Devil's Grace

by Elizabeth B. Splaine

0.63 seconds. That’s the amount of time Angela Brennan has to process the oncoming truck that destroys half of her family and irrevocably alters her life. Not long after the accident, death intervenes once more and snatches her remaining family member. Facing life alone, Angela returns to work as a cardiac surgeon, saving other people’s lives, but questioning why hers was spared. Desperate and distraught, Angela makes the decision to join her family by taking her own life. Before she acts on her plan, however, she receives an anonymous note indicating that her daughter’s death could have been avoided. The information provides Angela with renewed purpose and she becomes determined to find meaning in her catastrophic loss. Angela confronts the healthcare power brokers and discovers lies, complicity, and corruption at the highest levels. As she uncovers the truth about her daughter’s death, barriers are thrown in her way that threaten to destroy all she has her career and reputation. Devil’s Grace follows Angela’s path from devastation to redemption, as her decision to choose hope over despair and kindness over cruelty tells a timeless, yet timely tale.

310 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2020

Reviews

[Connie Ciampanelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Splaine had me at the two-page prologue. Not yet, anyway. Not just yet.

Part family saga, part gentle ghost story, part mystery, Devil's Grace is an enthralling narrative of Dr. Angela Brennan's emergence from despair and rage after suffering an unspeakable, catastrophic loss. When a car accident destroys the heart surgeon's family, Angela's initial reaction is a solution born of desperation and is irrevocable. Lost and in anguish, she struggles to find a reason go on. Until people from beyond, stranger, family, and friend, visit Angela to guide her through grief and anger on the road to forgiveness and peace.

In lesser hands, Angela's encounters with spirits might be strained, awkward, or spooky, but Splaine's superior skill ensures that they are none of these. She renders them seamless; they are a believable and natural part of Angela's journey.

Splaine's writing exhibits a high level of scene and location detail, and her flair for smooth, realistic dialogue is outstanding. Characters---Angela's nuclear family: husband Tony, children Emily and Liam; her understanding, warm parents, Jim and Sally; her friends, peers and hospital staff---are fully developed. Depiction of a loving if imperfect family life underscores the themes of enduring love, caring, empathy, forgiveness, and redemption. The compelling mystery at the center of the story is plausibly and satisfyingly resolved.

Elizabeth Splaine is that rare author who can weave many disparate threads of a story into a coherent whole. Her compassion and her understanding of the human heart and soul elevate her work higher yet. Marvelous.

[Cross Nelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotional, thoughtful, and with just enough suspense to keep you hooked, this story really surprised me. It digs into grief and healing while weaving in mystery elements that keep the pages turning. The writing flows easily, and the characters feel real and layered, which made the story hit even harder.

It’s one of those books that balances emotion and intrigue really well, leaving you thinking about it long after you finish. A powerful and engaging read.

[Mike Keren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while you discover a new author who's work hits all the right checkmarks for you. Elizabeth Splaine appears to be one of those authors and Devil's Grace was my introduction to her work. I found her because she and I share a publisher and so learned about her and her work through those sources.
I'm not sure how to categorize Devil's Grace, is it a medical mystery, a crime novel, etc. but the story Splaine has crafted is compelling and provides enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The action of the story begins with a devastating car crash. Splaine describes the crash and its immediate aftermath with such clarity and emotional devastation that I felt like I was in the car with them. The events that follow and unwind from that crash highlight all that is wrong with the delivery of health care in a profit driven world. There are enough corporate bad guys to go around, disappointing physicians to shock with the violation of their oaths. This critic of the current state of American health care provision can shout the praises of this novel from every mountain top.
Splaine's writing is crisp and clear, well paced and very illustrative. I highly recommend this novel.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. As an avid reader and a fan of mystery/thriller - this is a wonderful read. The vocabulary choice and well-planned plot twists keep the reader on the edge of their seat. You won’t want to put this one down. I didn’t. Thank you Ms. Splaine!

[Story Circle Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the prologue we meet protagonist Dr. Angela Brennan as she digs up the gun she’d buried near her home. We learn “the pistol was as pristine as the day she’d purchased it. First, do no harm—a line from the Hippocratic oath she’d taken when she’d earned her medical degree from Dartmouth. And she wouldn’t do any harm. Not any more harm than she’d already done. Not just yet."

Angela takes a break from her hectic hospital routine as a cardiac surgeon to enjoy a rare day away at the beach with her husband, son, and daughter. It's a perfect day—the kind you want to press into your memory scrapbook and preserve forever. The perfect day turns into the worst day of her life on the drive home. Her world is shattered when a truck slams into their car, instantly killing her husband and son. Angela turns her focus to willing her daughter to survive. When her daughter dies from injuries sustained in the crash, Angela’s will to live also dies.

Then Angela gets an anonymous note suggesting her daughter’s death could have been prevented. This information gives her a new purpose in life. Determined to know the truth, she takes on healthcare power brokers, putting her reputation and hospital privileges in jeopardy. However, she doesn't fight the system on her own—she's accompanied by spiritual beings only she can see and hear.

Splaine introduces readers to a behind-the-scenes tour of health care policies, power struggles, and politics that occasionally cost helpless patients their lives. Angela deals with desperate circumstances with dogged determination to follow the clues about what really caused her daughter’s death, and works through her own crushing grief to give hope to others.

The story includes a few plot twists that keep the pages turning. Splaine does a masterful job of introducing us to characters who convincingly prove first impressions are not always accurate: People Angela thought were her friends betray her, while others she seldom thought about at all befriend her. Splaine also introduces spiritual beings in a way that make their appearances seem plausible.

Readers who enjoy trying to solve a mystery will enjoy this story, as will those curious about hospital culture beyond a patient’s room.

Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Kathryn Haueisen for this review.

[Charybdis · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this woman lost her family because some guy was texting while driving and crashed their car. I'm at about 3/4 in the book and this utterly irrationally stupid woman is driving and reading a text and almost crashes into another car and then later says to herself "This is the text that almost killed me?" WHAT? Killed yóu?!?!? You almost killed someone else, another family, but it doesn't even cross your mind. I couldn't read another word after that and I'll never read anything else by Elizabeth B. Splaine. Never!

[Meghan Donegan]

I just finished reading Devil’s Grace and it was an excellent, exciting read! The storyline (and character development) evolved effortlessly, as the plot became more complex with several unexpected turns. As I was reading, I found myself truly embodying the emotions of each character through the descriptive writing. Specifically, Angela as she tried to balance love, heartbreak, anger, grief, worry and so much more. Overall, a really wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone!

[Linda Faurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not cried so much over a book in a long time. As always, I have to call into question some of the medical lingo and hospital jargon, but overall I think it was fairly accurate, if not pretty cheesy. And I wouldn’t go basing your theology on this one. But the plot is captivating and the message so good. Would have appreciated a bit more rage and despair instead of the melancholy Angela displays, but that’s just personal preference. Overall really enjoyed this one.

[Nancy Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating read about a cardiac surgeon who loses her family in a dreadful accident. Also a chilling depiction of the money-driven, corporate-run health care industry. Elizabeth B. Splaine weaves in her background working in health care to develop a sympathetic protagonist, a woman who has spent years relying on her scientific knowledge only to question it in the midst of a spiritual journey. This would be an excellent book club selection.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished up the Audible version and really enjoyed it! Loved the New England setting with its salty characters . The plot was very engaging and I could not have predicted the outcome. It was great listening to the author read her own work, as it really adds to the experience. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Splaine's work!

[Liz Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book for a book club discussion... so many questions about Angela,the main character, after a tragic accident. Is she? or Not? Is she being gaslighted? What would I do in her place? Elizabeth Splaine has chosen an interesting plot written so well, I stayed up way too late last night to finish.

[James A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devil's Grace, written by Elizabeth B. Splaine, is an intense and gripping book that is hard to put down. One late night, I read it until 5:30 in the morning and wanted to keep going but, try as I might, I was asleep with my eyes open and could comprehend no more.
The story is a tale of success, happiness, tragic loss, bottomless despair and in the her arduous attempt to overcome a plethora of obstacles to find truth and redemption. There are many sub plots, dead ends, twists, turns, returns and surprises with an amazing reveal at the end so it is well worth the read. Note: I am still assessing, and emotionally invested in, the ending.

[Kathryn Haueisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A realistic look into the power, politics, and posturing behind the scenes in modern hospital complexes. The plot is action packed, with several unexpected twists. The characters are believable, with some showing the destructive grip of power and others showing that first impressions can be very, very wrong.

[Lisa Mulhern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Read!

This book was great. It was well written and kept me up late reading. This is the second book (Blind Order) by Elizabeth Splaine that I have read and I am looking forward to reading Blind Knowledge next.