Shadow of Death [Paperback]

Patricia Gussin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2007

Pull a trigger and everything changes.



Medical student Laura Nelson had just finished examining her first patient when she is forced to make a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life - forever.



One life will end, and one life will never be the same.



But keeping her dreadful secret will be one of the toughest challenges Laura will ever face. With a persistent and perceptive detective hot on her trail and a host of eerie incidents suggesting that maybe her secret isn t really a secret, Laura is drawn into an unseemly web of peril, deceit, and treachery and is forced to risk both her freedom and her sanity. Will her deadly secret come to light, or must she live forever in the shadow of death?



Set amidst the upheaval and smoldering chaos of the Detroit riots of 1967, Shadow of Death is a haunting tale of unrest, fear, and consequences.



Hailed as a stunning debut novel, Shadow of Death provides a spine-chilling glimpse of what lurks in the shadows.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Secrets, fear and frustration explode in a plot that races along like a runaway gurney in a hospital corridor. A story of courage and tragedy. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

THIS IS A WORLD YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO ENTER--OR FORGET

"The suspense is riveting and the pacing masterful. This book will keep you gasping for breath." Michael Palmer, author of eleven best-selling novels, including "The Society"

"Shadow of Death" portrays an accurate picture of Detroit during that tough year of 1967. It is realistic, gruesome and stunning, almost shocking in it's detail." David Poremba, Manager, Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library, and author of "Michigan"

"Dark secrets, shady characters, fear and frustration, and a plot that races along like a runaway gurney in a hospital corridor. "Shadow of Death" really scared me! A really good scare. I may just read it again." Don Bruns, best selling author of "Barbados Heat"

"There is a grand tradition of physicians who write books that sell. And sell. Dr. Gussin now joins their ranks." James Brady, New York Times best-selling author of "The Marine"

"A riveting, non-stop suspense novel from newcomer Patricia Gussin. Gussin taps into the deepest fears of women and places them artfully in the world of 1960's Detroit. I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author." Judy Clemens, author of "Till the Cows Come Home", nominated for Anthony and Agatha Awards

"A very promising novel about a little-explored incident about which this author knows a great deal." Stuart Kaminsky, best-selling author, Edgar Winner for Best Novel and Mystery Writers of America 2006 Grand Master Award --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: Ocean View Pub (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933515090
• ISBN-13: 978-1933515090
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #541,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Gussin

Patricia Gussin, M.D. was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She attended medical school in Detroit after which she did an internship and pediatric residency at Tampa General Hospital. Board Certified in Family Medicine, Pat, known to colleagues as Dr. Patricia Stewart, has practiced medicine and has directed medical research in her role as worldwide vice president for a leading healthcare company.

A graduate of Aquinas College, she received a M.D. degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and an MBA from Columbia University. Pat's former academic affiliations include the University of the Sciences of Philadelphia as Chairman of the Board of Trustees; University of Pennsylvania Dental School, where she was a member of the Board of Overseers and an Associate Trustee of the University; and membership on advisory committees of several universities. She has an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Duquesne University. She is a former Director of the Sarnoff Corporation in Princeton, N.J.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Pat is a member of the American Academy of Family Medicine, and a former member of the American Pain Society, Past President of the Drug Information Association, and a former officer of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Pat is also the author of Shadow of Death, Twisted Justice, The Test, and And Then There Was One. Shadow of Death was nominated for Best First Novel in the International Thriller Writers "Thriller" awards. She co-authored with her husband,What's Next...For You?

One of six children, Pat has seven children and sixteen grandchildren. Pat and her husband, Dr. Robert Gussin, a renowned medical researcher, divide their time between Longboat Key, Florida, East Hampton, New York, and their vineyards in New Zealand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointed, January 13, 2008

By 

Annie M (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shadow of Death (Paperback)

After reading the reviews by other reviewers, I feel as though I must have read a different book.

The story takes place in 1967-1971, but it has more of a sense of the 90s than the 60s or 70s. The author actually uses the term "politically correct," despite it was a time long before the term was in vogue. In fact, this is the most politically correct novel I've ever read. If somebody had instructed the author to write a story with every conceivable politically correct example possible, well she did that, and the result is that the characters are stereotyped, from the spoiled wife to the misunderstood husband.

The book is also "sloppy" in details, e.g., a crime takes place on Wednesday night and then we go to Thursday but then it's suddenly the weekend. What happened on Friday? A husband hums "happy birthday" to himself, but we don't find out it had been his birthday until the following week. The protagonist has her car parked in the parking lot but wonders if she should call her husband at home to come to pick her up. We get a "clue" about a "yellow-hair[ed]" woman who turns out to be a young intern but we don't even know that until several chapters later. These kind of sloppy mistakes in the details of a story ruin a book for me.

Another huge disappointment for me was that Michael Palmer, an author whose work I have enjoyed and admired, endorsed this book, which is what compelled me to take a chance on Patricia Gussin. Now I remember why I usually hesitate to try new authors without a firm recommendation from a fellow reader.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, July 13, 2006

By 

Suzanne M. Kulwicki - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shadow of Death (Hardcover)

"Shadow of Death" is one of those rare novels that exceeded my expectations. I purchased it expecting a traditional medical thriller, but the story offered much more depth. The jacket flap quotes Michael Palmer, one of my very favorite authors, who like Patricia Gussin is a physician. All of his books have landed on the New York Times Best-seller List and since he endorsed SHADOW OF DEATH in two different places ("The suspense is riveting and the pacing masterful. This book will leave you gasping for breath." and "Only a physician who is also a great writer could have crafted this novel."), I looked forward to reading about an evil-doctor or a hero-doctor. That would have been fine, but what I found was a personal story of terror. Gussin's protagonist, a compelling and very human young mother and medical student, is attacked and raped. A mistake in the E.R., a mistaken identity, and the violence of the Detroit riots propel the plot as two families, one middle class white and the other urban African American, intertwine amidst violence and threats and deadly secrets. Along the way there's a lot of medicine, an incredibly detailed, gruesome picture of Detroit in 1967, a fascinating `sixies' background, intense career-family challenges, a romantic flair, and most impressive to me, the weaving of multiple social and cultural and racial and moral layers into a seamless, believable and terrifying suspense novel. SHADOW OF DEATH is a page-turner, but one with deep texture.

26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Read!, July 12, 2006

By 

Linda Flexon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow of Death (Hardcover)

As a history teacher I seem to gravitate to historical fiction novels but also love medical thrillers. I picked up "Shadow of Death" because it seemed to be a combination of both. I was not disappointed, the story begins with an accurate depiction of the Detroit during the riots in 1967. Throughout the story you are reminded of the political unrest that occurred during the 1960s & 1970s. In addition to the historical perspective, I was equally impressed with the story line of Gussin's main character Laura Nelson. The story was so realistic that many times I thought, What would I do in this situation? How would I respond to such terrible events as being attacked and raped? Gussin's plot and connections make the novel a page turner and difficult to put down. Gussin masterfully intertwines the story of two families, one middle class white and the other urban African American is terryifying and suspenseful story. It is a great read!