Sawbones

By: Melissa Lenhardt

Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Wrongfully accused of murder, Dr. Catherine Bennett is destined to hang...unless she can disappear.

With the untamed territory of Colorado as her most likely refuge, she packs her physician's kit and heads west. But even with a new life and name, a female doctor with a bounty on her head can hide for only so long.

Sawbones is the first novel in a gripping historical fiction series.

©2016 Melissa Lenhardt (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"You will fall in love with Catherine, as I did, as she struggles to assert herself in a violent and treacherous world, fighting not only prejudice but evil. Melissa Lenhardt's heroine is a passionate, compassionate woman, who must deal with Indians and bounty hunters, fear and injustice - and even love." (Sandra Dallas, New York Times best-selling author)

" Sawbones is a thoroughly original, smart and satisfying hybrid, perhaps a new subgenre: the feminist Western." ( Lone Star Literary Life)

"Packs a big punch with grit and raw passion. There is mystery, murder, Indians, bounty hunters and intrigue. The women are brave, intelligent, and don't take crap from anyone. Lenhardt is a talented, creative writer; she has a grand slam out of the park with Sawbones." ( RT Book Reviews)

Oh Yeah!

When you see a claim that a book is like "Outlander meets" so and so—-your inner skeptic rolls its eyes and says: "yeah, right!" Well, this claim is true, Outlander meets Post Civil-War West, other than the lack of time travel and the fact that the book isn't as long as Outlander books are. I took a chance on this because a blogger group I'm in was almost universally exclaiming over the soon arrival of next book in the series. I'm so glad I did. I could not stop Listening. The characters are big and take charge. Also, the narrator is amazing. I found myself very involved in Laura and William's story and can't wait for the next. If this review helps you, please make sure and like it 😊.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Feminist Western

Wow, this whole story had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved the performance and all the different voices for each character. I can't wait for the rest of the series.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Compelling narration

The strength of this story is in the dialogue between the two main characters. The reading of that dialogue was compelling. This is a rougher story than I would recommend to my daughter or even my mother, but I enjoyed it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Finally!!!! A western with a female w/ guts

So pleasntly surprised by how well written this book was. The narrator was excellent, you could feel the emotion. Can't wait for the next book!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The Narrator is Brilliant

What does Suehyla El-Attar bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm the author of Sawbones and Suehyla El-Attar has brought my characters to life in a way I never thought possible. This isn't a mere narration, it is a performance and it is absolutely brilliant.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Action and depth of characters!

Good western frontier story with lots of action and twists in the adventure, mystery, and romance. Characters are given depth and development over story. Will be looking for more books by this author!

Dark Western

This was darker than I thought it would be. I expected something a little more lighthearted. I can't say that I am disappointed though.

I got sucked in and felt for the main character. She definitely isn't an underdog but she surexas heck got knocked down and then again and then yet again...as did many characters. It made me feel grateful for the first world problems we face every day such as my pen ran out of ink, I got a paper cut, my car need gas...vs walking out your door and getting beat, raped or killed.

This is a good period piece. I am interested to see what twists and turns the next book has.

Excellent

I bought this on sale and it was a excellent choice. The narrator is one of the best I have heard! She does make a couple mistakes pronouncing a few words but that can be over looked by the rest of her performance! I purchased the next in the series and can not wait to start it!

Enjoyable story

Narrator a little slow. Worked well at 1.25 speed. Could this plot have been a real scenario? Perhaps. It was a nice change from my usual listens.

Intense western historical fiction

This was one intense, and at times brutal, book. While the story and characters drew me in and held me captivated, I certainly could have done with a bit less brutality and a bit less of the graphic descriptions of violence. This book definitely pulled at my emotions (though not in a Nicholas Sparks, grab a box of Kleenex kind of way). It was frustrating and heartbreaking yet it was also compelling and interesting.

The audio was nicely narrated, though it might have made the whole experience slightly more intense, as I couldn’t “skim” through the most brutal parts. If I do continue with the series, I may try the next one in print.