Lethal Measures

I'm still reading this novel, so my review must be read with a skeptical eye. However, I'm seeing a sameness to this entry in the series that seems to appear in each of Leonard Goldberg's Joanna Blalock novels. She's always broken up with Jake at the beginning, only to reunite (I suppose) by the end. It's always raining in Southern California (this is desert, Mr. Goldberg, despite the lush lawns and sprawling golf courses), and the threat/target seems obvious (although I'm hoping for a surprise here). This doesn't lessen my enjoyment of the books, however. The medical investigation aspects of the novels are wonderful, the action keeps you reading, and there are enough roller-coaster moments to leave you breathless. What *does* tend to drop me out of the story is Mr. Goldberg's insistence at putting in not-so-subtle simplistic messages of the liberal ilk, which prompted me to stop reading and write this review. Airing his politics in a fictional manner spares him from having to support his views with facts. I was so irritated, I checked some of his idiotic claims, and they were as false (or at least simplified to the extent they had no merit) as I suspected. Stick to story telling, please, Mr. Goldberg. It's what you're best at.

I was browsing a local bookstore when I ran across this paperback edition of Dr. Goldberg's lastest Joanna Blalock/Jake Sinclair installment. If one has not tried this series and like such thrillers as ones written by Ridley Pearson, Michael Palmer and Robin Cook...READ THIS!I have been a Joanna Blalock/Jake Sinclair fan since the beginning installments of these characters written by Dr. Goldberg. I look forward to each new installment as much as I look forward to the Daphne Matthews/Lou Boldt installments from Ridley Pearson. I purchased the book on late Friday afternoon and had it finished by Sunday morning! It's like taking a breath taking ride on an awesome rollercoaster. In a couple of places my hearts was pumping so hard out of suspense that I actually had to put the book down before flipping the page in a few minutes.There are very few authors that I buy their books unseen or without ever cracking open the inside of the cover jacket to read the synopsis. Dr. Goldberg is among one of the elite to which I do this for. I usually purchase my books in the hardback version once they hit the bookshelves but somehow, this installment got passed me. I was most pleasantly surprised when I ran across the paperback version.Try it! You'll like it!

Author Leonard Goldberg has written a gripping tale that keeps the reader turning pages. It's hard to put this book down until you find out what happens. An experienced detective and a forensic pathologist pursue domestic terrorists who are bent on blowing up the president of the United States and scores of bystanders. The plot is an ingenious one with enough unexpected twists and turns to surprise even those of us who generally sniff out the ending of a mystery novel half-way through the story. I'll be looking for - and buying - the other Goldberg novels.

An excellent book creating a combination medical thriller/psychological thriller/action thriller reminds me of Charles Wilson in DONOR, and maybe Wilson's medical thiller/action thriller (government conspiracy type) latest book GAME PLAN.

Joanna Blalock is a world-renowned forensic pathologist who's globally in demand, but centers her activities in Los Angeles' Memorial Hospital. At thirty-nine, Joanne feels she has achieved her life's goals just as she envisioned them. Even her personal life seems perfect as she sees the urbane international financier Paul du Maurier instead of wallowing over the inability of homicide detective Jake Sinclair to commit to a lasting relationship.However, national events soon rip Joanne's world apart. It starts with a terrorist bomb destroying a residential street, killing innocent people. The FBI insists that Joanne perform the autopsies, which cancels her romantic weekend. Paul resents the intrusion and abruptly ends their relationship. Evidence mounts that the perpetrators, the Righteous, plan for something ugly to occur on April 19th. Their motive is simply to revenge the Feds killing their leader's son and wife in a shoot-out.Anyone who enjoys a Patricia Cornwell tale will gain much pleasure from LETHAL MEASURES. The medical thriller stars a forensic pathologist with a great sense of self-deprecating humor ant that makes her more likable and gentler than Scarpetta. The fast-paced story line has touches of romance that provide a solid counterpoint to the rising tension that readers feel as they grasp the full scope of the terrorists' plan. Besides the characters seeming real, Memorial Hospital feels like a genuine place and that adds to the believability of the tale. After this story, readers will quickly search for other novels by Leonard Goldberg (see his "deadly" series).Harriet Klausner