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Stone Cold Blackout

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STONE COLD BLACKOUT is a fast-paced thriller whose protagonist is a young surgeon, Dr. Julia Jensen. Julia began her career as an emergency physician but changed her chosen specialty after a tragic case. A young boy was brought to her ER with a severe allergic reaction and dies after she attempts a life-saving procedure. Many years later, Julia opens a surgical practice in a faraway town. After a night of heavy drinking, she’s told she performed an appendectomy on a patient, but has no memory of the operation.

The nightmare continues as disturbing occurrences take place in the hospital, jeopardizing her career and threatening her life. She develops a list of those who might want her gone, including an egomaniac colleague and an envious nurse.

After an intense investigation, Julia begins to doubt her sanity. She’s shocked to finally uncover the culprit, and terrified when the truth is revealed.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2020

103 people are currently reading
950 people want to read

About the author

P.J. Nakfoor

2 books35 followers
I'm a recently retired Emergency Physician and worked in the field for over thirty years. I loved my career and now have the time to develop my experiences into dramatic plots. I stifled my creativity (I wanted to become an actress) to learn all of the science necessary to become a doctor. Writing has reawakened that part of me.

I live in Michigan, am married and have two grown sons.

In addition to reading and writing, I love to cycle, hike, travel, play pickleball and eat chocolate!

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5 stars
213 (40%)
4 stars
195 (37%)
3 stars
81 (15%)
2 stars
28 (5%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
Profile Image for Lori Spielman.
Author 17 books1,762 followers
April 11, 2021
Stone Cold Blackout is a medical thriller at its best! Patti Nakfoor creates a compelling, exciting, page-turner, and does so with confidence and expertise. I look forward to more from this talented author.
Profile Image for Julissa Garces.
151 reviews
June 25, 2021
I listened to the audiobook. I give the person who read the book like 2 stars. She sounded like someone reading a book to her child. Just very weird.

As for the book itself, it was pretty interesting. It kept me entertained.
Profile Image for Rachael Ashak-Benson.
358 reviews20 followers
November 19, 2020
FAN-TAS-TIC!! Do it, “take the plunge!” Or are you a chicken ... ?? ;)

I wrote FANTASTIC out s-l-o-w-l-y ... because I wish I had read Dr. Nakfoor’s first(?) novel with much more self-control. And in retrospect I would rather have enjoyed the experience over a few days; curled up comfy mornings with coffee, nap treat in the afternoon, glass of wine in evening by the fire, nestled up in bed
before sleep .... bliss. *sigh*

Rather than what I actually did— a complete lack of self & impulse control, forget ALL other things in my life (I’ll pay for my 1st grader’s therapy in her 20’s, she’ll be fine), who needs sleep anyway?, the taking in of nutritional sustenance- theres other days for that, nose in Kindle totally consumed book —in 20 hours.
(Ok, it would have been faster but I did HAVE TO take care of the child. *rolls eyes* ppfftttt So annoying. ..... ;)

On to THE BOOK! Awesome.

Character development is smart and rich. World building is specific and colorful. The reader is able to really be that fly on the wall or extra character. The minor storylines flow together beautifully with the main. However, the reader spends the majority of their time with the complex phenom who is the main character. (That’s a good thing!)

The story moves along at a fast pace, easily grabbing me and taking me along for the ride from the very first page. Sure it’s a medical mystery. There are many interesting medical cases which are satisfactorily delved into. But the twists. And surprising S curves that come outta nowhere! Wow. Something especially absolutely blew me away. But I won’t even hint at who, what, where, when and ruin it even a bit for YOU! ;)

The topic, or issue, of drinking within the tale surprised me. I never expected it. Having a career in the field, familial connection, personal issues with addiction, friends’ experiences, and more.... this aspect of the story was extremely engaging to me. It never, actually, even had to be included in the plot to make this book complete, a great story, and something everyone who enjoys this genre will love. But adding it is like — the extra secret sauce in a 5 Star restaurant’s best dish, dashed on last moment of cooking. Or glitter sprinkles on professionally baked and decorated cupcakes. In both cases, the final products would be worthy of accolades as they stood, sans sauce or sprinkles. But the simple addition of a flavorful, colorful ... or, in the case of the book, intriguing layer that has it’s own uniqueness, depth, complexity, and sense of completeness which also seamlessly hooks right into the whole of the larger story.... well, it just lifts the story to a new level.

Takes a pretty talented wordsmith to create that!

Thus, this is a remarkable novel. Much more than a, “medical mystery.” I can’t list all of the subplot headers as it pretty much would be a “ twist and turn spoiler.” I’m honestly shocked that I can only locate this solitary book by Dr. Nakfoor. ?? Is this really her first published fiction novel? I would love to to read more of her work! (*hint! hint!* ;)

This is long enough lol. Bottom line - if you are a fan of this genre, you will love this book. If you don’t normally read this type of story and just happened to stumble across this book, you’ll love it. It’s breadth is wide enough for most.

It’s an awesome book. One tip? Take your time, and enjoy the experience! ;)
Profile Image for Kathy Church.
913 reviews36 followers
August 11, 2021
Enjoyed

I really liked this book. There was suspense and it kept you guessing nearly to the end. Although it is a medical thriller it did not take place entirely in a hospital which I liked.
Profile Image for Wonda.
1,146 reviews9 followers
November 21, 2021
Once I put aside my dislike for the main character, this novel became good, then turned great! Even knowing what's happening I found myself head screaming at the main character...really good, just felt like a storyline for Grey's or Chicago Med!
Profile Image for Tosha Beach.
231 reviews3 followers
September 2, 2023
This was amazing!!! It’s a great thriller for anyone but you will esp like this if you are in the medical field, especially ER or OR. Wow!!!! I had the suspicion on who was responsible but what I loved was even though I thought I knew who it was, things would happen, and I would be like maybe it’s this person, no maybe it’s this person, but I was right from the get go! And the twist, it was evident and obvious and great! This was a fast paced read that kept you wanting more. ON KINDLE UNLIMITED ALSO!
315 reviews11 followers
August 19, 2021
Great book that is full of suspense with twists & turns that keep you trying to figure out who is responsible for the problems. It's a quick and easy read.
30 reviews
April 13, 2023
This was not the fun Grey’s Anatomy like story I wanted. The writing was simplistic, overly detailed, and predictable.
Profile Image for Megan Klatt.
29 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2021
Excellent

I love reading all types of medical suspense. This story drew me in from the very start. All of the characters were vividly painted, and in all, it was simply a joy to read this book. Although, I was a bit confused about the two surgeons and the timing of their specialty changes. They started their new residencies roughly at the same time. A surgical residency is 7 years, more if you tack on a fellowship. How was Rina just finishing her residency at the same time Julia was listed as a senior surgeon with her F.A.C.S., since board certification definitely takes extra time as well.
Profile Image for Renee Rasak keogh.
44 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2020
I bought the book in hard copy form. Every night after the dinner dishes were cleared away, I would read this book to my mom. We Loved It! We enjoyed the fact that it was fast paced right from the beginning. The characters were flawed, real, and relatable. While a lot of people who wrote reviews read the novel in one day, we spaced out the chapters and hated to finish it. We enjoyed guessing how the book would end and loved discussing the various social issues that arose in the plot line. We can't wait to see what this author does next.
Profile Image for Linda McGuire.
101 reviews4 followers
January 1, 2022
A great medical thriller! I really enjoyed this book. it grabbed me from the very beginning. Great main character with lots of background. I was guessing all the way to the end , trying to figure out who did it. I would definitely recommend this book if you like thrillers and mysteries. Thank you to the author and Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this book.
964 reviews9 followers
February 24, 2022
Story told in a past and present time line. A little boy dies in the ER from an allergic reaction. Years later someone is out to get the doctor and sabotages her in many aspects. Would make a great Lifetime movie.
Profile Image for Brenda.
2,026 reviews
February 25, 2022
Audio. I haven't read many medical thrillers. This one was pretty good - the author seemed very knowledgeable. I might try another of her books.
120 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2022
Extremely predictable
Profile Image for Tiffanie Kelly.
161 reviews4 followers
March 2, 2022
Cliche and banal. Audio reader is monotonous and robotic. Worse than a Lifetime movie.
9 reviews
April 26, 2022
Great Page Turner

Well written medical thriller! I couldn’t put this book down! Characters were well developed. The writer wrote as if I was there!
Profile Image for Denise McConeghy.
4 reviews1 follower
April 28, 2022
Fantastic page turner. We’ll written. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys medical psychological thrillers!
19 reviews
November 30, 2024
This story held my interest through to the end.
Disturbed characters seem to be such great additions to a novel - they tend to be able to camouflage their evil side (until they can’t!) and are predictably unpredictable!
The story was paced well, making the story unfold with a rhythm, between calm routine day to day life to tense, emotional and scary times. The clues seemed to be doled out expertly.
Meaning, a good mystery lets the reader gets to guess who the bad guy is … over and over!
I just saw this author has written a second book. I’m going to get a copy and read it!
Profile Image for Sam.
258 reviews5 followers
April 17, 2022
P.J. Nakfoor’s first novel is a medical thriller. I found the storyline to be real and convincing. The characters and their interest were fully painted along with their flaws. The main character was a little slow in picking up on being drugged due to her dependence on alcohol. She had also offended several coworkers including a Doctor, one floor nurse, and potential boyfriend. Never did she consider a resident Doctor. Overall, this was a good read and I look forward to the author’s next medical mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Heather Slawecki.
Author 14 books10 followers
September 20, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed

I enjoyed the medical angle and the fast paced story line. It was truly a classic suspense mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The author/physician took a good amount of time explaining procedures, drugs and conditions as she went (which I appreciated because I love this genre!). Well done!
Profile Image for Emma Burger.
Author 2 books23 followers
December 7, 2021
Stone Cold Blackout was such a fun read - I seriously couldn’t put it down and finished it in two days. If you like medical dramas, you’ll love this book. The story was so well constructed, the characters super compelling and realistic, and the setting was perfect. Not only is this book incredibly entertaining, but the medicine and psychology included are also fascinating!
Profile Image for Dolores of Course.
379 reviews
February 16, 2022
I listened to the audiobook. The book gets four stars, the narrator gets one. Listening to this was just awful. I nearly quite multiple times. The narrator is Linda Lee and she does voiceover work for commercials and presentations. Her voice, cadence and delivery is fine for those mediums. However, she is NOT an audiobook narrator.

Profile Image for JoLynn.
99 reviews
January 7, 2023
Nice medical suspense thriller. It kept me guessing throughout the book. The twist at the end was good. I liked the characters and their personalities. It would slightly jump around but nothing major, it was more to let you see what other characters were doing or how they were thinking. It’s a good whodunnit book.
3 reviews
March 12, 2024
Great twists! I couldn’t put this down!

A real thriller! A truly engaging and enjoyable mystery with great twists. The medical scenarios are important to the storyline and I believe are more accurate as the author is a MD. I stayed up way too late finishing the book as I just couldn’t put it down.
1,996 reviews23 followers
June 22, 2020
Enjoyable

When the mind decides to break with reality there is no telling what actions will be taken. Even though I had a good part of this book figured out it was worth the time to read it to it's conclusion.
Profile Image for judy koepsell.
126 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2021
Loved it!

Please let there be more stories like this, so pleasantly surprised. The battle with alcohol is more deadly and addictive than commonly known, too many are trapped in it's clutches.
81 reviews5 followers
October 11, 2021
Goodreads giveaway

A story about tragic things that happen in life. Unstable person plans to destroy the life of the doctor who they see as responsible for the death of their child.
Profile Image for Bryan.
315 reviews
December 14, 2021
Audiobook - 3 stars. I want to hate this book. It would be pretty easy to nit pick the plot like I usually do, especially the medical stuff. However, in the name of christmas spirit, I'll just give it 3 stars and call it a night.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews

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