Flawless

By: Joshua Spanogle

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

A former medical detective for the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Nate McCormick had seen enough suffering to last a lifetime. Now he's left the CDC, determined to begin a new life with his girlfriend in San Francisco...until the vicious murder of a biotech researcher, an old friend, hurtles him back into the medical world he's left behind. While the police hunt for a killer, Nate starts sifting through evidence, determined to find what his friend did to provoke his brutal death. And the truth he ultimately discovers far exceeds the very worst he had imagined.

As a circle of treachery tightens around Nate, and the woman he loves is thrust into the line of fire, patients surface with agonizing stories to tell. Nate is about to make the most startling discovery of all: a secret alliance between crime, science, and a billion-dollar industry determined to hide its victims at any price. For Nate, that price will be the one person most important to him - unless he can expose the flaw in a perfect conspiracy of medicine and murder.

From shocking evidence revealed under a microscope to the shattering testimony of those betrayed by the ruthlessness of the medical industry, Flawless takes us on a terrifying, adrenaline-charged journey. Taut, thrilling, and relentless, it will leave you pondering its questions long after the final sentence.

©2007 Joshua Spanogle (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic Reviews

"For page-turning fun, this gory medical thriller has all the elements." ( Publishers Weekly)

Credits

Good book, but not quite as good as his earlier one, Isolation Ward. Would be worth listening to except for the 2 Credit charge, which I didn't see until after purchase.
His books are good, but certainly not worth more than a Baldachi or DeMille. Just my opinion.

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

Better than Isolation Ward!

I loved Isolation Ward, and found Spanogle's writing style addictive, so I used my next credit on Flawless.
I was happy to see that Scott Brick narrated this as well. He always does a great job.
Like Isolation Ward, "Flawless" blends medical thriller, detective, and police procedural. There are even some horror elements.
Not too farfetched either... this sort of story, poisonous injections of an experimental cosmetic surgery procedure, and the cover-up that follows, is actually believable on some level. This is what makes the story evoke so visceral a reaction.
The pace of the story is nice and fast, the way I like it, and the characters are well-developed, especially Dr. Nate McCormick.
There is quite a bit of gore and violence, so this book is not for the faint of heart. But this is what makes the story so gritty.
I loved this book and look forward to the author's next novel.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

16+ hours with Scott Brick narrating - boy, was I excited when this one came out! However, plot turned out to be quite predictable yet painfully drawn out, the main characters were flat when not outright unpleasant and graphic violence thrown in transparent last-ditch attempt to engage the listener. Oh well. I did quite like Spanogle's previous book in the series - Isolation Ward - but this one was a let down.

Oh - and what is with having to pay 2 credits for this one?

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable Scott Brick performance

Wow, so many one star reviews. I suspect you either sit back and enjoy the ride or you hate the book. After a slow start I enjoyed the narration so much that it didn't matter a whit if I could guess where the story would head next, and there were plenty of twists I didn't see. I especially enjoyed every second this protagonist matched wits with an eight year old boy. I will definitely seek more from this author.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Not good

Flawless is one of the most "graphic" books I have every listened to. It just seemed to go on and on. Even having Scott Brick as the narrator does not save this one. If I could give it a 1/2 star I would.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Call it Flawful

I gave this 2 stars for Scott Brick's excellent performance. I took one back because he read it. I will keep this short because I wasted enough life energy finishing this awful mess. Stock wooden characters. Plot contrivances more outlandish than a cartoon.Idiotic self-flagellation. Save your time. Save your money. This review, I promise, is more entertaining than the book.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Not a good

Not nearly so good as Spanogle's first book. I saw through the basic plot very quickly. The narrator read the entire book in CAPITAL LETTERS, making Nate seem like he had absolutely no humanity and was a self-serving jerk. I definitely will listen to a sample before I purchase a book from a narrator I don't know. I definitely will not listen books narrated by Scott Brick. He even read the end credits with too much emphasis on each word.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great writing style

I really enjoyed the wry humour the author injected into the book through his main character, Dr. Nate McCormick who told us this medical techno thriller story as it unfolded.
The only criticism I had was that sometimes it just went on and on a bit long before the story changed it's tack. With a bit of clever editing the book could have been reduced from a long 16 hours to a more faster paced 13, thus saving 3 hours of agonising detail. Apart from that the plot was quite interesting and actually believable. The story moved along well and the ending was OK. I will read more of Joshua Spanogle's works and hopefully his future books will rate 5 stars with a bit more experience. Recommended, for a reader looking for a thriller with subject matter that's a bit different.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Tough Book to Rate -2* for excessive detail

98% of the book rates 4.5 stars especially with the great story telling of Scott Brick, however, I frequently found myself fast forwarding or seriously considering turning the book off. The gruesome detail is fine for a text in dermatology or oncology but please - I just don't appreciate a good story ruined by fatuous gory details that add nothing to the plot-line or character development. I’m reminded of why I stopped reading Patricia Cornwell – it may be “real” but I think the writer is too talented to need the yuck-factor.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Surprisingly good!

I gave the author's previous book in the series an average score, and this is a big improvement. The dialogue is fluid, and the main character is much more developed. Many twists and turns in the plot keep you guessing.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful