Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman


First Line: Although Dr. Katie LeClair knew her racing heartbeat was due to a surge of adrenaline, she couldn't calm the fear and anxiety that fueled it as she strode through the sliding emergency room doors and into Baxter Community Hospital.

Becoming a doctor has meant years of schooling, training, and moving, and now that Katie LeClair has settled down as the new doctor in Baxter, Michigan all she wants is a place to call home. But that's not going to be as easy as she thought. One of Katie's patients has been found dead. The woman's death is ruled a suicide which was the result of medication prescribed by Katie... medication that Katie doesn't remember prescribing.

An autopsy reveals that it was murder, and Katie finds herself investigating in her spare time. Trouble is, the secrets she's uncovering could lead to her own untimely demise.

Dawn Eastman, the author of the highly entertaining Family Fortune cozy series, is branching out with this book. Unnatural Causes is a fast-paced, solid mystery that kept me guessing, and the main characters are well placed to solve mysteries. Katie LeClair is a caring, gifted doctor, and what makes her a good doctor makes her a good investigator. Her brother Caleb is very good with computers, and since Katie saved the life of the police chief's dog, she also has an "in" with the police department.

All elements mesh together well and run like a finely tuned machine. The trouble is, I just didn't find myself warming up to any of the characters-- which is one of the main selling points of mysteries on the cozier end of the genre. Unnatural Causes is well-written and does have an appealing main character, so don't be afraid to give it a try. Your mileage may definitely vary!


Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman
eISBN: 9781683313144
Crooked Lane Books © 2017
eBook, 288 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Dr. Katie LeClair mystery
Rating: B
Source: Net Galley 


4 comments:

  1. You know, even when a book is really well-written, Cathy, it's always the characters that make such a big difference. If you can't warm up to them, something is lost. If you can, it makes everything work better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It certainly does. And giving a book kudos for being well-written while saying that the characters fell flat makes for hollow praise. Much easier being a reader than a writer!

      Delete
  2. Well, I'll give it a try as the library has it. Interesting that the book is well-written but the characters fell flat. I like character development, too, so I'll take a look.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The characters weren't "flat," I just didn't warm up to them. This isn't the first time that I haven't cared for a particular cast yet everyone else has. It won't be the last.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!