Fatal Flaws

When Dr. Mark Bishop meets Hank, a kindred spirit who seemingly complements his own personality in almost every way, he knows they’ll become the best of friends. As their brotherly love grows, Mark becomes convinced that Hank is a true compatriot who will always stand at his side in moments of need.

More than a decade later, after discovering that his daughter Ryan is silently suffering at the hand of her abusive husband, Mark determines that the only sure way to save her is through a definitive act of violence.

Ever reliable, Hank honors the pact that they’d made as young men to always have each other’s backs and never allow a member of either family to be victimized. A flawless plan is developed and executed, freeing Ryan from her prison of torment.

Years later, Mark finds reason to doubt not only Hank’s trustworthiness, but his sanity. As contention arises between the two friends, both realize that they can no longer depend on the other’s unquestioning loyalty.

Neither man knows if the oath they’d sworn to each other is as solid as stone or as fragile as blown glass. The decay of their unquestioning trust of one another leads to growing suspicions of betrayal, and they soon find themselves on a collision course.

Should Mark focus on defense or offense? What does he owe his friend? What does he owe himself and his family?

He must decide and act before time runs out...

©2019 Mark L. Eldore (P)2020 Mark L. Eldore

Intriguing story

This audio book was engaging from the very beginning. A child growing up with an abusive father, Mark was a loner with few friends but big dreams. He worked hard to become a doctor, then meets another young doctor while a resident in a large hospital. Hank is a successful anesthesiologist who has made a name for his self and is also successful in making some good investments. Hank takes Mark under his wing and they become close friends. As time passes, Mark realizes Hank is always trying to show his expertise in every area he chooses to pursue. Mark still enjoys his friendship, but realizes Hank is a show-off, not always the upstanding Mormon Church member he appears to be. I was surprised at some of the foul language and immature conversations that seemed to bog down the story and nearly stopped listening, but it was worth slogging through it.
There is much to like about this book. The intrigue and plot twists surprised me and kept me guessing. There are questions about Hank’s sanity and trustworthiness and whether a bond made when they were young can endure.

Thrilling, enthralling and jaw-dropping

The first impression of any audio book is the narrator. The actor's voice took some getting used to for me. He's very intense, which is absolutely necessary when the scene dictates that, but there were times I felt he was speaking as the veins were popping out of his neck and it was only a narrative describing a room, etc. He tended to have a little of a monotone nature to his style, which, again, I got accustomed to for the most part. There have been audio books I simply could not finish due to the horrible narration; this was not the case. Just not my favorite.

The story is fantastically thrilling. The characters are well-written and described so that I got to know them and felt like I had a solid understanding and compassion for them, especially the protagonists Mark and Hank (and, when things get real with murder sprinkled in the plot, it played along the lines of Dexter--can you really sympathize with a violent person because you know why they've become that way?). The plot is like a wonderful soup that is meant to simmer on low for hours, enticing you the entire day with tidbits and hints of wonder. I was captivated in knowing what may happen next so often, which, of course, is why I loved this novel so much. I definitely recommend the audio book for a suspenseful and well-told work of fiction.

Interesting Story With Twists and Unexpected End

First off, make sure you are listening to this with headphones if you are around young kids. I don't normally need them, but with my kids home from school right now, I'm learning I need to be more careful... oops. This book has a lot of strong language and gruesome descriptions.

I was sucked in from the beginning, and while I didn't love all the twists in Mark and Hank's lives, it felt real... until it didn't. I had a hard time with the last third of the book, when it seemed like everything was spiraling for the two. At the end I wasn't sure who was a psycho in the story and who, if anyone, was really innocent. Maybe that was Clyde Lawrence's intention.

I liked the morals found within the story, of protecting your children, honoring your friends and also the idea that people can change and we can let go of those who are no longer serving us.

I loved the presentation of the narrator and felt overall the story flowed superbly.

NSFW language; Main character is egotistical

I'm going to start off by saying this audiobook is definitely NSFW and has some colorful language and gruesome scenes throughout. Normally this wouldn't bother me but we are all home due to the current pandemic. If bad language bothers you, I would definitely skip this book. Getting over the colorful language, this book was hard for me to listen to. I have listened to thrillers in the past but it seems unnecessarily brutal.

The first few chapters had so much extraneous information that I was overwhelmed. I wasn't sure why we were given so much detail about certain aspects of his childhood. At times it seemed like the author was just trying to reach a word count with the amount of adjectives he used to describe certain scenes. This matter was only exacerbated as the story went on. Most of the medical jargon seemed out of place.

I think the biggest problem with this audiobook was that I was not a fan of Mark. Generally when a character has a rough upbringing I feel for that character and find myself rooting for them throughout the story. I ended up finding Mark annoying, misogynistic, homophobic and egotistical. The authors arc of Mormonism in the beginning seemed unnecessary and I found myself offended despite not being a religious person at all. I could see that Mark and Hank would be come best friends if only for their common professions and big egos. Without spoiling the plot too much, the besties have their friendship tested while dealing with Ryan's husband. Somehow Hank goes off the deep end and is seen as a psychopath while Mark is still a “good guy” while doing something similar. The whole story just seemed so improbable and hard to believe. Mark's inner monologue went from a know it all to an overgrown man child, all within the same breath. I also questioned how the medication would have been obtained with no one noticing, let alone how the crime could be committed and no one face the repercussions. The ending was disappointing and had me yelling at my phone.

Overall this audiobook is not one that I would recommend.

So well done!

Mark’s early beginnings were anything but easy. He knew that in order to have a good life, he had to do better than what he was given. His goals have been solid and he’s achieved so much. When he met Hank, it was a bromance from the get-go. They both have common goals with their careers and families they love. But it doesn’t stay that way.

Hank’s life takes a turn and it causes a big change for him both in his personal life but for those around him. Having divorced, he no longer feels the pull to be in the same circles he once did. What is the point of all of it? He has his best friend by his side, what else could there be?

The two men come together to fight off 1 particular person in order to save Mark’s daughter, They make a promise to each other in the midst of chaos to have each other's backs. But it doesn’t stay that way and what happens is more than Mark ever could have foreseen. More people are ending up dead, but could it really be Hank? Or is this something beyond both of them?

This was a fantastic book/audio! I loved the suspense of it and the emotions that were at the forefront of the whole thing. It's very much a one that will make you want to finish it in one sitting. Well written, read, and thought out. I loved it!