Review of Dead Ringer by Allen Wyler

Title: Dead RingerAuthor: Allen Wyler
Published by: Astor + Blue Editions
Pages: 286
Source: Publicist/Author
Format ARC ebook
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: While speaking at a Hong Kong medical conference, neurosurgeon Dr. Lucas McCrae slips the cloth off a cadaver’s head during a routine medical demonstration, and is overwhelmed with the shock by what’s staring back at him: His best friend, Andy Baer.

Stunned, McCrae races back to Seattle to discover that Andy is in fact missing and may have been murdered by a gang of body snatchers who operate a legit funeral business and make a fortune by selling recovered body parts to medical researchers.

McCrae teams up with an unlikely pair—a beautiful but hardnosed female cop and a gang member whose family was victimized by the body parts ring—to try and expose a macabre web of corruption that involves law enforcement, politicians, funeral home curators and murdered prostitutes.

Dead Ringer was gripping, entertaining and a welcome addition to the medical thrillers family.

Lucas McCrae is one neurosurgeon you don't want to mess with.  Not only is he brilliant, but he's also fiercely loyal to his friends.  After the shock of seeing his best friend's head on the demonstration table he's determined to find out not only why his friend is dead, buy also how he died.  Lucas  is the type of character that you admire.  He is down to earth, caring and compassionate.  He's your everyday good guy and someone you'd want on your side if things went downhill.   

The premises of this novel was intriguing.  The unusualness and slightly morbid idea of killing prostitutes to sell their body parts was like watching a wreck....you can't look away no matter how horrible it is.  I enjoyed this fresh take on a medical thriller, especially the partnership between Lucas, the investigating officer, Wendy Elliot, and Luis, a gang member looking for revenge for his sister's death.  It's unexpected, tension filled, and at times a bit saucy, but still fun and exciting. 

While I did really enjoy this novel, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and it left me unsatisfied.  Don't get me wrong, it was actioned packed and thrilling, but there was something missing from it.  I would have liked to seen a more detailed and thought out plan.  There were some loose ends that didn't seem to get tied up and left me wondering. 

Despite the ending I liked Dead Ringer and I'll be looking forward to more novels from Allen Wyler.