A. Scott Pearson

I'm a big fan of crime thrillers, and enjoy books with a medical slant so the synopsis of Public Anatomy definitely grabbed my attention. There's certainly no filler with this book, the plot kicks in straight away and with all the twists and turns you'd hope to find in a good thriller it's easy to get very caught up in it. I always like to try and see if I can work out the whodunnit before it's revealed, I did get it part right but there were things I hadn't picked up on that meant I was still surprised.

I didn't realise until after I finished reading this book that Eli Branch featured in Pearson's previous novel, Rupture. I felt at times like I didn't quite understand him, I think this is probably because much of his back story is covered in the previous book. I did find him an interesting character, and I enjoyed following his progress through the story. Not having read Rapture didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book, but I think it would have made it an even better read if I had.

Like most crime thrillers that involve murders there are some gory moments within the book. I found these to be well handled, I certainly didn't find myself getting squeamish at any point. The pacing of the book works well, and whilst it features technology we don't yet have (as far as I'm aware) it didn't require much of a leap of imagination to picture the scenes within the book.

I enjoyed reading this book and now plan to go back and read Rupture and find out more about Eli Branch.
… (altro)

I'm a big fan of crime thrillers, and enjoy books with a medical slant so the synopsis of Public Anatomy definitely grabbed my attention. There's certainly no filler with this book, the plot kicks in straight away and with all the twists and turns you'd hope to find in a good thriller it's easy to get very caught up in it. I always like to try and see if I can work out the whodunnit before it's revealed, I did get it part right but there were things I hadn't picked up on that meant I was still surprised.

I didn't realise until after I finished reading this book that Eli Branch featured in Pearson's previous novel, Rupture. I felt at times like I didn't quite understand him, I think this is probably because much of his back story is covered in the previous book. I did find him an interesting character, and I enjoyed following his progress through the story. Not having read Rapture didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book, but I think it would have made it an even better read if I had.

Like most crime thrillers that involve murders there are some gory moments within the book. I found these to be well handled, I certainly didn't find myself getting squeamish at any point. The pacing of the book works well, and whilst it features technology we don't yet have (as far as I'm aware) it didn't require much of a leap of imagination to picture the scenes within the book.

I enjoyed reading this book and now plan to go back and read Rupture and find out more about Eli Branch.
… (altro)

I have always been a lover of medical mysteries. Maybe it's because I am in the health care field or maybe it's because I like blood and am fascinated with doctors and surgery. A reason is not really necessary though is it? Public Anatomy is right up there with Michael Palmer and Robin Cook.Reading it was scary at times because we are so close to this Robotic Surgery, it's already being preformed to some extent. And reality shows? Seems like that is all that is on anymore. Imagine a reality show where operations are streamed on the internet and can be watched live. Now imagine a horrible error, blood everywhere, OR staff scrambling to try to save the patient and ALL this is streaming across the internet! That is exactly how our story opens. Are we heading in this direction? I for one hope not. Nothing takes the place of a human doctor in my opinion.I really connected with all the characters. Some in a good way and some not so good but every one made an impact on me while I was reading the book. How could I not root for Dr. Eli Branch, a main character, a former surgeon who was injured and can no longer operate so he works the graveyard shift in the ER. I didn't know when I started this book that it was the second one, the first being RUPTURE. In that book we get the full story on Dr. Branch and how he was injured, etc. I will for sure pick that up.The relationship between Dr. Branch and Meg Daily, the pathologist was funny and touching. They used to be a couple but are not now. It's very obvious that the feelings are still there and I hope to see them in future books where that can be explored.I have to say my favorite part of the book was with the detective investigating the murders, with the help of Dr Branch of course, was telling Dr Branch about how his mother used to take him all the time to visit the Victorian Mansions in Memphis because she wanted him to grow up with some class. It was a very witty conversation with Dr. Branch saying: "Did you say doilies?" You must read the book to appreciate the humor in that but it was by far my favorite sentence in the book.Having lived in Memphis and Oxford Mississippi it was enjoyable to visit again. I loved knowing the places where the story took place. It was nice to be able to picture them while I was reading.This book if chock full of some pretty grisly murders. Dirty doctors, amateur sleuth doctors, alcoholic professors and so much more. It is full of twists and turns and I had not figured it out until the author was revealing it. I had my suspicions but they turned out to be wrong every time.I highly recommended this book for mystery lovers looking for an engaging and fast read that they will be thinking about long after reading the last page.… (altro)

As a fan of the medical thriller genre, I have to say that Public Anatomy is an outstanding cross between this and standard crime thrillers. Whilst it is perhaps less of a true-medical thriller, it certainly competes with the likes of Tess Gerritsen in the crime thriller genre.

The writing style of Pearson is tight and concise, and the book is gripping and full of suspense, particularly near the end, where you constantly feel the ‘ticking clock’. Also, there are lots of little details included in the narrative, which make the plot more complex and interesting, as does the inclusion of the robotic surgery technology.

Overall, an amazing thriller that I will happily read again. Full of suspense and with a clear, concise writing style. If there was any criticism of this book, it would be that it was perhaps slightly too easy to guess the identity of the killer, although this did not diminish the suspense for me. I am looking forward to reading his previous novel Rupture, which features the same central character.… (altro)