SLEEPER

by Barry Friedman

He quickly faced the door as the elevator started up. Just before it reached the fifth floor, he heard the static of the guard's walkie-talkie. An unintelligible message crackled. The elevator slowly came to a stop. The door crawled half open when he leapt out of the car.He raced to the door of ICU and looked back in the corridor. The guard had not gotten off the elevator. Allen breathed deeply. He was running scared, but from what? He had done nothing-or had he?When seven-year-old Angela Harris is rushed to a hospital emergency room in an unexplained coma, Dr. Ben Allen, the young pediatrician assigned to her case, welcomes the diagnostic challenge.His enthusiasm turns to frustration when confronted with the child's overbearing father, her phlegmatic mother, her doting but senile great-aunt, a knife-happy surgeon, and a hospital administrator who values fund-raising above patient care. Consumed by his efforts to save Angela before she falls victim to her mysterious illness, Allen must do so in the face of a series of events that threaten to end his budding career.

Genres: Abuse

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

During my fifty-odd years as an orthopaedic surgeon. I kept a small notebook (and paper napkins) on which I recorded incidents I thought were unusual. Most were humorous, some tragic. After I retired I started writing vignettes based on these notes. Several were published in obscure magazines. Then I read an article by Lawrence Block (a REAL writer) in which he stated that if you can write a short story you can write a book. I took him at his word, embellished several of the vignettes and have now published twelve books. Living off twenty-dollar royalty checks ain't easy, but it beats bagging groceries at Safeway.
The books are all listed on Amazon.com. They are in paperback and ebook format.
My website is www.barryf.com

Reviews

[Anne Hawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got a little thin in the middle. The story starts out well with the child present a mysterious illness and the seemingly uncaring mother staying by her side, but talking to no one. Then comes the overbearing father and an aunt and uncle more to create some tension and to give more suspects when it becomes apparent that someone is doing her harm.

Then there is a side plot which involves the child that I find terribly thin. The surgeon is unrealistic to me...at least I hope so. I find it hard to believe this goes on with malpractice hovering over all hospitals.

The ending also is weak. We need some hints throughout the novel in order to make this work and there are some issues which are unresolved.

[Julie Orman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trite little mystery with too much "action" filling. Not bad, but the action stuff (e.g. doctor blowing off his court appearance to engage in some very detailed breaking & entering) was not only over-the-top, but unnecessary, detailed and long. Tighten and edit the shit out of this story and it could make for a nice little medical mystery story...

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally cliched.

[schmorireads · Rating 1 out of 5]

B. O. R. I. N. g. G g g g

[Sarah Salerno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good all the way through

Good medical mystery. A bit of real life practice. Was hate to see it end, but ended it well, would read another one of his books.