Review of Silent Samaritan by James Tucker

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: April 19, 2012
Buying Link:  Amazon US     Amazon UK

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Deathbed requests must never be ignored. When Manny Romero utters his dying breaths in the Emergency Room,he begs Dr. Kensey Shaw to go to his priest to make his final confession. Then he asks her to seek out his next two targets and warn them that his partner intends to kill them. As Kensey sets off on her mission she learns a shocking truth about Manny and must deal with Mike Dombroski, Manny’s partner, who intends to kill her before she discovers the truth. But the closer Kensey gets to the next two victims the deeper she descends into a wicked maze of mistaken identity and danger.

Reviewed By:  Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading this book; it grabbed my attention and kept me hooked. There are many twists and turns, a few predictable events, but it moves quickly. A review on Amazon called it "a made for tv story" and I have to agree. It would adapt well to a script, maybe on the Lifetime or USA cable networks. In fact, parts of the story felt very familiar, as if I'd read the book before but I think that was due to the fact that I read (and watch) so many mysteries that it's hard to find something that doesn't feel familiar. There were some implausibilities, especially the method Kensey chooses to keep herself safe from the killers and their boss. I can't say more without giving away something central to the story but it's an old plot device that badly needs updating.

Kensey starts out by trying to do the right thing but naturally, events go awry and her good intentions lead her deeper and and deeper into a complicated situation. She is sometimes impulsive and soon she finds herself making questionable decisions, decisions that make the reader think about what they would do in a similar situation. I disagreed with some and if she weren't likable (and, you know, the story fictitious) I might have had stronger averse reaction. Tucker definitely hit the target there, and it adds a layer of depth to what could be just another mystery.

It's not a perfect story but it is a good way to spend several hours.


I received a PDF for review.