Ambition: Be Careful What You Ask For [Hardcover]

Johnathan Isom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005

AMBITION!, Be Careful What You Ask for is an absorbing novel that takes the reader on a suspenseful journey of intrigue and drama which transcends the business district of Memphis, the fascination of Amsterdam and the mystery of New Orleans' French Quarter. You enter the worlds of Melanie Walker, a young investment banker and Dr. Stenson Hawk whose quest is to find his missing sister Gina. After Melanie's firm is selected to take a privately held National Healthcare company public, she accepts the invitation of Francoise Baptiste, a CFO in the world of high finance to play in a highly dangerous scheme. But the aura of revenge taints the deal. Melanie and Stenson discover their affection for each other as their worlds collide sending them on a relentlessly terrifying chase, as they find themselves unexpectantly partnered with private investigator Mickey Stone, who reminds everyone to be careful what you ask for.

Editorial Reviews

Review

AMBITION is where the worlds of mystery, medicine and murder collide and form an exciting and memorable experience for readers. --Jared McCallister, New York Daily News

AMBITION will hold your attention from the first chapter to the last. Johnathan Isom is certainly an author to watch. --Tina L. Birchett, Grace Magazine

About the Author

Johnathan Isom is a successful anesthesiologist who practices in Memphis, Tennessee and is the recently published author of AMBITION! Be Careful What You Ask For. Johnathan says, " I am inspired by variety and challenge but I am driven by the pursuit of excellence." In that vain, Johnathan says that the same force that drove him to medicine drove him to write his first novel. The challenge to engage in writing something that he would enjoy was the motivation. As an avid reader his choice of reading materials includes spiritually-based or philosophical books, books on leadership, self-improvement, biographies and books geared towards the economy. He explains, "I've noticed that many of the plots in currently written contemporary fiction read like soap operas. The focus is often on deceitful people - somebody's friend or girlfriend leads them astray. And that's okay but I don't find that particularly entertaining and it is not something I want to read about." So the! doctor being the man he is chose not to complain or critique others, but rather he sat down and wrote a book he'd read. In pursuit of excellence Johnathan tackled the writing of this novel as he researched and sought out information and professionals in the field to get a better sense of what was required in such an endeavor. Armed with insight and a sense of what it would take for him to accomplish the goal of writing a book, Johnathan began an outline and established a schedule. He enrolled in several writing courses and read books, which gave him greater understanding of plot, character, story development and other aspects of writing a novel. "Originally I didn't have any aspirations of being a writer but I had a story to tell. However from that one story comes many. I do see myself as a storyteller within this particular genre because I have stories to tell and I have put a story into writing to be shared with others. I only hope that my readers will enjoy the book as much as I enjoy the challenge of the process and if so the future holds great possibilities." Although the doctor is definitive in acknowledging that he views himself as a storyteller rather than a writer, it is clear that we will hear more from this new novelist who comments that his favorite character in AMBITION! Be Careful What You Ask For , Private Investigator Mickey Stone, just might be his alter ego. Stay tuned.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: M2N Publishing (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976189704
• ISBN-13: 978-0976189701
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,976,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended as an engaging and gripping novel to all readers searching for an intelligently crafted modern mystery, May 7, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambition: Be Careful What You Ask For (Hardcover)

Ambition: Be Careful What You Ask For by Johnathan Isom is a thrilling mystery novel depicting the pursuit of Dr. Stenson Hall who joins up with Melanie Walker in his dedicated pursuit to finding his missing sister Gina. As Ambition progresses, Walker is invited to take part in a dangerous scheme when in its digressing midst she and Hawk discover the love which they retain for one-another and the terrors from which they must run. Ambition is very highly recommended as an engaging and gripping novel to all readers searching for an intelligently crafted modern mystery with endlessly intriguing plot twists and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Reaching the top, November 16, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambition: Be Careful What You Ask For (Hardcover)

Dr. Stenson Hawk worked hard to become a highly sought-after surgeon, and is ready to take his career to the next level by being awarded a fellowship to one of the few pediatric surgery slots in the country. He applies to several programs, but has other worries on his mind. His girlfriend seems to think she cannot have a career and a relationship with him at the same time. More importantly, his sister is missing; and when he sets out to find her, things get sticky.

Investment Banker Melanie Walker isn't sure what she feels for Stenson, but she is confident in her career field and reaching for the top. When she is approached to do a shady deal, she considers all of her options. Not only will the deal make her a multimillionaire, but the offering party said they could get Stenson into his top choice for the pediatric fellowship program. Melanie's indecision could lead to her and Stenson's deaths.

AMBITION! BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR contained one of the best hooks I've read in a long time. That first page and a half was explosive and drew me right in. Unfortunately, the next 150 pages were filled with day to day business for Stenson and Melanie and should have been cut to about 15 pages of useful plot. To add to the pacing problem, when the plot finally started moving (the last 100 pages), though the novel became quite interesting, the actual plot needed more development instead of being rushed through. Then there are a few syntax issues, such as quotations for a character who has more than one paragraph of consecutive dialogue, so at times I had to figure out who was saying what. The hook and last 100 pages of the novel showed me that Mr. Isom does have intriguing plots. If he teams up with a good editor, his novels will always make my "to read" list. (RAW Rating: 2.5)

Reviewed by Deatri King-Bey
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers