Review: Dead Wrong by Allen Wyler

Dead Wrong by Allen Wyler 398 pages, ebook  Published May 2013, Astor+Blue Editions
Source: sent by publisher in exchange for review

About the Book:

When a top secret program of implanting harrowing memories into innocent people comes to light, neurosurgeon Tom McCarthy is literally caught in the crossfire.  While McCarthy looks forward to a three day weekend, his office is suddenly raided by two Department of Defense investigators bent on arresting him for a crime he didn’t commit. All hell breaks loose when an inadvertent scuffle escalates, leaving one agent dead at the hands of the other, and McCarthy fleeing but hopelessly trapped inside the labyrinthine corridors, heating ducts, and stairways of a gigantic Seattle medical center.

With the CIA and Seattle PD closing in, McCarthy unwittingly pulls Dr. Sarah Hamilton into the fray. And like rats in a maze, they struggle to stay one step ahead of their deadly hunters, while simultaneously uncovering a trail of corruption that reaches shocking dimensions.

Penned by master neurosurgeon, Allen Wyler, DEAD WRONG brings the reader inside the world of an insidious and terrifyingly plausible narrative, to create a heart pounding, claustrophobic and nightmarish thriller.

My Review:
This is my third book by Allen Wyler that I have read. Still a fan.  I am a sucker for a good medical mystery and this one didn't disappoint. It was a quick read, full of suspense, medical jargon and frightening going-ons within the hospitals in Seattle. Once again Wyler has me wondering what exactly is happening in the real hospitals.
Dead Wrong is fast paced and highly entertaining. I had a hard time putting it down. 
I was a little disappointed with the formatting and typos within my e-copy of the book, but it was a review copy so hope that it has been fixed in the ebooks for purchase. I won't hold it against the book, though, because I really did enjoy the story.
Get the Book:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/UcwcS1

Barnes and Noble:  http://bit.ly/1ju4NH8

                Astor+Blue: http://bit.ly/1mO057p

About the Author:

Allen Wyler is a renowned neurosurgeon who earned an international reputation for pioneering surgical techniques to record brain activity.  He has served on the faculties of both the University of Washington and the University of Tennessee, and in 1992 was recruited by the prestigious Swedish Medical Center to develop a neuroscience institute.

In 2002, he left active practice to become Medical Director for a startup med-tech company (that went public in 2006) and he now chairs the Institutional Review Board of a major medical center in the Pacific Northwest.

Leveraging a love for thrillers since the early 70’s, Wyler devoted himself to fiction writing in earnest, eventually serving as Vice President of the International Thriller Writers organization for several years. After publishing his first two medical thrillers Deadly Errors (2005) and Dead Head (2007), he officially retired from medicine to devote himself to writing full time.

He and his wife, Lily, divide their time between Seattle and the San Juan Islands.

For more information on the book and the author visit his WEBSITE.
***Stop by here for a chance to win a print copy of Allen Wyler's book, Deadly Errors. ***

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

On TV: The Strain

Are you all watching The Strain on FX this summer?

Aren't you glad I didn't post the eye ad? You're welcome.
I have been catching up on missed episodes and am really freaked out by the scary del Toro monsters. Ack! So creepy. Love it.
I remember reading the book and thinking about how it would translate to film or tv. Television was definitely the right choice, especially if we get more than one season. 
A mix of known actors and new make for an interesting combination. Sean Astin is in such a quiet role...so far anyway. 
I read the first two books in the series and have yet to pick up the third. You can find links to my reviews below.  
The Strain The Fall
The Night Eternal is the last book in the series. Will be getting that one soon. The Strain airs Sundays at 10pm on FX
Happy Watching! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Mailbox Monday: Book Group Pick

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I went to Kepler's in Menlo Park today after a lovely breakfast at Borrone's. The little girl insists every time. She picked out a couple books for herself and I had to get a copy of Rebecca by Daphne Du Mourier. It is my book group's pick for the coming month. This book has been on To Read list for a very long so am very excited to finally read it.

Hope everyone else had a chance to visit a bookstore and bring home some great finds. What did you get? Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Audiobook, Digital Download, Unabridged Published July 2006, Recorded Books
Source: purchased on Audible


About the Book
The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
My Review
This was a really difficult book for me to get into. I started it on audio years ago. Gave up on it a few times but finally picked it up again for a Instagram RAL. I mostly just listened to it on my drives to and from ceramics class in the city when I was on my own. Not really one I could listen to with the little girl in the car with me. 
I finally finished after a solo three hour drive to my parents house Wednesday and I still don't get the appeal. It was such a long book, with very long sections of nothing happening.  
I wanted answers to the many questions I had. How Claire ended up time traveling? Can she return home? Was it Jaime that she saw outside her window? What is Frank doing back home? What is the appeal of the Jamie and Clare relationship?
Well, that last one is really for other readers, I guess.
I don't know. I just didn't get it, I guess. And I was so excited to read a book about time travel and Scotland. So sad that it just didn't resonate with me.
Could it be that I listened to it on audio? I kept picturing Claire as a much older woman due to the voice of the reader. Seemed like an older woman.
 Would I have enjoyed it more had I read it myself? Maybe, but we shall never know. I don't think I will be giving it another try.


Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Favorite Photo Friday

I absolutely love this photo of the little girl at the San Francisco Zoo. My sister took it and I just think it is pretty amazing. The little girl's silhouette, the light at the end of the tunnel. Beautiful.
She took more great photos during her visit last weekend. Perhaps I will share another next week. 
Happy Friday! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty

The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty

Publication Date: April 15, 2014

Pier’s Court Press

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller/Suspense

Source: sent by publisher in exchange for review, NetGalley
About the Book

In the surreal and paranoid underworld of wartime Prague, fugitive lovers Felix Andel and Magdalena Ruza make some dubious alliances – with a mysterious Roman Catholic cardinal, a reckless sculptor intent on making a big political statement, and a gypsy with a risky sex life. As one by one their chances for fleeing the country collapse, the two join a plot to assassinate Hitler’s nefarious Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Josef Goebbels. 

But the assassination attempt goes wildly wrong, propelling the lovers in separate directions. Felix’s destiny is sealed at the Bone Church, a mystical pilgrimage site on the outskirts of Prague, while Magdalena is thrust even deeper into the bowels of a city that betrayed her and a homeland soon to be swallowed by the Soviets. 

As they emerge from the shadowy fog of World War II, and stagger into the foul haze of the Cold War, Felix and Magdalena must confront the past, and a dangerous, uncertain future.

My Review I really enjoyed following Felix and Magedelena on their journey to freedom and safety. I was definitely rooting for them. It just seems so hopeless, but their love for each other is strong as is their determination to survive. The characters they meet are all very interesting and untrustworthy but they still must put themselves in their hands.
A great historical drama, set in a country that I had not read before during this time period. I liked this new setting for a WWII drama. Different than what I have read before. It is a favorite time period for me in my reading so I definitely got immersed in the story and setting. 
Can't wait to read more by Dougherty. 

Buy the Book

Amazon 
UK
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US 
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Book Depository

IndieBound

About the Author

Victoria Dougherty writes fiction, drama, and essays that often revolve around spies, killers, curses and destinies. Her work has been published or profiled in The New York Times, USA Today, International Herald Tribune and elsewhere. Earlier in her career, while living in Prague, she co-founded Black Box Theater, translating, producing and acting in several Czech plays. She lives with her husband and children in Charlottesville, Virginia.

For more information, please visit Victoria Dougherty’s WEBSITE. 

You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.