First, an apology of sorts: When I read and absolutely fell in love with John Locke's Bad Doctor featuring sociopathic and world-renowned pediatric surgeon Gideon Box, I thought it was the first in the series. Apparently, I was wrong - this one is. And I'll share something else: Had I read it first, I would have stopped right there.
No, it's not awful (the most noticeable difference is that Box seems to have started as a cardio-thoracic surgeon who inexplicably morphed into pediatrics). In fact, it's rather entertaining - that is, if your idea of entertainment is following the good doctor's escapades through the back woods of Kentucky chasing down three women he met on an online dating service. Every country bumpkin cliche you've ever heard is in there (plus a few you probably haven't), and along the way Box gets beaten up, hung, arrested and held at gunpoint yet manages to live to brag about it. At no time, though, does he do any real doctoring, nor does his tendency to kill people who've done him wrong back in his hospital setting show up anywhere.
For the most part, the book is silly. Sometimes, I admit, silly is funny (my favorite is the retort Box's young, shapely girlfriend makes to an older, portly ex-girlfriend who's just made a reference to the former lady's need for a training bra: "At least I get measured for my bras...instead of surveyed."
Mostly, though, silly is just silly, and the best I can say beyond a few chuckles is that it's short - I read it in under three hours. Based on my love of what I thought was the first book in the series - which I got free at Amazon.com - I was willing to ante up $2.99 for this one and another $2.99 for the third, Outside the Box. I'll put it this way: If Outside the Box is at least half as good as Bad Doctor, I'll figure I got my money's worth.
Now here's a P.S.: I just started reading the third book in the series, Outside the Box, and I was right the first time. This book Box really is the second - turns out the doctor specializes in both cardiac and pediatric surgery. And based on what I've read of the latest one so far, I recommend reading this book first even though it isn't, IMHO, nearly as good as the first. I'll also venture an early-on opinion of Outside the Box: Yep, my money was well spent. Stay tuned!