Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Book Review - Final Mercy by Frank J. Edwards



About The Book:
Dr. Jack Forester, director of the New Canterbury University Hospital emergency department, is about to win an ongoing battle to modernize the ED when he's stymied by the power-hungry dean, Bryson Witner. Then someone tries to murder Jack's mentor and the former dean, setting it up to look like suicide. Bit by bit, Jack uncovers facts that suggest several other recent tragic accidents may not have been in the least accidental. The deeper he digs, the closer danger creeps, and the phrase "life or death" begins to take on a new and very personal meaning.
From Goodreads

About the Author (from Pump Up Your Book):
Frank J. Edwards was born in Rochester New York.  In 1968 he entered the US Army and served a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot.  He received a BA with honors in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill then attended medical school at the University of Rochester, graduating with an MD in 1979.  In 1989 he received an MFA in writing from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC.  After practicing for a decade in North Carolina, he returned to the Rochester, area in 1990 where he remains in active practice.

He has published a number of poems and short stories in literary magazines including Carolina Quarterly and The Virginia Quarterly Review, along with numerous medical articles.  In 1988, Henry Holt published his first non-fiction book, Medical Malpractice: Solving the Crisis. His second non-fiction book, The M & M Files: Morbidity and Mortality Rounds in Emergency Medicine was published by Hanley & Belfus in 2002 and has become a standard text in emergency medicine.


For the past thirteen years he has taught creative writing seminars to medical students at the U of R.   In 2004, the University of Rochester Press published his collection of poems and short stories, It’ll Ease the Pain.

Final Mercy is his first novel.   He is married to a former emergency nurse from Canada and lives with his family on Lake Ontario near Rochester.

You can visit his website at www.frankjedwards.com.

Pump Up Your Book Tour

Read the Excerpt!

He walked faster. Having skipped the media circus at the hospital, he’d caught up on his sleep, and his legs felt strong. Past the main quad and nearing the foot- bridge, he was alone yet had the odd sen- sation someone was trying to get his attention. He stopped and looked around. Nothing.
He continued. Nearer the footbridge, he felt it again. He didn’t stop this time but strode more quickly. He continued through the grove of trees along the iron fence bordering Mt. Seneca Cemetery. Then he was on the footbridge, cars siz- zling by on the wet pavement twenty-five feet below.
He was a third of the way across when he heard someone behind him.
The footsteps approached at a jogger’s pace, and the back of Gavin’s neck tin- gled. He stopped and turned. The man coming toward him wore a black sweat- shirt with the hood drawn tightly around his face.
A potent chill crept up Gavin’s back. He turned and hurried toward the hospital end of the narrow bridge, but it was still fifty feet away and the footfalls were closing.


My Review:

I love thrillers, so I was excited that I got picked to read and review this book!  I wasn't sure how this book would be because I saw that the author went to medical school, so I was kind of worried that there would be too much medical jargon that I wouldn't understand.  I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.

I do admit that the book started a little slow for me.  When I originally signed up to read this book, I was supposed to review it last month.  I started it then found out it was being moved, so I put my reading on hold.  I got going on it again and when I got up to about 48 or so pages, it started to pick up for me and I really became interested in this book  Once this book got going, it really went quick and I couldn't put it down! 

I would recommend this book for people that like to read a good thriller.  There was plenty of action and it is a page turner!


 .  4/5 Diamonds

Book Details:

Title: Final Mercy
Author: Frank J. Edwards
Publisher: Zumaya Publications LLC
Pages: Paperback; 300 pages
Source: Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour


Disclaimer: I received this book from the Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

© 2011, Cheryl of Black Diamond's Book Reviews. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Black Diamond's Book Reviews, Urban Image Magazine, or Cheryl's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.


4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. OOOOOOOOOOH!! I need a good mystery book in my life

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  3. Then you should read this one Orsayor!

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  4. I like the fact that even though this started out slow for you and at one time you put it down, it turned out to be a 4 diamond book in the end.

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