Customer Reviews

Locked In

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

O'boy. Someone handed me this book and said it was good. Wow, was it! I'm not one to read much thriller fiction, but with the medical slant on malpractice issues I thought I would give it a go. I got emotional tied to the lead character and then thrown for a loop as he crossed over to the 'dark side.' I felt his pain of being trapped in circumstances that were both out of his control and created by his own actions.

Dr. Michele Esposito, as his bio reads, "has spent ten years as a private practice radiologist in the Tampa Bay area, and uses his vast experience to give readers an insider's view of medicine and malpractice law." Make me wonder how close to truth this story really could be...and that's a sign of great fiction!

I am a big fan of Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffiin's books. The reason I enjoy reading books by these 2 gentlemen, is that they spare no expense in their research to write the books and the plots and characters they come up with are exceptional. 'Locked In' by Mike Espisito follows this pattern, the research was extenstive, the characters fun to follow and relate to, and the plot exciting. I enjoyed following the characters thru the tangled web they created for themselves. The plot was exciting and the conclusion does not leave you hanging nor wanting, except of course another book by this author. If you enjoy reading books by Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin, then you are like me and will also enjoy this book and author as well.

You can trust your doctor... or can you?

Tampa radiologist Dr. John Armstrong is struggling financially. As a respected and high profile doctor, he has a certain standard to maintain, or so his wife Ashley thinks. Her spending is out of control, but John thinks he's found a solution. By referring potential cases to malpractice attorney, Cal Burton, John can make some quick and easy money. But just how far is he willing to go? And what will he do when things begin to spiral horribly out of control?

LOCKED IN is one of the most horrifying books I've ever read. I'm not sure I'll ever have quite the same sense of faith or trust in doctors as Mike Esposito paints a frighteningly real scenario. Is the medical malpractice system really this broken? LOCKED IN is practically a must read if only so that you can decide for yourself.

There are very few likeable characters in LOCKED IN as Mike Esposito shows just how far greed can push people. The sense of morality can become blurred to those caught up in the consequences of their actions, but Mr. Esposito ensures the reader sees just how much those lines are being crossed. Not all of the characters are twisted. Instead, we are allowed to see the faces of the victims and their families affected by both the scheming and the malpractice lawsuits.

LOCKED IN is not an easy comfort read. Disturbing and yet compelling, LOCKED IN is thought provoking as it provides a glimpse of a world we rarely see. How much of this fictional tale is real? Perhaps, the answer to that question is the most frightening aspect of LOCKED IN.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Locked In is a suspenseful novel about medical malpractice law and the depths of human depravity. Radiologist Dr. John Armstrong colludes with his college roommate to systematically defraud insurance companies; their scheme is successful at first, but greed drives the group he created to commit more and more egregious fraud. Armstrong tries to break free of his own creation without losing all he's ever had, an increasingly difficult proposition as the harrowing saga races to its climax. An enthralling web of deception that keeps the reader guessing right up to the end.

Between soaring malpractice rates and lower payments from medical insurance companies, many doctors bemoan the fact that they don't make what they used to. They're feeling the pinch! So what is a specialist physician, a neuroradiologist, to do when his salary is so much smaller than his wife, Ashley's spending and tastes far exceeds even a superior salary?

Dr. John Armstrong just doesn't seem to say no to his wife's lavish spending. Is it because of his guilt over his handicapped daughter, who suffers from cerebral palsy, because of a decision he should have made?

One could speculate about the actions that follow but either way one will be amazed at the combination of egregious actions that escalate initially with Armstrong and a lawyer friend, Cal Burton and then move into other equally greedy physicians. Turning in one's colleagues for malpractice seems unimaginable, even with the incentive for 10% of the final malpractice case settlement value.

But what kind of person would utilize the ability to master technology to the degree that one creates terminal disease which results not only in manufactured malpractice suits but actually evolves into needless treatment and surgery for the young and old?

Mesmerizing and horrific, this novel starts out slowly but soon erupts into horrendous scenarios that one can't let go of and must follow to the end.

Locked In is one heck of a credible, thrilling and frightening read! Amazing first work, Mike Esposito!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal September 12, 2007

Locked In is a must read for those who like John Grisham, Michael Crichton and James Patterson: an intelligent, absorbing read introducing audiences to the dark side of surgeons. I understand the author, as a doctor, used real life experiences in constructing his plot--which makes the book eerily come to life!

Enjoy this up and coming author who is destined to be a household name!

This book was a little slow in the beginning but as you got into the meat of the book it became the type of book that you couldn't put down and had to finish. I was so engrossed in the book and the story line that I almost finished it in one readidng. The part of the book with the little girl on the operating table will make everybody's heart race. It really was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

fast paced

intriguing plot

as a member of the medical field found the book very realistic and plot premise hauntingly realistic

great read

The book was a fantastic read. The surprising plot twists not only made it very difficult to put the book down, they were also very thought provoking on many levels.

Mike Esposito tells a gripping tale of a greedy lawyer and a group of equally greedy doctors. Locked In is both suspenseful and entrancing. Doctor John Armstrong needs money, because his adulterous, spendthrift wife, Ashley, is spending them into bankruptcy. When his best friend, Cal, approaches him with a scheme, he reluctantly accepts. John justifies these schemes by telling himself that he is helping the families of wronged patients. Tushar Bhatty , a computer scientist who specializes in computer imaging, has developed new software that allows doctors to manipulate MRI images. Bhatty finds that someone has been using his program without his permission. He asked his friend, John, if he had used the program. This alerts John to the full scope of what he has been doing and he wants out of game. He believes he is breaking too many rules, thus causing him to be at war with his conscience. The story takes many twists and turns as John tries to free himself from the nefarious group.

Locked In is a real thriller, fast-paced and pulsating, it is also frightening because the situation is something that could happen with all of the computer dynamics that are available these days. The ending was very shocking. I did not see it coming, and it added to the enjoyment of the story. The only drawback to the story was that it used a lot of medical terminology and slowed my reading of it down a bit. Locked In should be an easier read for those individuals with a medical background or familiar with medical terminology.

Reviewed by Margaret Ball

APOOO BookClub