Book Review - Proof

Dr. Lilly Reeves has learned to take care of herself. Despite her childhood issues, she is a successful ER doctor who has a black belt and is a good shot. Unfortunately, she still becomes the victim of a serial rapist who manages to break into her apartment and drug her.

Detective Nathan Long has been working the case and thanks to Lilly he is able to finally catch the bad guy. Until the DNA tests point to a different man.

Now Lilly and Nathan face professional and personal challenges from the supposed mistake in identification. The question becomes can they figure out the answer before the criminal strikes again, or before he targets Lilly for knowledge she may carry?

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This is the premise for the debut novel of Proof by Jordyn Redwood. As a pediatric ER nurse by day, Jordyn has the medical qualifications to weave a taut suspense within the world of health care. That's exactly what Proof is.

The scenario that she conjures is scary and real, making the book an intense read. She sets up the mystery in the first chapter, and the twists and turns continue until the final pages. There is plenty of danger, action, and medical setting to satisfy readers of medical thrillers, mysteries, and typical suspense.

Her characters have a lot of depth and are all flawed. There's no cardboard cutouts here. Lilly is a compelling protagonist, but some of her reaction to the assault is real and not very heroic, frankly. Too many writers ignore the consequences of actions in their books. Jordyn shows Lilly's struggles to accept what has happened. This part of the book isn't easy reading, but it is realistic and handled well. It dovetails with the plot and sets up consequences that drive a lot of the story along.

I'm in medicine myself, so I don't know if the medical description is too technical for the average reader, but it is all very believable and plausible. I didn't stumble over anything in this aspect of the book.

It is very strong for a debut author. I could nitpick about repetitive imagery that occasionally pops up, but it is weak criticism at best, and it shows that Jordyn has a natural affinity for the medical suspense genre. Any fan of thrillers or adrenaline-laced fiction will enjoy this read. I'm excited for what comes next in the series, as it is apparently part of a trilogy. Oh, and if you're an author, her medical blog Redwood's Medical Edge is a great resource to get answers to your medical questions.

Do you like fiction with a medical edge? Are there writers in the medical thriller niche you can recommend as well?
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