2 ½ stars. I was not engaged or eager to read. I wanted it to be over. No relationship development to watch.STORY BRIEF:Dr. Dale Hunsacker is an attractive, wealthy, well known gynecologist who recently moved to town and joined the Mother Mary Hospital. He brings clients to the hospital because women like him, especially the wealthy ones. He charms them. They flirt and fawn over him. Casey is an emergency room nurse at the hospital. She sees cruelty and a deadness in his eyes as he performs a pelvic exam, intentionally causing pain to his patient. Two nurses were killed after they left work. Each of them had argued with Hunsacker on the days they were killed. Other murders occur. Casey suspects Hunsacker. Hunsacker knows she suspects him, and he enjoys taunting her about it. Eventually Casey works up the nerve to report her suspicions to Sgt. Jack Scanlon (police detective). Jack is having trouble finding anything to connect to Hunsacker.REVIEWER’S OPINION:I wanted to try this author, so I picked this book because it won an award. The Romance Writers of America gave it a RITA Award for Best Single Title Contemporary in 1992. I do not see this as “romance.” It is straight fiction. There is no romantic relationship between Jack and Casey. The cover of the book calls it “Fiction,” not romance. So I felt misled. I thought any award from RWA would be for a romance novel. I will have to be more skeptical in the future. In fairness I have to say there was one passionate kiss that came out of nowhere. The author never showed any “desire” building between the characters. It felt like a coworker relationship, and then all of a sudden there is a kiss. It was uncomfortable. And the author didn’t show any emotions or romantic feelings after the kiss.This is told in third person, but it is entirely from Casey’s perspective. I am never in anyone else’s head. I wanted to know other characters’ thinking, feeling, and motivations – especially Hunsacker and his victims. That would have made the story better. There is one scene where Hunsacker gets out of handcuffs. I was frustrated that the author did not show how he did it.Other important things missing - I wanted to know how Hunsacker created his alibis, how he followed and set up his victims, how he killed them, how he covered up afterward and escaped with no witnesses. Never was any of that shown. There is a scene where Hunsacker gets the upper hand against a cop. I wanted to know how he snuck up or approached the cop and what he said and did. The scene just starts with the cop already tied up and being cut.The best books draw me to characters and have interesting interactions with other characters. There was nothing of this. If you don’t have a romantic relationship, at least give me other relationships to enjoy – good or bad. This could have been done with coworkers, the police, or even patients. That was missing, so all you have left is plot. It was ok, but it didn’t draw me, and it didn’t keep my interest. Nothing was special or different in her attempts to stop the bad guy. I didn’t feel fear because I was never in the bad guy’s head. Plus my annoyance with Casey’s stupidity and actions was too strong to allow me to feel her fear, as it was described.STUPIDITY:(1) I did not like the following stupidity by Casey and Jack. Casey should have contacted Jack secretly and alone (not with her mother present). Jack should have kept their connection secret, but he came to talk to Casey at the hospital. Then he asked Hunsacker to come to the police station for questioning. Everyone knew she was the finger-pointer. She was ostracized by coworkers, threatened with losing her job, and now in the sights of the killer. Her role was snitch, and she and Jack should have kept it secret.(2) A policeman has been staying at Casey’s house and driving her to and from work due to fear for her safety. So why does she leave work alone, not even call the cop assigned to her to check-in, and not pay attention to suspicious cars parked near her home? She stupidly walks into danger.(view spoiler)[CAUTION SPOILER (unsatifying climactic scene):(1) Watching Casey during the climactic scene with the killer was no fun. She was so full of fear and anxiety that she was paralyzed. He didn’t need to tie her up. He cut her and did things while she stood still and let him. She didn’t try to run or fight. I understand and accept that anxiety can paralyze someone, but it wasn’t fun to read. Besides, throughout the story she is tough, smart, has great instincts, and stands up to him. Then all of a sudden she’s a frozen wimp. I want to respect the author’s choice in character definition, but it wasn’t fun. It was inconsistent.(2) Someone yelled at Casey to throw something out the window. She threw a book out the window. I never understood what that someone wanted her to throw and why it mattered. Was throwing the book helpful? (hide spoiler)]
Yes! Who doesn't appreciate a medical drama? Add to that a mystery with uniquely women's issues and perspectives? This story will resonate with every woman I know!And who hasn't wondered if God is really listening to our prayers? And most everyone can relate to being in the unpopular minority of public opinion only to be proved unfortunately correct in a "nobody wins" situation. "Casey wondered if spiders were terrified of the chances they took just to get across a room. Did they remember the wall they just left, cold and bitter against their legs, and hesitate before the next one? Or was it preordained, too deeply imbedded in their instincts for them to refuse? Did they have to sail across, braving the terrifying void to seek substance, no matter what they remembered or wanted?"
What do You think about A Man To Die For (2012)?
Overall Rating: 4.35 // Action: 3.5 / Emotion: 3.5 / Romance: 2.0 / Sensuous: 0.0 / Suspense: 4.0 // Laughter: 7½ / Tears: 0A Man To Die For: 4.35:A fascinating, interesting and spine-tingling account of the repercussions faced by an ER trauma nurse as she tries to prove that the new golden boy doctor at her hospital is a serial killer. The story lagged occasionally, but for the most part, this well-written story was filled to the brim with suspense and a couple of moments of romance were added to the mix to increase the reader's enjoyment.Hero: 3.0:Homicide Detective Jack Scanlon: Jack was not your typical romance book hero. Rather than a handsome hunk of alpha male, Jack is presented as a sleep-deprived, ulcer-suffering hero. Jack's dedication to his job and his walled up heart, however, demanded sympathetic feelings for this wounded man. Because background details about Jack's history were sparse, it was difficult to understand what drove him.Heroine: 2.75:ER Trauma Nurse Catherine "Casey" McDonough: Casey was determined to live life on her terms, and had the determination, drive and perseverance to do so. It was difficult to warm up to Casey because of her strong personality and demanding 'my way or the highway' and 'full speed ahead' nature. In spite of that, Casey's sense of humor was a wonderful addition to the story.Action: 3.5:The story moved at a rapid pace most of the time as readers were regaled with emergency room activities on a regular basis along with Casey's efforts to find a way to prove Dr. Hunsacker was a serial killer.Emotion: 3.5:It was easy to become attached to Jack and Casey and their plight, but not at a depth that inspired tears. It was easier to understand what Jack and Casey were feeling, rather than actually "feeling" their fears, frustrations, etc.Romance: 2.0:The romantic aspect of this story was definitely lacking. Jack and Casey have both walled up their feelings and they had difficulty letting each other past their barriers.Sensuous: 0.0:There were only three kisses in the book. No sensuality whatsoever.Suspense: 4.0:Dr. Dale Hunsaker, the villain in this story kept the degree of suspense at a high level. Not only did Jack and Casey struggle to find proof of his misdeeds, but Casey had to work with him as he taunted her with his kills.Secondary Characters: 3.0:Although the secondary characters in the book were plentiful and some of them were richly described and developed, the fact that most of them were single-dimensional made it difficult to feel a sense of connection with them.See Wolf Bear Does Books for a more in-depth, detailed review of A Man To Die For.
—♥ Vonda M. Reid ♥
