Book Review : Dedicated Doctor or Baby Broker? by Shawn Graves and Don Canaan

I figured I would try something a little different today, here in my little corner of the blogosphere.
I am supposed to be getting dressed for a wedding, but I just couldn't put down this book.

And now I have to tell all of you about it while it is fresh in my mind.

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Dedicated Doctor or Baby Broker? by Shawn Graves is a very mysterious book. It's prequel,Alzheimer's: Dutiful Daughter blew my mind.  The author creates such a gripping story line that I was actually unable to put my kindle down. Both of these books I finished within a day of starting. They are not outrageously long stories, but they are still the kind of story that makes me irresponsible. (i.e., I don't go to bed on time, I get to work late because I am reading..)

Both of these stories are focused on a detective from Kingsburg, CA , named Liz Roberts.

In the first novel, Dutiful Daughter, Liz investigates a case of a man being left at the Fresno Fair. I might need to reread this book now that I have finished Dedicated Doctor or Baby Broker?  If that happens, I will review it for you here.

In Dedicated Doctor or Baby Broker? , Liz Roberts is on the case of a case of a OB / GYN accused of selling babies in the 1940's - 1970's. Ellen Goodman, the doctor, is revered around the Fresno Area as a great doctor and one who has delivered many, many babies.

The description from Amazon.com says that:

"Detective Liz Roberts, who we previously met in Dutiful Daughter (2011) will unravel the truth and uncover seventy years worth of secrets to discover a complicated tale of profound love between two people forbidden by law to be together because of the color of their skin. It is a tale of great sacrifice…and of greater evil.

Meanwhile, Liz Roberts will also unearth a long-buried secret in her own family. A secret that will shake the foundations of her world. "

And, you know what? As cheesy as I typically find book descriptions, this one is absolutely correct. This is not a book you will be able to read and put down. This is a book you pick up and read from start to finish, if you're into that kind of thing.

Now that I've admitted to my book addiction, let's get down to the hard facts.

The characters: The characters in this book are, not surprisingly, given the first book, very well developed. Ellen Goodman, for example, is such a real character that I wouldn't be surprised to meet her on the street. At certain parts of the story, you find yourself feeling so horrible for Ellen and wanting to hug her and console her, but there are also times when you want to slap that grin off her face. But that is what makes these books (and the author, Shawn Graves) so great. She realizes that real people are not so black and white. Her characters are real in that they have both bad qualities and good. And that makes them so real.

The story: I already said I couldn't put this book down. The story is so gripping that I couldn't even stop reading to eat or sleep. Seriously. And the great thing about this story is that there are no loose ends. By the end of the novel, all the questions that you may have are answered. Author Shawn Graves must have been plotting this novel for a very long time, but I know she didn't, considering how close the novels were released. In such a short amount of time, the author was able to lay out a story with such historical references and such twists in the plot that end up so nice and finished at the end that I appauld her hard work and dedication. I know I for one couldn't do that.

My take: Read this book. Now. Seriously, click the link above to check it out. As far as I know, it is only available on Kindle at the moment, but Dutiful Daughter was released on the Nook and in paperbook shortly after release. I have been finished with this book for about 30 minutes or so now, and my mind is so completely blown that I can't even stop thinking about it.

TOO LONG / DIDN'T READ: Click the link for the book. Buy it. Read it. Review it. It will blow your mind.

Take my word for it.

And let me know in the comments if this is the kind of feature you would like to see on a regular basis here at Jessie Kay Graphics and Design! Lord knows I read enough books.