ACT OF MURDER

Act of Murder: John. Bishop M.D.

In the world the way it is today doctors are risking their lives along with other medical professionals in order to save the lives of their patients. Imagine witnessing the possible murder of a young boy right in front of your eyes, being a doctor  and not being able to save him. Dr. J.P. Brady is a well-known and respected orthopedic surgeon working in hospital primarily handling legs, arms, shoulders and back surgeries. But, the death of Stevie Huntley left him quite shaken and the reaction of his mother chilled. Could he have saved this child’s life? Was he already gone when the EMS and paramedics arrived? There are many unanswered questions that linger within his mind, but he must come back and focus on those that need his immediate attention hoping to save them from pain and possible death.

Stevie’s parents are distraught and when a young police detective approaches him for information about what he might have witnessed or scene he has little at first to contribute. Interviews with anyone on the scene, those allowed at the scene and others yielded nothing. But Dr. Brady tried to rack his brain and in the middle of the night he realized that he saw a red  pickup truck with a short wheelbase, dark tinted windows with a C, E and a 7 on the license plate that might have been the vehicle that hit this young man. Why hasn’t anyone come forward and would this be a viable clue?

Things get tense at the hospital as surgeries continue and Harold Sanders needs more surgery to allow the blood to flow more readily in his leg or fear losing it. Understanding the pros and cons things move in many directions with teams of doctors trying to help save this man’s life. In one case this doctor takes on the administration in order to help save a patient before it’s too late. Politics plays a large part. His wife, Mary Louise is supportive and understands his working hours and the author as an orthopedic surgeon allows us to understand the complexities of what he does, the different protocols as we get a firsthand look at his field of medicine firsthand.

The police cannot come up with one witness or clue to solve Stevie’s murder and his wife with the encouragement of a TV reporter and a newspaper reporter and the police detective, blindside him into doing an on air interview hoping this would help solve the case but he’s afraid the person responsible might target him and his family. Told it was just human interest we have more to learn before the truth behind this death is revealed.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta is what Stevie Huntley was diagnosed with. It is a bone disease some mild some more severe. Things get tense when John goes to the autopsy of Harold Sanders and learns that he did not cause his death but someone asks him about this bone disease and the face he sees resembles that of Stevie sending him on a hunt to learn more about this illness and if others that have it look alike or is there something that Stevie’s parents did not know? Is he going to get involved in the investigation much to the chagrin of his wife? Will he become a target?

Deciding to investigate the link between two boys with the same disease puts John in a serious tenuous position and forces him to discuss it with the other doctor who dealt with Johnathan. Are they fraternal twins? Are they linked by DNA or anything else? He was determined after doing research while on a weekend vacation in Galveston  with his wife. Returning home he was plagued with his mother’s presence, operating on his aunt and having to deal with her opinions and lack of compassion for anyone but herself but lucky Mary Louise and his mother got along as he persisted in wanting to learn more about both boys and the Detective on the case needed him to

operate on her husband which created a bond.

Things take on a different turn when the link between Stevie and Johnathan becomes apparent and their friendship with Pete and Bobbie his wife is torn apart. Questions at dinner might not be the right time to approach the subject of Stevie’s parentage and then his son, J.J. comes home with his roommate Brad to learn that the very person who came after him a for the past incident of operating on someone in the middle of the night, Beverly Richard turned out to be Brad’s aunt and Jonathan her nephew. Added in John won’t give up and going to Ed Wilson’s party learning of his medical issues allows him to understand why he came after him the week before. But, a single glance at a car might set his wheels in motion as to who hit Stevie but why?
With his son J.J and his partner using their technological skills to uncover information about both boys, Stevie and Johnathan the truth behind their births comes out but not completely. Ed Wilson is a powerful man and a surgeon who knew he was terminal way before he told his doctor friends. But, why did he wait until it was too late to have surgery and why did someone make sure he did not survive?
Someone killed Stevie, and someone wanted Johnathan out of the picture too but who? As May Louise and John sort, out the information that J.J. sends them a link to the deaths of all three comes to pass but someone would benefit from their deaths and there is only one person who has that information. The death of Ed Wilson and the will brings to light just who would benefit but, in the end, you won’t believe the reason this person orchestrated their deaths and why? Susan Beeson is the detective in charge of the case, her father the Chief of Police but with John’s help they put it all together but with Mary Louise and Susan coming up with a way to trap a killer will they succeed? Putting both Mary Louise and John in danger will the killer use a syringe one more time to take another life? Greed, resentment, power, revenge, retribution and fear of being found out are just some of the reasons this person decided to take the lives of two young children and Ed Wilson. This book will make you wonder just how safe it is to have surgery after what happened to Johnathan and Ed Wilson but since this is fiction you need not worry but when someone comes into your hospital room make sure you know who they are and beware of anything odd. Ed Wilson had no time to call the nurse. No one would stop this person and at the end Doc Brady learned the true meaning of ACT OF MURDER!

Filled with mystery, humor and tons of delicious food, mainly tacos, this is one orthopedic surgeon, turned detective that I get the feeling is not done solving murders.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews