The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

A chilling murder story with detailed medical linings to garnish the plate of story cooked up in this book. It will make you think twice of stepping into an OR for any reason.

Women are found brutally murdered all over Boston; and they are all spotted with a similar pattern; whereby they have been drugged, had neat surgical incisions across their abdomens which were done while they were alive/conscious and had a neat slice across their throats.
There is always a neatly folded pair of nightclothes smudged with blood in a chair nearby and all the women have been found to have their uterus removed.
Detective Jane Rizzoli is on the scene; she is the main protagonist in all Tess Gerritsen’s books. Portrayed as the bold and unnerving policewoman who stands tall and proud in the male-dominated field, she will not allow herself to be intimidated by her sneering male colleagues and strives to prove herself in the field and to protect her own turf.

Her gender positioned her in a vulnerable and defensive mode and this was the front she showed to Detective Thomas Moore who was assigned to the same case. However, his cool and calm stature impressed her and soon, she found herself impressed by more than his professionalism at work.
Their investigations on the murders led them to a previous series of killings done by a killer who was dead for two years; Andrew Capra who had conducted his murders in the same manner and also following a certain pattern after he committed his murder.
Their search on Capra’s records led them to the beautiful Dr Catherine Cordell; who was Capra’s last and only surviving victim who was the one who shot him to death.

Dr Cordell was initially uncooperative as she was unwilling to relive her painful past that she had tried so hard to put behind and Detective Moore; who was working hard to solve the case, decided to try harder to persuade her and this led them closer, much to the dismay of Detective Rizzoli who now realized that she thinks more of Moore than just a friend.

However, when things took a worse turn and they realized that the killer is hot on Dr Cordell’s turn, they are led to believe that the killer seemed to be finishing off Capra’s unfinished business from the start and that the other victims were just his starters to brag to Cordell that she remains the main target.
As Detective Moore worries more about Cordell’s safety, he was drawn closer than the supposed line and he was retracted from the case by his superior.

Rizzoli pursued the case further, and they were left with no choice but to conduct a hypnosis on Dr Cordell to relive her past memories through medical works. She revealed a possible 2nd person present at the crime scene which suggested that the current killer could be a partner of Andrew Capra.
The investigation team then turned their attention onto Andrew Capra’s background and found out more about his records and revealed one of his close friends/lab partner during medical school who was expelled due to a disturbing past.

Hot on the trail, Rizzoli almost threw her own life away when she was pursuing the killer and her own vulnerability led her into the trap the killer set for her, while she was trying to rescue Cordell from the killer’s hands.

The killer was finally captured but Rizzoli could not brush the trauma of near-killed experience on herself.
It was truly chilling as you follow the killer’s mind when he committed all the murders and yet, it was intriguing and exciting as the detectives slowly uncover the true identity of the killer.
Of course, it was definitely a great thing when the psychotic killer is arrested and a tie-breaker for all at the end.

Another recommended read from Tess Gerritsen; and one thing is for sure, you will never walk into an OR or a laboratory feeling the same ever again!~

Life Support by Tess Gerritsen

Tess is officially on the list of my top and favorite authors of all time; and she has impressed me from the first book I read of her; Body Double (which reminds me, I don't think I have written a review on it yet)

Life Support is yet again, another medical thriller by her and it is again, a skillful combination of her medical theories along with the interwoven plots of murder and intrigue.
It was a different twist of the usual plot; where this starts with a series of seemingly aged and healthy men dying of weird viral infection in the brain and this aroused the suspicion of ER resident Toby Harper who then tried to investigate the causes leading to their death.

She found a trail which led her heads on with one of the senior and prominent consultant surgeons which could even result in her career termination; however, she was not ready to give up and when she stumbled upon the similarities and the medical histories of all the patients who have passed on, she was in for a more exciting picture in front of her; which relates to a Creuzfedlt-Jakob disease in each of the patient in her investigation.
This led her to a shocking discovery of a medical conspiracy to create a breakthrough in science through a gruesome and inhumane process.

This book can leave you feeling chilled to the bone as you read of the medical process and also the value of fame and recognition to a human being.
I could not believe that there are beasts lying behind the faces of the doctors whom we trusted to put our lives in their hands and yet they were thinking of ways to get famous; at the cost of our health.

It was also sad that people are willing to take risks for the sake of staying young forever and this, is the main notion of the whole story, where the people are willing to pay; at any cost for a promising remedy to help them stay young and defy their age and creating a network of medical monsters who use this as an opportunity to create fame for themselves through their findings in science.

It was an amazing read and certainly an eye-opener; and the author has once again stirred the suspense and excitement, not forgetting the fear in me.
Tess Gerritsen has never failed to impress me; and have I mentioned that she is officially one of my favorite authors?

Judge Dee's Mysteries by Robert Van Gulik

I've gotten hold of a few of the books in this series from a second hand bookshop; and I was pleased with my loot as I really loved mysteries and Chinese Literature and this is a combination of both.

Judge Dee was a famous icon in the period of Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi's rule. In fact, he was one of the Empress's trusted advisor in court.
He was also famous for his wisdom and quick wits in solving crime cases; and this has established his name in the Chinese history.
So famous was he that there were several movies/TV series; and the most recent one being The Greatness of a Hero (check my movie blog)

All the stories below were translated from the Chinese texts by this Dutch author; Robert Van Gulik.
I do find some of the stories focusing too much on nudity (even the illustrations show that in the books)
It seems to be such a norm that women in those days were used to being seen nude by men; which I doubt, in a conservative society like China.

The Chinese Nail Murders

This is one of the most written/filmed story; and it seems that it was extracted from one of the old court cases; whereby there are two separate cases but using the same method of committing the crime. Both the murderers are women and do not know each other.
Even Judge Bao was seen judging this case in his chronology crime-solving series.
I wonder who is the actual mastermind who is responsible for this now?
This story truly depicts, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"

Judge Dee at work

This is a compilation of five mini-stories happening in towns across the country.
Fast-paced and short, it is not too difficult to figure the culprit.

The Lacquer Screen

I find this intriguing; where the murder case was kinda unique and the murderer, well, not totally unexpected although there were a few additional twists.

Necklace and Calabash

This one was rather interesting too; as it involves the royal court and the beloved princess of the King, who lost her precious necklace.

Phantom of the Temple

I would say this is the one that disappoints me (or was it too predictable for me after reading the previous 4 books?)
I must say this is not crime story at its peak.

Overall, I enjoyed Chinese-translated stories like these and especially mysteries! =)

Times Bookstore Warehouse Sales AGAIN!

Times Bookstore is having another warehouse sales again; until end of this month (Merdeka day)

This time around, it's no longer a Malaysia tour like the last one they had back in April and May where they had the sales in Penang, KL, Johor, Sarawak, etc.

This round, there is only one location which is in KL; Hartamas Shopping Centre.
I am excited but I think I have been to lots of books warehouse sales this year...and have gotten myself books that could probably last me a lifetime (quoted from my Daddy:p)

Anyway, I am still excited as they do offer some really good books during their sales!

Is it me or has there been endless books warehouse sales this year?? (During the economic downturn?)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

This is one novel which can haunt your mind and soul; wandering between the right and wrong or what is ethical.

The birth of a child is indeed a happy and much celebrated in every household; and it was the same for Dr David Henry and his beloved wife, Norah.
On the night of her labor, there was a heavy snowfall which led to Dr David having to deliver his baby himself in his clinic with the assistance of his nurse, Caroline Gill.
He was elated with the healthy baby boy which came out and was relieved with the safe delivery when his wife had a second contraction and he was excited with the anticipation of twins in his household.
However, his happiness was short-lived when the second baby girl came out and displayed evident signs of Down Syndrome.
(It was back in the 1960s where they did not have the luxury of such advanced technology in medicine to diagnose at an early stage).

Devastated, Dr David Henry made a move which changed his and his family's life forever. He handed the baby girl to his nurse to be sent to a special home; while lying to his wife that their daughter died.
Caroline was secretly in love with the charming Dr David and was shocked with his decision.
Understanding his concerns, she then proceeded to the home according to his directions.

Upon reaching the home, Caroline could not bear to leave the baby girl; named Phoebe in such a miserable and isolated place and thinking of the impact it will have on her upbringing, she took leave and decided to raise Phoebe on her own; without informing Dr David.

She disappeared from her hometown and her job soon after; while at the same time, Norah and David's relationship start to drift apart following the supposed-death of their newborn daughter.
Norah was devastated with the news; and while David tried to do his best to fill the emptiness, Norah still struggled with the loss of her daughter and was frustrated with the nonchalant David who did not seem to lose sleep over the death of their own daughter.
Unknown to her, David was equally as upset as he had the same experience with the loss of his sister, June, who died of heart complications since young and was trying to protect Norah from suffering the same devastation with their daughter.
Norah, on the other hand, was angered and puzzled with his behavior which seemed to be cold and distant from the rest of the family.

As Paul grew up, he turned rebellious and was closer to Norah compared to the distant David.
David also found out that Caroline had been raising Phoebe on her own and was cross but continued to provide for Phoebe's living.

At the same time, the whole family had fallen apart; with Norah falling out of love with David and getting herself involved in flings and affairs while Paul just could not bring himself to communicate with his father.
David died later; and Caroline reappeared at his funeral and brought the groundbreaking news to Norah and Paul; revealing to them about Phoebe's existence and David's hardships throughout the years.

Norah was heartbroken and Paul continued to blame his father when he met his sister, who was now living happily.
Norah and Paul reunited with Phoebe and decided to let her live the way she had been living with Caroline; and with their constant visits.

It was truly a touching story; and it had me thinking about the right or wrong; and the moral values of the story.
However, to be frank, this is not a tale made out with a fancy imagination; but sadly, it is a re-enactment of a common issue plaguing our modern society these days.

We do protest that it is wrong to do something like that; and we can hold banners or scribble profanities on message boards or forums; condemning such despicable actions.

At the same time, let's turn the picture around and look at it from a different point of view.
It is easy to say what we think is right simply because, we are not even in the picture. We are looking at it from a third person's point of view and of course, it's easy to be judgmental.

Slipping ourselves into the same shoes the person is wearing; in this case, it would be Dr David Henry, and look at the scenario from his eyes.
1. He is a doctor with a past experience/knowledge of the complications which may arise from such cases resulting from the syndrome.
2. He loved his wife and knew her well enough to know that she will not be able to accept the fact about their daughter and further anticipate her death in the future, would be too much for her to handle
3. He was afraid to suffer the same loss and pain similar to his sister's which also tore his own family apart
4. He did not know what to do at the point of a time

It is not untrue; nobody would know what to do when it comes to situations like these especially since we live in such a superficial and materialistic society which seems to focus on everything that is good and perfect in appearance and looks.
Even someone with slight imperfections would be disregarded immediately; and how would they survive and hold their heads up in the world in the future?
It was split of a second and I believed that as a father, Dr David did tell himself that would be the best thing he could do to ensure that there is happiness for the family and also at the same time, special care for the child.

Morally, what he did was of course, wrong because he is the father of the baby girl; whether she was born perfect or with a defect.
No matter what, it is not reasonable to abandon your own flesh and blood like she's just unwanted garbage. It was too cruel to a certain extent.

Secondly, he did not even make it a point to discuss with his wife and had immediately made his own decision.
His wife was right, he did not even give them a chance to decide on what is right and best for the family.

It was truly a touching and thought-provoking story and the author has written it so beautifully. It could warm your heart and soul; and I am truly touched by the whole story from the birth of Phoebe to the reunion with her mother and brother.

The Other Adonis by Frank DeFord

This is an interesting novel which is about reincarnation; a true love which passed the test of time and travelled through different eras.

It was exactly what happened to Bucky Buckingham who had a strong feeling towards Constance Rawlings the first time he met her. Although they were complete strangers at the first meeting, they felt an instant strong attraction to each other and the familiar feeling that they know each other.
They longed for each other deep down inside their heart but they did not take it further as both were also married to their respective spouses and have a happy family.

Bucky thought he was going insane and sought the professional advice of psychiatrist, Dr Nina Winston who was also dealing with her own affairs. When Bucky related his overwhelming affection for a stranger whom he had only met for 3 times, Dr Nina associated it to his playboy and philandering ways with women until Bucky requested her company to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and showed the piece of painting, Venus and Adonis by Peter Paul Rubens and how he passionately reacted to the painting did Dr Nina pushed aside her skepticism and agreed to conduct hypnotism on her patient to find the truth or to prove that it was all an illusion by science.

During the hypnotherapy, the doctor was surprised to find Bucky transformed into a different person; in fact, a gentle woman who seems to behave like a lady from four centuries ago and calls herself Margareta. The woman does not seem to speak much English and the doctor, fascinated with her findings decided to summon Constance Rawlings to fly in from New York to conduct hypnotherapy on her as well.

A search for identity initiated out of curiosity turned into a dangerous journey as they moved into the past and unravelled the violence and hatred from the characters; the man, who loved Margareta and how the whole story intertwined with their present life.

The story started off very well; and it was filled with suspense and excitement as I was kept wondering on the past and how did these two protagonists met each other and loved each other in their past lives.
It was a fast-paced and moving story; which was not only filled with romance but also plenty of dangerous and thrilling moments.

The phenomenon of two people who have inexplicable feelings for each other are termed as the Double Ones in this novel; which explains how they are fated and meant to be with each other across the various lives they go through.

It was lovely; and I think the author really did a marvellous job in such an entertaining and suspenseful story which kept me guessing and even gasping towards the end!
I recommend this book; a good read and you can learn a thing or two about the folks in Netherland; especially their style in the 17th century.

Kasanova oleh Meor Shariman

Sebuah novel yang bertemakan kisah cinta; seperti yang dijumpai di dalam kebanyakan novel Melayu yang pernah dibaca and dimiliki.

Cerita bermula dari kisah seorang gadis bernama Zuraida yang baru tamat pengajiannya dalam bidang komunikasi dari universiti dan sedang menghabiskan masa di bandaraya sementara tinggal bersama kakaknya yang seorang.
Zuraida seorang gadis yang kuat imamnya dan berdikari; namun sepertimana gadis biasa, dia juga turut mempunyai fantasi terhadap bakal teman hidupnya yang dibayangkan bagai seorang putera.

Diperkenalkan pula Eddie, model lelaki berbangsa kacukan yang amat tampan dan bergaya; yang mampu menawan hati setiap gadis yang ditemuinya. Eddie memang bangga dengan rupa warasnya dan tidak pernah keraguan untuk menggunakannya dalam memenangi hati dan tubuh setiap gadis yang diminatinya.
Sebagai seorang yang optimis dan bebas pendiriannya, Eddie tidak mementingkan komitmen dan cuma menggunakan gadis-gadis yang ditawannya untuk memuaskan nafsunya sahaja di mana gadis-gadis tersebut akan ditinggalkan dan disisihkan selepas mencapai matlamatnya.

Rozana merupakan seorang gadis yang pendiam dan konservatif; namun dia tewas di tangan Eddie dan kehilangan maruah tubuhnya apabila dia tertipu dengan janji manis Eddie dan menyerahkan tubuhnya kepada lelaki tersebut; justeru meragut maruahnya sekali. Rozana masih menagih cinta daripada lelaki yang disangkanya bakal menjadi suami tercinta tidak dapat menerima apabila perangai lelaki tersebut berubah dalam sekelip mata selepas asmara pada malam tersebut.
Rozana terus merayu kepada Eddie supaya kembali kepadanya; namun dihina berkali-kali sehinggakan gadis tersebut merana dan di kala itu, Rozana merancang untuk membalas dendam terhadap lelaki itu; dan bersumpah akan membuatkannya lebih sengsara daripada kepahitan yang dialaminya.

Eddie yang memang tak berbelas kasihan akhirnya menemui nasibnya apabila mengenali Zuraida; gadis yang menyebabkan Eddie jatuh cinta buat kali pertama dan pada pandangan pertama apabila mereka bertemu.
Eddie mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menawan hati tersebut dan tidak kecewa apabila Zuraida turut membalas cintanya.
Namun, ketika cinta mereka tengah berputik, Rozana pula muncul dan menceritakan kisah kasanova Eddie yang membuatkan Zuraida jijik dengan perbuatan Eddie; sekaligus membaling segala kebaikannya keluar daripada hatinya.

Eddie amat dukacita dengan perubahan Zuraida dan cuba dengan payah untuk memenangi kepercayaan dan cinta gadis idamannya itu.
Akhirnya, Zuraida menerimanya apabila Rozana yang enggan melihat Eddie dan Zuraida yang tidak bersalah merana semata-mata untuk memuaskan dendamnya dan dia yang membantu dalam mengeratkan hubungan mereka ke atas pelamin di mana mereka akhirnya disatukan sebagai suami isteri yang sah manakala Rozana pula menemui teman hidupnya.

Cerita ini memang sebuah kisah cinta yang tak lari daripada plot yang biasa tapi cukup romantis untuk menambat hati pembaca.
Lagipun, apalah salahnya untuk ditawan oleh sebuah lagi kisah dramatis tentang kuasa cinta yang begitu agung dan mampu mencairkan hati setiap peminat kisah cinta, bukankah begitu?