Diagnosis or Death, the second book in the Janna Rose Mysteries series by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, is a contemporary mystery novel built around therapist Janna Rose, who is pulled into a tangled case involving a suspicious online video, benefit fraud, deepfake technology, psychotherapy, and the death of a fellow practitioner. What begins as a professional concern becomes a wider investigation into who is manipulating vulnerable people, who is being framed, and how easily trust can be weaponized in systems meant to help.

What I liked most was how relatable Janna feels on the page. She is sharp, funny, nosy, principled, and occasionally messy in ways that made me believe in her. The narration has a chatty, authentic quality, almost as if she is telling me the story over tea while half-watching her bank balance and half-thinking about the next clue. That looseness works well for the genre because the mystery does not unfold in some polished detective bubble. It grows out of everyday pressures: rent, family, work, ethics, professional pride, old friendships, and the awkward little compromises people make to get through the week.

The authors make some bold choices, especially in blending a murder mystery with issues like disability benefits, EMDR therapy, AI fakery, local politics, and social care. The book carries a lot. But I appreciated that it tries to make the mystery matter beyond the puzzle itself. The best parts are when the plot and the ideas rub against each other, making me wonder not only who did what, but who gets believed, who gets dismissed, and who profits when vulnerable people are pushed around. The therapy material could have felt dry, but it usually lands because it is filtered through Janna’s practical, skeptical, compassionate voice.

I would recommend Diagnosis or Death to readers who enjoy character-led mystery fiction with a topical edge. It’s especially suited to fans of amateur sleuth stories, British social mysteries, and crime novels where the investigation is tangled up with institutions, ethics, and ordinary life. Readers who like their mysteries thoughtful, witty, and grounded in real-world anxieties should find plenty to enjoy.

Pages: 292 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GS462DZT