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Rating: 
Summary: This one's a winner!
Review: Dr. James Tucker fires off another hit mystery! Surgeon/Magician Jack Merlin is at it again. When Merlin's fiance, the lovely Pittsburg Assistant DA Tory Welch, finds a mole on her neck, she sets an appointment with one of the city's finest plastic surgeons. While waiting to see the doctor, a wayward patient attacks Tory and Jack, leading to a series of events that are not fully explained until the last moments of the book. I like Jack and Tory. I also like the way Dr. Tucker puts a story together with murder, mayhem, magic and several interesting plot twists. I've interviewed Dr. Tucker and have found him kind, generous with his time, and truly devoted to his medical practice AND the avocation of writing. As always, I'll look forward to more Jack/Tory tales...they're always exciting and make for a page-turning read! Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Just how dumb does author James Tucker think we are?
Review: I guess James Tucker thinks the reading audience needs a little help keeping the characters straight. He named the surgeon "Dr. Cutter", the doctor who is also a magician is "Merlin", and the detective is "Deringer." And if you think the names are demeaning to your intelligence, try some of the "plot" twists. The young (and, of course, beautiful assistant D.A. who is also Merlin's live-in lover) is so worried that the mole on the back of her neck (near her hairline) might be cancerous, that she elects to visit the area's premier plastic surgeon to have it removed. She doesn't see a dermatologist, not an oncologist, not even a general practioner, but a PLASTIC SURGEON? Where is the logic in this book? I'm half way through the book and am wondering if there is a better use of my time. Perhaps tweezing spare hairs from my eyebrows? Counting the bathroom tile? Building the Pyramids of Eygpt out of sugar cubes?
Rating: 
Summary: Surprising End, Great Storyline!
Review: I happened upon this book and was surprised by how well-written it was for a practicing physician. Another surprise was the Pittsburgh setting. As a Pittsburgher, I enjoy stories set in my own hometown. The reason I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars was the gruesomeness of the murders. I realize the author is a doctor (pediatrician), but his descriptions of things creeped me out. If you enjoy Cornwell-esque murders and Robin Cook-like stories this book is for you. I look forward to the other books by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Surprising End, Great Storyline!
Review: I happened upon this book and was surprised by how well-written it was for a practicing physician. Another surprise was the Pittsburgh setting. As a Pittsburgher, I enjoy stories set in my own hometown. The reason I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars was the gruesomeness of the murders. I realize the author is a doctor (pediatrician), but his descriptions of things creeped me out. If you enjoy Cornwell-esque murders and Robin Cook-like stories this book is for you. I look forward to the other books by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Book!
Review: If you read Tucker's first book, 'Abra Cadaver', and was a little disappointed with it (as was I), do not be discouraged! Stick with this guy! His second, Hocus Corpus, is a lot better after we have already gotten familiar with the characters (but that's another review). The best reason for sticking with Tucker is definitely Tragic Wand. This book is fast paced and smart, leaving the reader thinking they've solved the mystery time and time again, only to uncover some clue that twists your entire theory around. But what's most surprising is the ending, which I can guarantee, you will never see coming. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Book!
Review: If you read Tucker's first book, 'Abra Cadaver', and was a little disappointed with it (as was I), do not be discouraged! Stick with this guy! His second, Hocus Corpus, is a lot better after we have already gotten familiar with the characters (but that's another review). The best reason for sticking with Tucker is definitely Tragic Wand. This book is fast paced and smart, leaving the reader thinking they've solved the mystery time and time again, only to uncover some clue that twists your entire theory around. But what's most surprising is the ending, which I can guarantee, you will never see coming. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery.
Rating:
Summary: good murder mystery with a unique hero
Review: In Miami Beach, the place to go for plastic surgery is the Phillips Cosmetic Surgery Center run by Raymond Phillips. His clientele consist mainly of society matrons who desire a younger look. Once in a while, Raymond takes on cases where the patient, wanted by law enforcement officials, need to disappear. As Raymond works on one of these individuals, someone kills his anesthesiologist, which forces the surgeon to disappear. Six years later in Pittsburgh, society matrons cluster around the Cutter Institute for Cosmetic Surgery. Stanley Stillwell goes to the clinic for extensive surgery in order to vanish. However, Stillwell sees another patient at the facility and simply goes berserker. He almost chokes Tory Welch to death. When Stillwell calms down, surgery is performed on him. However, he soon learns that Welch is an assistant DA. He kidnaps Tory and her boyfriend Dr. Jack Merlin, planning to kill both of them. However, before he can complete his ugly deeds, a masked intruder sticks an ice pick into his brain, killing him. Jack and Tory have solved homicides before and team up to try to uncover the truth. TRAGIC WAND is an exciting fast-paced mystery that will appeal to readers who enjoy subtle twists in their plots. The hero is a surgeon whose hobby is magic in which he explains the tricks. Tory is a superb partner and heroine in her own right. However, James Tucker's tale belongs to the story line in which sleight of hand leaves the audience wondering who are the puppets and who are the puppeteers? Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A very pleasant surprise
Review: When I picked up this book, I wasn't expecting much. The cover and title are goofy, and even the author's photo and bio make the book look like a third rate "cozy" mystery. But it isn't. The plot was gripping! The murder scenes and descriptions were so vivid and horrendous, I could barely keep reading (makes you want to cover your eyes like at a horror movie). The intensity kept building as the pages flew by. The author uses his medical knowledge well in building a believable murder mystery. Count me in as a new James Tucker fan. His entry into the genre of medical thrillers should be noted!
Rating:
Summary: A very pleasant surprise
Review: When I picked up this book, I wasn't expecting much. The cover and title are goofy, and even the author's photo and bio make the book look like a third rate "cozy" mystery. But it isn't. The plot was gripping! The murder scenes and descriptions were so vivid and horrendous, I could barely keep reading (makes you want to cover your eyes like at a horror movie). The intensity kept building as the pages flew by. The author uses his medical knowledge well in building a believable murder mystery. Count me in as a new James Tucker fan. His entry into the genre of medical thrillers should be noted!
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