Vital Signs (The Baxter Series #3) [Paperback]

Kathy Herman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2002

Furious that his girlfriend chose to bring twin babies to term, Dennis walks out of Jennifer's life. And now the Centers for Disease Control have quarantined Jennifer, along with 200 others who attended the reception for a missionary couple bearing a deadly virus. Is Jennifer at risk? Does Dennis even care what will happen to the twins, separated from their mother at birth? Fear takes hold in the town as violence erupts, and Baxter experiences an outbreak deadlier than any virus. Still, woven through the tale of violence and victims is another story: one of divine love and purpose.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kathy Herman is a best-selling author and award-winning poet, who has contributed feature stories and articles to publications such as Bookstore Journal. A former staff member of the Christian Booksellers Association, she has also worked at Better Books Christian Center, specializing in children's products and conducting related seminars in the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband, Paul, have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books; 1ST edition (October 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590520408
• ISBN-13: 978-1590520406
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathy Herman is no stranger to the Christian publishing industry. Before becoming a bestselling author and award-winning poet, Kathy worked on staff at the Christian Booksellers Association for five years. She gained eleven years of bookstore experience as a children's products specialist and drew on that expertise to conduct related seminars in the U.S. and Canada.

Kathy quickly rose to the rank of bestselling author when her first novel, TESTED BY FIRE, became a CBA bestseller shortly after its release. Since then, five more of her novels have claimed the title of bestseller: ALL THINGS HIDDEN, THE REAL ENEMY, THE LAST WORD, THE RIGHT CALL,and FALSE PRETENSES.

Her contemporary, fast-paced novels weave inspirational messages into the storyline so effectively that a college professor in Houston utilized her books as required reading to educate students on the value of teaching through fiction. Kathy's books have also been widely used in book club discussion and Bible study groups.

Kathy and her husband Paul live in East Texas and have three grown children, five "nearly perfect" grandchildren, and an adorable cat named Samantha. Her hobbies include world travel, deep sea fishing, and bird watching--and an ongoing fascination with hummingbirds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book of the series... so far!, October 1, 2003

By 

Soozie4Him (Chicago suburbs) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Vital Signs (The Baxter Series #3) (Paperback)

This is the third book in the Baxter series and I've read all of them right in a row. I enjoy medical fiction, so I think this one is my favorite. I love the suspense, and the medical details were fascinating. I like watching the changes in the characters' personalities as the book progresses. Especially interesting is the heart and mind of Dennis, as he cares for two newborns.

Kathy Herman does an excellent job of depicting the human condition - both with and without God.

I agree with Harriet Klausner, who reviewed "Day of Reckoning" - she said that the books are overpopulated with minor characters. I find all these people confusing, but I certainly wouldn't let that keep me from reading the rest of the series! I have one more to read "High Stakes" and then a couple months' wait til #5 comes out!

If you're interested in more medical fiction within the Christian context, check out my reviews of Hannah Alexander's books and Harry Kraus's.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, June 3, 2008

By 

Tamara Tilley (Hume Lake, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vital Signs (The Baxter Series #3) (Paperback)

VITAL SIGNS is the third book in The Baxter Series by Kathy Herman. A deadly epidemic has come to Baxter, threatening the lives of those who've come in contact with a visiting missionary couple. Jennifer has just delivered twin boys and struggles with the thought of adoption. When the babies are taken away due to the risk of the virus, she realizes being separated from them is more than she can handle. While the local hospital takes every precaution to insure the unknown virus does not infect others, an extremist group decides to take matters into their own hands, causing the National Guard to be called in to restore order.

The interesting storyline of VITAL SIGNS explores how people react to a situation that could prove to be deadly. My favorite part of the story was watching the change in Dennis (Jennifer's non-committal boyfriend) as he struggles with the idea of being a father. Your non-attachment for this character in the past is quickly put aside as you pull for him to make right decisions. VITAL SIGNS in an enjoyable read. With two more books to go in the series, I feel as if I have a stool reserved for me at Monty's Diner as I pick up HIGH STAKES, the fourth book in the series.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not as great as the first two, June 7, 2010

By 

K. Waide "Child of God" (PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vital Signs (The Baxter Series #3) (Paperback)

Melissa and Blake Thomas are missionaries who have come home after service in the Amazon. Melissa is pregnant with their first child and they wanted to be with family. What they don't know is that they had been exposed to a deadly virus before they left and have now brought it back to their friends and loved ones, who, it is feared, are exposed at their welcome home party. While Melissa and Blake are fighting for their lives in a protected isolation area of the hospital, those who were exposed are under quarantine in their homes.
Due to the hospital not being completely truthful about the disease there is fear and speculation in Baxter and the surrounding communities. This leads to violence by a vigilante group.
One of the people who is under quarantine is the daughter of Jed and Rhonda Wilson, who played a major role in book one and a supporting role in book two. She has given birth, but is unable to be with her children so they are watched by a others.

I enjoyed this book and had trouble once again putting it down, but as I read I felt there were some parts that didn't mesh together really well. The addition of the vigilante group seemed out of place and not quite believable. And the second half of the book, after the resolution of the conflict with the vigilante group, was devoted to restoring relationships between fathers and children. I classified the first two books in the series as suspense and had been looking for more suspense, but I don't think I will list this book as a suspense book for that reason. However, the author showed how single, seemingly isolated events in peoples lives can be used in the big picture that God is creating, even though we can't see it at the time. Focusing on how, as the Bible states, " ... we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
I would give this book 4 stars.