Wonderful book, terrific story fraught with danger and suspense. I couldn't put it down. I am so glad I stumbled across this author, a new favourite to follow. ( )

The title is very apt! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I like the way the story wasbtold mainly through the voice of Sophie and not Ella who is the character for the series. Clever. ( )

"Stupid people did stupid things to other stupid people and she had to sort it out and clean it up"

The action moves quickly in this book, told in alternating story-lines, from a paramedic's viewpoint, Sophie Phillips & a detective's, Ella Marconi.
Sophie & her partner are called to deliver a premature baby, and the stress level increases when the mother begins haemorrhaging. Later they rush to a multi-vehicle crash scene, salivating. Sophie's partner exclaims "what a beauty" referencing that 2 people are dead, 2 injured & 1 is unconscious at the scene. The characters keep hoping for a major crisis, mentioning how they delight in tragic situations. The author is a former ambulance worker and it made me wonder if all emergency workers love a good disaster! The author also adds detailed medical descriptions & professional jargon, to the story - some of which is not explained, taken for granted that the reader grasps the idiom.

I was prompted to read this after reading so many positive reviews of Howell's books. This is the first book in the series. Slang aside, the insider knowledge of paramedics really added so much to the book, i just couldn't stop reading. It's the perfect summer read, nothing taxing, just pure entertainment. I'm look forward to reading the second book in the series shortly, The Darkest Hour, which I just ordered :-D
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In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips’ life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal – and the perpetrator far more dangerous...
This is the first in a series of crime novels by Katherine Howell, in which Detective Ella Marconi, stars. I found this story gripping - and a real nail biter. It's a change from my usual reading but I enjoyed the change, and particularly appreciated finding another aussie writer, with a story set in familiar territory - the suburbs of Sydney. Readers who like crime, mixed with authentic paramedic/ambulance scenes and procedures, and believable, relatable characters, will find this a great read. ( )

Frantic is the first novel in the Ella Marconi detective series. I think that Katherine has an excellent writing style and she clearly knows her subject when it comes to writing medical jargon having come from a medical background herself and working as a paramedic.

What was immediately apparent to me though was that although the series is about Ella Marconi, Ella herself is not the dominant female character in the book and I'm not sure whether that is deliberate. I almost forgot about Ella and was more interested in Sophie, the paramedic whose husband Chris, a police officer is shot and whose son is abducted possibly murdered. On the basis that this was the first book and Ella was going to return I would have expected her to be the dominant female character, but maybe I just got wrapped up in the story and wanted to find out what had happened to baby Lachlan which is probably no bad thing as it kept me reading. I thought the twist at the end was great. There were a couple of loose ends I would have liked to see tied up.

I actually started this book a few weeks back and for one reason or another did not have the time to get further than about page 60. The main action starts from around page 83 so there is a lot of build up to the shooting but I read the rest of the book in one sitting so that's a good recommendation! ( )