Snake Oil

Patrick Flint #2

by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

A doctor on a quest to make a difference.
A flirty widow with a suspiciously dead husband.
When Patrick Flint goes after a murderer, he puts everything —and everyone — he cares about on the line.

Patrick Flint feels a calling to volunteer at the impoverished Indian Health Services clinic on the Wind River Reservation that he can’t completely explain. His wife Susanne supports this—usually—but her family is coming for their first Wyoming visit, twelve-year-old Perry is stir crazy and looking for trouble, teenager Trish is dangerously in love, and she and Patrick are in the final stages of negotiations for their dream house. The Christmas holidays are not a convenient time for him to be gone, to say the least, or to be out of communication, which is exactly what happens when a series of blizzards knocks out power and phone lines all over the region.

When Patrick arrives in Fort Washakie to a flirty reception from the young clinic manager, Constance, he discovers Big Mike Teton, a tribal council member, dead in the health center parking lot. The circumstances point toward poisoning, but local law enforcement pooh-poohs that idea the second Patrick brings it up. So does Big Mike’s widow—none other than the lovely Constance.

Stranded in the storm, Patrick follows his heart and the medical evidence in his quest to figure out what killed Big Mike. No one on the reservation seems happy about his involvement. But they aren’t half as unhappy with him as Susanne is back in Buffalo when their realtor calls with a make-or-break counteroffer on the house, and she still can’t reach him after two days of radio silence.

As Patrick’s investigation begins to ruffle the wrong feathers, a frantic Susanne loads up the kids and her extended family for a trek across Wyoming to roust her husband, only to discover she’s not the only woman with a strong interest in the good doctor.

Snake Oil is the second book in the brand new Patrick Flint series of thrilling mysteries, a spin-off from the What Doesn't Kill You saga. Available in digital, print, and audiobook.

If you like C.J. Box or Craig Johnson, you will love USA Today Best Seller Pamela Fagan Hutchins' Patrick Flint series. A former attorney, Pamela splits her time between Snoweresville, WY and Nowheresville, TX.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Ebooks, Westerns, Fiction

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2020

About the author

I'm a USA Today bestselling mystery/suspense/thriller author and a big horse and sled dog enthusiast.

My hunky husband and I ride our beloved draft cross horses way up in the frozen north of Snowheresville, WY, where we run a rustic, off-the-grid lodge on the face of the Bighorn Mountains. When I'm not writing or riding, I'm passionate about wilderness sports, always with a couple of rescue dogs, bear spray, a mountain lion knife, and my Judge. NO ANIMALS HAVE BEEN HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS LIFE ADVENTURE (but don't sneak up on me).

I've made some lists and won some awards, yada yada. Amazon Charts Top 25 bestseller. USA Today Bestseller. The Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery WINNER (Fighting for Anna), the WINNERS for USA Best Books Fiction: Cross Genre (Hell to Pay, Heaven to Betsy), and others. With books "in print" of over 3,000,000, readers seem to enjoy the books—I think they have exceptionally good taste. {insert goofy grin here} Lots of them follow my show Wine Women & Writing, too, where I fangirl my favorite authors and interview them for your listening and viewing pleasure. Subscribe free at http://bit.ly/PamelaWWWR <--case sensitive.

You can read my series in any order or as standalones, but they're a lot of fun if you do them like this:

* Detective Delaney Pace (coming soon!): Her Silent Bones, Her HIdden Grave, Her Last Cry, Her Forgotten Shadow, Her Burning Lies, and Her Cold Heart.

* Patrick Flint Wyoming-based series (PG):
Switchback, Snake Oil, Sawbones, Scapegoat, Snaggle Tooth, Stag Party, Sitting Duck, and Skin & Bones. #9 coming in 2026.

* The Jenn Herrington Wyoming Mysteries (PG-13):
BIG HORN, WALKER PRAIRIE, and RED GRADE coming in 2026.

* What Doesn't Kill You Super Series:
1.Caribben-based Katie Connell (PG-13): Saving Grace, Leaving Annalise, Finding Harmony, and Seeking Felicity
2. Texas-based Emily Bernal (PG-13): Heaven to Betsy Earth to Emily, Hell to Pay
3. Texas-based Michele Lopez Hanson (PG-13): Going for Kona, Fighting for Anna, Searching for Dime Box
4. Wyoming-based Maggie Killian (R, language): Live Wire, Sick Puppy, Dead Pile (plus shorts Buckle Bunny and Shock Jock)
5. Caribbean-based Ava Butler (R, sexual situations): Bombshell, Stunner, Knockout

I also have a children's book series featuring Poppy, the world's best grandfather, and Petey, his blind Boston terrier.
Free starter library https://pamelafaganhutchins.com/maili...

If after all that you still want to learn more about my books, my podcast, or me, then God Bless Ya.

There are many ways: My website and its blog. The aforementioned newsletter. Email me: Pamela at PamelaFaganHutchins dot come. And you can follow me around the web:

Website: https://pamelafaganhutchins.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamel...
Pamela's Posse for Readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pamel...
Facebook http://facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutc...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/pamelafa...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamela_faga...
Twitter http://twitter.com/PamelotH
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/pamelafaganh...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pamelafaganhu...
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pamela_fagan...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pamelafaganhu...

And, finally, to learn more about my fellow SkipJack Publishing authors, visit: http://skipjackpublishing.com/.

Reviews

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blizzard…oh yeah. I love a book that starts out with some natural disaster. And with Patrick Flint, I know there is trouble on the way

Patrick Flint is a doctor that goes above and beyond his duty. Today he is on his way to the Wind River Indian Reservation, while Susanne is having the family in for Christmas and dealing with her teenage daughter’s love life… Brandon plays a part in the first book of the series, Switchback, so I won’t tell you his story. Pamela Fagan Hutchins does highlight the events, so you miss nothing, except another wonderful love story with some mystery thrown in. Each book can stand alone.

I do love when an author includes some native mysticism.

A life is taken, a life is born.

Due to the blizzard, Susanne is unable to contact Patrick. He is trapped in town with no phone, no internet, no way to let her know he arrived and is okay. That’s all right, though. Susanne is coming to the rescue…along with the family, mom, dad, son, daughter, and a stowaway.

I love this feisty, courageous wife and mother.

I am loving this series that is loosely based on Pamela Fagan Hutchins personal life. I guess that’s why the characters come through as authentic and real.

There are so many suspects, I can’t find the guilty party. I love when an author keeps me guessing.

Pamela Fagan Hutchins’ writing is easy to read and engrossing, with a mystery that grows on every page and true to life characters that mature and develop throughout each book. I look forward to finding out what will happen next, seeing Patrick Flint’s middle name should be Trouble, with a capital T. LOL

A man is only as strong as the woman behind him. LOL

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Snake Oil by Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

See more at fundnmental

[R.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The snow is thick and so is the mystery in this novel. Patrick Flint has once again left his family to do something, and the reader knows it's a mistake he will pay for. I liked the mystery of the who-dunnit. I never figured it out, but wasn't too surprised at the end. The method of the murders was nasty. I appreciated the whole family chipping in to help. Good, recommended reading.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snake Oil: A Patrick Flint Novel - a review by Rosemary Kenny

*some spoilers*Snake oil is the ''magical cure-all' bogus medicine commonly sold from travelling side show wagons by so-called 'doctors' way back when in the 'Wild West' days, but nothing could be less appropriately applied to MC Patrick Flint, who's faithful (in the face of determined temptation) to his lovely wife Susanne, a great Dad to his kids, the waywardly 'in love' 15-going-on-21 daughter Trish and 12 year old, adventurous and growing up fast,Perry and a dedicated medical professional, who with his pal Wes Braten,volunteers at the Fort Washakie Indian Health Services clinic on Wyoming's Wind River Reservation.Nurse/manager at the clinic is the knockout beauty,Constance Taton, wife of a tribal councillor,'Big Mike' Taton,found mysteriously and suddenly dead in the car park of the clinic. Patrick and Wes are involved in helping a desperate young couple stranded in the snow, as the wife's about to give birth,so the former doesn't take any direct action, beyond (getting Wes to notify the ambulance and the ME and), staying with the couple.
Phew! You'd think that was enough of a storyline to fill a large novel to the brim, but no, Pamela Fagan Hutchins goes above and far. far beyond the zenith of a less dedicated storyteller, as she then interweaves the other side of the family equation,with Patrick's wife Susanne and their kids left at home, preparing for Christmas and awaiting other family members to arrive for their customary Holiday get-together..That seems pretty mundane,if happy,compared to the challenges Patrick and Wes are facing with the rising storms, (and bearing in mind that back in the 1970s timeline of this story, there was no Internet, social media or cell phones - shock horror, but true dear Reader!!) and literally matters of life and death. We share in Susanne's struggle to control Trish's unbridled teen lust for local bad boy Brandon...oh and to keep track of Perry,who,having broken his leg some weeks earlier and being impatient for his plaster to be removed immediately,(so he can have fun in the snow with his cousin Mathew) attempts to cut it off himself, causing more problems.Then there's the nightmare of (what used to be common in the '70s) gazumping - waiting til the last minute to pull out of a house sale to bump up the price - that Susanne has to deal with, as the family longs to buy the Wyoming house they've set their hearts on. Due to the weather,the phone lines are down and Susanne has to rely on her father 'Papa Bear as he's known on the truckers' CB radio, that again was so popular at the time, to find out why Patrick hasn't called and what's happened to him. Add to all that the rumours about Patrick's 'attraction' to new widow,with whom he's pictured in the local newspaper,the possibly suspicious circumstances of death of 'Big Mike', Constance's unsavoury (to say the least!) relatives by marriage, who,seem to hate her and believe she murdered her hubby and even a serial killer to the mix and I'm sure you'll agree Snake Oil will blow your mind and make you beg to read not only Switchback (Book 1) but eagerly await Book 3.What are you waiting for - grab your fix of Patrick Flint today and wait for the Snake Oil to work its magic - it's another 5-star Pamela Fagan Hutchins winner!!

[Ridgely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pamela Fagan Hutchins promises readers a week not easily forgotten. #2 in Patrick Flint series, Snake Oil, delivers.

A blizzardly trip to Fort Washakie Health Center kicks off with a snowy breakdown. Hutchins’ descriptive prose puts the reader in the snowy river with Dr. Patrick Flint as he catches icy water for best friend Wes Braten who is back working on Gussie, his beloved truck. Readers can feel Gussie’s heater kick in as the two men continue their journey to volunteer time at the medical clinic. What follows next includes a birthing Mama and a dead man in a car. While wondering about the birth and the who, what and why of the man’s death, Hutchins introduces Patrick’s wife Suzanne, who is, by the way, struggling to get ready for the family holiday arrival-alone! All this... within minutes of page one. This book is a keeper- you’re hooked!

Such as it is with all Hutchins’ work-a reader steps into the story and lives it. When you’re not actively reading Snake Oil, you’re wondering what is happening. This defines fiction at its finest-the only disappointment is the last page.


Such as it is with all Hutchins work-a reader steps into the story and lives it. When you’re not actively reading Snake Oil, you’re wondering what is happening. This defines fiction at its finest-the only disappointment is the last page.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely realistic and delightful story. Takes place in the wilds of Wyoming and gives insight as to how it was. The reader is totally absorbed in the story. Don’t miss out.

[Richard Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

Dr Patrick Flint really stepped in it this time. Lots of good character descriptions and Trish really got on my nerves. I recommend this book for everyone.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another super realistic visit to the wilds of Wyoming. The story is so exciting and suspenseful that you have to stay with it to the end. It has elements of romance, jealousy, violence and murder. Dr. Flint is caught in a blizzard on his near Christmas trip to the medical center on the Arapahoe reservation and the problems just pile on from there. As in the first book of this series the descriptions bring the countryside to life without getting in the way of the story. From the human interaction to the environment, many good reasons make this a great book.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was pretty good but I gave it three stars because the only character I like is Wes and he’s a minor character.

The story itself held my interest, was decently paced, it’s just, the author does not in anyway endear these characters to the reader. Maybe the son, Perry, is someone to like but the rest, I could care less about and seriously, everything that could go wrong went wrong. Just like the last book, there is this never ending trail of mishaps, tragedies, attacks, and that is what takes away the connection to reality. I’ve read fantasies that are more believable than this family’s never ending trauma. It’s always something.

But the story is well written, plot moves along at a good pace, I just don’t feel like I know their world because there is no sense of place. Yes, Wyoming, 1976. I just don’t feel like I’m there. Yet I will read another book in the series because as I said the story itself isn’t bad, it’s just the awful people.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traveling in blizzard weather conditions to volunteer at a Indian Health Center when their car breaks down, time line 1970. Then when they do reach the place there is a dead man, a woman ready to give birth, and all lines of communication are down. Add in Patrick’s wife who stayed at home preparing for the guest, and doesn’t know where he is at. A story with great characters, and a plot filled with twists and turns. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

[Ellen Mize · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little better than the first one. It's pretty predictable and events don't seem to have a logical basis for happening.

[Kristine Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS. Audio Book / Print Combo Review. This second installment in the Patrick Flint series is just as engaging as the first, and there is never a dull moment with so many moving parts and different viewpoints -- oh, and dead bodies! Be warned: there are spoilers if you haven't read the first book in the series, Switchback (why?!). Otherwise, for returning readers, our memories of the harrowing experiences the Flint family has endured are satisfactorily refreshed.

At its core, the story is about family and since the story is told from each of the Flint family members’ viewpoints, it makes them all feel very real. Even when they are at odds with one another, they come together and support and help each other in real times of crisis, like all families do. (Unlike many families, "support" in this family gets pretty violent at times.) As a bonus, in Snake Oil, the extended family has joined the Flints for the holidays, adding an additional layer of authenticity and some levity. Some scenes were reminiscent of the Vacation movies.

Also realistic is the setting. Hutchins has a flair for writing what she knows, and that is Wyoming and the '70s, apparently. Rich descriptions of scenery place the readers in the bitter, but beautiful cold of December in rugged country. And a sprinkling of specific details reminds readers of the time period: The International Harvester Travelall, the shag carpet, telephones being out of service, and YAASSSS! CB radios!

There is more than one mystery to be solved, and the slight paranormal/spiritual touch with the Native American angle piqued my interest and took the story in a fascinating direction. The central mystery really wasn't much of one for me; in a rare feat, I suspected whodunit and why very early on. Even so, Hutchins made me doubt my conclusion many times over and gives readers reason to be suspicious of many of the intriguing characters in Snake Oil. There are several plots meandering around each other, sometimes crossing but often independent, and there are one too many timing coincidences, but they all add to developing the people and place of the series, and everything is nicely resolved by story's end. I can't wait to see what comes next in Sawbones, the next installment in the series.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Absolutely no complaints, here. The book is narrated by the author, and she nails it. She knows her characters, of course, but she also has a talent for even pacing and delivery, clear diction, and subtle expression so that listeners can get absorbed in the story without being hung up on its delivery.

I picked up my print copy (and of course, got it autographed) at the 2020 Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend, but I was provided the audio copy from SkipJack Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion -- the only kind I give. This full review can also be found on Hall Ways Blog.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying these novels set in the Pacific NW - mainly Wyoming though Montana and Yellowstone make the occasional appearance - and placed in the late 1970s BEFORE cellphones and on-demand TV series were even dreamed of. It brings back memories galore from that time in my own life and much more appreciative of the conveniences we take for granted nearly 50 years later. In this one, the tremendous advantages of CB radio at that time, with a range of up to 25 miles and widely used by truckers and occasionally others frequently on the road but even that was not an everyday advantage in the far west, with communities sometimes an hour or two apart down long lonesome highways. Patrick and his friend and co-worker Wes Braten are stranded at the Indian Health Center for the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes on the Wind River Reservation during a December storm that dropped several feet of snow and temps into the negative 20s, without phone service or electricity. Their two or three-day visit may last much longer. They have a new baby coming, the mother whom they found in a broken down car on the side of the road, a man who died stepping from his vehicle at the clinic parking lot unfortunately on the side without windows, and a child suffering from spinal meningitis who requires immediate hospitalization which is a couple of hours away, just to begin their monthly trip away from home. The waiting room is packed with hurting folk, and Constance is run off her feet already. Wes will drive the boy and his mother, leaving Patrick to handle the rest. The older man dead and cold in his car will just have to wait.

Wife Susanne meanwhile hasn't heard from Patrick who normally checks in on arrival, is unable to contact him, trying frantically to get their house ready and food prepared for five members of her Texas family, who will be visiting them for the first time in Wyoming, arriving by car imminently and staying over for Christmas which she also is not entirely prepared for, and the kids are as usual. 12-year-old Perry was kicked out of Sunday School for fighting and 15-year-old Trish is too, much too deeply into her first crush with bad-boy Brandon and seeking around, and Susanne's dream house that might hold her in Wyoming despite her homesickness for Dallas and family has received a counter offer she will have to re-counter by 5 pm. The family arrives 6 hours early, long before she is ready. But her Dad has a CB radio, from which he starts a relay to try and find out what's going on at the clinic on the reservation and find out Patrick's thoughts on the bid on their perhaps new abode. Of Course, when it finally reaches Susanne, the news is not anything she wants to hear - but it could be worse. Just wait. It will be worse.

What a ride! A really good tale, told very well. I am pleased to recommend Pamela Fagan Hutchins to friends and family. She tells interesting, exciting, easily pictured stories we can all sympathize with, and her word pictures of this area bring it to life in every chapter.
REVIEWED but NOT re-counted on December 17, 2024 at Patrick Flint series 1-3.

[Tina Petriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snake Oil is book #2 in the Patrick Flint Novel saga. Patrick Flint is a doctor who moved his family to Wyoming from Texas 2 years ago. The family had a tough time with things but Patrick has done nothing but flourish there. After the last excursion Susanne, his wife, wants Patrick to help with getting the house and family ready for Christmas with her folks. Unfortunately for Susanne Patrick has volunteer work that he feels strongly about doing at the Impoverished Indian Health Services clinic on the Wind River Reservation. Patrick and Wes head out to the clinic but end up getting caught up in a winter storm that is so bad they end up being stranded there for days without power or phone lines. Since Susanne was supposed to hear from Patrick but didn't her "spidey" sense is telling her that she needs to go find Patrick. She packs up the entire family and heads off to a place that she is not happy about.

In the meantime, her father has been getting some tidbits of information about Patrick and the receptionist/Nurse, Constance, who works at the clinic through the CB radio. Things are getting a little on the hairy side of things with all that is going on but Patrick must solve the mystery of how Big Mike died even if no one else wants him to. The worse thing for Susanne comes when she is in the hotel's restaurant in Lander and happens to witness firsthand the flirtations of Constance with Patrick. From there it is just more of the crazy ride.

Okay so let me talk about this amazing book! The first one may have been a little slow to get going for me but this one... WOW! I couldn't put it down. I thought it was done spectacularly and done where it seemed in a very limited amount of imagery, a snow storm. It has such heart that I can't wait to read the next one. I really love Susanne in these books. She is the protector of her family, the mama bear, and she has great intuition or sixth sense about her family. I also like how her and Patrick love each other. It is very obvious in the first one but in the second you find a deeper perspective to that love. It's all about the trust that Susanne has for Patrick and how it encases the family on a whole.

I really recommend reading this series, definitely this second book, it is a great story that is easy to read. A real page turner. It has all the great parts of a mystery while also including some real scenarios that are part of Wyoming.

[Sheree K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaker breaker 1 9! Anybody copy?

Snake Oil is the continuing story of Dr Patrick Flint set in the seventies pre-cell phones. Having moved his family from Texas to Wyoming, Suzanne's family is coming in for the Christmas holiday. She's in high gear getting the house ready. Patrick leaves her, much to her chagrin, to go to a clinic on the Wind River Reservation where he volunteers a weekend a month. It's only for 2 days; what could go wrong?

Indeed. A blinding blizzard takes out the electric and phones. He finds a man in the back of the parking lot 1/2 out of his truck, dead. A small child is brought in with a high fever, so he needs to go to the hospital several miles away. The man in the parking lot turns out to be the husband of the nurse/clinic mgr Patrick was there to assist.

He wants to call the police but they're on a reservation so they call the local officer instead. When he gets there and talks to Constance, Patrick notices something off about their reactions. He suggests an autopsy which is declined, "it's not their way." He is the intending who must figure out cause of death so he had taken a urine sample to send off for a toxicology report. The officer looks at him and said, now why would you do that? Hmm..

Strange things continue to happen. Patrick is suspecting fowl play. Big Mike was on the Tribal Council and was making some conservation decisions which weren't popular. Then his sister blames Constance as his murderer. Constance starts behaving oddly towards him. Is she coming on to him??

Turns out there were several with motive either real or imagined. Big Mike was talking to Patrick through his dreams so he kept prodding to find out the truth which almost cost him his life as well.

Growing up in the sixties and seventies, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The shows on TV, the actions of the children, Suzanne's father on a CB trying to find out about what happened to Patrick; these were all fond memories to me. Looking forward to the next book!

[Toni G · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

4.5 Stars. Again, I stayed up late reading about the Flint family adventures. It starts with Patrick and his best friend and co-worker trying to negotiate a treacherous road through the Wyoming mountains during a blizzard at night. No visibility, below zero temperatures, and if a mistake's made, there's a very steep drop-off available for them.

Once a month, Patrick and Wes volunteer at the Indian health care clinic on the Wind River reservation. It's just a few days before Christmas, and Patrick assures his wife, Susanne, he'll be back in plenty of time to help her get ready for the holiday and a visit from her family. Susanne understands that as a doctor, it's Patrick's job to help people, but just this one time, couldn't he have stayed at home to help her? Six family members are on their way, and they're staying for a week.

Patrick and Wes finally make it to the clinic, and the patients are starting to line up. There's no electricity or phone service. Medical emergencies, a dead body, a married and flirtatious nurse, culture clashes, and there's bad blood between some of the members of the Native community. Patrick's concerned about the dead man. Was it a natural death or foul play?

Susanne's family arrives early, and she's more than a little frustrated because there's still a lot to do, and she hasn't heard from Patrick. Her best guess is that he hasn't called because he can't. They always keep in touch while he's away. But her gut tells her there's something wrong. It's been more than 24 hours. She's convinced she's got to get to Patrick, and the weather has worsened. If Susanne heads to the reservation to find him, what can she do with her two kids and her six house guests?
Snake Oil is a well written suspenseful mystery that's adventurous, dangerous, and exciting. Snake Oil made me anxious, and I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to reading Sawbones. Thumbs way up.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series. Book 1 was VERY fast paced and edge of your seat reading which introduced you to the main characters. This book (2) moves the characters along through a new mystery with lots of family dynamics complicating things. With a blizzard forecast in the making, an offer on the dream house that his wife Susanne wants to make her happy with their move from Texas to Wyoming, with the first visit from her entire family coming to Wyoming, their young son stuck with a broken ankle in a cast and hating it and her teenage daughter caught up in her "first" love with the wrong boy, our good doctor Patrick Flint decides he and his co-worker Wes must go to the Wind River Reservation where they volunteer their services. When he gets to the clinic, he finds a dead body in a pickup in the parking lot and decides to deal with it after he sees all the patients waiting for him. His nurse, Constance, who seems to have a crush on the doctor helps with the patients and then goes out to the truck to bring in the dead man. It happens to be Constance's husband, Big Mike. The reservation sheriff feels it is natural causes, but the doctor is skeptical. Now he is snowed in and can't get home to help Susanne, the offer on the house is not accepted and she is given a deadline to either up it or bow out and she has to deal with entertaining a houseful. Add to that, it seems the doctor is having strange dreams that keep his insecurities in front as to the death of Big Mike. So much happens with so many road blocks, should he just giver up and go home? Susanne is a very strong woman, but will seeing the doctor in what looks like an embrace with Constance his nurse in the newspaper and could all the events happening at once break her down? You must read this to find out! I received and ARC from the author but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Dave Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and reviewed the first book in the Patrick Flint series a while ago, and I criticized it as a formulaic western outdoor adventure, and I was uncertain whether I would read the next book. Well, I just completed Snake Oil by Pamela Fagan Hutchins, and I can confirm that plot complexity and character development made a dramatic improvement. In this installment, Dr. Patrick Flint, fulfills his duties as a visiting doctor at a health clinic in Fort Washakie near Lander, WY near a native American reservation. This trip coincides with the holiday season, and Patrick's wife, Susanne, remains in Buffalo to entertain her side of the family, as it drives up from Texas. The director of the health clinic, Constance, is an extremely attractive native American, and early during the visit, her husband, Big Mike, is discovered dead in his truck outside their ranch. Patrick suspects homicide, and as he pursues cause of death, the locals resist all his efforts. That's as far as I'll go. The entire Flint family is involved in this episode, and chapters are narrated by Patrick, Susanne, Trish, and Perry. Trish and Perry are Patrick and Susanne's daughter and son. I like the development of the family, and it reminds me of the the Pickett's from C. J. Box's series. In fact, Patrick possesses many of the qualities of Joe, as he pursues fairness and justice above and beyond his normal responsibilities. The peripheral characters; Constance, Officer Justin Dann, Riley, Wes and the Flint extended family are all well done. Of course, the entire adventure coincides with some nasty holiday weather, and that circumstance plays into the plot. I am back on track for the next book in the Patrick Flint series.

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging, dark, mysterious, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75 ⭐

I feel that this was a better written story. I still feel that Patrick, his wife and two children have issues, but then again...so do all families (I guess). It just comes off weird, when I hear their daughter speak to her parents the way she does (and all the things she does behind their backs). But, again, that's real life.

I know that cheating on spouses is a thing that happens, but I just don't think Patrick would do that to his wife...and since I don't think he'd do that...you'd think his wife would know that too. On the other hand, Patrick made a series of mistakes on how he dealt with one character. 

As I was reading this...I turned to my wife and would tell her what he just did. She would reply, "he'll regret doing that (or not doing anything in THAT situation). Yeah, I wouldn't have allowed myself to be put in a lot of these situations. Sorry. The mere instance of possible impropriety can be seen bad to the public. Always sheild yourself.

Overall, the story was intriguing and I didn't figure out who had done it...till it was revealed...so in that sense it was good. I should've but I didn't.

Yeah, onward to the next book.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very exciting story about a very committed doctor (Patrick Flint) who volunteers to help out at a reservation medical centre.
There some excellent aspects to this book, the characters are very well defined, the descriptions of the wilderness where the action takes place and the mystery of the native American found dead in his car outside the medical centre.
I also liked that there was a parallel story of Patrick's wife trying to put an offer in on a new house.
There is brilliantly written suspense with the dead man's wife behaving in a very inappropriate way, and threats from the locals who think that the doctor is being disrespectful to the dead man and their culture.
However I thought that his wife's jealousy was a bit over the top, she seemed prepared to believe that he had been unfaithful on very little evidence, and there seemed to be a bit of a contradiction between him claiming to have studied Indian culture and then later professing that he didn't know much about it.
On a final note I thought that the use of the CB radios added a rather nice whimsical note to the story, and very much placed it in the correct period in the 1970s.
I received an advance copy of the book, but have voluntarily reviewed it.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snake Oil (Patrick Flint #2) written and read by Pamela Fagan Hutchins has doctor Flint stuck on the Wind River Indian Reservation after a terrible blizzard. He's there to provide his medical services to the impoverished reservation community as he does for a few days each month.

When he arrives in Fort Washakie, he discovers Big Mike Teton, a tribal council member, dead in the parking lot. The circumstances point toward poisoning, but local law enforcement an his widow, the medical worker at the clinic act like it isn't possible or likely.

No one seems interested in discovering the true cause of death. In fact, samples he submits for testing disappear and he's told they were never received. But the good doctor keeps investigating to try and discover the killer he believes exists. His investigation turns up conflicting information which leads him to believe that various individuals are responsible. The entire adventure is exciting and comes to a head when Flint's wife and family arrive to find him and bring him home. She finds that the widow seems to be making a play for Flint and things get worse and worse. The progress toward resolution is exciting and kept me listening far into the night. As always, the author's narration enhances the story.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the series hopped over the bar set by the first book!
We have the opportunity to step into Dr. Patrick's life again in Wyoming, this time during the holiday season. He and his wife, Susanne, are looking forward to buying their dream home, his teenage daughter Trish is still perplexing and growing up fast, while his son Perry is definitely an early adolescent. Dr. Patrick has an inner moral compass and so he travels to a reservation-based health center where he becomes embroiled in murder and mayhem during a ferocious storm that strands the entire area without communications. His contributions to the homicide investigation are not always welcome as more and more discoveries are revealed. There are tensions within and between the various communities with both hidden and apparent loyalties and betrayals. This is a thriller that weaves a web that you'll get caught up in...my recommendation is to start reading in the morning with a mug of coffee/tea, so you're not up all night!!!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is almost Christmas and Suzanne's family are arriving from Texas for the holiday, but Patrick is off to work his monthly stint at an Indian reservation clinic. His wife is not happy because they have a bid in on their dream home, but they could lose it if Patrick is not around to close the deal.

Patrick arrives at the reservation clinic to find a dead man in a truck out front. As he can do nothing for the man, he gets busy tending to the living who need him more and only finds out later that the deceased is the husband of the nurse in charge of the clinic.

Although Patrick suspects the victim was murdered, everyone seems opposed to an inquiry. Reservation police officer Dann and even the new widow want Patrick to drop the matter. The widow even puts the moves on Patrick. Feisty Suzanne once again hops in the car and rushes to save her man - both from the killer and from the clutches of the new widow.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed SWITCHBACK, the first book in the series. This one was endless with lots of people throwing hissy fits. I guess I am lucky in that I had trust in my husband and daughters. Suzanne acts like her teenage daughter and is very self-centered, especially since it doesn’t appear that she earns any income. She is blessed with a husband that wants to help others with his medical expertise, but thinks he should give that up because she stomps her foot. Not a good role model even if it was 1976.

The daughter has a near death experience in the first book but is so immature and self centered that it does not appear that the experience affected her at all!

I HATE the headings of time, date, and location at the beginning of every chapter. They are easy to ignore when you are reading a book but not when listening to the audio. They are completely superfluous as the action is sequential. The location would suffice.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for more action in this second novel featuring Dr. Patrick Flint and his family. It seems trouble finds Dr. Flint even as he travels to a rural hospital just before the holidays. And worse trouble awaits there. The wintry setting in the first chapter had me shivering, and I could almost feel the relief when they finally found heat. This may be my favorite of all the books by PFH, and she has set the bar high with her earlier trilogies. The strong personalities, realistic attitudes, and reactions during family scenes made it so easy to immediately turn all attention to their world. I also really enjoyed the timeline of 1976; it brought back a lot of memories (and an appreciation of modern cell phones!). I look forward to another book and hope they have a few months of peace before the next dangerous situation arrives! A great way to escape the news and chaos of the real world and escape to Wyoming for a few hours.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book is like a rocket blasting into the unknown. Patrick Flint is a doctor on his way to serve at a medical clinic on an Indian reservation in Wyoming just before Christmas. On his way there, in a blizzard, he encounters serious automobile issues, a plunge through ice and then a baby being born. He also encounters a body hanging half out of a vehicle at the clinic.

While battling power and telephone outages, he is trying to determine if the dead man has been murdered. No one, including the widow, wants to aid in an investigation,. Meanwhile, Patrick's wife is dealing with family issues many miles away.

What a ride this book is! Lots of intrigue and the characters are dealing with so many issues. I recommend this book.

[Cindi Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snakeoil is the 2nd book in the Patrick Flint series, a spin off of the What Doesn't Kill you series by Pamela Fagan Hutchins. This series is based in the 70s and Patrick is a doctor that wants to make a difference in the world. In this book he heads off to the Wind River Indian Reservation with his partner in Wyoming during Christmas time with a blizzard heading their way. Along the way they encounter a murder, unfriendly locals that don't want the crime solved, uncooperative law officials, many twists & turns to the case and a wife & family that comes to his rescue. It was really refreshing to read a book based in that past where the main characters relied on their wit and smarts and not technology to save the day. I highly recommend this book!

[Dorothey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snake Oil: a Patrick Flint Novel

Wow! This was an exciting story. Patrick and Wes were traveling to the Indian Clinic to help treat the sick on the reservation. Snow falling, trouble with their Travelall, and finally reaching the village. Arriving Patrick saw a man in a truck with his leg hanging out. He rushed over, but his leg was awfully cold, checked his pulse, there wasn’t one. He put his leg in the truck, closed the door and went inside of the clinic. On their way to the clinic, met a couple stopped, wife having baby. Patrick checked her and felt she would make it to the clinic, so he rushed inside to help deliver the baby. This is just the start of an exciting mystery. Enjoy.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good read! Loved it! Mayhem, murder, suspense, twists and turns, romance, humor, and a lunatic being possessive and overprotective, what more can you ask for in a book. This is the 2nd book in this series, hadn't read the 1st book but am going to read, mentioned events in the 1st book in this read which certainly piqued by curiosity to read it too. Would recommend reading that first, Switchback. Good story line and easy to follow. A page turner, one you will hate to put down cause you want to know what will happen next. Highly recommend. Received an ARC and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Sherie Lundmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book from this author and a very enjoyable read. Set in Wyoming on the Indian reservation to which traveling volunteer medical team have come for a pre-Christmas visit. Of course, Patrick and Wes do not expect to get stuck in a snowstorm with no power or phone service or to discover the clinical directors husband dead of a mysterious cause. Meanwhile, back at home Patrick's in-laws have arrived and his kids have both brought challenges to his wife Susanne, that lead her to long for Patrick's support. The story is filled with twists and turns that kept me turning the pages long past bedtime.

[Karen L Ledee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poor man... it seems if he didn’t have bad luck he would have no luck at all. Patrick has a calling to help at a small Indian community clinic. As the saying goes, “no good deed goes unpunished”. He is embroiled in a suspected murder when a man shows up dead in his truck. The widow isn’t grieving. The police don’t want him sniffing around to find the cause of death. He is an outsider and the people don’t want him there. Annnnd his wife shows up with the whole family in tow to the rescue. Abstractly, there is a comedy of errors to go along with the mystery and suspense. Another great written book that I enjoyed immensely!! Plan on a straight read!