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THE COMPLICATION by Amanda DuBois

THE COMPLICATION

A Camille Delaney Mystery

by Amanda DuBois

Pub Date: June 14th, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-954854-34-5
Publisher: Girl Friday Books

In this debut thriller, a Seattle divorce lawyer targets a dubious surgeon when a patient’s sudden death hits close to home.

Camille Delaney has made a comfortable life for her husband and their three daughters. She makes good money handling divorces, as many of her clients are doctors. Sadly, tragedy strikes when Dallas Jackson, her beloved mentor and father figure, dies. But his death on an operating table stirs up endless questions: Why was his gallbladder surgery an emergency, and why does his chart have no mention of the aneurysm that supposedly killed him? Most of the suspicion revolves around Dr. Andrew Willcox, the aloof surgeon who wielded the scalpel and, as it turns out, may have faked his credentials. As Camille’s firm strictly forbids taking cases against physicians, she goes out on her own, with Dallas’ widow as the plaintiff. Ever shady Willcox has money and connections, leveling thinly veiled threats against Camille’s family and scaring people into not testifying against him. But Camille is determined to stop this doctor, whose patients habitually die and who’s up to something truly diabolical. Indelible female characters populate DuBois’ series opener. Camille’s skills as a former emergency room nurse prove beneficial in this case. And investigator Trish Seaholm, Camille’s reliable friend, once worked as a cop. In contrast, most of the generally incompetent men hardly register, even as villains; one man assaults and threatens the wrong person and, still ignorant, boasts about it later. The male players do nevertheless make it easy to root for Camille, as Willcox’s and others’ laundry lists of deplorable deeds include fraud, coverups, and worse. The author, a lawyer and former nurse, writes keen dialogue that clearly explains terminology, especially medical, in a smart and entertaining fashion. While the story’s villainy isn’t much of a mystery by design, Camille’s valiant fight to bring down Willcox will persistently engage readers.

Superb female characters enrich this engrossing tale of medical scares and legal tussling.