Act of Murder

By John Bishop MD

Mantid Press     2019

280 pages     Mystery

The Shortlist

Here is the synopsis of the first book in the Doc Brady mystery series.

“Doc Brady became an orthopedic surgeon to avoid being surrounded by death. But now it’s everywhere around him. One spring day in 1994 Houston, Dr. Jim Bob Brady witnesses his neighbor’s ten-year-old son killed by a hit-and-run driver. An accident, or an act of murder? After the death, Brady enlists the help of his twenty-year-old son J.J. and his wife Mary Louise in chasing down clues that take them deeper and deeper into a Houston he never imagined existed. In the process, they discover a macabre conspiracy stretching from the ivory towers of the largest teaching hospital in Texas, to the upper reaches of Houston’s legal community, to the shores of Galveston.

Doc Brady soon realizes that the old adage remains true: The love of money is the root of all evil.”

The Kirkus reviewer notes: "With a marked absence of gore, graphic violence, or offensive language, this novel gives reader an intriguing puzzle to solve yet not an overly complicated one, opening his readership to a young adult audience as well. An engrossing and satisfying mystery with a humble Texas physician/sleuth at its heart." 

I like the idea that this might be a great adult book for enthusiastic young adult mystery readers. One of my grandsons began avidly reading mysteries about age 12. This series would have been great for him. But, as I read the first few chapters of Act of Murder, I soon discovered that it was great for me as well!

John Bishop's website. Here is a good interview with the author.

The Kindle version of Act of Murder is free on Amazon right now. Be sure to look at the review of Act of Deception which follows this review.