The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe delivered a suspenseful and twisted thriller. It tells the story of a surgeon and the Assistant State Attorney determined to take her down. Revenge, jealousy and blind ambition drive the plot of this exciting tale.
Trusted surgeon. Loving wife. Murderer? I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: The Surgeon
Author(s): Leslie Wolfe
Published by Bookouture on March 8, 2023
Pages: 316
Genre(s): Psychological Thriller
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 
Before my world came crashing down, I had it all. The successful career I dreamed of. The beautiful red-brick home where I could relax in front of the fire. The handsome, devoted husband whose blue eyes and charming smile always made me feel safe.
As I call time of death, my voice is steady. My colleagues stand hushed around me, their eyes on me, confused, concerned.
I have never lost a patient until today.
My hands tremble inside their gloves. I slide down the cold tiled walls, my heart racing in my chest.
I have never hated a patient until today.
But what choice did I have, once I recognized him?
And what will I do to protect myself, if someone learns the truth?
The Surgeon introduces, cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Ann Wiley. Despite it occurring years ago, she still has yet to come to terms with the loss of her sister. Caught up in her career and the grief from the loss of her sister, she fails to notice the raising of the many red flags relating to her cheating husband. Derreck is a successful lawyer and seeks to become the next Mayor.
Now it so happens the woman Derreck cheated on Ann with is the same woman who is determined to bring her down, Assistant State Attorney Paula Fuselier. She waits patiently in the wings for the perfect opportunity. An opportunity which came when Anne lost her first patient in the middle of a surgical procedure.
Now Anne has no clue as to the reason the Assistant State Attorney was gunning for her. Also, she’s unaware of Derreck’s relationship with the woman. Her main concern, avoid prosecution and possible jail time.
While reading, the question at the forefront of my mind was, what was Paula’s real reason for the blatant hatred of Anne? I figure it had to be more than jealousy. The further I went into the story, the more it proved my theory. Revenge played a major role in her plan to destroy Anne.
Honestly, I couldn’t stand the characters. Anne, although a successful surgeon, behaved like someone without sense. For someone trying to avoid prosecution, she did some questionable things throughout the story. Also, her constant whining didn’t help. From the beginning, one recognized Paula’s viciousness. I had no trouble disliking her and discovering the reasons for her actions did little to change my mind about her. Don’t get me started with Derreck. Selfish doesn’t even begin to describe him. Everything he did was to save his own skin.
Leslie Wolfe created an intriguing story which contained a few twists and some surprising revelations that increased the level of the story’s enjoyment. This is the first book I have read by the author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
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About Leslie Wolfe
Leslie Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology. Her novels have a consistent presence in genre bestselling lists and a solid sales track record, with more than a million copies sold. Her bestselling series include the Detective Kay Sharp series, the Tess Winnett series, the Baxter & Holt series, and the Alex Hoffmann series.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Sounds suspenseful and yep, revenge is an ugly thing!
Sometimes I just want some likeable characters. Glad to hear it was a good plot and mystery though.
What a interesting review here! I am sorry to hear about the character aspects though. I really struggle with heroines that act like this, I need my heroines to be above board in their behavior and if its not, needs to be written in a way its relatable.
Great review!
Isn’t it something how all the characters can be loathsome in their way, but the story is still a good one?
Wow, this sounds interesting. I want to know why Paula has it out for Ann!
This sounds like a pretty exciting read!
I can see why this intrigued you Nadene and you were generous with your rating since you didn’t like the characters but the writing saved the day. Thanks for sharing