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Prescription for Trouble #3
Diagnosis Death
2011 RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award Finalist
The threatening midnight calls followed Dr. Elena Gardner from one city to another, prolonging her grief. Even worse, they are echoed by the whispers of her own colleagues. Whispers that started after her comatose husband died in the ICU . . . then another mysterious death during her training. When a third happens at her new hospital, the whispers turn into a shout: -Mercy killer!-
Why doesn't she defend herself? What is the dark secret that keeps Elena's lips sealed?
Two physicians, widowers themselves, offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret? Soon Elena will find that even when the world seems to be against her, God is for her, if she'll only trust him.
The threatening midnight calls followed Dr. Elena Gardner from one city to another, prolonging her grief. Even worse, they are echoed by the whispers of her own colleagues. Whispers that started after her comatose husband died in the ICU . . . then another mysterious death during her training. When a third happens at her new hospital, the whispers turn into a shout: -Mercy killer!-
Why doesn't she defend herself? What is the dark secret that keeps Elena's lips sealed?
Two physicians, widowers themselves, offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret? Soon Elena will find that even when the world seems to be against her, God is for her, if she'll only trust him.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
115 people are currently reading
1121 people want to read
About the author
Richard L. Mabry
30 books520 followersDr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of twelve published novels of medical suspense and six novellas. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year, and have won the Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference.
Richard’s non-fiction book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse (Kregel Publishers), has ministered to multiple thousands of grieving individuals. His meditations and short pieces have appeared in The Upper Room, In Touch, and several other periodicals.
When Richard is not writing, he spends his time reading, working fruitlessly to improve his golf game, and defending his title as the world’s best Granddad. He and his wife live in north Texas and are active members of Stonebriar Community Church, pastored by Dr. Chuck Swindoll.
Richard’s non-fiction book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse (Kregel Publishers), has ministered to multiple thousands of grieving individuals. His meditations and short pieces have appeared in The Upper Room, In Touch, and several other periodicals.
When Richard is not writing, he spends his time reading, working fruitlessly to improve his golf game, and defending his title as the world’s best Granddad. He and his wife live in north Texas and are active members of Stonebriar Community Church, pastored by Dr. Chuck Swindoll.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 15, 2011
Diagnosis Death is pulsing with action, suspense, mystery, and one very big question that Dr. Elena Gardner is desperate to know--is she a mercy killer? Having no memory of what she did around the time of the patient's death, she doesn't know. Starting out with a prologue that will intrigue and pull you into the story, you won't be able to put it down! What a compelling book!
Elena lives a very hectic life as a doctor. As the story progressed and she dealt with so many emergencies, it made me appreciate doctors a lot more. What a life to live, knowing that your meal or sleep could be interrupted at any time and you'd have to rush to the hospital. This kind of life alone would make every day a crazy adventure. But added to this, Elena deals with countless problems--guilt over her husband's death, problems at work, overdue bills, creepy midnight calls, and stalkers. Wow! Life sure didn't go easy on her. But she grew to be a stronger character because of it all, and I loved reading about her spiritual growth. And she had a friend. David. He was the Mr. Steady who was always there to support her. I quickly grew to like this guy! He never pressed his relationship with Elena and was content just to be there for her. Yes, I was totally for this hero! ;-)
With so many twists and turns, Diagnosis Death doesn't give the reader much time to grow bored. Oh, no! Richard Mabry weaves together a complex plot that continues to dump first one, then another problem, into Elena's life. I loved this about the book. There was one part of the plot that I didn't really understand. The guilty party was caught for his wrong-doing, but I never got why he was doing it in the first place. They explained it--very briefly--but only insinuated to it, really. But this was the only instance I found in the book. It kept a fast-pace and I was always looking for an opportunity to dive back into the story.
Mabry's skill at bringing suspense and tension into his writing is really good--I clutched the pages at certain parts and could feel Elena's apprehension. There were a few times that I wished the writing was more descriptive and alive--such as when Elena is fighting with her attacker. I felt as if I was just giving an overview of what was happening, instead of being "in" the scene. But this happened only a few times, and other than these instances, I found his writing style easy to be drawn into.
This is the first book I have read by Mabry, and it's the third one in his Prescription for Trouble series. I jumped right into the story and thoroughly enjoyed this amazing adventure. I look forward to reading more books by Richard Mabry in the future. If you like medical suspense novels, then his books are for you!
Elena lives a very hectic life as a doctor. As the story progressed and she dealt with so many emergencies, it made me appreciate doctors a lot more. What a life to live, knowing that your meal or sleep could be interrupted at any time and you'd have to rush to the hospital. This kind of life alone would make every day a crazy adventure. But added to this, Elena deals with countless problems--guilt over her husband's death, problems at work, overdue bills, creepy midnight calls, and stalkers. Wow! Life sure didn't go easy on her. But she grew to be a stronger character because of it all, and I loved reading about her spiritual growth. And she had a friend. David. He was the Mr. Steady who was always there to support her. I quickly grew to like this guy! He never pressed his relationship with Elena and was content just to be there for her. Yes, I was totally for this hero! ;-)
With so many twists and turns, Diagnosis Death doesn't give the reader much time to grow bored. Oh, no! Richard Mabry weaves together a complex plot that continues to dump first one, then another problem, into Elena's life. I loved this about the book. There was one part of the plot that I didn't really understand. The guilty party was caught for his wrong-doing, but I never got why he was doing it in the first place. They explained it--very briefly--but only insinuated to it, really. But this was the only instance I found in the book. It kept a fast-pace and I was always looking for an opportunity to dive back into the story.
Mabry's skill at bringing suspense and tension into his writing is really good--I clutched the pages at certain parts and could feel Elena's apprehension. There were a few times that I wished the writing was more descriptive and alive--such as when Elena is fighting with her attacker. I felt as if I was just giving an overview of what was happening, instead of being "in" the scene. But this happened only a few times, and other than these instances, I found his writing style easy to be drawn into.
This is the first book I have read by Mabry, and it's the third one in his Prescription for Trouble series. I jumped right into the story and thoroughly enjoyed this amazing adventure. I look forward to reading more books by Richard Mabry in the future. If you like medical suspense novels, then his books are for you!
December 31, 2010
My opinion: In this book we meet Dr. Elena Gardner, who recently lost her husband to a brain hemorrhage. He was on life support and she had to make the difficult choice of making him a DNR. However someone pulled the plug on him before the ultimate choice was made, and Elena can't remember if she did it or not. Then Elena has another patient with a brain hemorrhage who also has his life support disconnected. Suspicions begin, but is certain she did not do this. She starts to fear that she's having episodes where she does things she can't remember. Luckily she's moving to a new town where she can get a fresh start. But will the trouble keep following her and destroy her life?
Well, I started out liking this book. It seemed like the writing was decent and the story was compelling. There were just a lot of things that ended up annoying me in the long run. For example, when they call her into their office the first time they say "as long as you promise it won't happen again", like they're talking to a 5 year old. Then the second time a man is taken off his respirator, they say "as long as you promise not to do it again, we won't look into it further". I felt deja vu reading those two parts of the book because they sounded so similar and nothing happened to her. Then when Matney said that he didn't care if she did write the DNR order or take the two men off life support, it wouldn't get her accused of murder or manslaughter, it wouldn't even be malpractice. Now, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure at least with the second man, she would have at least got hit with malpractice if she was responsible. The wife never agreed to a DNR order or taking him off life support, so I think that would have definitely been a problem (although it turns out she was relieved that the decision was made for her). Also, a lot of the text in the beginning is just her sitting in her apartment, listening to her TV for white noise, and being depressed. Not that I blame her for being depressed, but one description of her crappy home life was enough to get the picture. I just found Elena really dense for a doctor; there were a lot of things she missed that had me smacking my head. Like when she found that letter and assumed that it was for her, that her husband had planned on leaving her. Uh, they lived together, why would he put a letter for her in an envelope like he was going to mail it when he could just have left it for her? And if she would have just went to the police in the first place when she started getting the phone calls and creepy messages, they could have traced the phone number and figured that part out a lot sooner. The story really just didn't work for me. And the end, well I won't go into a lot of details about what happens, but I get that she was trying to clear her name but the way she went about it was not smart at all. I wanted to like Elena, but I found myself not really caring if she got pinned with murder or not. Just couldn't connect with her or really feel sorry for her. It was not the most horrible book I have ever read, but I was not at all impressed by it either.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Well, I started out liking this book. It seemed like the writing was decent and the story was compelling. There were just a lot of things that ended up annoying me in the long run. For example, when they call her into their office the first time they say "as long as you promise it won't happen again", like they're talking to a 5 year old. Then the second time a man is taken off his respirator, they say "as long as you promise not to do it again, we won't look into it further". I felt deja vu reading those two parts of the book because they sounded so similar and nothing happened to her. Then when Matney said that he didn't care if she did write the DNR order or take the two men off life support, it wouldn't get her accused of murder or manslaughter, it wouldn't even be malpractice. Now, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure at least with the second man, she would have at least got hit with malpractice if she was responsible. The wife never agreed to a DNR order or taking him off life support, so I think that would have definitely been a problem (although it turns out she was relieved that the decision was made for her). Also, a lot of the text in the beginning is just her sitting in her apartment, listening to her TV for white noise, and being depressed. Not that I blame her for being depressed, but one description of her crappy home life was enough to get the picture. I just found Elena really dense for a doctor; there were a lot of things she missed that had me smacking my head. Like when she found that letter and assumed that it was for her, that her husband had planned on leaving her. Uh, they lived together, why would he put a letter for her in an envelope like he was going to mail it when he could just have left it for her? And if she would have just went to the police in the first place when she started getting the phone calls and creepy messages, they could have traced the phone number and figured that part out a lot sooner. The story really just didn't work for me. And the end, well I won't go into a lot of details about what happens, but I get that she was trying to clear her name but the way she went about it was not smart at all. I wanted to like Elena, but I found myself not really caring if she got pinned with murder or not. Just couldn't connect with her or really feel sorry for her. It was not the most horrible book I have ever read, but I was not at all impressed by it either.
Rating: 2/5 stars
March 12, 2011
The first half of this book was really enjoyable, I liked the characters and the medical setting. The last half of the book went downhill for me. There were too many coincidences and the characters started talking and acting so so fake. It was like "Oh I'm a lawyer and you might be murdering helpless people and I don't know anything about you but I'm going to let you move in with my parents and be alone with patients and my pregnant wife." The ending also bothered me because everything resolved itself way too fast. The person behind everything all of the sudden just pops into Elana's head and she takes care of everything all by herself. Also no matter how bad someones life is I don't buy a dead husband, a phone stalker, 2 murderers, a peeping tom and a creepy somewhat boyfriend all in one year. Murderers happening and no legal action taken and so much help from people who don't even know you also were just a little too far fetched for me. I think I could have looked past all of that though if something really exciting would have happened in the process of catching at least one of the bad guys but 2 pages of suspense and action just aren't enough for me in mystery type books.
I would recommend this book to fans of other things that Richard L. Mabry has written. I didn't hate this book by any means I was just expecting more because it started out so strong.
Grade C
pages 288
I do like the cover and it does tie in with the story, only the cover is more dramatic than the story is.
www.feliciahowell.blogspot.com
I would recommend this book to fans of other things that Richard L. Mabry has written. I didn't hate this book by any means I was just expecting more because it started out so strong.
Grade C
pages 288
I do like the cover and it does tie in with the story, only the cover is more dramatic than the story is.
www.feliciahowell.blogspot.com
January 23, 2016
DIAGNOSIS DEATH is the third book in the Prescription for Trouble series by Dr. Richard L. Mabry. While the first two books in the series are on my list of favorites, DIAGNOSIS DEATH will not be making the cut.
Dr. Elena Gardner is still mourning the death of her husband. Unfortunately, that is only one facet of the troubles she’s facing. Between threatening phone calls and mysterious deaths at the hospital under her watch, she feels as if her world is closing in on her. Deciding to leave it all behind, she takes a position as an associate with a practice out of town. When the threatening phone calls and another mysterious death follows her, she doesn’t know what to think or where to turn. Her support system is growing in Dainger, Texas, but with her reputation and her sanity on the line, Elena risks her safety to find those who are tormenting her.
DIAGNOSIS DEATH was on the disappointing side for me. The story was very slow in the beginning and difficult to get into. The last third finally picked up but some of the conclusions seemed a bit farfetched. A few characters from CODE BLUE, the first book in the series, reappear here. One of the characters I was really interested in from book one was Marcus Bell. And though he showed up in this book, he was shown very little attention. Again, DIAGNOSIS DEATH did not live up to its predecessors, but it was still an interesting read.
Dr. Elena Gardner is still mourning the death of her husband. Unfortunately, that is only one facet of the troubles she’s facing. Between threatening phone calls and mysterious deaths at the hospital under her watch, she feels as if her world is closing in on her. Deciding to leave it all behind, she takes a position as an associate with a practice out of town. When the threatening phone calls and another mysterious death follows her, she doesn’t know what to think or where to turn. Her support system is growing in Dainger, Texas, but with her reputation and her sanity on the line, Elena risks her safety to find those who are tormenting her.
DIAGNOSIS DEATH was on the disappointing side for me. The story was very slow in the beginning and difficult to get into. The last third finally picked up but some of the conclusions seemed a bit farfetched. A few characters from CODE BLUE, the first book in the series, reappear here. One of the characters I was really interested in from book one was Marcus Bell. And though he showed up in this book, he was shown very little attention. Again, DIAGNOSIS DEATH did not live up to its predecessors, but it was still an interesting read.
July 26, 2013
3.5 stars
Richard Mabry sure knows how to write medical suspense! He does a great job of writing characters who are more than just their job and adds a decent dose of interesting medical details and suspenseful situations. The story started out a little slow, but once I got into it, I was hooked. The one thing that kept this book from being "awesome" for me was that there were just SO many "crimes" overlapping throughout the book. It was hard to believe that one person could simultaneously find herself involved (either as a victim or a suspect) in three criminal situations. I'll have to stop there or risk spoiling things for you. Even with all of the various story lines, Mabry did a great job keeping me guessing until the end. An enjoyable read ... I'll definitely check out more of this series!
Richard Mabry sure knows how to write medical suspense! He does a great job of writing characters who are more than just their job and adds a decent dose of interesting medical details and suspenseful situations. The story started out a little slow, but once I got into it, I was hooked. The one thing that kept this book from being "awesome" for me was that there were just SO many "crimes" overlapping throughout the book. It was hard to believe that one person could simultaneously find herself involved (either as a victim or a suspect) in three criminal situations. I'll have to stop there or risk spoiling things for you. Even with all of the various story lines, Mabry did a great job keeping me guessing until the end. An enjoyable read ... I'll definitely check out more of this series!
May 10, 2019
The story was intriguing and was what kept me listening. However, it was more of an mystery than thrilling suspense. It was great to catch up with Dr Cathy from book 1. There was a lot going on...mercy killings, a killer trying to frame Elena, a stalker and some secrets from her dead husband's past. If you like medical suspense stories, you should like this one. The subject of mercy killing were interesting and left you with some ethical/humanity questions.
I would not recommend the audiobook. I gave 1 star for the narrator. Her sad/emotional voice sounded whiny and I struggled to realise which POV I'm listening to now. I only continued listening because I wanted to see how the story ended.
I would not recommend the audiobook. I gave 1 star for the narrator. Her sad/emotional voice sounded whiny and I struggled to realise which POV I'm listening to now. I only continued listening because I wanted to see how the story ended.
May 24, 2020
Medical thriller that spins the lives of characters into a death trap.
April 4, 2011
This book is the third in a series. However, this was the first one that I read. Thankfully, the author did such a superb job that I did not feel lost or like I was missing something.
Having worked in the medical field since the late 80s, I can be a little overly critical of medical dramas and mysteries. I know what is possible and what is just over the top. This book was so well written that I enjoyed every minute and can honestly say that there were no head shaking moments because of medical errors. Since the author is a physician himself, he was able to accurately write this story. Yet, he doesn’t bog the reader down with over use of medical terminology. I know many of my friends who get frustrated by not knowing what things mean. This book will surely not cause that type of frustration in the reader.
This was a fast paced thriller that I did not want to put down at all. I kept me on edge. The few times that I had to put it down, I was just itching to run over and pick it back up. I just had to find out what happened next.
You can see the book trailer at Diagnosis Death on Animoto.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
Having worked in the medical field since the late 80s, I can be a little overly critical of medical dramas and mysteries. I know what is possible and what is just over the top. This book was so well written that I enjoyed every minute and can honestly say that there were no head shaking moments because of medical errors. Since the author is a physician himself, he was able to accurately write this story. Yet, he doesn’t bog the reader down with over use of medical terminology. I know many of my friends who get frustrated by not knowing what things mean. This book will surely not cause that type of frustration in the reader.
This was a fast paced thriller that I did not want to put down at all. I kept me on edge. The few times that I had to put it down, I was just itching to run over and pick it back up. I just had to find out what happened next.
You can see the book trailer at Diagnosis Death on Animoto.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
October 20, 2011
While I enjoyed the story line and the plot, I wasn't completely immersed in this story and that is why I had to give this book a 3 star rating. The story is interesting, but for some odd reason, there are several points within this book where the story seems to drag on a bit before picking back up and getting interesting.
And while Elena is a likable character, she's sort of set up as a one dimensional character. She's a woman that just left a residency job after the death of her husband. That's about it. We see her slowly work through her grief of losing her husband a few months prior but even that plot seems to take a back seat to the story after several chapters.
The mystery portion was a good idea but for some reason, it just didn't play out well. It seems like it was just put out there, it was over with quickly and we don't get a lot of explanation except for a few spoken words at the end while everyone is at a public restaurant.
Also, there is one small plot portion where we don't hear a lot more about it. This character was turned into the cops, we find out it wasn't their first time and that's about it.
The book is a fast read however. It's not filled with too many boring details or situations that have no relevance to the plot. It's just the story and nothing else. Not a bad read but not exceptional either.
And while Elena is a likable character, she's sort of set up as a one dimensional character. She's a woman that just left a residency job after the death of her husband. That's about it. We see her slowly work through her grief of losing her husband a few months prior but even that plot seems to take a back seat to the story after several chapters.
The mystery portion was a good idea but for some reason, it just didn't play out well. It seems like it was just put out there, it was over with quickly and we don't get a lot of explanation except for a few spoken words at the end while everyone is at a public restaurant.
Also, there is one small plot portion where we don't hear a lot more about it. This character was turned into the cops, we find out it wasn't their first time and that's about it.
The book is a fast read however. It's not filled with too many boring details or situations that have no relevance to the plot. It's just the story and nothing else. Not a bad read but not exceptional either.
December 14, 2011
There was a lot about this novel that I did not like at all. First off, I am not a doctor myself, so perhaps I am totally off here, but isn't it a little ironic that Elena comes across so many patients with brain injuries? I mean, there are other things that doctors deal with, yes?
Karri being the person sabotaging Elena was ridiculous. We don't even know her. Out of the many characters in the novel, couldn't it have been one of them? Additionally, the letter that Mark had written being for his mistress was obvious as well. And why in the world would Karri tell her everything? If she is crazy enough to take people off of life support in the hopes that it will look like it's Elena, why int he world would she be so honest with Elena? Real crazy people would never do that. She hates Elena; why would she give her satisfaction in knowing that Mark loved her and was planning on leaving Karri?
Natalie showing up in the hospital actually made me say, "Seriously?" outloud.
And no explanation on what in the world Godwin was spying on Elena for? Was he just a pervert or was he stalking her? And it didn't add up. He showed no signs of interest in her other than trying to get her fired.
I found the novel to be way too predictable at most points and lacking real life connectivity in others.
Karri being the person sabotaging Elena was ridiculous. We don't even know her. Out of the many characters in the novel, couldn't it have been one of them? Additionally, the letter that Mark had written being for his mistress was obvious as well. And why in the world would Karri tell her everything? If she is crazy enough to take people off of life support in the hopes that it will look like it's Elena, why int he world would she be so honest with Elena? Real crazy people would never do that. She hates Elena; why would she give her satisfaction in knowing that Mark loved her and was planning on leaving Karri?
Natalie showing up in the hospital actually made me say, "Seriously?" outloud.
And no explanation on what in the world Godwin was spying on Elena for? Was he just a pervert or was he stalking her? And it didn't add up. He showed no signs of interest in her other than trying to get her fired.
I found the novel to be way too predictable at most points and lacking real life connectivity in others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2011
The summary above makes this book sound far more religious than what it really is. I was more than halfway through the book before anything more religious than having a preacher as a character came forth. Basically the religious part of the book is that when Elena loses her husband, she loses her faith. A whole lot of bad stuff happens and while most of it happens she is living in the spare room in the preacher's house. At some point the preacher's wife reminds her that God is looking out for her, even if she doesn't feel Him. She sees a friend and fellow doctor praying for a patient. After the climax, she she goes to church and hears a sermon about the resurrection. In short, the book is far more romantic medical thriller than Christian.
Like Mabry's other books (click link for my review) Medical Error and Code Blue, Diagnosis Death moves quickly and is hard to put down. Mabry's medical background shows in his descriptions of medical center life and illnesses. His characters are likable and not too good to be true.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley and I think most folks would enjoy this book. Grade: B+
Like Mabry's other books (click link for my review) Medical Error and Code Blue, Diagnosis Death moves quickly and is hard to put down. Mabry's medical background shows in his descriptions of medical center life and illnesses. His characters are likable and not too good to be true.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley and I think most folks would enjoy this book. Grade: B+
April 3, 2013
It started out okay. Then it sucked. Then it ended. Then I told myself, THIS IS WHY THE KINDLE STORE PUTS BOOKS ON THE "FREE" LIST.
Continuity errors- Cathy/Elena are swapped for a few paragraphs causing me to go back and ask, "Am I crazy or did the editor day drink at work that afternoon?"
Continuity errors- Cathy/Elena are swapped for a few paragraphs causing me to go back and ask, "Am I crazy or did the editor day drink at work that afternoon?"
August 11, 2013
Once again Richard Mabry has penned another engrossing medical thriller. Dr. Elena Perez Gardner, a medical resident who has lost her husband to a brain aneurysm just months earlier, is surrounded by problems: a stalker, patient euthanasia that is being blamed on her, mysterious midnight phone calls, and a peeping tom. Are these all from one person or is she being attacked by different people? Will she find her way back to the faith she gave up on when she lost her husband after so many fervant prayers?
This book will keep you turning pages til the very end and will definitely surprise you with its twists and turns. I really liked Elena's character. She was strong and had a "never give up" determination. She kept pushing till she knew the entire truth even if it turned out to be something bad for herself.
This book will keep you turning pages til the very end and will definitely surprise you with its twists and turns. I really liked Elena's character. She was strong and had a "never give up" determination. She kept pushing till she knew the entire truth even if it turned out to be something bad for herself.
January 25, 2012
I downloaded this as a free read from Kindle, and didn't look beyond the title or the cover, so imagine my surprise when hints of Christian Inspiration started showing up. Despite my aversion to overly preachy fiction, I kept going and found myself pleasantly surprised by the gentle hand with which the inspirational passages were delivered.
A nice twist at the end that I hadn't expected after figuring out the first two murders. It was good enough to keep me glued to the pages until the end. Enough I'm considering going looking for books 1 and 2.
A nice twist at the end that I hadn't expected after figuring out the first two murders. It was good enough to keep me glued to the pages until the end. Enough I'm considering going looking for books 1 and 2.
October 29, 2011
Great read! Received it free from Amazon for my Kindle but well worth buying this book! More to come on www.favchristianbooks.com
April 24, 2013
This wasn't my favorite book and I almost quit reading it halfway through. I liked the first book in the series though.
May 29, 2023
Excellent Read!!
May 22, 2019
Diagnosis Death is the 3rd book in the Prescription for Trouble Series written by Richard Mabry.
Dr. Gardner is about to finish her residency. Her husband became critically ill. Although she finally did decide to end her husband's illness, she never remembered doing it herself. Then two more patients with the same prognosis as her husband died. She is in so much trouble she thinks she is losing her sanity. An opportunity to relocate and start her practice came but the troubles still followed her. Who wanted to destroy her career and why?
This book will keep you guessing up to the very end. Very entertaining with believable characters and plot. Some characters from the first book "Code Blue" are back. But you can read this as a stand alone. Shows the readers how God sometimes answers our prayers. Like I always said Dr. Mabry's books are good, clean, very enjoyable and entertaining read.
Dr. Gardner is about to finish her residency. Her husband became critically ill. Although she finally did decide to end her husband's illness, she never remembered doing it herself. Then two more patients with the same prognosis as her husband died. She is in so much trouble she thinks she is losing her sanity. An opportunity to relocate and start her practice came but the troubles still followed her. Who wanted to destroy her career and why?
This book will keep you guessing up to the very end. Very entertaining with believable characters and plot. Some characters from the first book "Code Blue" are back. But you can read this as a stand alone. Shows the readers how God sometimes answers our prayers. Like I always said Dr. Mabry's books are good, clean, very enjoyable and entertaining read.
August 18, 2024
Dr Elena Gardner is struggling. Her husband suffered a brain bleed that left him on life support. She doesn’t remember turning off his respirator, but… Then another patient with the same condition as her husband ends up under her care at the end of her residency. In an odd coincidence, his respirator is turned off while his wife is out of the room, and Elena is being accused of doing it.
Instead of doing an investigation, the hospital decides to allow Elena to end her residency early and move to her private practice in Dainger. This was a conflicting set of events for me, because I want her to be able to practice medicine, but I also want her to defend herself against false accusations. Her helplessness makes her a bit less likable than the previous heroines in this series.
In the last 50 pages, she finally finds her strength. She confronts the people who are trying to ruin her life, and she opens her heart to the God and the people who want to help her move forward.
Instead of doing an investigation, the hospital decides to allow Elena to end her residency early and move to her private practice in Dainger. This was a conflicting set of events for me, because I want her to be able to practice medicine, but I also want her to defend herself against false accusations. Her helplessness makes her a bit less likable than the previous heroines in this series.
In the last 50 pages, she finally finds her strength. She confronts the people who are trying to ruin her life, and she opens her heart to the God and the people who want to help her move forward.
July 23, 2022
This book took me 3 days to finish it just wasn’t my cup of tea I found it really boring and the authors writing style or just the way he wrote wasn’t my favorite I didn’t really relate to the characters or feel for them also the book was pretty slow paced! I can see though how people could love this book It just wasn’t what I like reading and I love suspense books but this wasn’t very suspenseful to me:) anyways I hope others have a better time with the book!🙂
September 19, 2021
Great Medical Drama
I just love the way Dr. Mabry writes. He gets you involved in the drama, leading you to determine who the criminal is and just when you think you know who it is, he throws in a twist that drops your jaw. I love his mixture of drama, romance, and suspense through Christian values.
I just love the way Dr. Mabry writes. He gets you involved in the drama, leading you to determine who the criminal is and just when you think you know who it is, he throws in a twist that drops your jaw. I love his mixture of drama, romance, and suspense through Christian values.
June 8, 2017
Very good Christian medical mystery series.
June 29, 2017
Another great story by Richard L. Mabry. I enjoyed every second of reading his story. It was well written with rounded out characters. I don't want to say more and give away the plot.
December 16, 2017
I enjoyed the book. Since I read it five years ago, it has been too long to recall enough to write a review now. Suffice it to say that I am hooked on Richard Mabry's books.
March 13, 2018
Nicely written, kept me turning pages!
June 13, 2019
Good read
I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t amazing but was an enjoyable, quick read. I liked the mystery & romance, plus the faith that was in the background.
I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t amazing but was an enjoyable, quick read. I liked the mystery & romance, plus the faith that was in the background.
January 14, 2022
I didn't realize that this was Christian fiction until I started reading. The story wasn't terrible if I skip over all the religious stuff. It really didn't add anything to the story.
April 10, 2025
Medical mysteries
I chose this book to read because I have started to read medical mysteries. This was a book that kept me wanting to never stop reading.
I chose this book to read because I have started to read medical mysteries. This was a book that kept me wanting to never stop reading.
October 25, 2025
Very good. I am looking to see how many more books he has written. I want to read them all
December 29, 2010
On further research, I learned that this is the third book off the Prescription for Trouble series, but it's not completely dependent on the first two books and you can read this on its own. This digital advanced reader's copy was sent to me by NetGalley. I did not have any expectations up front when I requested for a copy of this book, although the fact that it's got euthanasia as one of its topics got me interested but that was just it. Reading through the first few pages got me hooked and I somehow knew this would be a really fun and intense ride.
According to Amazon.com
"When her comatose husband dies in the ICU while on life support, the whispers about Dr. Elena Gardner begin. Another death during her training puts her under suspicion. When the pattern is repeated in the hospital where she is attempting to start over, the whispers turn into a shout: “mercy killing.”
What is the dark secret that keeps Elena’s lips sealed when she should be defending herself? Despite her move to a new city, the midnight phone calls that started after her husband’s death follow Elena. Who is the woman who sobs out, “I know what you did?” What does she mean by “You’ll pay?” And what can Elena do to prevent it?
Two physicians, widowers themselves, offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret?"
This book totally blew me away! It possessed everything I have been looking for in a thriller: Mystery, suspense, some psychological kicks. This could be one of the scariest thrillers out there to be released in 2011. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think to myself, This is totally up there with Hannibal. There aren't any gruesome murders or inconceivable torturing but the fear that each chapter conveys - the mysterious calls, the anonymous letters, all those harrowing events that haunt Elena's life is so surreal yet very realistic. I could never begin to figure out how anyone confronted with such threats could cope, and yet in this well-written story, I think I almost could.
Euthanasia has been the topic of much debate over the years in Bio-Ethics. In this book, it covers the legal, emotional, and psychological ramifications for the people that will survive the patient once life support is withdrawn. The grief and the guilt caused by making that major decision to allow a loved one to die is so inconsolable and overwhelming, and this story attempts to portray all those emotions with logical and spiritual balance.
The writing is snappy, demanding, and well-paced. You begin to read this and you do not put this down. The voice of the narration is neutral but laced with excitement and pulls the reader deeper into the story until all questions are answered, all mysteries solved. It did not also attempt to hold off on the suspense too much, unlike other stories that try to string the reader along until the very end to reveal every answer that turns out to be too simple or bland that it becomes an anticlimax. But it did not, however, expose everything right away, the timing is impeccable, that once I got into some of those parts, I would try to cover the lower page with my hand just so my eyes wouldn't cheat and try to peek and see the answers. It was exciting to solve the mystery and it was exciting to understand the mystery.
The characters are all well-rounded, well-thought of, their personalities very human and realistic. I felt a lot of sympathy for Elena, for all her losses and misfortunes, but I was totally with her to the end. I loved her courage and her strength, and somehow she reminded me of her mother, nothing fazes them. As for the other characters, they are all very likable and relatable, although I would have wanted to torture some characters a bit more. But that's just the sadist in me talking.
Overall, I could not wait for this book to be out in bookstores next year. Even if I'd read this already, I would love to pick up a copy and read it all over again. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. Watch out for this one and don't forget the date this will be published: April 1, 2011!
According to Amazon.com
"When her comatose husband dies in the ICU while on life support, the whispers about Dr. Elena Gardner begin. Another death during her training puts her under suspicion. When the pattern is repeated in the hospital where she is attempting to start over, the whispers turn into a shout: “mercy killing.”
What is the dark secret that keeps Elena’s lips sealed when she should be defending herself? Despite her move to a new city, the midnight phone calls that started after her husband’s death follow Elena. Who is the woman who sobs out, “I know what you did?” What does she mean by “You’ll pay?” And what can Elena do to prevent it?
Two physicians, widowers themselves, offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret?"
This book totally blew me away! It possessed everything I have been looking for in a thriller: Mystery, suspense, some psychological kicks. This could be one of the scariest thrillers out there to be released in 2011. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think to myself, This is totally up there with Hannibal. There aren't any gruesome murders or inconceivable torturing but the fear that each chapter conveys - the mysterious calls, the anonymous letters, all those harrowing events that haunt Elena's life is so surreal yet very realistic. I could never begin to figure out how anyone confronted with such threats could cope, and yet in this well-written story, I think I almost could.
Euthanasia has been the topic of much debate over the years in Bio-Ethics. In this book, it covers the legal, emotional, and psychological ramifications for the people that will survive the patient once life support is withdrawn. The grief and the guilt caused by making that major decision to allow a loved one to die is so inconsolable and overwhelming, and this story attempts to portray all those emotions with logical and spiritual balance.
The writing is snappy, demanding, and well-paced. You begin to read this and you do not put this down. The voice of the narration is neutral but laced with excitement and pulls the reader deeper into the story until all questions are answered, all mysteries solved. It did not also attempt to hold off on the suspense too much, unlike other stories that try to string the reader along until the very end to reveal every answer that turns out to be too simple or bland that it becomes an anticlimax. But it did not, however, expose everything right away, the timing is impeccable, that once I got into some of those parts, I would try to cover the lower page with my hand just so my eyes wouldn't cheat and try to peek and see the answers. It was exciting to solve the mystery and it was exciting to understand the mystery.
The characters are all well-rounded, well-thought of, their personalities very human and realistic. I felt a lot of sympathy for Elena, for all her losses and misfortunes, but I was totally with her to the end. I loved her courage and her strength, and somehow she reminded me of her mother, nothing fazes them. As for the other characters, they are all very likable and relatable, although I would have wanted to torture some characters a bit more. But that's just the sadist in me talking.
Overall, I could not wait for this book to be out in bookstores next year. Even if I'd read this already, I would love to pick up a copy and read it all over again. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. Watch out for this one and don't forget the date this will be published: April 1, 2011!
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