House Call

By: Darden North

Narrated by: Michael Robbins

In national award-winning author Darden North's debut novel, House Call, a police investigation into the murder of a young hospital nurse rips through a Mississippi community consumed in self-indulgence, reverse sexual discrimination, and cut-throat medical politics. Before a psychopath can be stopped, another will die.

In House Call, Dr. Knox Chamblee joins a prominent medical clinic in a small southern town and soon finds himself the object of reverse sexual discrimination in the workforce. Worse yet, he is possibly a murder suspect.

There are no real leads in the stabbing of nurse Taylor Richards until police uncover tire prints in a driveway that lead them to an answer in backwoods Mississippi.

©2010 Darden North (P)2019 Darden North

Excellent medical scenarios

Excellent L&D OB/GYN scenarios, characters and backstories. I have been a Doula for many years and got a good look into many medical practices. Right out of the gate this book resonates true. The Drs, nurses and patients all come off as believable and I found myself really investing in a number of the characters. The murder mystery doesn’t come off as the main theme because the medical parts were so well written.

This audiobook has an excellent Narrator so much so I will actually look for more books he’s narrated. He brought the various characters from all phases of life and careers to life.

I was given a free copy of this book in lieu of an honest review. I honestly recommend this book.

Entertaining story with great characters

In this first book by Darden North M.D., he takes us into the cut throat world of an Obs/Gyne practice, where productivity and not ability determines if you make partner or not. The story starts with a captivating hook, as we experience a murder scene that makes you shudder, and you soon find yourself immersed in the twists and turns of this story. The unique characters and their intertwining lives keep you guessing as to what could possibly happen next and, as to who the murderer is. The narrator did a great job of all the voices. He brought out the emotions in the story well and made you feel the different personalities of the characters well. Murder, politics, drugs, suspense and surprises will keep you guessing. This was an entertaining murder, mystery story that also spoke of the complexities of medical practice in the US and the strains it can put on all concerned.

Frighteningly believable!

A nurse is dead, a doctor stands to lose everything simply because he’s a man, and if that’s not enough, there’s a psychopath on the loose! Welcome to House Call, part thriller, part mystery, part story on the all too real dangers of sexual discrimination, this time with an interesting twist! This one will entertain you, educate you, and really make you think! The writing is fantastic, the narration clear, and the ending, (no spoilers), I didn’t see it coming! This is my first Darden North story, but it won’t be my last! Five stars!

A good first book

This was a good start by a new author. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, and the medically based themes underlying the murder mystery. Some of the exposition was laborious, often using too many words at the expense of action to propel the story forward. The narration was competent and articulate, but the tempo and inflection was a bit wooden.

Did not disappoint!

I read Darden North’s first novel, “House Call,” when it was first published and have enjoyed his other novels since. Recently, I’ve gotten into listening to audiobooks on my drive to and from work, so I was thrilled to see that “House Call” had just come out—and I was not disappointed. Narrator Michael Robbins nailed it with his southern dialect and portrayal of the unique characters. Robbins could pass for a Mississippi native! His versatility as an actor came through with other character dialects as well. The narrator added to the professional performance by including an occasional sound effect and a few seconds of introductory and closing music. For me, it was like listening to a movie or play. Now, I feel like I truly know Darden North’s characters in “House Call”: the haughty Dr. Aslyn Hawes; the self-confident but still naïve Dr. Cullen Gwinn and his society-drenched, spoiled wife Madelyn; Jimmy the great-looking ambulance driver, and nurse Taylor Richards whose murder sets the stage for this well-plotted, one-of-a-kind mystery—a story with an ending that no one sees coming.

Good story but the narrator's voice is annoying.

I love medical thrillers, it is my favorite genre. I attempted several times to listen to this book and just couldn't get through it. The story was interesting and I wanted to listen to it but the narrator's voice just drove me crazy. It was somehow both monotone and annoying at the same time. Hopefully the author uses a different narrator on his next book.

A Murder Mystery That Is So Much More

Darden North’s House Call is a murder mystery, but it is so much more. The novel simultaneously tells tales of reverse discrimination, of the treacheries imbedded in diet/anti-depressant pharmaceuticals, of the financial intricacies of the new age of medicine, and of even the psycho-social legacies of Southern miscegenation. Grounded in and around the environs of the fictional Montclair, Mississippi, House Call presents a clever, smart depiction of modern life against the looming specter of a series of murders.
North has a sharp eye for characterization whether it’s the haughty Dr. Hawes or the amiable Dr. Gwinn. He deftly shifts perspective across a variety of intriguing storylines, all the while marking his prose with astute commentary (“Whether the body or their relationship was natural or unnatural did not seem to matter”). Centered on the young male OB-GYN Knox Chamblee, the drama unfolds as a medical group becomes chaotically short-handed as the bodies start falling.
The ending has some fine ironic, even humorous, twists – an ending that is simultaneously cynical and redemptive.
As the reader of the novel on Audible, Michael Robbins captures both the Southern flavor and the urbane wittiness of the writing. That only heightens the pleasures of this rich and lively novel.

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! excellent overall

A good medical mystery

This mystery sent in the medical field doesn't disappoint by any means. The best part is that the medical terms and points are easy to understand. The narration of the story fits in just right. The characters are brought to life via Michael Robbin's voice.
I would definitely recommend this book.

Drama

I was a bit surprised by this one. I was expecting a crime thriller with a lot of smart ploys and cool investigations. The story for a large portion felt a lot more like Grey's Anatomy with extra medical terminology than it did a modern Quincy or a medical Criminal Minds. So it wasn't really in my personal preference. But, it was well done. So for workplace politics and interpersonal soap opera style events, with a serial killer on top, this is well done.