A Heartbeat Away: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Harry Kraus (Author)

Book Description

When a brilliant surgeon undergoes a heart transplant, her life transforms as she begins experiencing memories of a murder she never witnessed.

 

The residents worship her. Nurses step out of her way. Her colleagues respect and sometimes even fear her. But surgeon Tori Taylor never expected to end up on this side of the operating table.

 

Now she has a new heart. This life that was formerly controlled and predictable is now chaotic. Dr. Taylor had famously protected herself from love or commitment, but her walls are beginning to crumble.

 

And strangest of all, memories surface that will take her on a journey out of the operating room and into a murder investigation.

 

Where there once was a heart of stone, there is a heart of flesh. And there is no going back.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

 

Someone calls to her.

A man.

An evil man who is burning.

And then—darkness.

Surgeon Tori Taylor rules the operating room with a precision that makes residents feel faint, nurses cower, and colleagues take notes. But even with the honor of being a respected surgeon, Tori finds herself alone in her moment of desperation—dying on her own operating table.

 

Tori Taylor needs a heart transplant, but what she receives is far more than a donor organ. Lying loveless and friendless in the recovery room, Tori discovers that memories are surfacing in her mind that are not her own. Terrifying glimpses of murder drive her out of the world of medicine and into a homicide investigation.

 

As her ordered life grows more and more chaotic, Tori’s new heart begins to melt her icy walls from the inside out. This new heart of flesh is transforming her heart of stone, and there’s no going back.

About the Author

Harry Kraus, M.D. is a board-certified surgeon, medical missionary to East Africa, and accomplished writer of both non-fiction and fiction. Medical realism and gripping plotlines distinguish his writing, as he gets most of his ideas with a scalpel in hand. Dr. Kraus resides in Kenya with his wife Kris and the youngest of his three sons.

Product Details

• File Size: 905 KB
• Print Length: 386 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 143470257X
• Publisher: David C. Cook (September 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008VBPW3A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,746 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nonstop, heart-pounding fiction! September 3, 2012

By Kimberly Wong

Format:Paperback

Victoria "Tori" Anne Taylor, MD desperately needs a new heart and as a successful oncology surgeon, she knows what needs to be done but she's never had the surgery performed on her before. As a doctor, she is adored by her residents and hated by her nurses as she demands perfection in every aspect of critical care. When her job security is threatened and she is forced to stop working and go to therapy, she begins a rocky relationship with Phin MacGrath, the transplant team's social worker. Tori begins having memories that are not her own that she believes belonged to her heart donor. She begins her own investigation into the death of the woman who gave her heart and her new lease on life. Tori not only has horrific memories but she also has become more compassionate. She can sense what others are feeling and what they need. She is curious to find out more about whose heart she received.

Woven throughout the story is another story of Christian and his love for Emily. Christian's family is on furlough from the African mission field and is falling in love for the first time.

As Tori and Phin investigate what happened, someone begins to stir up trouble for her and threaten her as she tries to investigate further into the fire that she dreams about but never personally experienced. She senses that her memories are evidence of foul play and has no idea what she is delving into.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Dr. Harry Kraus. The medical details greatly enhanced the story and brought an authenticity to the story that I enjoyed. The characters were so believable and their development was natural. My only critique would be that the story starts out a little slow but it was an exciting mystery that I ended up solving along with the heroine. I loved how the message of Christ's grace and redemption was naturally woven into the story.

I would definitely recommend this book and will be looking into more books by this author. I received this book for free from NetGalley in return for an impartial review.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars In a surgeon's most capable hands - a scalpel or a pen! September 6, 2012

By Michael DeLong

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

If Dr. Harry Kraus handles a scalpel like he handles a pen, I want no one else to operate on my body but him!

A Heartbeat Away is masterfully crafted to draw the reader in - deep into the story's brilliantly interwoven plot lines and fully-orbed characters! From the first broken phrases to the final whisper of the book, Kraus' gifted hands have penned a tale, once begun, that had to be finished as quickly as possible. He skillfully moved this reader between times and places, slipping subtle hints in unexpected ways, drawing the reader forward with anticipation and suspense.

This is no "Doctor's waiting room/ find something to pass the time" book! This book kept me "a heartbeat away" on every page.

I want to read...NO, I HAVE TO READ...more of Kraus' work! Bring it on, Amazon!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable novel September 8, 2012

By thewordlover

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a completely original novel with much that is thought-provoking. Dr. Kraus clearly brings his knowledge as a surgeon to exploring the idea of whether memories can be transmitted with an organ transplant-- but even more he looks at the issues of the heart. What frightens us, or makes us open up our hearts to love? How are we transformed by being able to see the world through someone else's eyes? This novel is insightful and compelling on so many levels and utterly riveting. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I don't know why it is being given away because it is extremely well written and fascinating. But I'm glad i took advantage of this offer.