Blog Archives
The Covid Kid: Another Marshall Morris Adventure
Robert John DeLuca’s The Covid Kid follows the misadventures of Marshall Morris, who we encounter as a high school student embarking on his first year at college. Having won an enviable football scholarship, Marshall expects his college experience to be full of sport and socializing — yet the encroaching presence of an unfamiliar virus threatens everything. As fear and tensions surrounding the virus continue to build, Marshall must decide what sacrifices he is willing to make for the good of his friends and the wider community. In the face of worldwide tragedy and conflicting opinions, the value of friendship is made clearer than ever before — something that the carefree Marshall must learn the hard way.
With its warm and humorous cast of teenagers, alongside ambitious antagonist Tommy Kinder, The Covid Kid encourages its readers to laugh ruefully at the hijinks and efforts of its characters — efforts which frequently backfire. There is a vein of tragedy that runs alongside this comic adventure, however — set during the rise of Covid-19, this story does well at balancing fun action with thoughtful commentary.
While I enjoyed the story, I felt that there were moments when we’re given a lot of exposition, and are told things about characters rather than shown. Otherwise, Marshall is a likable character that readers will enjoy following and the plot is compelling. The dialogue is straightforward and and delivers facts in a reporter-style of speech that serves an educational purpose, as characters’ fearful discussion of the impact of the virus marks a particular point in human history.
The Covid Kid successfully explores the effects of Covid-19 on society, particularly the younger generation. This is a compelling medical thriller that is as enlightening as it is entertaining.
Pages: 284 | ASIN: B09XWFMPR3
The Perfect Match
The dread of discovering that your body is betraying you tends to leave you with more questions than answers. No one wants to wake up sick to their stomach out of nowhere and end up scheduling a doctor visit, only to then hear some upsetting news.
When young Nick, the son of Emilio Seratino, found out he was more ill than he thought, you instantly felt how heart-crushing the news was to receive. Nineteen-year-old Nick is suffering from a condition discovered from a minor car accident. Now, he must be on dialysis treatment before being added to the transplant list. As if the news couldn’t get any worse, the discussion of a perfectly matched donor has come up and the odds are not working in Seratino’s favor. Nick tries his best to create a sense of normalcy in his life. From attending classes, eating according to a restrictive diet, and taking treatments a few times a week, he seems to be managing quite well. The Seratinos are doing their best to help Nick while ensuring they remain hopeful for his future. Experiencing life through different lenses has allowed Nick a new appreciation for life and he’s become serious with his intentions. But something shocking is happening at the treatment center. The deaths of a few patients seem irregular. Could it be foul play?
The Perfect Match is a riveting medical thriller that grounds the story using accurate medical terminology. All the medical jargon feels real but understandable, and because of this sense of authenticity when patients start mysteriously dying it feels all the more real, terrifying and intriguing because of it.
This is a suspenseful crime fiction story that is as edifying as it is entertaining. The author’s knowledge of medicine is clearly seen throughout the story and I felt like I walked away from this book smarter. Readers will learn how important it is to have proper matching, especially where organs and possible transplants are involved.
The story slowly builds its characters so that we get to understand the emotional impact of kidney failure and how it affects everyone. The emotional weight is felt throughout the story and readers will empathize with Nick, even if they cannot relate. The Perfect Match showcases the hardships of dialysis and renal disease and inserts a compelling crime thriller in the middle of it.
Pages: 173 | ASIN: B07TTG6MZL
Sociopathic Surgeon
Sociopathic Surgeon, by Mitchell D. Miller, is a dark and suspenseful read that consists of a series of unsettling vignettes, each a jumbled stream of consciousness that I found similarly exhausting and exciting. Our narrator, Sonny, meets a hurricane of a woman named Sara and marries her. Yes, she’s the “sociopathic surgeon.” Throughout much of the story, we witness many events where Sara matter-of-factly screams orders at people and makes questionable decisions with seemingly little to no consequences. Sonny himself is lost in the bottom of the bottle, and the whole thing is rather delightful in a slow-moving train wreck sort of way.
The novel’s tone is fluid as each vignette tells a different piece of the story. For example, when mentioning his own mother, Sonny states, “She was an unmedicated schizophrenic because Dad liked her that way.” It’s tough to tell if we’re to see that as a dark, dry joke or if we’re to pity her as a hopelessly lost soul struggling with her own mental illness. There are lines like this throughout the entire novel, where the reader is left wondering if we should feel sorry for the characters or if we should simply experience them the way they experience the ridiculously hard and absurd life around them.
Each of the strange situations seems to stem from Sara’s recklessness, as the main characters move from one place to another, dealing with alcoholics, racists, and drug dealers. Much of what happens seems to take place in a dream, as the author uses simple sentences to express some pretty heavy events that should elicit intense emotions. There’s a synchronicity in some of the narration that adds to the feeling of being swept away with the story. It’s hard to find your bearings, and I feel this was precisely the author’s intention.
Sociopathic Surgeon is a medical suspense thriller that leaves readers guessing from one page to the next. This is one novel you must keep reading to see where the characters end up. Can they break the cycle of abuse, or are they destined to repeat the past with their own lives.
Pages: 204 | ASIN : B006T0ZMVC
Evidence Of Our Humanity
The Lambda Factor follows two doctors who are trapped in a hospital and must find a way to stay alive when a deadly virus is unleashed. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I have lived in both Texas and Florida, experiencing several hurricanes. After residency I personally assisted in disaster recovery efforts at the Dallas Medical Society Mega shelter in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey and in Puerto Rico in 2017 after Hurricane Irma. As such I am truly passionate about bringing awareness from a healthcare standpoint about the complexities that transpire during a crisis to a broader audience.
I have drawn deeply from my background as a family physician and scientist to bring The Lambda Factor to life. I’ve always felt that pop culture portrays medicine in a very one-dimensional light – either we are cold and calculating like House MD or over dramatized situations like in Grey’s Anatomy. I wanted to show a lay audience a more nuanced view of our job, possibly show some evidence of our humanity, and our vulnerabilities especially during a complex scenario like natural disasters.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the character’s personalities grow organically as you were writing?
They were an inspiration from people around me and myself, but they evolved the more the story evolved. There has an outline at the beginning at the start of the novel because I knew where I wanted where I wanted them to, however how they got there has changed and evolved as the story changed.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Yes, most definitely. My character’s personalities and nuances were drawn from myself and the people around me.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have started writing a sequel which is another disaster medical fiction thriller. It is based in Canada where dormant pathogens that were once living under glaciers are now awakening due to climate change. So the story follows the aftermath of that. Not sure when it will be ready though.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
all-powerful-even heroic. You don’t have to think about how much courage it takes to dwell among the living, to fight for your own life. Lots of caregivers get addicted that way.”
When a category five hurricane threatens a Galveston hospital, patients and nonessential personnel are required to evacuate.
Doctors Danica Diza and Shaka Sen, a chief family medicine resident and a surgical attending respectively, are tapped, along with a skeleton crew, to stay during the storm and care for remaining patients. Their facade of confidence is shattered, however, when the hospital’s inhabitants are exposed to a weaponized strain of a virus with a forty percent death rate. Forced into quarantine, they must struggle to survive the ravages of the hurricane, a shortage of supplies, and the virus that threatens them all.
Written by physician and debut author Dimple Desai, this striking medical thriller provokes readers to consider the dangerous trends happening in our world today and the global changes needed to abate them.
The Lethal Elixir
The Lethal Elixir by Dennis Ross is a mystery romance novel that follows the events of a strange outbreak at Deaconess Hospital in Chicago. First, a man is brought in ailing from an unknown disease, prompting the staff to call on Dr. Maggie Hamilton, one of their Infectious Diseases specialists, for a diagnosis. Unfortunately, it is discovered the man has an altered strain of Ebola. Soon more people are found with the strain, sending the hospital into an outbreak scenario. In their search for answers to the origins, Maggie teams up with the FBI, led by Agent Matthew Johnson. As the pair investigate the possible source of Ebola, they uncover a nefarious plot on the nation and possibly find love along the way.
I find Maggie to be everything I’m looking for in a leading lady: a smart, stand on your own kind of woman. She’s the head of her field and quickly takes charge. Matthew Mack, to most people, is a great leading man. He’s described as strong and handsome, but he’s also not afraid to show his creative side in things like dancing. These are unique characters who compliment each other well. I also liked the medical side of the story. It was well researched for that genuine “I could believe I’m in a hospital right now” feel. I also loved that we saw from the villains’ side of the story. It kept me interested in reading and wondering if our pair would stave off the dark plot we saw unfurling.
While the concept of the novel is stellar, I didn’t feel like the mechanics of the story succeeded in conveying that concept in a way that was equally compelling. I felt that the dialogue could have used some of the creativity that went into the plot to breakup the otherwise stiff writing. This is a medical thriller so there is a lot of technical medical jargon that is being used, which provides an authentic feel to the story, but I would have liked a medical term dictionary at the back of the book to help me understand the technical terms.
This fast-paced novel is an instalove romance. The characters fall in love quickly, and given that they are rushing to stop an epidemic, this feels plausible. The high-stress conditions, and working closely with someone you find attractive, set them up for romance while still getting their job done. The relationship adds to the drama of the plot rather than overtaking it.
The Lethal Elixir is a dramatic medical mystery novel that feels realistic. The attention to detail with the medical conditions adds credibility to the story. In addition, readers will get caught up in the whirlwind romance of the characters as they work to stop a worldwide epidemic.
Pages: 280 | ASIN : B09CD4669N
Type B
Type B is set in Cincinnati in 2006. Courier John Davis has worked as a Biological Fluid Courier for Christ Hospital for twenty years. When John began noticing unusual activity, he starts paying attention to the increase in blood tests at the lab. What follows is the discovery of the Sanguis virus, which is responsible for the disease called BARD – B Antigen Resistive Disease. Anyone with a blood type other than type B could die from this disease. John comes up with a daring plan to save his family while the impact of BARD is felt by the entire world.
Type B is a thrilling and fascinating novel that provides readers with detailed scenes, intriguing characters, and uniquely unusual events. Author Steve Mitchell provides a visionary look at what could happen if the world is struck by a fast-acting and lethal disease.
I enjoyed Steve Mitchell’s writing style because it is fast-paced and succinct. I found myself wanting to read more and it was hard to put this book down as it was eerily relatable to current events. Johns character felt authentic and his family also felt realistic. This helps ground this otherwise wild story and propels the story forward in a way that feels like it could happen.
John’s character is intense but he can also be caring and I feel like he really pulls the reader into this thrilling novel. John’s children are also believable characters as they are innocent and unaware of what is going on in the world. It is through them that the reader gets to experience what it would be like to risk family members in such a catastrophe. This brings a surprisingly emotional aspect to a novel that is overtly intense.
There are many scenes throughout the book that are very detailed. If you are a reader that enjoys detailed scenes then you will enjoy the visuals the author creates of the events taking place. The reader is able to feel the intensity and the stress that this virus brings to Cinncinati as the characters in the story either take it seriously or don’t.
Type B is a fascinating and fast-paced medical thriller. In a dystopian society, readers will feel the suspense as John and his family fight for their very survival. This novel is best for mature audiences due to the nature of some of the scenes.
Pages: 285 | ASIN : B08Z738LW2
Instinct or Learned?
![Instinct or Learned? by [E. Glenn Tickner]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41UjttsXksL.jpg)
Instinct or Learned? is a psychological thriller that brings us inside the mind of somebody with one of the rarest conditions known to man. The story begins with the Oklahoma City bombing. After losing two of his beloved family members, Erick Anderson begins to have horrible nightmares. Chalking it up to something along the lines of post-traumatic stress disorder, he visits a psychiatrist to find some relief. Dr. Jacob Gottlieb begins his treatment plan, seeing Erick weekly. Dr. Gottlieb, however, quickly realizes that this is more than just a case of typical night terrors. He uses hypnosis, his exceptional journalistic skills, and the help of a private investigator to slowly piece everything together. There is a battle going on for control of Erick’s mind, and it’s becoming ever clearer that he is not the only one who occupies it. Alongside his co-worker Dr. Jim Hanford and Erick’s beautiful wife Sophia, Dr. Gottlieb finds himself more exorcist than doctor, trying to dispel of an unwanted entity from within a man’s psyche. Even more terrifying, the personality slowly trying to take over Erick’s body has already committed a heinous crime.
Instinct or Learned? is a riveting thriller that keeps the reader fully engaged. The incorporation of historical events gives a very plausible feel to this historical fiction novel. It is believable while also being full of excitement. There are some genre-blurring ideas in the story that are seemingly based in science fiction and I really enjoyed how creative those ideas were and how vividly those ideas were presented in the story. It is clear that a lot of research was done by E. Glenn Tickner in preparation for this novel because the mystery at the heart of the story, as well as the breadcrumbs that lead readers to the center of it, is really well-throughout and the historical details serve to color the story all throughout.
While I was engrossed with the story, I would have appreciated more dynamic dialogue and a more palpable chemistry between the characters because what’s given is interesting, I just want to dive a bit deeper.
Instinct or Learned? is an enthralling medical thriller with elements of a noir-esque crime fiction story that gives this novel a unique feel that I rarely find in literature. The level of intrigue throughout this spellbinding suspense novel is off the charts. I was desperate to know what was going on and the slow reveal was entertaining.
Pages: 247 | ASIN: B08V8SXT3R
My Quantum Time
The Quantum Effect: “Mission COVID-19” follows Commander Maxwell as he embarks on a high-stakes mission inside Chinese territory to learn the truth behind COVID-19. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I wanted to write a book that portrayed conspiracy theory and facts into one exciting adventure that could actually be believable. I wanted to provide a concept to the world that happened in my quantum time. I have always wanted to write, so this was the perfect opportunity to see if I could do it.
Your characters are intriguing and well developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted to ensure the characters were down to earth real people that folks could really relate too. People from all walks of life, especially the military and others. Each character needed to be genuine and real in order to be believable and loved by everyone.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Ensuring I was as accurate as possible within the confines of classification to the subject matter. I conducted a lot of research into the Wuhan lab and Quantum Physics in order to develop the story line. The story needed to be believable!
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is a continuation of this one since it is the first of the series. The next book is The Quantum Effect “Mission COVID-19 The Cover Up”. I hope to have the next one out in the Summer of 2022.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
The Quantum Effect “Mission COVID-19” explores the origin of the COVID-19 virus and how it was unleashed on society. Follow Commander Maxwell as he leads his team on a high-stakes game of cat and mouse deep inside Chinese territory, in cooperation with the CIA to learn the truth behind COVID-19 once and for all.
LITERARY TITAN 