Book Review: Critical Condition by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

*I received this book via BookLook Bloggers for purposes of this review, however all opinions are my own.

Critical Condition

by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

About the Book:

"Dr. Frasier couldn't save the gunshot victim on her front lawn. Now she's fighting for her own life.

It began as a quiet dinner party honoring Dr. Shannon Frasier's colleague, but became a nightmare when a man was shot on her lawn, reviving emotions from a similar episode a decade ago. Then a midnight call from her sister, Megan, causes Shannon to fear that her sister is on drugs again.

Her "almost-fiancé" Dr. Mark Gilbert's support only adds to Shannon's feelings of guilt, since she can't bring herself to fully commit to him. She turns for help to her pastor-father, only to learn that he's just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Shannon thought it couldn't get any worse. Then the late-night, threatening phone calls begin, the rough voice asking, "What did he say before he died?"

With everything around her in a critical state, simply staying alive will require all the resources and focus Shannon has."

My Review:

As you may know, I love a good mystery!  They are one of my favorite types of books to read and medical mysteries have always intrigued me.  In Critical Condition you are introduced to Dr. Shannon Frasier who has been struggling for years to overcome the horror of losing her fiance.  After a decade of trying to heal she has moved on when one night a stranger is shot dead on her front lawn.  Dealing with the memories of her own loss and the horror of this nightmare has Shannon on edge.  Add to it the stress of dealing with the return of her addict sister, Shannon has her plate full.  Thinking it couldn't get any more stressful, Shannon receives phone calls that are threatening and scary.  They want answers and Shannon doesn't have them, which means her life is in danger. 

I honestly had a hard time getting really into this story.  There was a lot going on and it was almost too much.  I found myself thinking, how can all this happen to one person, it was one crisis after another.  Between the mystery of the events on her front lawn and the problems her sister have brought into her life, it's just all too much.   I did like the spiritual thread that was consistent throughout the story though and found myself rooting for these two ladies as they deal with all these issues.  It's a great but slightly complex story.