What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadly Practice
Who’s trying to murder Sarafea Seville, why, and will they succeed?
Seville admits she is overbearing. “A lot of people think I’m a bitch. I think that is a compliment.” She has recently been hired as the office manager of three urgent care facilities to direct their future expansion. Her employers, two doctors, spend more of their time chasing hot women, driving fast cars, and spending their profits than working. No one who labors under Seville enjoys her pointed remarks, threats, innuendo, or cheap shots. She has managed to fire almost every employee hired by the physicians when they first established their clinics. In addition, she has replaced those staff members with cronies of her own.
The earnings for the business have soared, but so have the expenses. Legally and illegally, Sarafea is finding more ways to capture money left on the table by insurance companies. In addition, Seville is well known to the medical community in St. Augustine, Florida. She has presided over the collapse of several practices. The demises of a gynecology practice, a surgical center, and several other medical clinics have been laid at her doorstep by some observers. She doesn’t interpret the failures as her responsibility. “If they had just followed my instructions,” she says, “they would have been much more profitable.”
To Addison Wolfe, MD, it appears someone is trying to murder Ms. Seville, the African-American Dragon Lady of accounts receivable. The problem is narrowing the field; everyone he knows wants her dead except her employers. And one prime candidate is Wolfe’s best friend, the ex-SEAL, Jake Harer. Worse, the physician partners who employ her are completely oblivious to their predicament. They have abdicated their responsibilities and can no longer run the centers without her. She’s destroying their organization from within.
Wolfe prefers the partners recognize the damage she is inflicting on their practice. Perhaps then they would fire her, but that scenario does not look promising. Wolfe can’t allow someone to murder the office manager. That conflicts with his beliefs and training to help preserve life. He has a hard time being devoted to protecting her, however, since he too would be happy to see her fired, or dead.
Seville admits she is overbearing. “A lot of people think I’m a bitch. I think that is a compliment.” She has recently been hired as the office manager of three urgent care facilities to direct their future expansion. Her employers, two doctors, spend more of their time chasing hot women, driving fast cars, and spending their profits than working. No one who labors under Seville enjoys her pointed remarks, threats, innuendo, or cheap shots. She has managed to fire almost every employee hired by the physicians when they first established their clinics. In addition, she has replaced those staff members with cronies of her own.
The earnings for the business have soared, but so have the expenses. Legally and illegally, Sarafea is finding more ways to capture money left on the table by insurance companies. In addition, Seville is well known to the medical community in St. Augustine, Florida. She has presided over the collapse of several practices. The demises of a gynecology practice, a surgical center, and several other medical clinics have been laid at her doorstep by some observers. She doesn’t interpret the failures as her responsibility. “If they had just followed my instructions,” she says, “they would have been much more profitable.”
To Addison Wolfe, MD, it appears someone is trying to murder Ms. Seville, the African-American Dragon Lady of accounts receivable. The problem is narrowing the field; everyone he knows wants her dead except her employers. And one prime candidate is Wolfe’s best friend, the ex-SEAL, Jake Harer. Worse, the physician partners who employ her are completely oblivious to their predicament. They have abdicated their responsibilities and can no longer run the centers without her. She’s destroying their organization from within.
Wolfe prefers the partners recognize the damage she is inflicting on their practice. Perhaps then they would fire her, but that scenario does not look promising. Wolfe can’t allow someone to murder the office manager. That conflicts with his beliefs and training to help preserve life. He has a hard time being devoted to protecting her, however, since he too would be happy to see her fired, or dead.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2015
2 people are currently reading
800 people want to read
About the author
Bill Yancey
18 books84 followersBill Yancey had the privilege of being the son of an air force officer and the grandson of an army officer. As a result, he lived all over the world, but never really grew up. He attended four high schools, a prep school, and five colleges. After bouncing out of an engineering curriculum, and spending time in Vietnam as a result, he finally obtained an undergraduate degree in general science from Virginia Tech in 1971. The Medical College of Virginia still regrets giving him an M.D. degree in 1976. He writes for his own entertainment, and hopes you see the humor in it, too.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 12, 2023
Bill Yancey writes Deadly Practice and is a loose sequel many years later to Reluctant Intern. The main character continues to be Dr. Addison “Addy” Wolf.
Addison returns to Florida (the place of his internship) after failure with his own medical clinic. He takes on a position with a private clinic with people he had previously worked with. Everything is going great until he meets Sarafea Seville, the office manager out for money, no matter whose job she must squeeze it from.
Although constantly complaining that people are overpaid for their positions, she still manages to constantly create more positions with less qualified people making higher ranges for any employees that she fires. The partners that created the new Care facilities seem content to let her run it into the ground as long as the profits continue to soar and they can reap the benefits.
The book has a slightly rocky start, moving at a relatively slow pace and lacking flow between chapters, but luckily as Addy settles into his new position the suspense builds and the pace picks up. I once again enjoyed the witty humor smattered throughout the book.
I love that Addy is more interested in being a good doctor but also has the balls to stand up for himself. Sarafea is an attractive, power-hungry, ballsy dictator as she swiftly takes over every aspect of the clinics. When death attempts begin on Sarafea’s life, it’s hard to know for sure who may be the culprit with the number of people who wish for her death.
Addy desperately wants to leave the job that he hates, which begins to strain his marriage and even his health. Unfortunately, he staked everything he had on this lucrative opportunity and does not have the freedom, due to debt, to relocate again so quickly. His sanity is partially maintained due to his friendship with ex-Navy Seal Jake Harer and their frequent handball appointments. Harer’s hatred of Sarafea leads Addy to wonder if the death attempts are coming from his friend and place him in a precarious position.
Yancey again does a splendid job of creating authentic people and circumstances that always make the reader question if he is writing partially from self-experience. The narration is well done, and the descriptions help you get to know the characters and how they feel to drive their actions.
Overall I give this book 4/5 stars. It was great to revisit Addy and the medical word with Yancey. I did hope to see more conspiracy against Sarafea, but the book took a realistic standpoint. If you are interested in Medical Suspense, Mystery, fiction, etc., this book is for you.
Addison returns to Florida (the place of his internship) after failure with his own medical clinic. He takes on a position with a private clinic with people he had previously worked with. Everything is going great until he meets Sarafea Seville, the office manager out for money, no matter whose job she must squeeze it from.
Although constantly complaining that people are overpaid for their positions, she still manages to constantly create more positions with less qualified people making higher ranges for any employees that she fires. The partners that created the new Care facilities seem content to let her run it into the ground as long as the profits continue to soar and they can reap the benefits.
The book has a slightly rocky start, moving at a relatively slow pace and lacking flow between chapters, but luckily as Addy settles into his new position the suspense builds and the pace picks up. I once again enjoyed the witty humor smattered throughout the book.
I love that Addy is more interested in being a good doctor but also has the balls to stand up for himself. Sarafea is an attractive, power-hungry, ballsy dictator as she swiftly takes over every aspect of the clinics. When death attempts begin on Sarafea’s life, it’s hard to know for sure who may be the culprit with the number of people who wish for her death.
Addy desperately wants to leave the job that he hates, which begins to strain his marriage and even his health. Unfortunately, he staked everything he had on this lucrative opportunity and does not have the freedom, due to debt, to relocate again so quickly. His sanity is partially maintained due to his friendship with ex-Navy Seal Jake Harer and their frequent handball appointments. Harer’s hatred of Sarafea leads Addy to wonder if the death attempts are coming from his friend and place him in a precarious position.
Yancey again does a splendid job of creating authentic people and circumstances that always make the reader question if he is writing partially from self-experience. The narration is well done, and the descriptions help you get to know the characters and how they feel to drive their actions.
Overall I give this book 4/5 stars. It was great to revisit Addy and the medical word with Yancey. I did hope to see more conspiracy against Sarafea, but the book took a realistic standpoint. If you are interested in Medical Suspense, Mystery, fiction, etc., this book is for you.
April 16, 2015
This book tells the story of Wolfe a doctor who will work for a private clinic. At first he is hired to manage the clinic. The problem is that his bosses, with greed to make more money and make the clinic a lucrative business, hire Sarafea Seville a new manager who has a reputation for making big money.
I enjoyed reading about Wolfe, he's a man who knows what he wants from life and know his priorities but struggle with debts due to his previous clinic been closed. Therefore, he is bound to endure all that happens in the clinic not to be fired and lose his income. When I say "endure all" I mean it. Sarafea makes life difficult for all workers and Wolfe always tries to be the buffer between her and the rest of the staff.
Sarafea is more than a bitch, I am not exaggerating. Sometimes I thought "Are there even people that evil?". I read some of the reviews and it seems there are, I'm shocked. She does everything to make money, intimidates the doctors and nurses, changes documents and fire employees simply because they do not do everything she wants as the way she wants. She is manipulative and obsessive and wants everyone to work like robots. The only one facing her is Wolfe and yet he is afraid of her. The bosses do not want to know about those problems, just want the money in the end.
Meanwhile it starts to emerge enough assassinations attempts against Sarafea, which I loved. They could have been successful that I did not care: P
At the end we have Wolfe put her in the right place and loved every word of this scene, I loved it, I finally had some sense of justice.
I enjoyed reading this book, the characters seemed real, the story made sense. The only thing I disliked was the fact that there are many descriptions throughout the book, many stories about the war and descriptions of places and other stories. This made me lose the rhythm of reading very often and became tiring. Another aspect that made me confused was the characters' names, sometimes they refer by first name and others by the last. Early in the book there is introduction of various characters and I got to the point of not knowing who was who, it was a bit confusing but I went straight ahead.
The book made me empathize with the characters and could feel what they were feeling, the author did a great job at bringing the characters' emotions out of the book.
This book is not perfect, has its flaws, but it is a very enjoyable read. The story can hold us and we suffer along with the characters. I recommend it to anyone who wants to spend a good time with a good book.
I enjoyed reading about Wolfe, he's a man who knows what he wants from life and know his priorities but struggle with debts due to his previous clinic been closed. Therefore, he is bound to endure all that happens in the clinic not to be fired and lose his income. When I say "endure all" I mean it. Sarafea makes life difficult for all workers and Wolfe always tries to be the buffer between her and the rest of the staff.
Sarafea is more than a bitch, I am not exaggerating. Sometimes I thought "Are there even people that evil?". I read some of the reviews and it seems there are, I'm shocked. She does everything to make money, intimidates the doctors and nurses, changes documents and fire employees simply because they do not do everything she wants as the way she wants. She is manipulative and obsessive and wants everyone to work like robots. The only one facing her is Wolfe and yet he is afraid of her. The bosses do not want to know about those problems, just want the money in the end.
Meanwhile it starts to emerge enough assassinations attempts against Sarafea, which I loved. They could have been successful that I did not care: P
At the end we have Wolfe put her in the right place and loved every word of this scene, I loved it, I finally had some sense of justice.
I enjoyed reading this book, the characters seemed real, the story made sense. The only thing I disliked was the fact that there are many descriptions throughout the book, many stories about the war and descriptions of places and other stories. This made me lose the rhythm of reading very often and became tiring. Another aspect that made me confused was the characters' names, sometimes they refer by first name and others by the last. Early in the book there is introduction of various characters and I got to the point of not knowing who was who, it was a bit confusing but I went straight ahead.
The book made me empathize with the characters and could feel what they were feeling, the author did a great job at bringing the characters' emotions out of the book.
This book is not perfect, has its flaws, but it is a very enjoyable read. The story can hold us and we suffer along with the characters. I recommend it to anyone who wants to spend a good time with a good book.
March 19, 2015
I got a pdf copy from the author in exchange of an honest review.
Who’s trying to murder Sarafea Seville, why, and will they succeed?
It's the story of a new manager of urgent care facilities who drives all the employees crazy with her methods, and while she compiles money through legal and illegal methods, attempts of muredering her multiply.
I liked the story very much. At the beginning it was slow paced, then it was getting more catchy and interesting and at some points quiet funny!
At first, It seemed a simple plot but as the different characters were revealed, the story became a bit intriguing! How can a single woman make all that damage!!
The character of Dr Wolfe was interesting and i felt sorry for him, loathing Sarafea and yet he can't let her get hurt, torn between his vocation and his hatred towards her! I enjoyed the confrontations between them, they have a lot of humor in them!
I didn't expect the end however, and i imagined it to be a lot more dramatic!
But i liked the mystery at the end about Sarafea and i certainly enjoyed the last chapter with that hint of "to be continued".
It was a good book and i enjoyed reading it a lot :)
Who’s trying to murder Sarafea Seville, why, and will they succeed?
It's the story of a new manager of urgent care facilities who drives all the employees crazy with her methods, and while she compiles money through legal and illegal methods, attempts of muredering her multiply.
I liked the story very much. At the beginning it was slow paced, then it was getting more catchy and interesting and at some points quiet funny!
At first, It seemed a simple plot but as the different characters were revealed, the story became a bit intriguing! How can a single woman make all that damage!!
The character of Dr Wolfe was interesting and i felt sorry for him, loathing Sarafea and yet he can't let her get hurt, torn between his vocation and his hatred towards her! I enjoyed the confrontations between them, they have a lot of humor in them!
I didn't expect the end however, and i imagined it to be a lot more dramatic!
But i liked the mystery at the end about Sarafea and i certainly enjoyed the last chapter with that hint of "to be continued".
It was a good book and i enjoyed reading it a lot :)
April 30, 2016
Edited on 30th April, 2016:
It's been more than a year since I read the book and I'd like reiterate that the coffee scene still makes me laugh when I think about it.
I was lucky enough to receive an eCopy of Deadly Practice by Bill Yancey in return for an honest review.
Deadly Practice is primarily about Addison Wolfe, MD. He takes a job at a clinic and one of his colleagues, the office manager Sarafea Seville, is an absolute nightmare. However, soon it becomes clear to him that someone is trying to murder her. It's pretty obvious as to why, but he needs to figure out who is doing it and how to try and help Sarafea. That is, before he gets fired.
The book is very character driven. I think that the author writes them very well. Though some are kind of stereotypical, many have some pretty interesting characteristics and qualities that make them unique. As a main character, I think Wolfe was adequate. He seems like a really good guy and I do feel sorry for him because of the situations he's been dealt. However, at some points, I did find that his narration kind of droned on. My favourite character, by far, was Harer. I think he was really quite loveable and I appreciate that he kept on bouncing back from the hardships that were dealt to him. My favourite bit of the novel was Harer's story of how he made coffee in the navy. I had a good laugh at that and, every time I think about it, I still giggle uncontrollably.
In the beginning, I could quite understand Sarafea, even though we're meant to dislike her. I think the author does well in writing her at first. We hate her because from Wolfe's perspective, she's obviously quite controlling and doesn't really care for the opinions of others. Yet, seeing it from her perspective, I can see why she acts the way she does. She's obviously concerned for the success of the clinic and she makes decisions based on what she feels would work best for it. As an example, at one point Wolfe spent a while talking to a patient which turned out to be just gossiping (essentially). She made a comment that someone ought to have to pay for the time that was spent just doing that. I thought that was an entirely fair point on her part, being that Wolfe was pretty much just wasting time with the patient if it wasn't proper medical business that they were discussing. However, as the novel progresses, I think that the character writing goes a little overboard and I feel like I just don't understand her motives anymore. Even if it's just for money grabbing or something, I just lost any understanding for what she's doing. To make a separate point, I kind of felt like she was made to look a little too much like a joke in some portions. For example, with the "swamp gas" portion, I just think that no-one took it seriously and the same with the prior car incident. Many of these situations just don't seem as if anyone is taking it seriously. Even Wolfe, who is sort of trying to prevent her death, doesn't really seem like he's concerned that someone will lose their life. I know they're enemies and she's been nasty to him, but it just seems pretty awkward that he'll be concerned someone is trying to kill her and then the author will sort of mock her for it with Harer making snide comments.
Another character I'd like to mention is Jennifer. In the beginning, she was made to look like a trophy wife, as one character mentioned in particular. However, it seemed like the only reason she was a trophy wife is because he was so much older than she was. From the little we did see of her, I think that she was a reasonable character. She made reasonable demands of Wolfe and actually did seem to care about him. If anything, I'm kind of disappointed with the way she was treated by Wolfe. He was kind of rude to her, even making up a story about how she wakes so easily. I guess that, to him, it might seem like she's kind of prissy because of her not being able to sleep. Yet, if she can't sleep, that's hardly her fault (in my opinion). I really do think that she was a reasonable wife. In the end, I think she was somewhat loving to him and not nearly as much of a trophy wife as it was first insinuated. It seemed, in the beginning, that she was mentioned so little and there were very few portions even mentioning her. I think that it would better service the novel to give her a little more time to grow and for us to look into her relationship with Wolfe. Obviously the business at the clinic has an effect on their marriage, but we see relatively little of it.
As for the overall plot, I think it was somewhat interesting. I don't know what I would call this genre in particular, but I guess what I would describe it as is a drama located in a medical centre, combined with a whodunit. I appreciated that, with the mystery aspect, the author kept us guessing on who might be committing these crimes. It was interesting to see Wolfe's ideas on who it might be at any given time and his viewing each piece of evidence as it came to light. At a few points, I began to wonder whether it might be Wolfe who was the target as many of the incidents, he was directly involved with and in danger of being killed as well, more than Sarafea in some portions. As for the drama, I also liked the corporate theme that kept on running at the same time, that the changes in the clinic were also a portion of worry and concern to me. As with whether someone might die at any instant, it became bothersome to consider that Wolfe could lose his job at any moment and he wouldn't be able to serve his family as well. I think the author did well on that point, that there's more cause for concern than just the immediate loss of life, that the characters are dealing with a lot of mental stress and major changes that could be concern for their quality of life.
However, I think that there are several portions which were kind of unnecessary as they didn't really serve any real importance to me. The entire first portion of the book, for example. It seemed like a huge chunk was unnecessary. It was acting as an introduction, but I reckon that many of these things could have been introduced separately. The portion about his decisions of jobs was a little unnecessary; it could have been shortened to simply say that he had come to the After Hours clinic after leaving another horrible job and, suffice to say, he was stuck here for the time being. It's hard to explain, but it just spent so much time on Wolfe and his history when I feel like none of it was really used later on. Moving on, I think Chapter Seventeen (with the dog and its injury) was unnecessary as well; it just seemed like it doesn't have much bearing on the other events of the book. The author could pretty much just say something like, "Wolfe's weekend was difficult" and then lead on without needing to include the dog thing. Then, later on was another few periods of him jogging or exercising which just seemed to serve as relief for his mind, yet it just distracted from the flow of the novel. I think that the background information with Wolfe's first family- the twins and dead wife- was a bit pointless considering how little it was mentioned later in the book. It could probably have been left out entirely as it wasn't relevant. I think, for improvement, some of these portions could have been replaced with more relevant things. Later on in the novel, Wolfe's novel writing comes almost out of thin air for me. If it had been mentioned prior, I must admit that I had forgotten. I think that the author could have focused more time on Jennifer and this novel writing than some of these other portions mentioned in this paragraph.
Overall, I think it was a pretty good novel. Other than some character flaws and unnecessary data, I think it was well written. I think it's worth 4 stars.
It's been more than a year since I read the book and I'd like reiterate that the coffee scene still makes me laugh when I think about it.
I was lucky enough to receive an eCopy of Deadly Practice by Bill Yancey in return for an honest review.
Deadly Practice is primarily about Addison Wolfe, MD. He takes a job at a clinic and one of his colleagues, the office manager Sarafea Seville, is an absolute nightmare. However, soon it becomes clear to him that someone is trying to murder her. It's pretty obvious as to why, but he needs to figure out who is doing it and how to try and help Sarafea. That is, before he gets fired.
The book is very character driven. I think that the author writes them very well. Though some are kind of stereotypical, many have some pretty interesting characteristics and qualities that make them unique. As a main character, I think Wolfe was adequate. He seems like a really good guy and I do feel sorry for him because of the situations he's been dealt. However, at some points, I did find that his narration kind of droned on. My favourite character, by far, was Harer. I think he was really quite loveable and I appreciate that he kept on bouncing back from the hardships that were dealt to him. My favourite bit of the novel was Harer's story of how he made coffee in the navy. I had a good laugh at that and, every time I think about it, I still giggle uncontrollably.
In the beginning, I could quite understand Sarafea, even though we're meant to dislike her. I think the author does well in writing her at first. We hate her because from Wolfe's perspective, she's obviously quite controlling and doesn't really care for the opinions of others. Yet, seeing it from her perspective, I can see why she acts the way she does. She's obviously concerned for the success of the clinic and she makes decisions based on what she feels would work best for it. As an example, at one point Wolfe spent a while talking to a patient which turned out to be just gossiping (essentially). She made a comment that someone ought to have to pay for the time that was spent just doing that. I thought that was an entirely fair point on her part, being that Wolfe was pretty much just wasting time with the patient if it wasn't proper medical business that they were discussing. However, as the novel progresses, I think that the character writing goes a little overboard and I feel like I just don't understand her motives anymore. Even if it's just for money grabbing or something, I just lost any understanding for what she's doing. To make a separate point, I kind of felt like she was made to look a little too much like a joke in some portions. For example, with the "swamp gas" portion, I just think that no-one took it seriously and the same with the prior car incident. Many of these situations just don't seem as if anyone is taking it seriously. Even Wolfe, who is sort of trying to prevent her death, doesn't really seem like he's concerned that someone will lose their life. I know they're enemies and she's been nasty to him, but it just seems pretty awkward that he'll be concerned someone is trying to kill her and then the author will sort of mock her for it with Harer making snide comments.
Another character I'd like to mention is Jennifer. In the beginning, she was made to look like a trophy wife, as one character mentioned in particular. However, it seemed like the only reason she was a trophy wife is because he was so much older than she was. From the little we did see of her, I think that she was a reasonable character. She made reasonable demands of Wolfe and actually did seem to care about him. If anything, I'm kind of disappointed with the way she was treated by Wolfe. He was kind of rude to her, even making up a story about how she wakes so easily. I guess that, to him, it might seem like she's kind of prissy because of her not being able to sleep. Yet, if she can't sleep, that's hardly her fault (in my opinion). I really do think that she was a reasonable wife. In the end, I think she was somewhat loving to him and not nearly as much of a trophy wife as it was first insinuated. It seemed, in the beginning, that she was mentioned so little and there were very few portions even mentioning her. I think that it would better service the novel to give her a little more time to grow and for us to look into her relationship with Wolfe. Obviously the business at the clinic has an effect on their marriage, but we see relatively little of it.
As for the overall plot, I think it was somewhat interesting. I don't know what I would call this genre in particular, but I guess what I would describe it as is a drama located in a medical centre, combined with a whodunit. I appreciated that, with the mystery aspect, the author kept us guessing on who might be committing these crimes. It was interesting to see Wolfe's ideas on who it might be at any given time and his viewing each piece of evidence as it came to light. At a few points, I began to wonder whether it might be Wolfe who was the target as many of the incidents, he was directly involved with and in danger of being killed as well, more than Sarafea in some portions. As for the drama, I also liked the corporate theme that kept on running at the same time, that the changes in the clinic were also a portion of worry and concern to me. As with whether someone might die at any instant, it became bothersome to consider that Wolfe could lose his job at any moment and he wouldn't be able to serve his family as well. I think the author did well on that point, that there's more cause for concern than just the immediate loss of life, that the characters are dealing with a lot of mental stress and major changes that could be concern for their quality of life.
However, I think that there are several portions which were kind of unnecessary as they didn't really serve any real importance to me. The entire first portion of the book, for example. It seemed like a huge chunk was unnecessary. It was acting as an introduction, but I reckon that many of these things could have been introduced separately. The portion about his decisions of jobs was a little unnecessary; it could have been shortened to simply say that he had come to the After Hours clinic after leaving another horrible job and, suffice to say, he was stuck here for the time being. It's hard to explain, but it just spent so much time on Wolfe and his history when I feel like none of it was really used later on. Moving on, I think Chapter Seventeen (with the dog and its injury) was unnecessary as well; it just seemed like it doesn't have much bearing on the other events of the book. The author could pretty much just say something like, "Wolfe's weekend was difficult" and then lead on without needing to include the dog thing. Then, later on was another few periods of him jogging or exercising which just seemed to serve as relief for his mind, yet it just distracted from the flow of the novel. I think that the background information with Wolfe's first family- the twins and dead wife- was a bit pointless considering how little it was mentioned later in the book. It could probably have been left out entirely as it wasn't relevant. I think, for improvement, some of these portions could have been replaced with more relevant things. Later on in the novel, Wolfe's novel writing comes almost out of thin air for me. If it had been mentioned prior, I must admit that I had forgotten. I think that the author could have focused more time on Jennifer and this novel writing than some of these other portions mentioned in this paragraph.
Overall, I think it was a pretty good novel. Other than some character flaws and unnecessary data, I think it was well written. I think it's worth 4 stars.
August 23, 2018
Mesmerized
Definitely a page-turneŕ. Wonderful characters and great plotting. As a retired healthcare professional, and having a daughter who is coder and medicare chart auditor for a large insurance company, I can vouch for the content being right on in the medical content. I especially love the Dr. Wolfe and his seal friend. I'm so glad the author kept Dr. Wolfe true to his character and ideals. I got a mite worried when he (not to be a spoiler) did a radical thing. Anyone will enjoy getting an authentic look into the outpatient clinic world, and those in the medical will really enjoy the veracity and humor. I will definitely follow Dr. Bill Yancey. I hope he has many more books in him just ready to burst out. I love his subtle humor (just my cup of tea) and his writing skill. If there were more stars I would give them. Do you get the impression l really love this book and it's author? I hope so.
Definitely a page-turneŕ. Wonderful characters and great plotting. As a retired healthcare professional, and having a daughter who is coder and medicare chart auditor for a large insurance company, I can vouch for the content being right on in the medical content. I especially love the Dr. Wolfe and his seal friend. I'm so glad the author kept Dr. Wolfe true to his character and ideals. I got a mite worried when he (not to be a spoiler) did a radical thing. Anyone will enjoy getting an authentic look into the outpatient clinic world, and those in the medical will really enjoy the veracity and humor. I will definitely follow Dr. Bill Yancey. I hope he has many more books in him just ready to burst out. I love his subtle humor (just my cup of tea) and his writing skill. If there were more stars I would give them. Do you get the impression l really love this book and it's author? I hope so.
June 14, 2015
This book has me torn! I liked it, & I didn't Where to begin?
The storyline is all about an Urgent Care facility & 2 others built after the success of the first. The 2 partners are Luther Gundersen & Francis Cordiano, both doctors, who have decided to ask Dr Addison Wolfe to be in charge of the third
The partners hire a woman, unknown to them, who has the MO of taking over such places, then running them into the ground. This is what Dr Wolfe has had to deal with since she works in the building he does
It's not a book about sick people or even the treatment of the patients who arrive at these urgent cares, but all about "the dragon lady" for Addy & what's he going to do about her. She's made life miserable for most all the co-workers, finds dumb reasons to fire them, & they all leave without ever mentioning why or what got them fired?
Addy decides to hire a PI to look into her background & finds out she's known for this type behavior but Addy isn't sure yet how to handle it
Ok, this part, IMO,really could've just had a quick mention or thought made, or in my opinion, I'd have preferred it left out all together. Addy researches "how to make a pipe bomb" in the library, on their computer. In this day & age, I realize anyone can do this & have the idea, but to add it in a book as a "potential problem solver" I feel was a bit in bad taste. I understand why the author added it, as its part of a "confuser" near the end, I just wish he hadn't gone to such specifics & how to's. It could've easily been mentioned without all that & that's where I found myself "drawing the line" in this book
I'm torn because I really enjoyed the good main characters & they even almost seemed very real, but once the pipe bomb part was introduced , & thinking this would be a book about practicing bad medicine by doctors, is when I got mixed feelings for the book. I feel the title is a bit deceiving, & think it needs a different one. A title which makes it sound more about bad office managing rather than a title making the reader think they're going to read about bad medicine by doctors In a round about way, the 2 partners WERE somewhat bad, but really only due to their laziness & greed of working hard like they did to build the first practice
I also found it a very hard concept to believe this woman wielded this much power in her jobs, for years, without being caught
I honestly don't know if I'd recommend this book. I was given a digital copy by the author & I believe he really knows his material, I'm just not thrilled with certain aspects of the story & that's my honest opinion. I'd like to see him edit out the bomb research!!
I received a digital copy from the author in return for an honest review
The storyline is all about an Urgent Care facility & 2 others built after the success of the first. The 2 partners are Luther Gundersen & Francis Cordiano, both doctors, who have decided to ask Dr Addison Wolfe to be in charge of the third
The partners hire a woman, unknown to them, who has the MO of taking over such places, then running them into the ground. This is what Dr Wolfe has had to deal with since she works in the building he does
It's not a book about sick people or even the treatment of the patients who arrive at these urgent cares, but all about "the dragon lady" for Addy & what's he going to do about her. She's made life miserable for most all the co-workers, finds dumb reasons to fire them, & they all leave without ever mentioning why or what got them fired?
Addy decides to hire a PI to look into her background & finds out she's known for this type behavior but Addy isn't sure yet how to handle it
Ok, this part, IMO,really could've just had a quick mention or thought made, or in my opinion, I'd have preferred it left out all together. Addy researches "how to make a pipe bomb" in the library, on their computer. In this day & age, I realize anyone can do this & have the idea, but to add it in a book as a "potential problem solver" I feel was a bit in bad taste. I understand why the author added it, as its part of a "confuser" near the end, I just wish he hadn't gone to such specifics & how to's. It could've easily been mentioned without all that & that's where I found myself "drawing the line" in this book
I'm torn because I really enjoyed the good main characters & they even almost seemed very real, but once the pipe bomb part was introduced , & thinking this would be a book about practicing bad medicine by doctors, is when I got mixed feelings for the book. I feel the title is a bit deceiving, & think it needs a different one. A title which makes it sound more about bad office managing rather than a title making the reader think they're going to read about bad medicine by doctors In a round about way, the 2 partners WERE somewhat bad, but really only due to their laziness & greed of working hard like they did to build the first practice
I also found it a very hard concept to believe this woman wielded this much power in her jobs, for years, without being caught
I honestly don't know if I'd recommend this book. I was given a digital copy by the author & I believe he really knows his material, I'm just not thrilled with certain aspects of the story & that's my honest opinion. I'd like to see him edit out the bomb research!!
I received a digital copy from the author in return for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2015
I got free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Getting free copy doesn't affect my thoughts about the book.
For starter, the story was told in 3rd person POV which I still think it would be much better told in first person. The main character, Addison "Addy" Wolfe, was a physician. In the beginning, I thought he was a man with strong principles. He left his job in Savannah because he disagree with the hospital's demands to make every patients happy, no matter if the patients would misuse the drugs. So, he moved and signed on a position in an urgent care named After Hours.
After Hours was owned by Luther Gundersen and Francis Cardiano. It has three clinics. Wolfe was supposedly to run the third clinic. That was what he thought when he got the job. Little he knew, he was actually walking into the hell. At the same time he was hired, Gundersen & Cardiano also hired an administrator, Sarafea Seville. They believed she was an expert in the business and gave all the authority to her.
Seville was the meanest character I've ever known. She totally deserved an award for it. Gosh, I really wonder if she was human. Heartless. A control freak. Firing employees as she wanted, spreading rumors, manipulating, and many more I cant stand if I was her employee. The story made me exhausted actually, not literally in bad way. It's just when Seville came up in the picture making her employees suffer, I can feel their suffer and it's pretty exhausting :'(. Her words are rules. Too many people hate her but they can't defy her. That's how it started, the attempts of trying to kill her.
The most interesting part in the story is the conflict in Wolfe himself. He hates Seville.With those attemps murder by no one knew, he actually wanted her to die. He wanted to breathe an air. Everytime she made him suffer, he had the urge to strangle her. But there's a part of himself to oppose that. More than once, he instinctively saved her life from those attempts of murdering. I think his character is so "human".
Overall, I enjoyed Deadly Practice. I had some troubles to understand the plot in few chapters at the beginning, but as the story goes, it gets better and easier to get drown into. I was not familiar with any medical terms and regulations but they didn't stop me to enjoy this book. In fact, it gave me insights about the system in Medical Department, sort of that. It is an interesting read.
Also posted on my blog The Spring Days
For starter, the story was told in 3rd person POV which I still think it would be much better told in first person. The main character, Addison "Addy" Wolfe, was a physician. In the beginning, I thought he was a man with strong principles. He left his job in Savannah because he disagree with the hospital's demands to make every patients happy, no matter if the patients would misuse the drugs. So, he moved and signed on a position in an urgent care named After Hours.
After Hours was owned by Luther Gundersen and Francis Cardiano. It has three clinics. Wolfe was supposedly to run the third clinic. That was what he thought when he got the job. Little he knew, he was actually walking into the hell. At the same time he was hired, Gundersen & Cardiano also hired an administrator, Sarafea Seville. They believed she was an expert in the business and gave all the authority to her.
Seville was the meanest character I've ever known. She totally deserved an award for it. Gosh, I really wonder if she was human. Heartless. A control freak. Firing employees as she wanted, spreading rumors, manipulating, and many more I cant stand if I was her employee. The story made me exhausted actually, not literally in bad way. It's just when Seville came up in the picture making her employees suffer, I can feel their suffer and it's pretty exhausting :'(. Her words are rules. Too many people hate her but they can't defy her. That's how it started, the attempts of trying to kill her.
The most interesting part in the story is the conflict in Wolfe himself. He hates Seville.With those attemps murder by no one knew, he actually wanted her to die. He wanted to breathe an air. Everytime she made him suffer, he had the urge to strangle her. But there's a part of himself to oppose that. More than once, he instinctively saved her life from those attempts of murdering. I think his character is so "human".
Overall, I enjoyed Deadly Practice. I had some troubles to understand the plot in few chapters at the beginning, but as the story goes, it gets better and easier to get drown into. I was not familiar with any medical terms and regulations but they didn't stop me to enjoy this book. In fact, it gave me insights about the system in Medical Department, sort of that. It is an interesting read.
Also posted on my blog The Spring Days
April 17, 2015
This e-book was provided to me by the author in exchange for reviews, though to be honest, I would have read it no matter what.
I read Yancey's previous book, 'Reluctant Intern', featuring newly-minted doctor, Addison Wolfe, and his trials and tribulations in the medical community of the 1970s. 'Deadly Practice' returns to Wolfe's story ~30 years later as he deals with medical mergers and politics forcing him out of his latest position. Many of the characters from the first book return, though they play a lesser role here. Instead, the main character, other than Wolfe, is Sarafea Seville, a power-hungry woman who has been appointed office manager at the new clinic Wolfe was hired to run. Sarafea, like Wolfe, has seen her fair share of jobs, but her knowledge of all things related to rules and regulations impresses the two doctors who founded the 'After Hours' clinics.
Unfortunately, Sarafea's impressive knowledge bank comes at the expense of social skills, and she quickly alienates most of the clinic staff. Wolfe in particular clashes with her, but with a new wife and child, with another baby on the way, he can't afford to lose this job. Instead, he grits it out, even as he watches more and more of the staff be replaced by Sarafea's cronies, taking solace in weekly handball games with longtime friend and 'After Hours' lab tech Jake Harer, who feels the same about Sarafea and could theoretically use his skills as a former Navy SEAL to take less-than-legal actions to remove Sarafea from power.
Throughout the book, I definitely empathized with Wolfe and the other 'After Hours' employees. Sarafea is definitely portrayed as a crazy bitch, and I would never want to work with someone like her, constantly undermining my work and making me always look over my shoulder, lest she or her friends find some minor 'infraction', which may or may not actually be a real infraction but no one else has access to the rule books but her crew, to fire me over. I can't say I'd resort to trying to kill her, and it seemed like Wolfe was actually trying to prevent the attempts on her life, which he fears might be the work of Harer that could indict him as an accomplice, but I'd definitely be like the clinic staff and have my resume constantly updated, ready to quit before I could get fired.
The ending of the book was interesting, and while I don't think it was a true story, Yancey leaves open the possibility that he wrote it based on his own experiences. I definitely look forward to reading more of his writings.
I read Yancey's previous book, 'Reluctant Intern', featuring newly-minted doctor, Addison Wolfe, and his trials and tribulations in the medical community of the 1970s. 'Deadly Practice' returns to Wolfe's story ~30 years later as he deals with medical mergers and politics forcing him out of his latest position. Many of the characters from the first book return, though they play a lesser role here. Instead, the main character, other than Wolfe, is Sarafea Seville, a power-hungry woman who has been appointed office manager at the new clinic Wolfe was hired to run. Sarafea, like Wolfe, has seen her fair share of jobs, but her knowledge of all things related to rules and regulations impresses the two doctors who founded the 'After Hours' clinics.
Unfortunately, Sarafea's impressive knowledge bank comes at the expense of social skills, and she quickly alienates most of the clinic staff. Wolfe in particular clashes with her, but with a new wife and child, with another baby on the way, he can't afford to lose this job. Instead, he grits it out, even as he watches more and more of the staff be replaced by Sarafea's cronies, taking solace in weekly handball games with longtime friend and 'After Hours' lab tech Jake Harer, who feels the same about Sarafea and could theoretically use his skills as a former Navy SEAL to take less-than-legal actions to remove Sarafea from power.
Throughout the book, I definitely empathized with Wolfe and the other 'After Hours' employees. Sarafea is definitely portrayed as a crazy bitch, and I would never want to work with someone like her, constantly undermining my work and making me always look over my shoulder, lest she or her friends find some minor 'infraction', which may or may not actually be a real infraction but no one else has access to the rule books but her crew, to fire me over. I can't say I'd resort to trying to kill her, and it seemed like Wolfe was actually trying to prevent the attempts on her life, which he fears might be the work of Harer that could indict him as an accomplice, but I'd definitely be like the clinic staff and have my resume constantly updated, ready to quit before I could get fired.
The ending of the book was interesting, and while I don't think it was a true story, Yancey leaves open the possibility that he wrote it based on his own experiences. I definitely look forward to reading more of his writings.
March 16, 2015
I really enjoyed reading the author's previous book, Reluctant Intern but didn't quite have the same feeling with this book. The book started off a little slow. However the main thing that stood out to me was that Dr. Wolf seemed very whiney and complaining most of the time. He had moved his family to Florida since he had a new job as a director of an Urgent Care clinic. Dr. Wolf was a conscientious doctor who cared for his patients but in almost every chapter he was complaining about his work conditions, or office politics plus the office manager to his friends. Of course as the book progressed, he did have very valid complaints about the office manger, Sarafea, who the partners had hired. She was definitely an evil tyrant who enjoyed the fact that others feared her. She drove away many good paying customers as well as the better staff members. Everyone feared her and feared losing their jobs including Wolf. Several incidents happened to and/or close to Sarafea, some of which could have been deadly for her ( others were hurt). All of this combined with her hurtful actions towards the staff made Wolf think that perhaps someone was trying to kill her. He is afraid that that person may be someone he knows well.
At first while reading this book, I thought that all the rules and regulations that Sarafea made her staff do were just things she made up just to be mean to them or to make them quit their job. Now that I think about it some more, I'm not totally sure whether this is true or not! I've been to some Emergency/Urgent care clinics in the past but have never timed the doctors there to see if anyone stayed more than 12 minutes with me. I kind of hope that Sarafea's rules were exaggerations and that there are more doctors like Wolf who do care for their patients and take time to talk with them.
Overall this was an interesting read.
At first while reading this book, I thought that all the rules and regulations that Sarafea made her staff do were just things she made up just to be mean to them or to make them quit their job. Now that I think about it some more, I'm not totally sure whether this is true or not! I've been to some Emergency/Urgent care clinics in the past but have never timed the doctors there to see if anyone stayed more than 12 minutes with me. I kind of hope that Sarafea's rules were exaggerations and that there are more doctors like Wolf who do care for their patients and take time to talk with them.
Overall this was an interesting read.
June 11, 2020
Deadly Practice by Bill Yancey is a sequel to Reluctant Intern, though many years have passed. The main character is Dr. Addison Wolfe who closed his private clinic when he was struggling financially. He, in turn, goes into a group practice of urgent care centers. The one problem with this situation is the business manager, Sarafea Seville. Ms Seville and Dr. Wolfe don't ever see eye to eye on anything. Then strange things start happening to Ms. Seville and the clinic. It appears that someone is out to murder Ms Seville. Is Dr Wolfe crossing the line of the physician's oath, " Do no harm"? You will have to read to find out. The ending and culmination of this book left me in awe.
August 23, 2015
I, too, received a pdf of this new book by Bill Yancey in return for an honest review. Just as I liked “The Reluctant Intern” I was equally compelled to read right through on Bill's latest gem. It looks as though the reviewers before me have pretty much given, in great detail, the storyline of the book, so I will divert to my impressions and why I like his books and look forward to writing reviews for such a fine storyteller.
Yancey does best with his characterizations. He makes you either love or hate them – but all of them contribute to the story and they are most memorable. I thought it was great to pick up Dr. Addision Wolfe and a few of his sidekicks from twenty years ago and give us a glance at how they turned out. Not much different, just older and hopefully, wiser. Addison still is Mr. Good Guy who always seems to be struggling throughout most of the book but in the end, comes out like a cat falling from a tree – on his feet!
And who wouldn't love to kill Serafea either literally or just wish her gone to another office? Just call this woman SS. I used to work with someone who matched her unique qualities. She never did leave but I did. I retired “before” I could do any damage to her. I think most all of us who has ever had a job can totally relate to Serafea Seville on one level or another. Still, she was one of my favorite characters. What is the saying? “Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer”. Just not sure it worked for me.
I give this mystery/fairy tale a 4.5 because I didn't like it quite as much as Bill's last novel but it was a great read for a long RV trip and kept me busy and humored. That sly touch of humor and the element of mystery is Yancey's recipe for success.
Yancey does best with his characterizations. He makes you either love or hate them – but all of them contribute to the story and they are most memorable. I thought it was great to pick up Dr. Addision Wolfe and a few of his sidekicks from twenty years ago and give us a glance at how they turned out. Not much different, just older and hopefully, wiser. Addison still is Mr. Good Guy who always seems to be struggling throughout most of the book but in the end, comes out like a cat falling from a tree – on his feet!
And who wouldn't love to kill Serafea either literally or just wish her gone to another office? Just call this woman SS. I used to work with someone who matched her unique qualities. She never did leave but I did. I retired “before” I could do any damage to her. I think most all of us who has ever had a job can totally relate to Serafea Seville on one level or another. Still, she was one of my favorite characters. What is the saying? “Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer”. Just not sure it worked for me.
I give this mystery/fairy tale a 4.5 because I didn't like it quite as much as Bill's last novel but it was a great read for a long RV trip and kept me busy and humored. That sly touch of humor and the element of mystery is Yancey's recipe for success.
May 10, 2015
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Deadly Practice by Bill Yancey starts off with much of the characters' names being introduced. The whole premise starts building up slowly as we see Addison, the main character, go through the places he plans on going and possibly settling down to. When the main plot is reached, you get sucked into the story so much so that you'd want to keep on reading until the end.
You might get to see glimpses of what a conflict with the self and with the environment might look like with how Addy deals with his work, family and his decisions.
I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Mr. Yancey is able to take us with the Addy’s journey as well as the supporting characters in the world he has created for them. The constant build up and little surprises keep readers wondering where the story might keep going and finally end. All the characters and their flaws are shown in a way not to just to allow the story to go on but the author really made sure he had a backbone for each of them and how they would react and go on making their decisions in the story. You get to feel what Addy is feeling, the good ones and even the bad but never to much extreme. I would recommend a re-read to be able to connect the introductory character names from the beginning of the novel with the main plot.
Injected with wit and mystery, Bill Yancey certainly can bring you into the medical world! As a first time reader of this genre, it was a slow start but definitely enjoyable and it made me rethink the medical genre’s appeal. I recommend this book to those who might want to get started on reading medical novels.
Deadly Practice by Bill Yancey starts off with much of the characters' names being introduced. The whole premise starts building up slowly as we see Addison, the main character, go through the places he plans on going and possibly settling down to. When the main plot is reached, you get sucked into the story so much so that you'd want to keep on reading until the end.
You might get to see glimpses of what a conflict with the self and with the environment might look like with how Addy deals with his work, family and his decisions.
I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Mr. Yancey is able to take us with the Addy’s journey as well as the supporting characters in the world he has created for them. The constant build up and little surprises keep readers wondering where the story might keep going and finally end. All the characters and their flaws are shown in a way not to just to allow the story to go on but the author really made sure he had a backbone for each of them and how they would react and go on making their decisions in the story. You get to feel what Addy is feeling, the good ones and even the bad but never to much extreme. I would recommend a re-read to be able to connect the introductory character names from the beginning of the novel with the main plot.
Injected with wit and mystery, Bill Yancey certainly can bring you into the medical world! As a first time reader of this genre, it was a slow start but definitely enjoyable and it made me rethink the medical genre’s appeal. I recommend this book to those who might want to get started on reading medical novels.
March 31, 2015
I was fortunate enough to receive a e-copy of this book from the author, Bill Yancey. (Thank you very much, Bill). I have not let that colour my review though.
Being a 'traditional' reader of books, this was the first e-book I had ever read and also the first book from this author, Bill Yancey. Although the preview for this book sounded very interesting and Bill had received very positive reviews for his other books, I was not sure what to expect.
Well, it was not quite what I anticipated in a 'murder mystery'. I say that in a very positive way. It was probably the first 'murder mystery' which has had me laughing in stitches!('stitches' may be fitting as it is set in a medical clinic)!
Bill developed his characters extremely well. You get to feel empathy for the central character Addison Wolfe, very quickly and the character of the Practice Manager, Sarafea Seville, becomes a character you love to dislike, even hate, before long.
For anyone who has ever worked in a professional service industry as a front-line employee (doctor, psychologist, accountant, lawyer etc.)I believe that you will be able to relate to both key characters extremely well. I challenge you not to laugh at the way Sarafea tries to (in fact, succeeds) cast her (evil) authority over the practice.
This was well and truly worthy of a read and I look forward to reading more of Bill's works. It was certainly a panacea for a stress-filled time at work!
Being a 'traditional' reader of books, this was the first e-book I had ever read and also the first book from this author, Bill Yancey. Although the preview for this book sounded very interesting and Bill had received very positive reviews for his other books, I was not sure what to expect.
Well, it was not quite what I anticipated in a 'murder mystery'. I say that in a very positive way. It was probably the first 'murder mystery' which has had me laughing in stitches!('stitches' may be fitting as it is set in a medical clinic)!
Bill developed his characters extremely well. You get to feel empathy for the central character Addison Wolfe, very quickly and the character of the Practice Manager, Sarafea Seville, becomes a character you love to dislike, even hate, before long.
For anyone who has ever worked in a professional service industry as a front-line employee (doctor, psychologist, accountant, lawyer etc.)I believe that you will be able to relate to both key characters extremely well. I challenge you not to laugh at the way Sarafea tries to (in fact, succeeds) cast her (evil) authority over the practice.
This was well and truly worthy of a read and I look forward to reading more of Bill's works. It was certainly a panacea for a stress-filled time at work!
March 15, 2015
I received an e copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I give the book 4 1/2 stars. Fast read. Very interesting. Dr. Addison Wolfe moves his 2nd wife and daughter to Florida to take a position as director of a medical clinic.He wants to leave his present job because he does not do well with corporate politics involved in hospitals. But almost as soon as he starts his new position, he's sorry he made the move.His new bosses are nice, but distracted physicians, but a woman administrator, Sarafea Seville makes everyone's life miserable with unnecessary rules and regulations. Everyone is in fear of losing their job for a reason decided on Sarafea. Of course she and Addy are always locking horns.In his move he has reconnected with man old service friend -ex SEAL Harer who has been hired to pick up the samples and tests. Addy talk about getting rid of Sarafea and then it really does appear as if some one is trying to kill her. Sararfea continues to get more and more power and make the employees who remain more and more unhappy. She eventually fires Harer and then goes after Wolfe. The original two partners refuse to listen to complaints. They believe Sarafea is their clinics salvation. Then she does fire Addy but all his searching for ways to get rid of her finally pays off.
March 15, 2015
I received a digital copy of Deadly Practice in exchange for my honest opinion.
A page-turner, this is the story of three Urgent Care facilities working quite well until two of the partners decide to bring in a new office manager to try to increase profits. This woman is the very definition of evil, power-hungry, manipulative and an egomaniac. Before they know it, she has assumed control of the corporation and her ever-changing mandates soon lead the corporation off the legal path. To little surprise, she has made enough enemies that attempts on her life start to occur; or is she still strategizing and seeking more attention? The FBI gets involved, where will the mayhem end? I leave it to you to read and find out.
I can say as the parent of a physician and a past worker of a major health-insurance company, that the author's depiction of the world of medicine today is unfortunately, spot on. The business management cares more about the profits and paperwork than they do the patients. Doctors are caught in the middle, striving to give good care in less time, and having little personal life due to all the forms and documentation now required.
The one thing that bothered me about the story itself is the over-the-top evilness of Sarafea. All through the book, her character just seemed too heavily overdrawn. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book.
A page-turner, this is the story of three Urgent Care facilities working quite well until two of the partners decide to bring in a new office manager to try to increase profits. This woman is the very definition of evil, power-hungry, manipulative and an egomaniac. Before they know it, she has assumed control of the corporation and her ever-changing mandates soon lead the corporation off the legal path. To little surprise, she has made enough enemies that attempts on her life start to occur; or is she still strategizing and seeking more attention? The FBI gets involved, where will the mayhem end? I leave it to you to read and find out.
I can say as the parent of a physician and a past worker of a major health-insurance company, that the author's depiction of the world of medicine today is unfortunately, spot on. The business management cares more about the profits and paperwork than they do the patients. Doctors are caught in the middle, striving to give good care in less time, and having little personal life due to all the forms and documentation now required.
The one thing that bothered me about the story itself is the over-the-top evilness of Sarafea. All through the book, her character just seemed too heavily overdrawn. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book.
March 17, 2015
Deadly practice is the first book I have read from the autor Bull Yancey, and it wont be the last.
Following Dr. Wolf through his job change from Savannah to St Augustine, mostly due to him disagreeing with how the owners of the clinic where he worked forced him to deal with the patients, seeing them more like cash cows than human beings in need of care.
Because of this, he follows his dream and moves to St Augustine, where he is promised a job as the director of a urgent care clinic.
In the beginning it all seems to be working for him and his family, but when a new office manager is hired to make the clinic a more profitable enterprise, things take a bad twist. The new manager starts firing senior employees and anybody else that doesn’t follow her strict rules to the letter, which puts the clinic in danger, making Dr. Wolf dreams vanish in thin air as he sees his job in danger, especially when Dr. Wolf finds out that she has lead several health care clinics to bankruptcy in the past.
At the same time, there are several attempts on the life of this manager, and not knowing for sure who the author of this attacks is, the author keeps the suspense until the end, where all is revealed.
A very easy to read book despite all medical terms and regulations, which makes it difficult to put down. Looking forward to reading other books from this author
Following Dr. Wolf through his job change from Savannah to St Augustine, mostly due to him disagreeing with how the owners of the clinic where he worked forced him to deal with the patients, seeing them more like cash cows than human beings in need of care.
Because of this, he follows his dream and moves to St Augustine, where he is promised a job as the director of a urgent care clinic.
In the beginning it all seems to be working for him and his family, but when a new office manager is hired to make the clinic a more profitable enterprise, things take a bad twist. The new manager starts firing senior employees and anybody else that doesn’t follow her strict rules to the letter, which puts the clinic in danger, making Dr. Wolf dreams vanish in thin air as he sees his job in danger, especially when Dr. Wolf finds out that she has lead several health care clinics to bankruptcy in the past.
At the same time, there are several attempts on the life of this manager, and not knowing for sure who the author of this attacks is, the author keeps the suspense until the end, where all is revealed.
A very easy to read book despite all medical terms and regulations, which makes it difficult to put down. Looking forward to reading other books from this author
March 29, 2015
I received an electronic copy of this book by the author for an honest review. Having read Reluctant Intern, the first book in which Dr. Addison Wolfe appears, I expected that this would be a continuation of that book. I had a hard time figuring out what was going on in the beginning, until I realized that many years had passed. Wolfe had gotten married, had twins, was widowed, had become a doctor, remarried, had a young daughter, and was now in the process of becoming the director of an urgent care facility. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems and Wolfe becomes involved in a struggle with the newly hired office manager, Sarafea Seville, over the daily running of what was supposed to be his clinic. As she is given more power and the facility is slowly heading for its demise, Wolfe realizes that Sarafea has a deadly enemy. The first third of the book was hard to follow, but the plot definitely picked up as the story continued. I wish the author had been a little more straightforward about the passage of time, as it made for a confusing read at the beginning. That being said, I enjoyed following Wolfe through his trials and tribulations. I like his cleverness and wit, as well as his integrity. I would love to read another book about Wolfe, especially the "missing" years between the first book and this one.
March 25, 2015
I recieved an ecopy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book I have read by this author and I enjoy reading his work. The main storyline is well written and the characters are enjoyable( for lack of a better word). What I mean by this is, the characters that you are suppose to hate, you absolutely will hate and the ones you are suppose to like are relatable, they have their positives and their negatives. A few times through the story I thought I knew who had done what but then discovered I was very wrong. I like a book that can keep you guessing and guessing wrong. I would like to point out that there were a few spelling or grammar mistakes along the way, nothing major but maybe a little more frequent than you'd find normally. Also this is something I noticed in his last book but thought it was because of the nature of the book, he tends to over describe certain things that just aren't so important. I understand he's trying to set a scene or make sure the reader understand what's happening, which is understandable but it sometimes becomes distracting when it does nothing to move the plot along. Those are minor problems that can be overlooked because the novel as a whole is very interesting.
April 25, 2015
Have ever worked with someone who was so awful that you wanted the person dead? When Dr. Addison Wolfe was hired as Director of an Urgent Care Facility in St. Augustine, Florida, it appears on the surface to be a wonderful opportunity. One of the benefits of the new position is a fairly normal workday and no weekend work.
The honeymoon of the new job is short lived as he encounters the dragon lady Office Manager, Sarafea Seville. She embodies all the horrible characteristics of an unprofessional Manager—undermining her staff, micro-managing, and displaying rude behavior in front of patients and colleagues. These are only just a few ways she deals with her staff at the clinic.
It’s no wonder somebody wants her dead and have tried to kill her on several occasions. This is the part of the book that’s really exciting. Although Sarafea may be worried about who is trying to do her in, she displays no fear on the surface.
Overall, the Bill Yancye’s story has enough suspense and surprises to keep the reader engaged and wanting to find out whether the evil Sarafea lives or dies.
Thank you to Bill Yancey for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The honeymoon of the new job is short lived as he encounters the dragon lady Office Manager, Sarafea Seville. She embodies all the horrible characteristics of an unprofessional Manager—undermining her staff, micro-managing, and displaying rude behavior in front of patients and colleagues. These are only just a few ways she deals with her staff at the clinic.
It’s no wonder somebody wants her dead and have tried to kill her on several occasions. This is the part of the book that’s really exciting. Although Sarafea may be worried about who is trying to do her in, she displays no fear on the surface.
Overall, the Bill Yancye’s story has enough suspense and surprises to keep the reader engaged and wanting to find out whether the evil Sarafea lives or dies.
Thank you to Bill Yancey for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2015
Kindle Copy for Review
Sarafea Seville has made a lot of enemies and some would like her dead.
She has made enemies along the way as an office manager in running health care facilities as has lead several places to bankruptcy. Making money for them by firing and hiring her own people before their downfall, sometimes illegally on the way.
Dr. Addision Wolfe despite his dislike for Sarafea finds himself wondering if someone is trying to kill when she has a serious of accidents that could have killed her. He even suspects his best friend a former Navy Seal Jake Harer could be prime suspect who dislike her as well.
As she destroys the business from the inside as the partners cannot run their practice without. Can Dr. Wolfe make the partners see the damage she has cause before she destroys it all? Will she finally get her due after the destruction she has made?
This story shows the frailty of the health care industry and that people out of there who abuse the system. An insightful look into the system.
Sarafea Seville has made a lot of enemies and some would like her dead.
She has made enemies along the way as an office manager in running health care facilities as has lead several places to bankruptcy. Making money for them by firing and hiring her own people before their downfall, sometimes illegally on the way.
Dr. Addision Wolfe despite his dislike for Sarafea finds himself wondering if someone is trying to kill when she has a serious of accidents that could have killed her. He even suspects his best friend a former Navy Seal Jake Harer could be prime suspect who dislike her as well.
As she destroys the business from the inside as the partners cannot run their practice without. Can Dr. Wolfe make the partners see the damage she has cause before she destroys it all? Will she finally get her due after the destruction she has made?
This story shows the frailty of the health care industry and that people out of there who abuse the system. An insightful look into the system.
May 2, 2015
Who hasn't worked with someone they didn't like? Have ever worked with someone who was so awful that you wanted the person dead though? Dr. Addison Wolfe was hired as the Director of an Urgent Care Facility in St. Augustine, Florida, it appears on the surface to be a wonderful opportunity.
Sarafea Seville is the embodiment of all the horrible characteristics of an unprofessional Manager—undermines her staff, micro-manages, and displays rude behavior in front of patients and colleagues. These are only just a few of the ways she deals with her staff at the clinic.
Someone wants Sarafea dead. Although Sarafea may be worried about who is trying to do her in, she displays no fear on the surface.
Overall, the Bill Yancye’s story has enough suspense and surprises to keep the reader engaged and wanting to find out whether the evil Sarafea lives or dies. I received a copy for free through Goodreads First Reads - Thank you
Sarafea Seville is the embodiment of all the horrible characteristics of an unprofessional Manager—undermines her staff, micro-manages, and displays rude behavior in front of patients and colleagues. These are only just a few of the ways she deals with her staff at the clinic.
Someone wants Sarafea dead. Although Sarafea may be worried about who is trying to do her in, she displays no fear on the surface.
Overall, the Bill Yancye’s story has enough suspense and surprises to keep the reader engaged and wanting to find out whether the evil Sarafea lives or dies. I received a copy for free through Goodreads First Reads - Thank you
March 21, 2016
The story is about Addison Wolfe. Wolfe is an MD who takes a new job at a clinic which is owned by some old friends. After a great start he meets the new office manager Sarafea Seville who becomes his worst nightmare. He notices that someone is trying to kill her and he tries to intervene. This is easier said then done seeing as how just about everyone including him hates her.
I found the first 20~30% of the book a bit hard to read through. It was a lot of background info for someone who hasn't read any of his previous books. However after that I really liked the witty humor and pace the book set. You really can start to like the characters and question what kind of trouble they can get themselves into next. And I really liked how the story was a bit open ended while still closing most of the plotlines.
I found the first 20~30% of the book a bit hard to read through. It was a lot of background info for someone who hasn't read any of his previous books. However after that I really liked the witty humor and pace the book set. You really can start to like the characters and question what kind of trouble they can get themselves into next. And I really liked how the story was a bit open ended while still closing most of the plotlines.
March 22, 2015
Awesome book! I really enjoyed this story. Addison Wolfe is a physician who moves to St. Augustine, Florida to head up a new practice. Little does he know, there are other things going on behind the scenes that will test his patience, his endurance, and his sanity. The two owners end up hiring a new administrator who immediately tries to take over and run things her way. Sarafea is the devil incarnate, quick to lie, manipulate and fire people at will. When crazy attempts at her life start happening, Addison has to figure out what's going on, and keep her alive, so the authorities don't think he's trying to kill her himself! It's a fun, suspenseful, emotional ride to read this story. I highly recommend it. Thanks to the author for providing the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2015
For those of you who enjoyed Yancey's last novel, The Reluctant Intern, you are in for another treat with Deadly Practice! This gem takes place about 20 years later with Addy relocating to a Urgent Care clinic in Florida, and brings with it lots of intense, fast, page-turning!! It is easy to pick up, if you did not read his last novel, but plan on a couple days doing nothing else!! It is a little slow getting into, but by the 10th chapter, you are hooked. Sarafea, the infamous office manager of Wolfe's clinic, is the villain in this story as she is most-hated for her micro-managing her entire office staff. I won't tell the ending, but take my word – you will love this quick medical fiction novel. Thanks, Dr. Yancey, again.
March 22, 2015
I received an electronic copy from the author in exchange of an honest review.
The story revolves around doctor Wolfe who works for a private clinic. Innocent enough until his bosses hire Sarafea Seville as office manager. Sarafea is the manager we would all hate to have and everyone hates enough to think of different ways to kill her....but only in our heads....on a rough day. The problem is someone is trying to kill her.
The story was slow paced and I wish it had moved quicker to keep my attention.
The characters are well introduced maybe even a little too much. Perhaps this is the reason I found it to slow.
All that being said I love the final few chapters and the hint of more to come. Will I read it? I am unsure I will. I like my thrillers a little more thrilling.
The story revolves around doctor Wolfe who works for a private clinic. Innocent enough until his bosses hire Sarafea Seville as office manager. Sarafea is the manager we would all hate to have and everyone hates enough to think of different ways to kill her....but only in our heads....on a rough day. The problem is someone is trying to kill her.
The story was slow paced and I wish it had moved quicker to keep my attention.
The characters are well introduced maybe even a little too much. Perhaps this is the reason I found it to slow.
All that being said I love the final few chapters and the hint of more to come. Will I read it? I am unsure I will. I like my thrillers a little more thrilling.
April 7, 2015
Books with a medical theme are a favorite of mine and this is an enjoyable one. I was happy to see that the author had decided to continue the story of Addison from his previous novel. The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me but once it took off, I was hooked.
The character, Sarafea, was definitely a dragon lady as described in the synopsis of the book. She was every employees nightmare to work for. The author has very well developed characters that he makes you either love. Or hate, an example being Sarafea. Although she did bring some very humorous moments to the story.
For anyone liking novels with a medical theme, this is a must read!
* I was provided a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The character, Sarafea, was definitely a dragon lady as described in the synopsis of the book. She was every employees nightmare to work for. The author has very well developed characters that he makes you either love. Or hate, an example being Sarafea. Although she did bring some very humorous moments to the story.
For anyone liking novels with a medical theme, this is a must read!
* I was provided a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
March 25, 2015
If you have an interest in the medical profession, especially in the United States then this will probably interest you. The story contains a lot about the intrigues and internal politics of the clinics which keeps some interest rolling through the book. It is very slow going until about a third of the way into it and does not pick up properly until half to 2/3 of the way through when it becomes more interesting. If you can stay the course it is an OK read, but even the ending did nothing special for me. Which is a shame as it is really well written with splashes of excellent humour throughout.
September 22, 2015
Superb!! That would be the only word could explain this book. Thanks you very much to Bill Yancey for giving me the opportunity to have his pdf version of his book. Early plot of the story quite slow and after that the story start to become interesting. I can't stop read it. As a person who doesn't have a medical background know more about the situation in this health care organisation, it truly make my brain to process with the story line which is something that unexpected happened. Love the main character, and humor in it. Recommended to be read if you want something that beyond our daily life. Good job Bill!
March 14, 2015
A fast-moving, intriguing book, keeping me on the edge of my seat. I think I know Sarafea, in fact worked under her iron fist, so can really associate with the feelings of Dr. Wolfe.
The very well developed characters are believable, and easy to become involved with in their day-to-day interactions.
The basic fight between good and evil is in top form in this novel - the truly evil Sarafea, and the basically good characters fighting with their consciences to have right prevail. (and not to perform evil acts to eliminate the basic evil character)
What an awesome movie this would be.
I cannot wait until the next novel shows it's face!
The very well developed characters are believable, and easy to become involved with in their day-to-day interactions.
The basic fight between good and evil is in top form in this novel - the truly evil Sarafea, and the basically good characters fighting with their consciences to have right prevail. (and not to perform evil acts to eliminate the basic evil character)
What an awesome movie this would be.
I cannot wait until the next novel shows it's face!
July 21, 2015
I will never think of my doctor’s office in the same way! Although the story is set in a medical office it could be any office. I have to say as I read the book one of my managers came to mine. He was the same type of person that created fear. Divide and conquer was his theme. I was lucky that he left the company after only months of creating havoc. So this story seemed very plausible and I never worked in the medical field. Definitely a good story of how one person can change the dynamic of a workplace. I enjoyed reading this book.
I did receive a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
I did receive a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews