications of the whole process. There is no way they would have had her do an autopsy on a possible victim of her fiance or keep Matt as the lean detective. Just stupid.

[Lisa Varney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb characters

This started out ok. I thought it would be a fun twisty quick read. It could have been half the book it was. It droned on and on about the same thing. Stacie was pretty incompetent for being a medical examiner and extremely annoying. Really was a waste of time and totally unbelievable.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

dr secret

Pretty good book but main character was too much of an irritating female who lacked common sense. I still gave it a five due to well written story and will definitely read another book by Cole Baxter

[Anna Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Putdownable!

This book was not gripping nor was it thrilling. The story could have been told easily in less than 200 words. I could hardly wait to finish it and move on. I might try another Cole Baxter book,simply out of curiosity, to see if it is equally boring. Yawn…

[Michael Duane Witt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but predictable story.

Even though I found this book an interesting diversion, I didn't find any of the characters likable. Maybe it was that combination of immaturity and idiocy running into each other that kept me reading to the end. Oddly, I enjoyed it anyway.

[Beverly J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I don't know how I put this book down at night. I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up until I no longer could. It was one of a few that was excellent. It kept your interest until the end. I highly recommend it.

[Kia Lumas · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring read

This plot had all the makings of a good thriller but it just never came together. It was clear that Henry was the killer , there were no big scenes , no mystery, no finality with the sister, just a big NO!

[Michelle Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you supposed to hate the main character?

There was no killer twist. Just prolonged whining and mind changing. The plot was good but, it was repetitive to the point of being annoying.

[Amber Geer · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5! I really enjoyed this book, it was an easy read with great characters and a nicely written story line that just kinda flowed smoothly throughout. I did have a few surprise twists and turns a couple of them were quite shocking 😲 I definitely recommend this book if you like psychological thrillers with unexpected twists and turns. Make sure you have time to read it in one sitting just incase you can't put it down! 🫣

[Judy Scaife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

I found it very hard to get interested in this storyline. I kept reading and then it took off. There was a bit too much in depth into Stacy’s thoughts etc. for my liking. Otherwise, a good read

[Lisa Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

A woman that's a coroner falls in love with a doctor. He's mother committed suicide to try to keep her from.marrying her. They buy a house together & get ready to plan the wedding. When the coroner is autopsy murder women that look exactly like her

[Lauren Skelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great thriller, loved this book.

[Howlinpups · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book until Stacy's behavior became unbelievable and absurd.

[Pat Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

😞 Totally agree with Carol, in fact waste of time really, so much so I won’t bother with another by this author.

[Kaitlyn Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable

Very slow and predictable from the beginning. Would not recommend this book. Very upsetting, tried liking it. Not worth your time!