Code Blue

Code Blue is the first book in the Prescription for Trouble series by Richard Mabry, M.D.  The novel is marketed as a medical thriller, but I found it to be more main stream mystery with a doctor as the main character.  Keeping that in mind, the book was satisfying.

After a bad relationship ends, Dr. Cathy Sewell moves back to her home town in Texas to start over and find some peace.  But the problem with small towns is that everyone knows your business.  Before she even has a chance to get settled, it appears that someone may be out to get her.  During this page turning mystery, she reconnects with some old friends, finds herself up against the hospital board and the defendant in a malpractice suit, desperately tries to get a family practice up and running, and discovers things about her family that she didn't know.  She doesn't know who or why, but someone is out to get her.

This novel was suspenseful enough to keep me turning the pages and was a fast read.  I found the writing to be okay, but nothing fantastic.  Sometimes the writing was a bit reminiscent of a bad romance novel, where important plot elements have to be repeated multiple times for the reader just to make sure the point gets across.   There was a bit of romance thrown in and the novel could also be considered Christian fiction.  Neither of those elements take over the main plot of the story though.  Two bits of knowledge the reader should keep in mind if considering this book:  it is not a medical thriller (if you are thinking you want something like Robin Cook, this isn't it); and, beware when reading the reviews for the book that some reviewers find the Christian element problematic however, this reader did not feel that it was too much or "too preachy".

Overall it kept me interested, and I am satisfied because it was a free Fridays nook book.  I am not sure I will pay money for the other books in the series, especially after realizing that the next book does not contain the same characters.

Happy Reading!