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Critical Conditions

Critical Conditions

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very well written with an interesting plot
Review: If you get past the first 10 pages you'll finish the book because you'll be hooked.
The plot is well devised although, after many pages of suspense it unravels into the "happy ending" too quickly.
What most impressed me was the writing style and the astute way of introducing the main characters into the plot (never boring).
If I could rate in fractions, I would give it a 4.5/5.0 because about 2/3 of the way through the story stagnates a little bit. But since fractions are not allowed, it rounds off to a 5 star rating.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very well written with an interesting plot
Review: If you get past the first 10 pages you'll finish the book because you'll be hooked.
The plot is well devised although, after many pages of suspense it unravels into the "happy ending" too quickly.
What most impressed me was the writing style and the astute way of introducing the main characters into the plot (never boring).
If I could rate in fractions, I would give it a 4.5/5.0 because about 2/3 of the way through the story stagnates a little bit. But since fractions are not allowed, it rounds off to a 5 star rating.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Engaging Pageturner
Review: It's impossible to begin this novel and not devour its entirety in one sitting. It's THAT good. White's hero, psychologist Alan Gregory is beseeched by his urologist friend and colleage, Adrienne, to begin treatment with a recently-admitted 15 year old who attempted suicide. Soon, it becomes clear that the victim is embroiled in the recent murder of a universally-despised physician who chaired a regional health care company. Did she do it? If so, why? It's not the resaon you'll think upon the introduction.

Fast-paced and sparkling with interesting characters and dialogue, this is a thriller not to be missed. So many plot twists, you'll be boggled how they all interconnect, but rest assured White weaves them seemlessly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Engaging Pageturner
Review: It's impossible to begin this novel and not devour its entirety in one sitting. It's THAT good. White's hero, psychologist Alan Gregory is beseeched by his urologist friend and colleage, Adrienne, to begin treatment with a recently-admitted 15 year old who attempted suicide. Soon, it becomes clear that the victim is embroiled in the recent murder of a universally-despised physician who chaired a regional health care company. Did she do it? If so, why? It's not the resaon you'll think upon the introduction.

Fast-paced and sparkling with interesting characters and dialogue, this is a thriller not to be missed. So many plot twists, you'll be boggled how they all interconnect, but rest assured White weaves them seemlessly.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Self-Serving, Manipulative.....
Review: Plot reads like a cheap movie from India - 10 characters across Colorado who all "just happen" to be related to each other somehow. Murder, rape, love triangles, bisexual love triangles, child on a respirator, etc. - White hits all the sympathy buttons. All too unbelievable, especially the doctor who gives his life savings to save a patient, and the HMO "bean counter" who wants her dead. Uh huh. And the author? Oh, he's a doctor.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Novel, Kept my interest the whole time!!!
Review: Stephen White's novel "Critical Conditions" is a fast paced, quick read attention grabber from the begining. The plot takes a quick start and keeps you interesetd the enitre book. If you like medical mysterys with a twist, you will love this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Novel, Kept my interest the whole time!!!
Review: Stephen White's novel "Critical Conditions" is a fast paced, quick read attention grabber from the begining. The plot takes a quick start and keeps you interesetd the enitre book. If you like medical mysterys with a twist, you will love this book.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good but ther have been better in this fantastic series
Review: Teenager Merritt Strait lies in a Denver hospital under a suicide watch after trying to kill herself with an overdose of pills. Psychologist Dr. Alan Gregory is assigned to work with Merritt, who turns out to be a mute patient. Alan quickly gains a rapport with Merritt and learns that the teen's younger sister suffers from a heart ailment. The family's HMO, MedExcel, refuses to sanction payment for experimental treatment that might save her life.

However, everything suddenly changes when an important executive of MedExcel is murdered. The police believe that Merritt committed the crime as a means of avenging the HMO's rejection of her sibling. Alan, who has been working with Merritt, does not believe the girl would kill anyone. However, other family members and close friends of the prime suspect also have reasons to seek revenge. Alan, working closely with his police buddy, Sam Purdy, try to uncover the identity of a murderer before a distraught young girl finds more than she can handle on her already overfilled plate.

The sixth Alan Gregory novel is an interesting who-done-it that delves deeply into the motives behind murder. Alan is a fabulous amateur sleuth and the continual members of the ensemble add a humanizing factor to the novel. However, CRITICAL CONDITIONS, though not quite on life support, seems to lack some of the straightforward, but gut wrenching melodrama of the previous books in the series. Even so, this Alan Gregory mystery remains an intriguing look into why a crime was committed.

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Mature-immature-devious-charming Kid
Review: The problem with writing about kids, particularly teenagers, is that we have gratefully forgotten what a difficult, scary, uncharted journey adolescence was for us. And I'm just talking about acne and skinny arms (or chests)! Imagine what we would feel like if we had terminally ill sibs?

As a result we have pushed to the more distant recesses of our memory what we did or even more significantly, why we did it. So the 15-year old ingenue in White's excellent murder mystery is at times conniving, relentless, obsessed, beautiful, kid-like, confused along with all of the other formed and unformed virtue/vices of kids placed in life and death circumstances. Or what we imagine those to be.

Her infant sister is dying of a rare disease necessitating, if it will work at all, an expensive heart transplant. Each member of the family has made tremendous sacrifices and then Merritt, the 15-year old, is charged with the murder of the CEO of the insurance provider who rejected the application for the transplant. Did she? Didn't she? Who did? And what else went on?

White weaves in the usual suspects, the gruff Sam Purdy, the lovely but also ill wife Lauren, his (not so) "normal" colleagues, a couple of Colorado Avalanche hockey games . . . even the loyal dog Emily makes several appearances.

Hard to believe, I suppose, to paraphrase Churchill, that so much could happen to so few so close to eachother at the same time. Yet, a relentless mystery for Dr. Alan Gregory to solve who despite impressive credentials, remains "everyman" under these painful circumstances.

Larry Scantlebury. 4 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome Thriller! Do NOT MISS!!!
Review: This is the first book I've read out of the Alan Gregory series and I fell in love with it. I have read many many books but not too many mystery/suspense books. After reading this book I plan on reading the rest of his series plus other mystery books. I read this whole book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. Like other reviews READ THE BOOKS IN ORDER. I have now read 2 other books out of this series and reading the series in order will be most enjoyable! READ THIS BOOK. It will blow your mind.


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