AFTER THE FALL is the fourth in Patricia Gussin's series about Laura Nelson, M.D. Previous books in the series include Shadow of Death, Twisted Justice, and Weapon of Choice.
Shadow of Death starts with amateur sleuth Laura Nelson when she is a medical student and gets caught up in the Detroit riots of 1967.
Twisted Justice picks up Laura when she's married, has a successful career as a surgeon, and has five kids. The happy marriage falls apart as Laura's husband's mistress is murdered and Laura is suspect number one.
In Weapon of Choice, Dr. Nelson is Chief of Surgery in Tampa, and has to deal with Tampa's first case of HIV/AIDs and a staph infection running rampant through her hospital which affects her own daughter. Not to mention the white supremacist group planning a bio-terrorist attack.
This fourth book, After the Fall appears to be the end of the series, but can be read without having read the others. The Fall of the title, at least initially, refers to Laura Nelson slipping on the ice in high heels and breaking her hand, the hand that she needs as a surgeon. In one quick moment her career as a surgeon is over.
The Fall also refers to Jake Harter's, FDA employee, descending character arc. Harter is in love with an Iranian scientist; she will go back to Iran if a certain drug is approved and he doesn't want her to leave. So he does what he can to block the drug approval. That includes killing people who can get it passed. Eventually he targets Laura herself.
This is a vivid inside look to the research and drug approval process. The story also sounds a warning knell about biochemical weapons. And it brings Laura Nelson's story to a satisfying conclusion.
Patricia Gussin is a board certified Family Medicine physician who has spent the major part of her career as vice president of research in a large health care company. She’s a graduate of Aquinas College, Columbia Business School, and Wayne State University School of Medicine. She has an honorary degree from Duquesne University, is the former chairman of the board of The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, a past president of the Drug Information Association, and has served on numerous university advisory boards. She grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, studied medicine in Detroit, practiced medicine in Philadelphia, and now splits her time between Longboat Key, Florida, East Hampton, New York, and New Zealand, where she and her husband have vineyards.
Along with her husband, Bob Gussin, she founded Oceanview Publishing, one of the fastest growing independent publishers in the U.S. Oceanview is recognized as one of the country’s preeminent independent publishers of original mystery, thriller, and suspense titles.