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You're Never The Same
Vince is still in exile down on Victoria’s southwest coast, serving out his time before returning to his wife and family and reclaiming his status as a big shot metro OBY/GYN. Well, that’s the plan. If he keeps out of trouble.
But trouble has a way of finding Vince. When his only brother commits suicide on the family farm, it looks like drought and isolation have claimed another victim. Or was there another reason? Then there is a local murder and Vince wonders if the two deaths are connected. Driven by guilt about neglecting his brother, he decides he must find out. The quest leads him to the gates of his alma mater, St Bernard’s College in Ballarat.
Meanwhile, back in the labour ward, Vince encounters another near catastrophe and saves the day with a risky delivery—a high wire act with no safety net—and his career is threatened. Again.
Personally and professionally, he’s facing oblivion. Maybe DC Elena Genovesi can help on both fronts.
But trouble has a way of finding Vince. When his only brother commits suicide on the family farm, it looks like drought and isolation have claimed another victim. Or was there another reason? Then there is a local murder and Vince wonders if the two deaths are connected. Driven by guilt about neglecting his brother, he decides he must find out. The quest leads him to the gates of his alma mater, St Bernard’s College in Ballarat.
Meanwhile, back in the labour ward, Vince encounters another near catastrophe and saves the day with a risky delivery—a high wire act with no safety net—and his career is threatened. Again.
Personally and professionally, he’s facing oblivion. Maybe DC Elena Genovesi can help on both fronts.
276 pages, Paperback
Published June 11, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 30, 2019
This was completely a different red, most unexpected. An OB/GYN Dr Vince Hanrahan, practicing in remote South West Coast of Victoria under supervision, received the news that his brother had disappeared. On a search, Vince found his brother dead - A suicide! Was it really? Vince had to get to the truth. On the professional front, he was being pulled up for performing a life saving procedure on a pregnant woman to save her child, without prior permission of his bosses.
This book by author Bill Bateman was a minefield in Vince's life, waiting to happen. The author has amalgamated both the threads of the story in a smooth way. The hardships of practicing medicine in rural area was well shown. There was almost a droll way of writing which intrigued me. DC Elena as the love interest was sweet.
I liked how the investigation into the death of the brother brought Vince to his knees with a devastating reveal. The author managed to capture the guilt and the need for vengeance pretty darn well. Murders soon followed, suspense then picked up.
Then came my niggles. Written in Australian lingo, it took me time to adjust to the English of the prose. The medical jargon may be difficult to understand for the readers. The story told me day to day life of the character, but the emotions behind the scenes were sorely lacking for me to enjoy this book completely. Parts of the book was great.
Overall, it was a good read!!
This book by author Bill Bateman was a minefield in Vince's life, waiting to happen. The author has amalgamated both the threads of the story in a smooth way. The hardships of practicing medicine in rural area was well shown. There was almost a droll way of writing which intrigued me. DC Elena as the love interest was sweet.
I liked how the investigation into the death of the brother brought Vince to his knees with a devastating reveal. The author managed to capture the guilt and the need for vengeance pretty darn well. Murders soon followed, suspense then picked up.
Then came my niggles. Written in Australian lingo, it took me time to adjust to the English of the prose. The medical jargon may be difficult to understand for the readers. The story told me day to day life of the character, but the emotions behind the scenes were sorely lacking for me to enjoy this book completely. Parts of the book was great.
Overall, it was a good read!!
December 2, 2019
This is a book two but it stands alone and at no point did I feel lost to the story, and it must be one of the most Aussie books I have ever read. I don’t really read contemporary stories a lot but I thoroughly enjoyed the language, the voice and the setting of this story. It hooked me very quickly and as a local Melbournite I enjoyed all of the story’s settings and locations, from the dried out, drought affected, farm land to the city scenes and small town personalities. (I felt like I really knew every location).
From the language to the land this was an enjoyable read. A real feel of an Aussie whodunit – a murder mystery full of medical experience that felt incredibly real, and as the author is a doctor, it has an authenticity that is hard to find elsewhere.
It’s also a book with a heavy subject matter. It is written in an easy to digest way where the topic is focused on the modern murder mystery while recapping the horrors of the past and everyone in the story has a plausible motive. I didn’t pick the killer. The people in this story are believable and grittily real, from their emotional reactions in their day-to-day lives to their family relationships, to working relationships, mateship and how they deal with stress and unexpected pressure. And while I didn’t particularly like Vince as a main character… I had to know where the story was heading and the pace of the story made it an enjoyable read. (And honestly, the fact that I didn’t really like Vince made the character far more realistic and genuine in my mind!) The author has done an excellent job. I’ll have to grab myself a copy of book one.
From the language to the land this was an enjoyable read. A real feel of an Aussie whodunit – a murder mystery full of medical experience that felt incredibly real, and as the author is a doctor, it has an authenticity that is hard to find elsewhere.
It’s also a book with a heavy subject matter. It is written in an easy to digest way where the topic is focused on the modern murder mystery while recapping the horrors of the past and everyone in the story has a plausible motive. I didn’t pick the killer. The people in this story are believable and grittily real, from their emotional reactions in their day-to-day lives to their family relationships, to working relationships, mateship and how they deal with stress and unexpected pressure. And while I didn’t particularly like Vince as a main character… I had to know where the story was heading and the pace of the story made it an enjoyable read. (And honestly, the fact that I didn’t really like Vince made the character far more realistic and genuine in my mind!) The author has done an excellent job. I’ll have to grab myself a copy of book one.
September 6, 2019
Bill Bateman, author of the Vince Hanrahan series, was a rural based GP himself, and that shows. Both in his affection for the town, the people and the depiction of the day to day life of the slightly harried GP, but mostly in the way that some presentations are never quite what they seem and a bit of determined digging is often required. YOU'RE NEVER THE SAME is the second book in this series, following on from HARD LABOUR which came out in 2017.
Vince was a big-shot OBY/GYN in Melbourne until one disastrous patient outcome saw him banned from specialist practice, exiled to Warrnambool on the southwest Victorian Coast, working as a GP under the strict supervision of the Medical Board. Along the way he separated from his wife and twin daughters, but kept his beloved Deefer (dog), his elderly Volvo and has started to make some friends and contacts in the town that he know seems, granted reluctantly, to like living in.
HARD LABOUR introduced you to Vince and his family, with heaps of background into what got him to Warrnambool and the way his life is panning out, but there's more than enough in this second novel to get you up to speed quickly. It's a pretty good balancing job as the focus of this is very much on Vince's family, the suicide of his brother, his sister-in-law's pursuit of the reason for that death, and the fall out that comes as a result of realising that his brother was the victim of a paedophile priest at the time that they were both boarders at St Bernard's College in Ballarat.
Anybody who knows about the scourge of the catholic church in Ballarat will quickly figure out where the real life St Bernard's College, just as they will realise that many of the events that Vince's family are experiencing have been endured by way too many families in Ballarat and elsewhere throughout Australia. This novel is a combination of Vince's professional battles, with another high-risk delivery threatening his entire medical career, and the more personal. The guilt he feels about his brother's death is compounded by the guilt he feels over his long-distance relationship with his twin daughters - growing into teenagers rapidly, and his regret over the failure of his marriage. He's not so regretful when it comes to winding up former colleagues and his wife's new boyfriend however, and he can't seem to keep his sarcastic mouth to himself, even when keeping a low profile and not annoying influential people would be the sensible approach.
Then there's his friendship with DC Elena Genovesi that isn't romantic, but could be; is mutually supportive, but might not be if he doesn't keep his nose out of police business; and his next door neighbours - who feed him, help him care for his dog and have befriended him even as he clod-hops his way through everybody's lives including his own.
This is regional / rural crime in that the setting is mainly large country-town Warrnambool, because Vince's family are from the Wimmera and they still had connections to the land and the farm, and because the abuse was particularly prevalent in Country Victoria. The series does give you a bit of a glimpse into life in those larger country-towns that are starting to build in Victoria. There's urban elements there - cafes / restaurants / food delivery services, but there's still a rural"ish" feeling - the footy club / the way that people know each other more closely, and the ties of so many people "back to the farm / family" out in the rural areas.
Vince is an interesting character, and these two novels are an interesting series. Sure they are a bit on the frenetic side at times, and they can also wander off into the internal monologue space a bit. YOU'RE NEVER THE SAME tackles a difficult, very topical subject with some care and illumination. It's not often that you get a glimpse into the perspective of the family left behind, victims in their own right of the appalling behaviour of the abusers and the enablers within that awful church. It does it with humanity and failure, passion and belief, with the characteristic slightly light, but never disrespectful touch that seems to be at the core of this series.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Vince was a big-shot OBY/GYN in Melbourne until one disastrous patient outcome saw him banned from specialist practice, exiled to Warrnambool on the southwest Victorian Coast, working as a GP under the strict supervision of the Medical Board. Along the way he separated from his wife and twin daughters, but kept his beloved Deefer (dog), his elderly Volvo and has started to make some friends and contacts in the town that he know seems, granted reluctantly, to like living in.
HARD LABOUR introduced you to Vince and his family, with heaps of background into what got him to Warrnambool and the way his life is panning out, but there's more than enough in this second novel to get you up to speed quickly. It's a pretty good balancing job as the focus of this is very much on Vince's family, the suicide of his brother, his sister-in-law's pursuit of the reason for that death, and the fall out that comes as a result of realising that his brother was the victim of a paedophile priest at the time that they were both boarders at St Bernard's College in Ballarat.
Anybody who knows about the scourge of the catholic church in Ballarat will quickly figure out where the real life St Bernard's College, just as they will realise that many of the events that Vince's family are experiencing have been endured by way too many families in Ballarat and elsewhere throughout Australia. This novel is a combination of Vince's professional battles, with another high-risk delivery threatening his entire medical career, and the more personal. The guilt he feels about his brother's death is compounded by the guilt he feels over his long-distance relationship with his twin daughters - growing into teenagers rapidly, and his regret over the failure of his marriage. He's not so regretful when it comes to winding up former colleagues and his wife's new boyfriend however, and he can't seem to keep his sarcastic mouth to himself, even when keeping a low profile and not annoying influential people would be the sensible approach.
Then there's his friendship with DC Elena Genovesi that isn't romantic, but could be; is mutually supportive, but might not be if he doesn't keep his nose out of police business; and his next door neighbours - who feed him, help him care for his dog and have befriended him even as he clod-hops his way through everybody's lives including his own.
This is regional / rural crime in that the setting is mainly large country-town Warrnambool, because Vince's family are from the Wimmera and they still had connections to the land and the farm, and because the abuse was particularly prevalent in Country Victoria. The series does give you a bit of a glimpse into life in those larger country-towns that are starting to build in Victoria. There's urban elements there - cafes / restaurants / food delivery services, but there's still a rural"ish" feeling - the footy club / the way that people know each other more closely, and the ties of so many people "back to the farm / family" out in the rural areas.
Vince is an interesting character, and these two novels are an interesting series. Sure they are a bit on the frenetic side at times, and they can also wander off into the internal monologue space a bit. YOU'RE NEVER THE SAME tackles a difficult, very topical subject with some care and illumination. It's not often that you get a glimpse into the perspective of the family left behind, victims in their own right of the appalling behaviour of the abusers and the enablers within that awful church. It does it with humanity and failure, passion and belief, with the characteristic slightly light, but never disrespectful touch that seems to be at the core of this series.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
October 30, 2019
Dr. Vincent Hanrahan, a medical doctor currently on the outs with the Australian medical authorities in general and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Board in particular, has been banished to a small country practice and prohibited from performing services in his specialty. Rejected by his wife, he is hanging on to his profession and his life with the help of a few close friends and colleagues. As if his personal problems aren’t enough, he is faced with the suicide of his younger brother; a suicide that incites a murder all of which have far-reaching implications in Vince’s life, in the local Catholic Church, and the local community.
You’re Never the Same is a whodunit mystery that is a bit outside the box. There are multiple crimes, but the questions that must be answered are who among the Catholic clergy are child molesters and who is not; who drove Vince’s brother to suicide…and who committed murder for revenge.
This plot delves deeply into the wide-ranging controversy over the Catholic Church’s protection of child-molesting priests and its effect on a local Catholic community. It is full of twists and suggestions of sub-plots and perpetrators that will keep the reader guessing. The story develops maddingly slowly as readers must pick through the details of Vince’s life and problems with the medical boards that have him teetering on the edge of failure. Although this factor slows the mystery, it also adds to the suspense and is forgivable. All in all, Vince is a likable character fallen on hard times and who is victimized by the personal animosity of some professional colleagues. His wife, Lydia (“Lids”) seems shallow and more concerned for her social standing. Fortunately, he has others helping him. The characters are very well developed and believable.
You’re Never the Same would be an excellent read for any lover of whodunits, especially those interested in the potential effects of the sexual malfeasance of clergymen. It is not an action-filled book, but it kept my interest, is entertaining and is a potentially accurate reflection of life for those who find themselves in similar circumstances. 4.5-Stars
This book was provided free by the publisher in hopes of receiving an honest review. The above review represents my honest opinion of the book.
You’re Never the Same is a whodunit mystery that is a bit outside the box. There are multiple crimes, but the questions that must be answered are who among the Catholic clergy are child molesters and who is not; who drove Vince’s brother to suicide…and who committed murder for revenge.
This plot delves deeply into the wide-ranging controversy over the Catholic Church’s protection of child-molesting priests and its effect on a local Catholic community. It is full of twists and suggestions of sub-plots and perpetrators that will keep the reader guessing. The story develops maddingly slowly as readers must pick through the details of Vince’s life and problems with the medical boards that have him teetering on the edge of failure. Although this factor slows the mystery, it also adds to the suspense and is forgivable. All in all, Vince is a likable character fallen on hard times and who is victimized by the personal animosity of some professional colleagues. His wife, Lydia (“Lids”) seems shallow and more concerned for her social standing. Fortunately, he has others helping him. The characters are very well developed and believable.
You’re Never the Same would be an excellent read for any lover of whodunits, especially those interested in the potential effects of the sexual malfeasance of clergymen. It is not an action-filled book, but it kept my interest, is entertaining and is a potentially accurate reflection of life for those who find themselves in similar circumstances. 4.5-Stars
This book was provided free by the publisher in hopes of receiving an honest review. The above review represents my honest opinion of the book.
January 22, 2020
Dr. Vince Hanrahan (disgraced obst/gyn) is still living out his banishment from his Melbourne practice in the coastal town of Warrnambool, a situation that further alienates him from his Melbourne-based wife and teenage girls. The novel opens with a personal tragedy for Vince and circumstances continue to conspire against him, particularly after a risky delivery, for which he is carpeted by the medical bureaucrats.
Bateman is especially good with local colour and characters, however he needs to trust his Readers more; the major crime occurs halfway through the book, and should have had more early prominence.
Bateman is especially good with local colour and characters, however he needs to trust his Readers more; the major crime occurs halfway through the book, and should have had more early prominence.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews