Medical School Is Murder: A Ben Candidi Mystery

Author Dirk Wyle is at it again. In his smartly drawn "Medical School is Murder," he's managed to synthesize the worst of crimes with the best of science, and put them together in a setting that academics would especially find riveting -- a university campus. "Medical School is Murder" is Wyle's third Ben Candidi mystery and as with the first two, Wyle puts his reluctant hero into jeopardy that emerges as a byproduct of seemingly ordinary circumstances. This time around, Ben is asked to return to Bryan Medical School in Miami and finish out the term of an eccentric professor whose body was found in a canal near the school. All indications suggest that the professor, Pete Peterson, fell into the canal after suffering a heart attack. Ben isn't all that keen on taking the job; he'll have to leave his soul mate behind for a good chunk of time. But accepting the position will present him with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, not to mention a much-needed boost to his income, and so he agrees. All is not well at Bryan Medical School, however, and the more deeply Ben immerses himself in Peterson's life, the closer he gets to uncovering a shocking scenario that a lot of his own colleagues would rather he not explore. When he presses on, the quiet halls of academia explode in a life-and-death drama that calls for an equal measure of brain and brawn. Ben's a survivor, but he's no Rambo. Whether he makes it is entirely up to Dirk Wyle and the wily twists and turns he always brings to his mysteries. Sit back. Enjoy the ride. Learn a little science on the way.

Dirk Wyle is a pseudonym for Duncan H. Haynes, Ph.D. in molecular biology and 30-year veteran of biomedical science. Since 1973 Dr. Haynes has served as a medical school professor in Miami for the past twenty-five years, conducting research in blood coagulation and drug delivery. He has experience with numerous grants, the pharmaceutical industry, and outside financial donors. Eschewing guns, he plots his murders using more devious and interesting weapons.Ben Candidi returns after the exciting Pharmacology is Murder and Biotechnology is Murder. He has received his coveted Ph.D. and is working with patents for the feds in Washington, D.C. when he is not on his boat with fiancee Rebecca Levis (M.D.). But in murder mysteries life does not remain idyllic for long, and Ben answers a call to return to his alma mater, Bryan Medical School, to take over a grant after fellow scientist Dr. Peter Peterson suddenly dies. Peterson has stipulated in his will that he wants his biography written, which seems like a whim until Ben meets up with a hostile Dean of the College and is attacked in Dr. Peterson's apartment:"No accident--attacked by a man,'" came the diagnostic from my shocked cerebrum. Escaping. You'll lose him in a few seconds.' I willed myself to my knees and crawled in the direction of the sound. Stumbled to my feet and groped along the wall. A door slammed in the distance. I ran through the front door, hitting my shoulder on its metal frame."Wyle creates Ben as the playful idealized man: mensa member; looks like Frankie Avalon; can fight like a pit bull; has a steady relationship with the beautiful Rebecca while tossing off adversaries with stumbling panache and outwitting the evil administration. Sounds like a winning recipe, and it is. Medical School is Murder is pure and simple entertainment. Ben Candidi is his adorable self, and Dirk Wyle knows how to stun and delight the reader with clear science put into layman's terms. Medical School is Murder continues Dirk Wyle's winning ways as a feature science mystery writer. Ben is a bicycle-wielding, high energy Gen-Xer who is just rebellious enough to be considered brilliant. Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

Medical school is known for being tough: pulling all nighters, cramming for exams and fighting cutthroat competition. In Medical School is Murder, we get a decidedly different (and much more thrilling) point of view. Through the eyes of protagonist Ben Candidi, the reader goes along a journey of uncovering the hidden agendas of faculty members and corruption of administrators in a major university. This is the side of med school the students never get to see! I pulled an all-nighter reading this book. The suspense makes this latest Wyle mystery hard to put down.Biotechnology and medical terms weave seamlessly into the plot. Wyle often uses scientific principles as metaphors, showing the hidden aspects of characters. This blend of science with literature makes for a refreshing read: through the eyes of a young scientist we get an unexpected viewpoint. Throughout the suspense, intrigue, corruption (and yes: the love story too) I actually felt smarter when I put the book down. Given the changed world we now live in, with the new threat of harmful biological agents - this murder mystery is not just an entertaining read, it is enlightening as well.

Medical School is Murder is typical of Dirk Wyle's well-crafted, spell-binding series of mysteries, and he gets better with each novel. Sorry, Jonathan Kellerman, but you have serious competition in Dirk Wyle. A must read for all fiction lovers!

"Medical School is Murder" grabs the attention of the reader even as Ben Candidi emerges as a very human, very real protagonist. But, Candidi is not perfect, and Wyle allows examination of his strengths as well as his frailties. The quickly advancing plot uses the author's technological knowledge without being overbearing. Appropriate explanations are provided along the way that add to the story. Meanwhile, we follow Candidi as he digs deeper into the hidden politics of the school.The surprising ending to the expertly woven plot catches the reader by surprise, leaving a yearning for the next novel in the series. We know that Candidi isn't done with us yet.