Spine Damage

Aimee Machado #4

by Sharon St. George

Paulo Ferrara, a young Portuguese man, lies comatose in the Intensive Care Unit of Timbergate Medical Center, shot in the spine. The neurosurgeon who would normally be in charge of his care has left town to attend to an injured daughter, and the only other neurosurgeon, the rude and egotistical Dr. Godfrey Carver, is about to be suspended for not completing his continuing education requirements.
The unpleasant duty of ensuring that the staff obey the rules lies with Aimee Machado, the medical center's forensic librarian and Continuing Education Coordinator. Aimee and her pilot boyfriend Nick live together on her grandparents’ llama farm. While dealing with Dr. Carver, Aimee learns the circumstances of Paulo’s injury and enlists Nick’s help. Aimee is half Asian and half Portuguese, and her parents live on Faial, one of the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal. Faial is the closest neighbor to Pico, home of Paulo and his family. Paulo came to rural Northern California in search of his fifteen-year-old sister Liliana, who vanished two weeks ago. Nick’s wealthy employer Buck Sawyer takes an interest in the girl’s plight as well, especially when they learn that she left the Azores on a superyacht. Not only is Buck a yacht owner, but he is also on a crusade against drug trafficking, and Paulo and Liliana have clearly stumbled onto a criminal operation of some kind.
The trail leads Aimee and Nick from Timbergate, to the Azores, to San Francisco. Paulo’s condition is deteriorating, and he might never be able to explain what got him shot. Can Aimee, her brother Harry, and Nick unravel the mystery in time to save Liliana?
Book 4 in the Aimee Machado Mystery series, which began with Due for Discard.

Genres: Mystery

328 pages, Paperback

Published May 17, 2017

About the author

Sharon St. George treks with llamas to the high mountain lakes near her home—always with a mystery novel in her backpack.

She is the author of the Aimee Machado Mystery series published by Camel Press of Seattle, WA. The fourth book in the series, Spine Damage, was released May 2017. Book five, Primary Source, will be released in February 2019. Sharon holds dual degrees in English and Theatre Arts, and occasionally acts in, or directs, one of her local community theatre productions.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and serves as program director for Writers Forum, a nonprofit organization for writers in northern California.

Reviews

[Audrey Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story but needs lots of editing.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weary of her life under the thumb of her strict parents, Liliana Ferrara hopes to leave her home in the Azores, and move up to a glamorous life, possibly as in the fashion industry or as a model. She and her close friend Catia continue their dreams until one night Liliana disappears at a party on a super yacht that has pulled into the port during the busy Azores season. Her brother Paulo searches for her on the island, and ultimately ends up in northern California, shot in the spine and comatose, while still searching for Liliana. Aimee Machado works as the librarian at the technical library at the Timbergate Medical Center, where Paulo is taken after being shot. Aimee’s mother, who is visiting Aimee from the Azores, fills in as translator for the Portuguese speaking youth, as the authorities question Paulo to figure out what happened. Aimee, her mother, her father and her beau, Nate, now aware of Paulo and his story/search, quickly become involved in this fascinating mystery to figure out what happened to Liliana and Paulo. Conveniently, Nate is a pilot for a billionaire who lets him use his access to yacht clubs in California as well as his plane to return Aimee’s parents to the Azores and to bring the Ferraras back to California, so they can be with their son while the search for their daughter continues. Aimee and Nate become immersed in this mystery as they work to uncover clue after clue, following a multitude of leads, twists and turns. It was obvious the author knew the medical community setting well, as well as how to craft a fast-moving, suspenseful tale of treachery and criminality.
I have not read any other books in this series, but, after this one, I will definitely look for them. The two main characters, Aimee and Nate work well as a team, with lots of good chemistry between them. In fact, Aimee’s entire family, who are involved in this search for answers, also work well in the story. This author definitely knows how to write a suspenseful, interesting tale. She has managed to bring a subject that can be technical and sometimes difficult to understand to a good level of understanding without belaboring it. One thing I liked was the way the author kept the part about Paulo’s injuries in the story without dwelling so much on them that the story became a lot of medical mumbo jumbo. I think Aimee is a good example of a strong but sensitive woman, who knows what she can and cannot do. She and Nate complement each other quite well throughout. This is a great novel. Try it. I know you will like it. I received this complimentary to read and review.

[Faith Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spine Damage by Sharon St. George will leave you with a good feeling. All’s right with this world. St. George ties up all the loose ends. There are no dangling story lines or plot plops. Everyone and everything are as it should be. The good guys win and the bad guys get their just desserts.

What else do you want? Good writing? How’s this:

When we reached the location on the dock where I’d seen the man fall, a roly-poly harbor seal with impressive whiskers poked its head up from the basin’s briny seawater. He gazed at us with round, curious brown eyes—another hungry resident hoping for a handout. P. 226
Saturday morning, I woke to the harbor’s usual salute to the senses: the crying of gulls, the pungent smell of seawater, and the bright morning sunlight striking my face through a porthole in the forward berth. The aroma of coffee confirmed that Nick had been up at least long enough to start a pot brewing. P. 232

Spine Damage is the fourth book in the Aimee Machado Mystery series. Aimee is a librarian and along with her pilot boyfriend, they solve mysteries. The novel is told in the first person, Aimee, whose detailed descriptions allow her characters and settings to come alive. In this particular story, the setting is California and the Azores. An unconscious man with a bullet in his spine is brought to the hospital, where Aimee works as a librarian. The man is from the Azores and only speaks Portuguese. Aimee is half Azorean. So she helps his family, which is how she is drawn into solving this mystery.

The injured man’s fifteen year old sister is missing and the worse is feared. Rightly so, because the trail leads from the kidnapping in the Azores, to drug trafficking, to female slavery, to murder. The pace is quick and full of twists. It’s a page turner.

Sharon St. George has written another good mystery in her Aimee Machado Mystery series. Add this one to your “to read” list.

Although I was given the book to review, I was not required to write a favorable review. This review is my own honest assessment.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

For readers seeking a well-written mystery with just a hint of romance, “Spine Damage” is guaranteed to satisfy!

Read full review in the 2017 June issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Linda A. Dill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great Story

I've enjoyed all four books in this series and look forward to number five. It's great to be able to support a local author.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book. Good mystery that had me guessing until the end. Poor writing. It swung from reading like a detailed instruction manual to a guide book.

[Lissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

More often than not, Aimee Machado has her hands full in dealing with wayward mysteries. Determined to make sense of Paulo Ferrara's unexpected accident, she does her best to make sure the staff at Timbergate Medical Center do as they're told. She can't quite fathom as to why those who should be in charge of his care are suddenly attending other matters. The more she delves into the matter, the more things don't add up. Nevertheless, she refuses to let things lie as they are.

A lovely addition to the Aimee Machado Mystery series, Spine Damage lands you smack-dab in the middle of another of Aimee's cases. This one has taken quite an unexpected turn, one that has left her with her thumb in quite a few pies. Though she's doing her best to handle so many things at once, things do take their toll on Aimee. Her resilience and determination, however, pull her forward as she strives to uncover the circumstances behind the young man's accident.

I've a little catching up to do with this series, but I have to say that each book acts as a standalone. I love the fact that Sharon inserted little details from previous books into this story. This helps in further establishing Aimee's previous endeavors, while moving her current one forward. With every twist and turn, we're pushed further into the secrets that surround Paulo's accident. Aimee does her best to try to remain one step ahead, refusing to let those responsible walk away from their obligations.

Her unique way of storytelling draws you in, allowing you to delve deeper into Aimee's world. She provides enough technical medical details without bogging things down for you. So, so love that. I'm enjoying seeing how far Aimee has come since her introduction in Due For Discard. We get to see how much Aimee has grown. She's dealt with so much, yet she never lets any of what she goes through bring her down. She's the type of person who will make sure all wrongs are made right. After all, people's lives are being put on the line. If she can't make people see what's going on right in front of them, then who will?