Amanda DuBois

Gripping medical mystery!

Although the second in the series featuring attorney Camille Delaney, this is the first I have read. That will definitely be rectified as I enjoyed this one so much that I will go back and read the introduction to the character. That said, this book can easily be read as a standalone.

A tragedy in the delivery room -- a young couple loses their baby to what looks like medical malpractice by the obstetrician, Dr. Jessica Kensington. Although popular among her peers, Dr. Kensington has had more than one grieving family bring lawsuits against her. In addition, she has a really sketchy past and some creepy family history.

Camille Delaney takes this case despite misgivings --after all, dead baby cases do not have huge payout settlements from insurance companies. As she gathers all the pertinent information, she finds financial struggles and loss of her paralegal to a higher paying job with a big-name firm in downtown Seattle. But one shocking revelation after another tells Camille that she is on the right track to obtain some sort of justice despite the inequities of the system.

Thoroughly enjoyed the narrative and the characters. If you like a medical mystery based on unusual scenarios written by an author who is a nurse as well as a lawyer, you will like this book. I had no idea where this was going at first, but the resolution and wrap up were very satisfying. Definitely looking forward to continuing with a third installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Girl Friday Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.… (altro)

Seattle attorney Camille Delaney rushed to the hospital where her friend Dallas Jackson has to undergo an emergency operation with a fatal outcome. When the former nurse accidentally sees his folder, questions arise. What happened in the operation room? And why was nobody aware of the seemingly critical state her friend was in? As her company only represents hospitals and high profile doctors, thus she cannot pursue her inquiries. Instead this brings her to a point where she has to ask herself if she has given up her ideals for the money and status. As a consequence, she decides to run the risk and leaves the company to start her own firm with her first case. She soon realises that nobody wants to talk about Dr Willcox, responsible surgeon in the operation room, but her gut feeling tells her that something is totally going wrong in this hospital.

There are some similarities between the author and her protagonist. Amanda DuBois herself was a trained nurse before she became a lawyer and medical malpractice has been her area of specialisation. “The Complication” is her first novel which highly relies on her profession knowledge combining medical aspects with law. From a seemingly unfortunate operation, the case develops into a complicated conspiracy which brings the protagonist repeatedly into dangerous situations since she has to deal with reckless people who do not care about a single life.

What I liked about the novel was how the medical details were incorporated and explained along the way so that the reader with limited medical knowledge could smoothly follow the action. The characters are authentically drawn, especially Camille’s discussion with her mother about her ideals and principles raising the question what use she makes of her legal capacities while working for a law firm that puts more interest in the billing hours than helping to serve the law was interesting to follow.

Even though I would estimate that the case is realistically depicted with Camille again and again coming to dead ends and only advancing slowly, I would have preferred a higher pace since as a reader, you have a lead and soon know what scheme is behind it all.… (altro)