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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the advanced readers audiobook copy.
Anne is a cardiothoracic surgeon with zero patient deaths on her record. While preforming a complex surgery, the patient's heart fails to restart. She begins resuscitation without success. She looks at the patient's face to encourage her and realizes she recognizes him. After a minute or two more, she calls time of death, too early according to one of her colleagues. Anne is worried someone will find out that she may have murdered her patient but something else about his heart not starting doesn't feel right to her.
Soon, the assistant state prosecutor, Paula, comes to call but no one can figure out who notified her of a possible crime. Paula seems to be coming after Anne with a vengeance. After many twists and surprises, the truth is revealed.
The start of all the issues in this book is that Anne did not recognize who her patient was until the surgery was almost over. She had met him before surgery, but his identity was obscured. Having experience in this area of hospital work, it is unbelievable that Anne would not have seen her patient in pre-op before the surgery, at a minimum. She likely would have also been in the room while he was being prepped for surgery. I don't think this oversight would have bothered me so much if the whole book wasn't pinned on her not knowing who he was until that moment. It is also completely unbelievable that she would have practiced for 12 years in this specialty without a patient death.
I also have an issue with how Anne is preformed in the audiobook. She feels soft, meek and lacking confidence. A woman does not become a surgeon in a highly competitive specialty without being a fierce badass.
Overall, I think this book would be a wonderful pick for someone who doesn't have first hand experience in OR protocols. It was so distracting to me that I wasn't able to enjoy the rest of the story as much.
Anne is a cardiothoracic surgeon with zero patient deaths on her record. While preforming a complex surgery, the patient's heart fails to restart. She begins resuscitation without success. She looks at the patient's face to encourage her and realizes she recognizes him. After a minute or two more, she calls time of death, too early according to one of her colleagues. Anne is worried someone will find out that she may have murdered her patient but something else about his heart not starting doesn't feel right to her.
Soon, the assistant state prosecutor, Paula, comes to call but no one can figure out who notified her of a possible crime. Paula seems to be coming after Anne with a vengeance. After many twists and surprises, the truth is revealed.
The start of all the issues in this book is that Anne did not recognize who her patient was until the surgery was almost over. She had met him before surgery, but his identity was obscured. Having experience in this area of hospital work, it is unbelievable that Anne would not have seen her patient in pre-op before the surgery, at a minimum. She likely would have also been in the room while he was being prepped for surgery. I don't think this oversight would have bothered me so much if the whole book wasn't pinned on her not knowing who he was until that moment. It is also completely unbelievable that she would have practiced for 12 years in this specialty without a patient death.
I also have an issue with how Anne is preformed in the audiobook. She feels soft, meek and lacking confidence. A woman does not become a surgeon in a highly competitive specialty without being a fierce badass.
Overall, I think this book would be a wonderful pick for someone who doesn't have first hand experience in OR protocols. It was so distracting to me that I wasn't able to enjoy the rest of the story as much.
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this was the most boring, contrived shit ever. it would maybe make an okay episode of a crime TV show with some tweaking but as a book it's a big ol no from me!!!!!
I see why someone else might like this but I really didn't enjoy this experience at all so it's getting a 1 star from me.
I see why someone else might like this but I really didn't enjoy this experience at all so it's getting a 1 star from me.
Super fun and fast paced! Definitely a page turner and a book that could be read in one sitting. Did not see the twists coming and liked the ending a lot!!
The Surgeon had me hooked from the beginning.
Dr. Anne Wiley is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Chicago with an unbelievable track record: she's never lost a patient. Until today. Then everything about her perfect life with her perfect husband and their perfect jobs start crumbling to pieces.
The story also follows a woman named Paula who just got promoted to assistant state's attorney and is doing everything she can to climb to the top.
The Surgeon is full of twists and turns. A couple I may have seen coming if I hadn't taken around a month break in the middle. Nothing wrong with the book, save for my hatred of Paula and Dr. Bolger, just someone in my life was having a heart procedure and I didn't want any added worry.
It did get a little slow for me probably around 60% or so, most likely do to my dislike of Paula. But once I got past that it really picked up toward the end and I didn't want to stop reading. I love that the ending leaves the faintest inkling that there could be a sequel, but it's not necessary if Leslie doesn't want to follow through. Overall I found it to be a great read and I recommend it if you like psychological thrillers and medical dramas!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault
I just finished The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe, and overall, I really enjoyed it. The way the story alternated perspectives was one of my favorite aspects. Anne’s chapters were written in first person, which made her point of view feel personal and engaging, while Paula’s were in third person, creating a nice contrast between the two characters. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me hooked, making it an approachable thriller that was easy to dive into.
From early on, I suspected that Derek was being used for more than just Paula’s promotion opportunities, but I didn’t fully grasp how it would tie into the bigger story until the final two chapters. That payoff was satisfying, though it was a bit hard to suspend disbelief in some areas. (Spoilers ahead!)
It felt incredibly unlikely that Anne’s parents wouldn’t have known about Paula after adopting Melanie. How could a sister not come up in any part of the adoption process, therapy, or foster records? It seemed like a convenient plot point that no one connected Paula to Melanie or Anne until much later. I also felt like I missed a chapter explaining why Melanie was adopted without Paula or how this information slipped through the cracks. Paula’s anger also felt misplaced. Her hatred of Anne didn’t fully make sense since Anne was just a child when Melanie was adopted. She had no control over the situation and wasn’t involved in the decision. Paula’s revenge was over-the-top, especially her seven-month affair with Anne’s husband and her plan to destroy Anne’s career and life. It felt like Paula should have directed her anger more at Anne’s parents rather than Anne herself.
I did love the way all the characters turned out to be flawed and morally gray. Anne’s mother was revealed to be the one who caused the death on Anne’s operating table, which turned out to be the man who assaulted Melanie as a child. Anne herself chose not to resuscitate him fully after realizing who he was. Paula tried to frame Anne, and Derek turned out to be using Paula for his political ambitions and Anne’s family wealth for his campaign while cheating on Anne. The layers of deceit and wrongdoing created an intricate web of bad behavior, and I really appreciated how the author wove it all together.
While some aspects of the story felt improbable, I think the book was well-written and compelling overall. I’m giving it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars. It’s a solid read for fans of thrillers who enjoy complex character dynamics and unexpected twists.
From early on, I suspected that Derek was being used for more than just Paula’s promotion opportunities, but I didn’t fully grasp how it would tie into the bigger story until the final two chapters. That payoff was satisfying, though it was a bit hard to suspend disbelief in some areas. (Spoilers ahead!)
It felt incredibly unlikely that Anne’s parents wouldn’t have known about Paula after adopting Melanie. How could a sister not come up in any part of the adoption process, therapy, or foster records? It seemed like a convenient plot point that no one connected Paula to Melanie or Anne until much later. I also felt like I missed a chapter explaining why Melanie was adopted without Paula or how this information slipped through the cracks. Paula’s anger also felt misplaced. Her hatred of Anne didn’t fully make sense since Anne was just a child when Melanie was adopted. She had no control over the situation and wasn’t involved in the decision. Paula’s revenge was over-the-top, especially her seven-month affair with Anne’s husband and her plan to destroy Anne’s career and life. It felt like Paula should have directed her anger more at Anne’s parents rather than Anne herself.
I did love the way all the characters turned out to be flawed and morally gray. Anne’s mother was revealed to be the one who caused the death on Anne’s operating table, which turned out to be the man who assaulted Melanie as a child. Anne herself chose not to resuscitate him fully after realizing who he was. Paula tried to frame Anne, and Derek turned out to be using Paula for his political ambitions and Anne’s family wealth for his campaign while cheating on Anne. The layers of deceit and wrongdoing created an intricate web of bad behavior, and I really appreciated how the author wove it all together.
While some aspects of the story felt improbable, I think the book was well-written and compelling overall. I’m giving it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars. It’s a solid read for fans of thrillers who enjoy complex character dynamics and unexpected twists.
Huge plot twists! Kept you guessing the whole time reading.