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The Doctor
Care giver, life saver… or cold-blooded killer?
Running away from a past she’d rather forget, Doctor Alison Wilson has moved to a new town to take up the role of Medical Officer at failing hospital Saint Margaret’s.
Tasked with shaking things up, she quickly learns that things are worse than they initially seem: patient records are in disarray, staff morale is low, and there’s something afoot that she can’t quite put her finger on…
As Alison starts to dig into the hospital’s past, she gradually discovers a trail of lies that runs deeper and darker than she could have ever imagined.
There’s a cold-blooded killer in the hospital. And they’re hiding in plain sight…
Running away from a past she’d rather forget, Doctor Alison Wilson has moved to a new town to take up the role of Medical Officer at failing hospital Saint Margaret’s.
Tasked with shaking things up, she quickly learns that things are worse than they initially seem: patient records are in disarray, staff morale is low, and there’s something afoot that she can’t quite put her finger on…
As Alison starts to dig into the hospital’s past, she gradually discovers a trail of lies that runs deeper and darker than she could have ever imagined.
There’s a cold-blooded killer in the hospital. And they’re hiding in plain sight…
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2023
319 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
February 3, 2023
I like medical thrillers and have got back to them only recently. This one is a mixed bag – authentic hospital setting, a strong character in Dr Alison Wilson but a typical story.
Dr Alison Wilson, after her recent divorce, moves from London to St Margaret’s as the Medical Director. There are a lot of improvements which need to happen at the hospital, and she looks forward to the challenge. Brian Hargreaves, Chief Executive of the hospital trust, makes it very clear that he is expecting her to take accountability for improving the situation, but without ruffling too many feathers. His deputy Jonathan Selby starts scrutinizing her work, right from her first presentation. As she looks to make improvements, she runs into several issues – Dr Carrick who has been running the stroke ward resents her interference (she is a stroke consultant herself), some in the local community who liked her predecessor Dr Richard Atkinson are practically hostile, and above all she finds poorly maintained equipment and the possibility of corruption. Administrative assistant – Mary and Chief Nurse – Eliza, help her get around the system. There is also a local car workshop owner – Mike, who while initially hostile, later supports her.
I liked Dr Alison Wilson’s spunky character. The descriptions of the hospital settings feel very authentic. The plot is very standard and oft-repeated fare with very little to look forward to in terms of the plot, though the pace is good. The motivations of the villainous characters are extremely poorly explained and developed. The last sections where Dr Alison Wilson faces danger seems almost ridiculous and would feel silly even in a movie.
The book has its strengths but fell well short for me overall.
My rating: 3.25 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and the author for a free electronic review copy.
Dr Alison Wilson, after her recent divorce, moves from London to St Margaret’s as the Medical Director. There are a lot of improvements which need to happen at the hospital, and she looks forward to the challenge. Brian Hargreaves, Chief Executive of the hospital trust, makes it very clear that he is expecting her to take accountability for improving the situation, but without ruffling too many feathers. His deputy Jonathan Selby starts scrutinizing her work, right from her first presentation. As she looks to make improvements, she runs into several issues – Dr Carrick who has been running the stroke ward resents her interference (she is a stroke consultant herself), some in the local community who liked her predecessor Dr Richard Atkinson are practically hostile, and above all she finds poorly maintained equipment and the possibility of corruption. Administrative assistant – Mary and Chief Nurse – Eliza, help her get around the system. There is also a local car workshop owner – Mike, who while initially hostile, later supports her.
I liked Dr Alison Wilson’s spunky character. The descriptions of the hospital settings feel very authentic. The plot is very standard and oft-repeated fare with very little to look forward to in terms of the plot, though the pace is good. The motivations of the villainous characters are extremely poorly explained and developed. The last sections where Dr Alison Wilson faces danger seems almost ridiculous and would feel silly even in a movie.
The book has its strengths but fell well short for me overall.
My rating: 3.25 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and the author for a free electronic review copy.
June 28, 2023
When she got the job as medical director, Dr Alison Wilson promised to improve the stats. And she is working hard only to find that something very wrong is going on in the hospital.
There is very easy to kill in the hospital and somebody uses this to get power over people's lives.
The Doctor is a new 2023 medical thriller that I enjoyed very much. The beginning of the book was a bit slow and around the middle of the book, it was not so big choice of suspects.
But Dr Alison Wilson proved to be a strong character and a fighter and it made the book worth reading. I couldn't put it down and read it in one and a half days.
I like medical thrillers as the hospital environment makes the situation tense. We all can get one day to the hospital and want to think that people who are working there want to help us not kill.
Maybe this book is not as perfect as a thriller, but it is interesting not only to read about crimes but also about people who are doing everything in their power to save patients' lives and to fight till the end for the right cause.
There is very easy to kill in the hospital and somebody uses this to get power over people's lives.
The Doctor is a new 2023 medical thriller that I enjoyed very much. The beginning of the book was a bit slow and around the middle of the book, it was not so big choice of suspects.
But Dr Alison Wilson proved to be a strong character and a fighter and it made the book worth reading. I couldn't put it down and read it in one and a half days.
I like medical thrillers as the hospital environment makes the situation tense. We all can get one day to the hospital and want to think that people who are working there want to help us not kill.
Maybe this book is not as perfect as a thriller, but it is interesting not only to read about crimes but also about people who are doing everything in their power to save patients' lives and to fight till the end for the right cause.
May 9, 2025
The Doctor is a 2023 thriller I found on NetGalley, written by Annie Payne, a new author to me. Set in a small village in England, Dr. Alison Wilson leaves London after some distressing personal situations and accepts a role running a hospital. As soon as she arrives, things look bad. Colleagues dislike her. Patients are dying when they shouldn't. The man previously in her position seems to be stalking her. And her wayward husband won't give up on their marriage. Someone clearly wants Alison gone and will go to extremes to make it happen. I enjoyed the plot of the book; getting to know various administrators, nurses, doctors, and patients helped set a strong tone and provide a bunch of suspects to consider. The writing was okay, a bit too light for my taste. It felt like a lot of telling and facilitated scenes as opposed to something more natural. Too many cliche scenes where she hears noises but lets it go... someone is accessing her files and laptops, yet she doesn't push hard when everyone keeps saying she deleted her appointments. I can see some promise from the author but I think this one needed some more polish to really standout as a medical thriller. I liked her relationship with some patients, which helped give her a stronger personality. But many of the chapters also ended with a switch in POV to the killer's POV basically telling us what (s)he was going to do next; while it was meant to bring suspense, it felt too forced and on the nose. It did make me keep guessing who was after her tho!
February 21, 2023
I really wanted to love this one!! It just wasn't for me.
~ Quick Summary ~
- Doctor Alison Wilson moves into a new town to start afresh as a Medical officer in a hospital where she tries to improve the hospital’s performance.
- The hospital is disorganised, understaffed and there is a killer amongst them.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
🎭 Hospital drama with a side of mystery.
🏥 Medical setting
🐢 Slower pace
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
- The blurb sounded so good but sadly I didn’t enjoy it. I had to reread the blurb to remind myself what this was about. There isn’t much mystery or surprise in what Allison was running away from and Alison’s investigation into the hospital’s dark past didn’t feel suspenseful at all.
- The majority of the book was about Alison’s role as a medical officer and how the hospital was performing. At the start it was fine because I thought it was setting the scene and the dynamics between the characters, but it continued on and on I kept waiting for something to happen and for dark discoveries. So it felt more like a drama with a speckle of mystery sometimes.
- In the first half, the main “mystery or thriller” component was that someone was messing with Alison’s documents and emails but she kept on shrugging it off and thinking it was just her. In reality, yeah you might think you're being forgetful for the first few times, but as a reader it was very frustrating because it kept on happening and there wasn't much other suspense or tension. There were a few other incidents of vandalism and seeing a suspicious person around but otherwise nothing hooked me in.
- The mystery person sounded cliche and immature.
- I wasn’t mind blown by the reveal or the why. The trigger for the reveal was because the character decided to spill the beans rather than Alison making a clever discovery.
Thanks Negalley and @AvonBooksUK for the ARC.
~ Quick Summary ~
- Doctor Alison Wilson moves into a new town to start afresh as a Medical officer in a hospital where she tries to improve the hospital’s performance.
- The hospital is disorganised, understaffed and there is a killer amongst them.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
🎭 Hospital drama with a side of mystery.
🏥 Medical setting
🐢 Slower pace
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
- The blurb sounded so good but sadly I didn’t enjoy it. I had to reread the blurb to remind myself what this was about. There isn’t much mystery or surprise in what Allison was running away from and Alison’s investigation into the hospital’s dark past didn’t feel suspenseful at all.
- The majority of the book was about Alison’s role as a medical officer and how the hospital was performing. At the start it was fine because I thought it was setting the scene and the dynamics between the characters, but it continued on and on I kept waiting for something to happen and for dark discoveries. So it felt more like a drama with a speckle of mystery sometimes.
- In the first half, the main “mystery or thriller” component was that someone was messing with Alison’s documents and emails but she kept on shrugging it off and thinking it was just her. In reality, yeah you might think you're being forgetful for the first few times, but as a reader it was very frustrating because it kept on happening and there wasn't much other suspense or tension. There were a few other incidents of vandalism and seeing a suspicious person around but otherwise nothing hooked me in.
- The mystery person sounded cliche and immature.
- I wasn’t mind blown by the reveal or the why. The trigger for the reveal was because the character decided to spill the beans rather than Alison making a clever discovery.
Thanks Negalley and @AvonBooksUK for the ARC.
May 10, 2023
running away from a past she'd rather forget, Dr Alison Wilson has moved to a new town to take up the role as Medical Officer at failing hospital St. Margaret's. Tasked with shaking things up, she quickly learns that things are worse than they initially seem: patient records are in disarray, staff morale is low, and there's something afoot that she can't quite put her finger on. As Alison starts to dig into the hospital's past, she gradually discovers a trail of lies that runs deeper and darker than she could have ever imagined.
Dr Alison Wilson is running from a past that she'd rather forget and takes a new job as a Medical Officer in a new town. Her job is to get the hospital ratings up. But she never expected to be confronted by a series of attacks at her home, on her car and cat. Appointments have been cancelled, emails go missing, reports are changed. Even IT can't help resolving these problems. Alison soon realises that something bad is happening. why is the mortality rate so high? Will Alison be able to uncover the truth?
This is a quick and easy book to read, but it was a bit predictable for my liking. I like a book more when you're kept guessing. There was no shock factor either. I did enjoy this story and I will read more from this author in future.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #AnniePayne for my ARC of #TheDoctor in exchange for an honest review.
Dr Alison Wilson is running from a past that she'd rather forget and takes a new job as a Medical Officer in a new town. Her job is to get the hospital ratings up. But she never expected to be confronted by a series of attacks at her home, on her car and cat. Appointments have been cancelled, emails go missing, reports are changed. Even IT can't help resolving these problems. Alison soon realises that something bad is happening. why is the mortality rate so high? Will Alison be able to uncover the truth?
This is a quick and easy book to read, but it was a bit predictable for my liking. I like a book more when you're kept guessing. There was no shock factor either. I did enjoy this story and I will read more from this author in future.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #AnniePayne for my ARC of #TheDoctor in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2023
I am afraid that this one isn't working for me at all. There isn't too.much of the thriller aspect that I was expecting in the story line.
The main character comes across and rude and annoying which is not what you want from somebody working in a hospital. Her main concern seemed to be about her new name plate from her door.
Thanks Avon UK for the ARC but this was a miss for me
The main character comes across and rude and annoying which is not what you want from somebody working in a hospital. Her main concern seemed to be about her new name plate from her door.
Thanks Avon UK for the ARC but this was a miss for me
May 17, 2023
I really wanted to love this book more but for me it was so predictable. The premise was good but I was expecting so much more. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
March 23, 2023
'The Doctor' by Annie Payne follows, Alison Wilson, the new Medical Officer in town. At first, she clocked it up to the fact that she's in a new environment and she's the newbie at work, but strange things keep happening around the hospital. As Alison begins to uncover the secrets of her other medical colleagues, she begins to realise that something very dark is happening at the hospital.
First of all, I love the premise– I am a huge fan of storylines where the main character is placed in a new environment, isolated, and begins to experience strange things. I think the plot could have been written a little bit better, as there were a few inconsistencies that I found. There is also a really good cast of characters but I wished could have been given a better set-up. As much as I wanted to care about these characters, I did not. I feel like if the characters were established a little better, I would have cared more about the mystery.
That being said, this is the first medical–related thriller I have read, and it only makes me want to read more.
1.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me a copy of The Doctor by Annie Payne to read in exchange for an honest book review.
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Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.
First of all, I love the premise– I am a huge fan of storylines where the main character is placed in a new environment, isolated, and begins to experience strange things. I think the plot could have been written a little bit better, as there were a few inconsistencies that I found. There is also a really good cast of characters but I wished could have been given a better set-up. As much as I wanted to care about these characters, I did not. I feel like if the characters were established a little better, I would have cared more about the mystery.
That being said, this is the first medical–related thriller I have read, and it only makes me want to read more.
1.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me a copy of The Doctor by Annie Payne to read in exchange for an honest book review.
a href="https://novelstorian.wordpress.com&qu... Novelstorian (Blog) ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter ✨
Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.
May 18, 2023
Finished reading: May 17th 2023
DNF at 36 % (138 pages)
"The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up, telling her something was wrong. But what?"
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
June 21, 2023
The second half was so meh! I am tired.
January 29, 2023
Wow, what a book i raced through this in a day as I didnt want to put it down.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for my arc of The Doctor.
Alison leaves London and her broken marriage to take up a post in a seaside hospital as both a stroke consultant and medical officer. Trying to find out why the hospital is failing and what on earth is happening to all these patients that seem to have died for no apparent reason.
She finds herself biting off more than she can chew and is intimidated my a mysterious person who really doesnt want her doing her job.
So many twists and turns get me guessing, though i did guess who the protaganist was it didn't stop my enjoyment of this great book and I will be looking out for more books by Annie Payne in future to read.
5 stars from me
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for my arc of The Doctor.
Alison leaves London and her broken marriage to take up a post in a seaside hospital as both a stroke consultant and medical officer. Trying to find out why the hospital is failing and what on earth is happening to all these patients that seem to have died for no apparent reason.
She finds herself biting off more than she can chew and is intimidated my a mysterious person who really doesnt want her doing her job.
So many twists and turns get me guessing, though i did guess who the protaganist was it didn't stop my enjoyment of this great book and I will be looking out for more books by Annie Payne in future to read.
5 stars from me
May 15, 2023
1.5 stars review to follow
April 13, 2024
3.5 stars
Medical professionals on a killing spree are a haunting and frightening thought, so this thriller gives me all the chills. When we are ill and at our most vulnerable, you have trust in those responsible for your care. When Dr Alison Wilson takes up a new hospital position, it isn't long before she notices strange inconsistencies with faulty equipment, secure drugs, and patient deaths. The power over life and death has been taken to the extreme by one person working in close proximity. The pov is mostly Alison's, but the disturbing and menacing voice of the killer breaks through too, adding to the evil undercurrent in the hospital. #thedoctor #anniepayne #avonbooks #netgalley
Medical professionals on a killing spree are a haunting and frightening thought, so this thriller gives me all the chills. When we are ill and at our most vulnerable, you have trust in those responsible for your care. When Dr Alison Wilson takes up a new hospital position, it isn't long before she notices strange inconsistencies with faulty equipment, secure drugs, and patient deaths. The power over life and death has been taken to the extreme by one person working in close proximity. The pov is mostly Alison's, but the disturbing and menacing voice of the killer breaks through too, adding to the evil undercurrent in the hospital. #thedoctor #anniepayne #avonbooks #netgalley
May 15, 2023
I read this as a buddy read and the first days section felt like it was going to be really good. However. It rapidly went downhill from there for me personally. The storyline was jumping about all over the place, the main character made me mad at how she’d been written as a poor, ditzy, defenceless, silly woman. The plot wasn’t twisty out clever, just obvious from the word go and the never ending admin and hospital politics got really boring. I was expecting an exciting murder mystery set in a hospital. Wrong.
May 19, 2023
Alison Wilson is the new Medical Officer in the hospital. As she adjusts to her new position, she finds that things are truly amiss and sets about to make some big changes, which some of the staff are not happy about. Some of the Starr aren’t happy about her even being there-they liked the former colleague who held the position, and don’t understand why she replaced him. As strange things keep happening, Alison chocks it up to being the newbie, but slowly she uncovers the secrets of her colleagues and realizes that something dark is happening at the hospital.
I liked the premise-always a fan of a hospital or clinical setting and anytime a character is placed in an isolated new environment and left to sort things out is usually going to be a good time for me. However, this felt a little too “clinical “ sadly and not enough “thriller “ I needed a little more action and a little less hospital.
That being said, I will for sure check out the authors future work.
Thanks to Avon Books Uk and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
I liked the premise-always a fan of a hospital or clinical setting and anytime a character is placed in an isolated new environment and left to sort things out is usually going to be a good time for me. However, this felt a little too “clinical “ sadly and not enough “thriller “ I needed a little more action and a little less hospital.
That being said, I will for sure check out the authors future work.
Thanks to Avon Books Uk and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
February 3, 2023
Alison leaves London to start a career as a Medical Director in a failing hospital. While there she realises that something is seriously wrong and someone is not happy about her starting her job there. Who has secrets that they would be prepared to kill to keep?
I was really excited to be given the chance to read this as I love medical thrillers and liked the fact that the book had credibility with the author having worked in the NHS. The book itself was a book of two halves for me. I found it took a while for things to start happening and it felt quite repetitive. The second half seemed to pick up pace and I was constantly changing my mind about who the guilty party was. The scene towards the end, although adrenaline inducing, did seem slightly far fetched. I also found some chapters a bit disjointed, with the sudden change of voice within the chapters confusing and feel a section break would help to prepare for these. Overall, while I enjoyed certain parts of this book and found it mysterious it didn’t quite hit the mark for me, however, this would not stop me checking out the authors next book. Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early copy.
April 21, 2023
This was my first ever medical thriller, and I have to say I absolutely loved it! Dr Alison Wilson has started her new job as medical director at a failing hospital. It soon becomes clear that Alison’s job will be a lot harder than she first thought.
Staff moral is through the floor, drugs are missing and the hospital has many deaths that are unexplained and could be suspicious. As Alison begins to look into what’s gone wrong and tries to make some changes it soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging and will go to extreme measures to stop her discovering the truth.
As I said above I really enjoyed this book the only thing I found a little disappointing was that it was quite predictable and I found that I guessed who was behind what was going on quite early on in the book, but still I wouldn’t let that put off recommending this book to others and it certainly didn’t take away the enjoyment that I got from reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.
Staff moral is through the floor, drugs are missing and the hospital has many deaths that are unexplained and could be suspicious. As Alison begins to look into what’s gone wrong and tries to make some changes it soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging and will go to extreme measures to stop her discovering the truth.
As I said above I really enjoyed this book the only thing I found a little disappointing was that it was quite predictable and I found that I guessed who was behind what was going on quite early on in the book, but still I wouldn’t let that put off recommending this book to others and it certainly didn’t take away the enjoyment that I got from reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.
March 6, 2023
1.75/5 stars! Considering I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and there have been murderous surgeons/nurses/etc, I was really excited by the premise of this story. I thought the story had a lot of potential, however, it played out more like a telenovela than a medical mystery. It was just so unbelievable at times. The premise was there; the early world-building was great, but everything else was ridiculous.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
October 1, 2024
They’re no original ideas here. Kind of like Hot Fuzz but as a doctor, not a police officer, and diluted. The story is interesting and keeps you hooked, but by half way through it’s easy to figure out who our bad guy is. The reveal of the ‘why’ is boring (money). I did enjoy that our main character makes human choices throughout the book, and not dumb choices driven by narrative, so the narrative had to work around realistic choices.
May 3, 2023
A quick and easy read, Alison left her job in a London hospital under a bit of a cloud, relocating to a smaller hospital by the coast in a new role as Medical Director. But right from the start she picks up in many discrepancies and aims to improve the rating. But someone is against her all the way trying to make her look incompetent.
Although I guessed the protagonist from the start I did enjoy the book. I haven't read many books based in hospitals and this had the right amount of drama for me
Although I guessed the protagonist from the start I did enjoy the book. I haven't read many books based in hospitals and this had the right amount of drama for me
August 28, 2023
3.9 I liked the hospital setting and to a point the main character but I found her judgement lacking at certain times especially with her love interest I found his behavior kicked up a couple red flags that would make me run for the hills.
September 21, 2024
An ok read, the plot was a little weak and predictable and it was easy to guess the culprit but an enjoyable read all the same.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books Uk for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books Uk for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
January 10, 2025
This was a medical thriller that was easy to read and enjoyable overall. While the plot was somewhat predictable and repetetive, the story had its moments of intrigue that kept me interested and entertained.
May 31, 2024
I love a good medical thriller, this was going well but around 3/4 of the way in the story started to lose my attention.
I liked the setting and the mystery about who the person tormenting the Dr was.
I did finish it, I liked the plot overall and thought it was a good book.
I liked the setting and the mystery about who the person tormenting the Dr was.
I did finish it, I liked the plot overall and thought it was a good book.
February 5, 2023
This book will appeal to any medical thriller fans. I loved the medical setting which seemed authentic and although the first half of the book dragged a little, when I began to engage with the well written characters the story speeded up for me.
Dr Alison Wilson has moved to Saint Margarets a small seaside hospital from London as the new medical director. She has been tasked to improve the hospitals performance which has been plagued by poor performance and unexplained deaths . Alison faces so many obstacles as she is seems as the newcomer who can’t be trusted both in the hospital and the local community who all seem to know each other’s lives and business.
There are numerous shifty characters and I expected suspected each of them and turn. This added to the enjoyment for me and I I was not surprised that I had found the guilty party halfway through the book, I couldn’t wait until the culprit would be exposed and I was correct. I admired Alison’s character so much , she never gave up even when faced with surmountable obstacles, always putting the patients first.
This book oozes mystery and suspense but maybe it’s not the best choice if you’re going into hospital in the near future.
Dr Alison Wilson has moved to Saint Margarets a small seaside hospital from London as the new medical director. She has been tasked to improve the hospitals performance which has been plagued by poor performance and unexplained deaths . Alison faces so many obstacles as she is seems as the newcomer who can’t be trusted both in the hospital and the local community who all seem to know each other’s lives and business.
There are numerous shifty characters and I expected suspected each of them and turn. This added to the enjoyment for me and I I was not surprised that I had found the guilty party halfway through the book, I couldn’t wait until the culprit would be exposed and I was correct. I admired Alison’s character so much , she never gave up even when faced with surmountable obstacles, always putting the patients first.
This book oozes mystery and suspense but maybe it’s not the best choice if you’re going into hospital in the near future.
January 29, 2023
"The Doctor" by Annie Payne was an edge of your seat spine-chilling read for me, events had Alison second guessing her actions, who was upending her world and making crucial changes, that Alison was being blamed for. I liked the pace of the story, the characters, especially Mike, who was from a completely opposite world to the one Alison lived and worked in and yet entirely someone Alison could rely on and always had her back. Alison’s ex-husband on the other hand, annoyed me, he wasn’t being entirely honest with her and why did he mysteriously turn up out of the blue.
Something wasn’t quite right at Saint Margaret’s, why had the previous MD left in a shroud of mystery, why were there so many gaps in patient records, and why was there a cover-up, who was behind it.
I enjoyed Annie Payne’s book immensely, thank you so much Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, I can’t wait to read Annie Payne’s next book, hopefully a continuation of Alison’s story.
Something wasn’t quite right at Saint Margaret’s, why had the previous MD left in a shroud of mystery, why were there so many gaps in patient records, and why was there a cover-up, who was behind it.
I enjoyed Annie Payne’s book immensely, thank you so much Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, I can’t wait to read Annie Payne’s next book, hopefully a continuation of Alison’s story.
May 13, 2023
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Shout out to Avon Books UK and the author.
PUBLICATION DATE: 25 May 2023 💃🏽
Set in small coastal town in England, Annie Payne's 'The Doctor' introduces us to Dr Alison Wilson. Newly divorced and hoping to make a fresh start that helps her forget about her life in London, she's hired as the new medical officer at St Margaret's. It's her job to shake things up and get the hospital's metrics back on track, but she'll have her work cut out for her.
Things are not as they seem and there's someone at the hospital who doesn't want Alison digging into things, and when attacks start getting personal, it becomes clear that they would kill to keep their secrets buried.
While I had high hopes for this one, I found 'The Doctor' very middle of the road. Alison's character is largely oblivious - which was massively frustrating - and even when she starts noticing that something's amiss, she keeps playing it down like it's not a big deal.
I enjoyed Mike's character, but he was used as a tool to help Alison along, instead of being a full, complex character on his own.
The ending was utterly unbelievable and gave the feeling that the author wanted to tie things off too neatly.
Overall, it was just OK 🤷🏻♀️
I wasn't bored, but I wasn't rushing to get back to it either, and not much about it will stay with me.
PUBLICATION DATE: 25 May 2023 💃🏽
Set in small coastal town in England, Annie Payne's 'The Doctor' introduces us to Dr Alison Wilson. Newly divorced and hoping to make a fresh start that helps her forget about her life in London, she's hired as the new medical officer at St Margaret's. It's her job to shake things up and get the hospital's metrics back on track, but she'll have her work cut out for her.
Things are not as they seem and there's someone at the hospital who doesn't want Alison digging into things, and when attacks start getting personal, it becomes clear that they would kill to keep their secrets buried.
While I had high hopes for this one, I found 'The Doctor' very middle of the road. Alison's character is largely oblivious - which was massively frustrating - and even when she starts noticing that something's amiss, she keeps playing it down like it's not a big deal.
I enjoyed Mike's character, but he was used as a tool to help Alison along, instead of being a full, complex character on his own.
The ending was utterly unbelievable and gave the feeling that the author wanted to tie things off too neatly.
Overall, it was just OK 🤷🏻♀️
I wasn't bored, but I wasn't rushing to get back to it either, and not much about it will stay with me.
May 3, 2023
Our central character Dr Alison Wilson has moved to a hospital in a small coastal town, Wayleigh, which is aesthetically pleasant but a world away from the cut and thrust of life in a London teaching hospital. She has taken on the position of medical director of a failing hospital which has a poor Care Quality Commission rating, where unexpected deaths are abnormally high. A challenge but seemingly well within the ability of a senior stroke consultant.
After a brief settling-in period Alison starts to make changes and then she comes across resistance. She’s works wholly electronically which doesn’t go well with the administration staff, the previous director, Dr Atkinson, was a belt and braces man and everything was written down. On the wards her changes come up against resistance and the head of the stroke ward, Dr Carrick, goes on sick leave with stress which he claims is down to Alison’s bullying. This leaves the ward critically under resourced, funding is tight across the NHS but this hospital it seems acutely so, no wonder moral is so low.
Further digging makes Alison certain that there are financial and medical irregularities at the hospital, but when she acts as whistle blower life gets complicated. It seems everyone is against Alison as pressure mounts and unexplained events start to rack up. What she needs is support, whereas her ex-husband wants her to return to London for a reconciliation now his mistress has left him.
The reader gets a sense of Alison’s struggles against those who are set in their ways, the rigid departments, hints of the bureaucracy and of course the self-serving career first directors. (I’m sure there are some great managers and directors in the NHS but that would make for dull reading.) The epitome of the situation is highlighted by the nameplate on Alison’s door, yes people do fret about such things. Alison takes off her predecessor’s name plate and must make to with paper while a new one is made. When it comes it is spelt ‘Alsion’ in error or more likely in a magnificent show of passive-aggressive revenge.
The story narrative is split two ways with the thoughts of the killer in first person and the remainder in the third person. We hear from the killer right at the beginning and we are left in doubt they are a killer but as it is told in the first person, we do not know who the killer is or even what sex they are.
The plot revolves around Alison and her steps to make improvements at the hospital, which of course, upsets the status quo for employees and the killer. Ideally the killer would like her to leave by her own volition so arranges things to make life uncomfortable for Alison by hacking her computer and cancelling appointments and then vandalism of her property. Later when it appears that she will not be easily forced out the stakes are ratcheted up and the plan is to discredit her leading to dismissal, which requires secrets to be revealed. Then finally Alison finds her life in danger.
This is very much a psychological thriller, and such the pacing of the story becomes vital. The tension is allowed to build slowly as events gradually take over Alison’s life leading to initially frustration, then self-doubt, followed by some paranoia before realising she has been right all along. Throughout Alison has odd encounters with Dr Atkinson in the street, but she not only has taken over his old job, initially unbeknown to her she is also renting his former home. People she thought liked her seem to turn against her, such that she is unsure who to trust. There are murders but the victims are despatched in a clinical fashion, this is no blood and gore thriller even though there is some jeopardy. All of this is nicely judged.
The Doctor chillingly demonstrates how simple it could be to kill for revenge or to fuel a desire for power and control over life due to mental illness. Entertaining and slightly disturbing.
After a brief settling-in period Alison starts to make changes and then she comes across resistance. She’s works wholly electronically which doesn’t go well with the administration staff, the previous director, Dr Atkinson, was a belt and braces man and everything was written down. On the wards her changes come up against resistance and the head of the stroke ward, Dr Carrick, goes on sick leave with stress which he claims is down to Alison’s bullying. This leaves the ward critically under resourced, funding is tight across the NHS but this hospital it seems acutely so, no wonder moral is so low.
Further digging makes Alison certain that there are financial and medical irregularities at the hospital, but when she acts as whistle blower life gets complicated. It seems everyone is against Alison as pressure mounts and unexplained events start to rack up. What she needs is support, whereas her ex-husband wants her to return to London for a reconciliation now his mistress has left him.
The reader gets a sense of Alison’s struggles against those who are set in their ways, the rigid departments, hints of the bureaucracy and of course the self-serving career first directors. (I’m sure there are some great managers and directors in the NHS but that would make for dull reading.) The epitome of the situation is highlighted by the nameplate on Alison’s door, yes people do fret about such things. Alison takes off her predecessor’s name plate and must make to with paper while a new one is made. When it comes it is spelt ‘Alsion’ in error or more likely in a magnificent show of passive-aggressive revenge.
The story narrative is split two ways with the thoughts of the killer in first person and the remainder in the third person. We hear from the killer right at the beginning and we are left in doubt they are a killer but as it is told in the first person, we do not know who the killer is or even what sex they are.
The plot revolves around Alison and her steps to make improvements at the hospital, which of course, upsets the status quo for employees and the killer. Ideally the killer would like her to leave by her own volition so arranges things to make life uncomfortable for Alison by hacking her computer and cancelling appointments and then vandalism of her property. Later when it appears that she will not be easily forced out the stakes are ratcheted up and the plan is to discredit her leading to dismissal, which requires secrets to be revealed. Then finally Alison finds her life in danger.
This is very much a psychological thriller, and such the pacing of the story becomes vital. The tension is allowed to build slowly as events gradually take over Alison’s life leading to initially frustration, then self-doubt, followed by some paranoia before realising she has been right all along. Throughout Alison has odd encounters with Dr Atkinson in the street, but she not only has taken over his old job, initially unbeknown to her she is also renting his former home. People she thought liked her seem to turn against her, such that she is unsure who to trust. There are murders but the victims are despatched in a clinical fashion, this is no blood and gore thriller even though there is some jeopardy. All of this is nicely judged.
The Doctor chillingly demonstrates how simple it could be to kill for revenge or to fuel a desire for power and control over life due to mental illness. Entertaining and slightly disturbing.
April 1, 2023
I was excited at the prospect of reading a medical thriller written by an author who had worked in the NHS. The Doctor revolves around Doctor Alison Wilson who escapes a scandal in London and becomes a Medical Director to a failing hospital with a worryingly high mortality rate.
I’ll start with the positives of this book as sadly, there are significantly less than the negatives! I liked the premise and it felt like it was written with a lot of lived in experience, but in a way that was easy enough to follow for someone who has very little experience of being in a hospital.
Sadly, I found the book to be both dull and frustrating - 70% of the book felt like build-up and could be easily summarised, and quickly became repetitive. Dr Wilson goes to work, finds meetings have disappeared from her calendar or figures in her reports have been changed, she goes home and drinks some wine, something creepy happens to her house (eg: vandalism or slashed tires), no-one believes her, and it starts all over again the next day. This not only got old fast but also became frustrating and unbelievable. I didn’t understand why it took so long for Dr Wilson to work out what was happening with her computer, even when it escalated to 4 meetings a day disappearing from her calendar. I also didn’t understand why no-one seemed to believe her, I know that she was new to the hospital but she could have easily gotten some proof of what was going on.
The book was also quite predictable and I easily guessed who the culprit was from very early on. The ending then spirals into madness with a character revealing themselves and then monologuing and confessing for no reason when they are on the verge of getting their way anyway. A lot of things seemed way too convenient and unrealistic – the killer keeping a diary for example, and the explanation of how they got her password from her computer was laughable – there’s no way they’d be able to see her type it from a camera, side on from another room!
There are some chapters which end with a paragraph from the killer’s perspective but these aren’t signposted or labelled in any way. It was incredibly jarring to suddenly have this switch of perspective and swearing midway through the narrative. The book also felt quite badly written in places which is very different from what I’d expect from a novel published by Avon.
Overall, The Doctor was not for me – quite frankly it’s poorly written, predictable and dull with too many convenient & unrealistic plot points. Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
I’ll start with the positives of this book as sadly, there are significantly less than the negatives! I liked the premise and it felt like it was written with a lot of lived in experience, but in a way that was easy enough to follow for someone who has very little experience of being in a hospital.
Sadly, I found the book to be both dull and frustrating - 70% of the book felt like build-up and could be easily summarised, and quickly became repetitive. Dr Wilson goes to work, finds meetings have disappeared from her calendar or figures in her reports have been changed, she goes home and drinks some wine, something creepy happens to her house (eg: vandalism or slashed tires), no-one believes her, and it starts all over again the next day. This not only got old fast but also became frustrating and unbelievable. I didn’t understand why it took so long for Dr Wilson to work out what was happening with her computer, even when it escalated to 4 meetings a day disappearing from her calendar. I also didn’t understand why no-one seemed to believe her, I know that she was new to the hospital but she could have easily gotten some proof of what was going on.
The book was also quite predictable and I easily guessed who the culprit was from very early on. The ending then spirals into madness with a character revealing themselves and then monologuing and confessing for no reason when they are on the verge of getting their way anyway. A lot of things seemed way too convenient and unrealistic – the killer keeping a diary for example, and the explanation of how they got her password from her computer was laughable – there’s no way they’d be able to see her type it from a camera, side on from another room!
There are some chapters which end with a paragraph from the killer’s perspective but these aren’t signposted or labelled in any way. It was incredibly jarring to suddenly have this switch of perspective and swearing midway through the narrative. The book also felt quite badly written in places which is very different from what I’d expect from a novel published by Avon.
Overall, The Doctor was not for me – quite frankly it’s poorly written, predictable and dull with too many convenient & unrealistic plot points. Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
May 5, 2023
At St Margaret’s Hospital too many patients are dying. The CQC flagged the problem, but there is no suspicion of foul play, just incompetence! However, the Medical Director resigned; or was he persuaded to jump before he was pushed? The latter is not uncommon in the NHS, where a Hospital’s reputation (and the career of its CEO) have to be protected from scandal. Dr Alison Wilson, a high-flying Consultant on the Stroke ward at a major London Hospital, has been hired as his replacement. She has taken the post partly with a view to getting experience which will get her an MD post in London, and partly because she is getting a divorce from her husband who works at the same hospital and is having an affair with a colleague. Rumours of conflicts surrounding this made it impossible for her to stay. Her plan is simple – find the source of the problems (there are financial failings as well as the death rate issue), sort them, get the CQC rating up to outstanding, and move on. Unfortunately, the death rate starts going up rather than down, the existing staff, especially Dr Carrick the Stroke Consultant, resent her plans and are being obstructive. The Management Team also seem to be negative about her ideas. More worryingly, she seems to have a problem with the IT system, which keeps losing her emails, deleting her appointments, and amending her spreadsheets. Her only allies appear to be Eliza, the Head Nurse, and Joyce, the Ward Sister. Is this all just coincidence, or is someone plotting against her and, if so, why? Even the locals where she lives appear to bear her some animosity – with the notable exception of Mike, motor mechanic and Jack of all trades.
This is billed as a suspenseful, psychological thriller, but it isn’t really any of these. There is some suspense, but not a lot – the interpolated “voice” of the killer just made me more certain of their identity; the killer is obviously unbalanced and Alison is obviously under stress but neither of these are psychological; the plot is nicely handled, but is really too obvious, too linear, too flat, to make it thrilling. Having said all that, the writing is good, the pace is brisk (which might help to sail over the issues above), the characterisation and background details are both sound. It’s about half way there, which gives me 2.5 as a score, rounding to 3 which is generous (2 would be overkill).
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
This is billed as a suspenseful, psychological thriller, but it isn’t really any of these. There is some suspense, but not a lot – the interpolated “voice” of the killer just made me more certain of their identity; the killer is obviously unbalanced and Alison is obviously under stress but neither of these are psychological; the plot is nicely handled, but is really too obvious, too linear, too flat, to make it thrilling. Having said all that, the writing is good, the pace is brisk (which might help to sail over the issues above), the characterisation and background details are both sound. It’s about half way there, which gives me 2.5 as a score, rounding to 3 which is generous (2 would be overkill).
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
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