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Race for the Dying: A Novel [Hardcover]

Steven F. Havill (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 29, 2009
The young Dr. Thomas Parks expects to practice trauma medicine with a distinguished doctor in Port McKinney, Washington. What he does not expect is to be nearly killed within an hour of arriving. The accident changes his life, and with long hours of painful convalescence, Thomas makes a sobering discovery: the physician who has invited Thomas to join his practice is not what he seems.
At the center of the conflict is mail-order diagnosis, whichflourished until the U.S. mail fraud statutes of 1908. In its landmark report of 1910, the American Medical Association reported that several physicians had organizations that recorded more than 3,000 postal responses per month, a large percentage of which included money for worthless medicine.
Steven F. Havill departs from his well-received mystery series to bring readers this fascinating historical novel.


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Race for the Dying: A Novel + Comes a Time for Burning + Double Prey: A Posadas County Mystery (Posadas County Mysteries (Paperback))
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran mystery writer Havill (the Posadas County and Sheriff Bill Gastner series) delivers a feel-good yarn set in rough-and-tumble 1891 Port McKinney, Wash. Young doctor Thomas Parks travels from Connecticut to work with Dr. John Haines, an old family friend. Almost as soon as he sets foot in town, he gets in a nasty accident that lands him, temporarily, in a wheelchair. Lucky for Thomas, Haines's attractive daughter, Alvina, nurses him back to health, and they strike up a romance as the naïve Thomas begins to suspect that Haines runs a thriving snake oil business. Meanwhile, back at the clinic, Thomas practices frontier medicine and surgery (his duties take him from the veterinary world to being the medical examiner on a murder case). The conclusion to this pleasant and easy read may be a little too pat, but Havill sets up a number of colorful dramatic situations that ought to please readers who take their westerns neat. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Havill, author of the Bill Gastner and Posadas County mystery series, shows his skills in characterization and plotting here, as he personalizes nineteenth-century medical mail fraud to create a compelling historical novel."--Booklist

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312380712
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312380717
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Race for the Dying, November 28, 2009
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This review is from: Race for the Dying: A Novel (Hardcover)
Having read and enjoyed the whole Posadas County ouvre, it was wonderful to find that Steve has found a new and convincing voice. I loved it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fine Americana tale, October 3, 2009
This review is from: Race for the Dying: A Novel (Hardcover)
In 1891 new Dr. Thomas Parks leaves his Connecticut home to practice medicine in Port McKinney, Washington with family friend Dr. John Haines. However, upon arrival in the Pacific Northwest town, he is in a near fatal accident that leaves him temporarily in a wheelchair while he heals.

His host's daughter Alvina helps him recover. They are attracted to one another, but Thomas fears John runs a successful mail order elixir peddling business. Meanwhile Thomas finds western medicine means flexibility as he is a vet, a surgeon, a family practitioner and a coroner-medical examiner.

Far away in time and place from Posadas County, Steven F Havill provides a terrific cautionary historical tale that focuses on the late nineteenth century thriving mail order medical business with implications of similar Internet practices today. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the new Englander almost gets killed and never slows down as Thomas adapts to the expanded expectations by the locals and his fears his mentor is making money performing unethical practices; adding to his qualms is he is falling in love with his host's daughter. Fans will enjoy this fine Americana tale as retired Under-sheriff Bill Gastner and current Under-sheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman take a breather.

Harriet Klausner

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting historical details, December 19, 2009
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This review is from: Race for the Dying: A Novel (Hardcover)
I found this a bit of a slow starter but grew more interested as the story developed. Interesting view of medical practice and quackery in the late 19th century. I also knew little of the Northwestern history shown in this book. I didn't find the characters as engaging as those in Posadas County, however.
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