The Imposter: Life Is Not Easy In The Big Easy: The Alexandra Destephano Psychological Medical Thriller Series

by Judith Lucci, Jen Mandell (Editor), Eric Blumensen (Illustrator)

THE IMPOSTER

Genres: Mystery

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2014

About the author

Dr. Judith Lucci is an Amazon bestselling author who writes what she knows. She is the author of the Alex Destephano Medical Thriller Series and the soon to be released Michaela McPherson, Private Eye, a series centered on a retired homicide detective from Richmond, Virginia who really can’t retire.

“Before I wrote fiction, I was an academic writer who published research, theoretical works, text books and just about anything a nurse or college professor needed to publish to survive. The differences in academic writing and writing fiction are dramatic. Writing what I know propels me to pull from my clinical experiences, some good, some not and use popular fiction as a means to teach and advocate for others. My books have three purposes, to engage the reader, to entertain them and to educate about healthcare and perhaps, the darker side of hospital life.

I am a nurse and hold graduate and doctoral degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. I have always been a reader and a writer and I love it. I am a member of the Virginia Writers Club, The Shenandoah Valley Writers and Sisters in Crime.

When I’m not writing I am probably teaching, paining on silk as I am a multi-media artist or playing with my many dogs. Please feel free to contact me at judithlucciwrites@gmail.com. I am excited about meeting you!

Reviews

[Lilian Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Townsend Rocchiccioli’s book THE IMPOSTER takes place in New Orleans. As I got further into the story my vision of a happy party city changed to a murky and freighting one. There are horrible murders and attacks that leave the victims either unconscious by the way-side or they are left for dead. The Crescent City Medical Psychiatric Pavilion becomes the center of the investigations for a killer.

The heroine Alex Destephano is trying to uncover who is committing all those horrible crimes. The author seems to have either person experience in Clinical and administrative details or she has done extensive research about the Health Care Industry. She has developed a great group of very compelling characters and the plot moves easily and quickly. There is mystery, suspense and thrill in this story with many frightening moments as you move from page to page.

The author has done a great job in holding my attention from cover to cover. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, murder and thrill. Judith Townsend Rocchiccioli, Good job!!

[Susanna Alward Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read in the last several years. I am a retired occupational therapist working 40 years in psychiatry and I could relate to this story. Although I never worked in an atmosphere as crazy this one was. Ms. Lucci did an excellent job of characterizations

The plot was very exciting and kept me reading thru the night til the book was finished! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about hospitals.

[Brenda Perlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Imposter by Judith Townsend Rocchiccioli is the second book in the Alex Destephano series. It’s a heart-thumping thrill ride! Had me gasping out loud during some of the intense scenes. I love a good suspense story and this one fit the bill. So easy to get fixated on the characters and the sharp storyline. The details were so on point. Felt like it was fact rather than fiction. Pretty mind blowing and entertaining all rolled into one. This is a medical thriller that will have you at times reading with one eye open. The descriptions were just that good.

Crescent City Medical Center comes alive and I felt as if I was there on the scene. Very good descriptions that had me holding my breath. The author takes us to the French Quarter in New Orleans and you could smell it. Powerful! Crime solving has never been so compelling. The characters pulled me in and I couldn’t wait to learn how things would turn out.


Quote ~

Whitset hesitated for a second and said, “Imposters, people that pretend to care for patients, but who don’t know how. People who aren’t in tune with patient needs and don’t understand them are imposters- - they pretend to be someone they aren’t.”

[Mickey Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing! Fantastic story!

This is one of the best books I have read! Couldn't stop reading it! Well-crafted characters, and a cleverly written story for thriller fans. There are some devious twists, and I kinda knew the "who" before the end, but had to finish for the resolution. Well done!

[Terry Trahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms.Lucci does it once again

Totally loved this book. Although I had figured out who the killer was way before it was revealed, there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me turning the page as fast as I could. Can't wait to read the next in this series.

[Charlene Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Love the crazy people in psych ward. Really hard to get people to buy into those personalities if you have never dealt with anyone with mental health problems. Looking forward to reading the 3rd book

[Donna King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rate the book!

I would recommend this series to everyone. It's well written, exciting, and scary. That psyc manager was really creepy. Had me looking around to make sure he wasn't stalking me.

[Jennie Ersari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling read!

Alex gets involved in a case with a crazed murderer that rapes his victims and destroys their faces. Very thrilling book!

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

rated 3.33

It is hotter than hell in New Orleans and newly promoted NOPD Commander Jack Francoise is battling horrific crime in the Vieux Carre in the August heat. At Crescent City Medical Center's Psychiatric Pavilion, nurses are doling out Thorazine Slurpees and Geodon shots to some of the most criminally insane and viciously psychotic patients in the South. Alexandra Destephano, a registered nurse and legal counsel for CCMC, is troubled by safety issues in The Pavilion and enlists former husband, dashing surgeon Robert Bonnet to assist her in minimizing the dangers, but they are only aware of the ones they see. The situation escalates as the days become hotter and the nights become longer. Brutal beatings and murder are the order of the day and life in the Big Easy is clearly Uneasy.

Murders and beatings related to the Psych Ward get more and more grisly following the new contract for administration of the unit. Staffing down. Acuity of patients up. This book truly reminds me why I decided to go into Emergency Room nursing rather than Psych.

[Jerry Walch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Impostor by Judith Townsend Rocchiioli is a real thrill ride. It's not a page turner, but a page burner that will keep you teetering on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. Great characters, snappy dialogue and spine tingling plotting keeps the reader turning the pages until he or she arrives at the final denouement. I have to admit that I did figure out who the villain was, who the psycho was, before our hero and heroine did. The clues were all around and it became obvious, especially after Angie exclaimed, "It's You!" The ending was a little disappointing in that it left us hanging as to how some things were going to turn out. Still, it's a book that I would read again and a book that I would recommend without hesitation to anyone that loves a really good medical/psychological thriller.

[Sally-Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!

This is a medical thriller extraordinaire!! I have read numerous cozy mysteries by Judith Lucci, and have enjoyed them all. This, however, is a totally different kind of book. It is a medical thriller that grabs you from page one and never lets up. At one point it became so intense that I had to put it down and regroup before I could pick it up again. It is intense and earned at the very least 5 stars from me. Well done, Judith!! Wow!!

[Michelle Ferrari-Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evil Lurking In Plain Sight

When Alexandra's friend and co-worker is beaten, raped and left for dead, she is thrown into the worst terror she has ever known. It doesn't help that she works as legal counsel for the hospital in the Pavilion, where all the patients are literally crazy. As more women get attacked, it's a race against time before the killer strikes again ~

[Judie Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the faint of heart

Very interesting story ,kept me turning pages late into the night until my eyes closed. It gave me nightmares,but I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. The story takes place at a psychiatric hospital that had someone attacking patents and personell. I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to, but I enjoyed reading it.

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this series

Judith Lucci has written a great series that gets better with every book. I love the strong female characters and the way the male characters support them. The storylines are well written and paced just perfectly.

[Garrett Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story line,but too much background info that slowed the story too much. Cause d to lose interest

[Jim Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was quite a read

Good book, but graphic sometimes. I only read it during the day. Good plot, and it was one I wanted to read fast. Will the next in series.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Kept my interest constant even though I figured out the villain early on.

[Constance Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Having worked for yes in hospitals n mental Health I did not want to stop reading. Outstanding insights, intrigue and fascinating details. Will recommend book.

[Betty Freano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading

This my first book by this author. I am very glad I did read it. It has a lot of twists and turns. I felt like I was a part of the story and enjoyed it to the end.

[Lora Candelaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read

Great for any who enjoy murder mystery thrillers. Characters that retain your interest and a cool plot with quirky twists.

[JoyceM · Rating 3 out of 5]

The errors in these books - book 1 and 2 - are annoying. Rating getting close to 2 because of that.

[Bob Lima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Held my attention throughout!

[Susan Lichtfuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent plot and I love the characters

I love when I am really rooting for the good guys. The bad guy was a terror and a nightmare combined with freakish sliminess! The writing is smooth and suspenseful. Well done on all levels!

[Bette Lentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller and suspense.

The suspense built throughout the first half of the book. The only critical review from me is the blindness of the CEO of the hospital to the horrible contract guy.

[Mike Billington · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about 'The Imposter,' a medical/crime thriller with psychological overtones that takes place at a major hospital in New Orleans.
For example: The author clearly has a solid health care background and understands just how hospitals work - and don't work - in today's business environment. She uses her characters to make excellent - and very pointed - observations about the quality of care on psychiatric units, the impact of insurance company policies on that care, and the conflicts that result when hospital administrators and physicians clash over expenditures relating to patient care and staff safety.
She also has an intriguing story line: A dangerously psychotic person is stalking - and in some cases murdering - people who work at the hospital as well as some of its patients.
Where I had trouble with this book lies, in part, with some of her characters.
Police Commander Jack Francoise, for example, is supposed to be one of the heroes of the novel. He is, however, a man who routinely abuses his authority by parking wherever he likes, he is often rude, is unsure of himself in the presence of people who have expertise that he does not, thinks people "talk down to him" when he doesn't understand something, has an out-of-control temper, and is a micro-manager who - although he is now responsible for an entire police district - feels compelled to show up at every crime scene. He is dismissive of those he does not like and seems fully capable of taking the law into his own hands when it suits him.
I also had some difficulty with the author's descriptions of the way in which her characters interact with one another. People don't speak, for example, they often "roar" at one another. Many of their comments are shouting matches, complete with an overabundance of exclamation points. They are often unable to compromise.
Unfortunately, I think the author was on the mark when it came to describing how hospitals and the police react to the media and the public at large. For example, early in the book she has Francoise complaining about the "liberal media" because local newspapers and television stations dared to print and broadcast the fact that the hospital had "lost" DNA evidence, that the staff had often falsified reports, and that some staff members had even sold body parts on the black market. In real life, as in this novel, too often cops and hospital administrators would much prefer that information such as this be swept under the rug and, rather than deal with it in an open and honest way, quietly pay off the wrongdoers or see that they are transferred to some other unsuspecting institution or police department. Later in the book, after another tragic incident at the hospital, the main characters get together to plan a "media strategy." Simply telling the truth about what happened never seems to enter into their thought processes.
Finally, I had problems with the editing of this book. There were many instances, for example, of incorrect word choices. In one instance, for example, a character "shutters" instead of "shudders." In another instance a character "ventilates" instead of "vents" his feelings. In yet another a character utters the "low, cultural sounds of a wild animal in intense pain." I suspect the author meant that the character had uttered "low, guttural sounds." In one final example, the author refers to someone as an "insane maniac." An editor would have crossed out one of those words because, used together, one of them is superfluous.
This is, on balance, an interesting book with a fairly straightforward narrative that doesn't lose readers, leaving them wondering what's going on. Some of the characters - particularly hospital lawyer Alex DeStephano - are very intriguing and offer great possibilities for future books.

[Eric J. Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Imposter’ is a solid medical thriller that immerses the reader into the world of psychiatric care. It tells the tale of a broken individual who creates terror in New Orleans as they target the staff of the psychiatric wing of a major hospital. Author Judith Townsend Rocchiccioli focuses her extensive nursing experience on this second of her Alex Destephano novels and provides the reader with an experience that some will find uncomfortable in its realism, a testimony to the amount of research she brings to bear on the tale. Not only are we treated to a complex murder mystery, but also the tale is used to highlight the deficiencies of a healthcare system oriented more toward reducing overheads than providing for the sick.

That said the author creates a detailed environment in which she moves her characters, some from the previous novel in the series, some new in this tale. The key word throughout is realism. Do not expect her characters to be black and white; they have a depth that creates believability. None are two-dimensional stereotypes; all have their histories and their humanity which adds to their appeal. They are the kind of people you could easily imagine populating the streets of post-Katrina NOLA. Rocchiccioli paints the scenes and the people so well that they will leave an indelible impression in the reader’s mind.

The storyline is complex and full of defining moments for her protagonists and antagonists alike. Its twists and red herrings will set you up perfectly for the denouement. Highly recommended for those who enjoy superbly-written medical thrillers.

[Reg Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great medical thriller.

In the novel, The Imposter, Crescent City Medical Center comes to the fore as the New Orleans location where medical atrocities are taking place. Alexandra Desephano is the main character, as in the other medical mysteries that I’ve read and enjoyed by Judith Lucci. Jack Francoise is the unstoppable NOPD commander. Monique Desmonde is the psychiatrist, and Alexandra Desephano is the brilliant nurse attorney. The leading surgeon Robert Bonnet, is a health care reformer, providing one or the main focuses of this excellent medical thriller.

Judith Lucci again has penned an exciting page-turner. I would certainly recommend the reading of her thrillers. The depth of her knowledge in the medical scene brings the story to life. Lucci writes well-portrayed characters, feel as though you know them personally.

Again an excellent thriller that you will not forget.

[Alan Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in series set in New Orleans featuring Alexandra DeStephano, legal counsel for Crescent City Medical Center. Another intriguing, mesmerizing thriller develops at a brilliantly-controlled pace amidst the sweltering heat of New Orleans and in particular the psychiatric hospital section. Once more, as violence and murder escalate, Alex is forced to call upon the help of ex-husband, Robert Bonnet. Is some crazed individual targeting the hospital staff? Be prepared for realistic portrayals of violence, murder and mental disorders, as you hang on to your seat in this roller-coaster of a thriller. And don’t think there’s no love-interest. As well as Alex’s ex-husband, there is policeman Jack Francoise on hand to ratchet up the tension, sexual, romantic, dramatic and psychological. Great read!

[Susan Tarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in the Alex Destephano series that I've read, and even though I loved the first, Chaos, this one is even more intense. When you read murder and mayhem in a medical setting, and you add into the mix the most violent psychiatric patients imaginable, what you end up with is The Imposter. Well done, Judith Townsend Rocchiccioli!

[Pattimari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Imposter is an outstanding book; well written, interesting and the author offers the reader visualization which always makes me happy enough to read the book all the way through. Great job Judith.
Pattimari Sheets Cacciolfi, therapist, author, VP of PnPAuthors
pattimari@hotmail.com