When Dr. Caden Taggart saw the two men sitting in his waiting room, he didn’t think they were patients. He was right, and when they introduced themselves as agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, things started to get bad.
Then Caden felt as though someone had gut-punched him when his father, Dr. Henry Taggart, told him he probably had carcinoma of the pancreas. When he talked about his son assisting with his suicide, Caden wondered how he could talk him out of that.
When he shared his news with his wife, Beth, she tried to assure Caden that God was in control. But as things progressed, he was unsure that was true. At first, he feared for his freedom. Then for his ability to cope. Eventually, he feared for his life.
Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, now writing “medical suspense with heart.” His previously published novels have garnered critical acclaim and been recognized by programs including the ACFW’s Carol Award, the Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year and its Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and the Selah Award. Guarded Prognosis is his twelfth published novel.
You can connect with Richard on the Internet at his blog page and Facebook fan page, as well as Twitter and Goodreads.
My Impressions:
There are many reasons why I love reading Christian Fiction, but perhaps number 1 is how God can speak to me through an author’s story. That’s just what happened while I was reading Guarded Prognosis by Richard Mabry, M.D. What a blessing this book was to me and what an action-packed suspense novel too!
Dr. Mabry always has a medical setting for his suspense novels. He incorporates the medical/hospital environment with fast-paced action to create a credible story. In Guarded Prognosis, the setting is a busy surgery practice, so there are scenes in the ER, OR, and in the office. He uses medical jargon, but always in a way for the average reader to easily understand. In this novel, the two very likable main characters, Caden and Beth, face a number of challenges in their professional and personal lives. And what challenges there are! Ailing family members, a cancer-crisis, and shady business involving the DEA. He also adds a few surprises along the way to keep both his characters and readers off-balance. This page-turner kept me guessing as I suspected one character after another. While the ending contained a number of surprises, I loved how he wrapped everything up. Dr. Mabry always weaves a message of hope into his novels and Guarded Prognosis is no exception. The characters’ struggles and doubts are natural and believable, but God’s truth shines through. Towards the end of the book, Caden and Beth have this exchange —
“So. I’m just supposed to relax, and God will take care of everything?” Caden asked.
“No. But after you’ve done everything you can do, you depend on God to do what He’s promised. It’s a pretty good partnership that way.” (p. 178)
I really needed to be reminded of that. Still do.
Guarded Prognosis was a wonderful read — meaningful and entertaining — the perfect mix! It gets a recommended rating from me.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
To purchase, click HERE. (Free for Kindle Unlimited!)
(Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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