Book Review: Lust, Money & Murder 1-3 by Mike Wells

Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Lust, Money & Murder

Subtitle: #1-3 Omnibus

Author: Mike Wells

Genre: Mystery/Spy

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 1-3

Best read after earlier books in series? No

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11394006-lust-money-murder

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

(Close to five out of five. Marked down for the rather slow start in grabbing my attention)

Short Summary of the book:

This book tells the story of Elaine Brogan, a young woman who suffers under the knowledge her father was sent to prison for passing counterfeit money. This influences her further life and she fights to right the wrongs done.

What I liked about the book:

I particularly liked the strong main character but hated how she was deceived and made to lose the love of her life.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I wasn’t impressed by the start of the book. The first chapter was rather slow starting and did not really grab my attention. Although I was initially tempted to put down the book as a lost cause, the pace soon picked up and it became difficult to put the book down (or to not buy the next books in the series. Still resisting but it is becoming more difficult every day).

My favourite bits in the book:

I loved where Elaine managed to prevail in her training and appears to be the winner in the end, but is she?

My least favourite bits in the book:

I didn’t like it when the book was finished. The story after book three is obviously not finished yet and I want to know what happens next.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I understand the author continues to write new books, possibly even more in this series.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book reminded me slightly of the Spy series by Diane Henders in that both authors have a female spy as the main character. The books and style of writing are completely different, though.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes

If you like spy novels, mystery and suspense, this book could be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author. The only reason I have not yet bought the next ones in the series is a promise to myself to first finish the books I have waiting to be read already.

Book Description by Author:

Born in the worst suburb in Pittsburgh, Elaine Brogan is bright, beautiful and bold. When her father is falsely arrested for passing counterfeit $100 bills, Elaine vows to become a Secret Service agent and track down the man responsible. After barely surviving the arduous Secret Service Training Academy in Laurel, Maryland, she is transferred to bleak and blustery Great Falls, Montana. But things do not go as planned, and Elaine soon finds herself betrayed and thrown into an adventure that takes her halfway around the world, from dark and mysterious Sofia, Bulgaria, to Moscow Russia, and finally, to Milan, Italy. In the end, will Elaine find the love and happiness she truly seeks…or will she turn to a life of obscene wealth, power and corruption? Born in the worst suburb in Pittsburgh, Elaine Brogan is bright, beautiful and bold. When her father is falsely arrested for passing counterfeit $100 bills, Elaine vows to become a Secret Service agent and track down the man responsible. After barely surviving the arduous Secret Service Training Academy in Laurel, Maryland, she is transferred to bleak and blustery Great Falls, Montana. But things do not go as planned, and Elaine soon finds herself betrayed and thrown into an adventure that takes her halfway around the world, from dark and mysterious Sofia, Bulgaria, to Moscow Russia, and finally, to Milan, Italy. In the end, will Elaine find the love and happiness she truly seeks…or will she turn to a life of obscene wealth, power and corruption?

About the Author:

Email me at mike (at) mikewellsbooks.com or follow me on Twitter (@MikeWellsAuthor) and get a FREE copy of one of my bestselling books. I'm an American author best known for my Lust, Money & Murder series and and written more than 25 other thriller and suspense novels. I also have taught in the Creative Writing program at Oxford. I'm known for my super fast-paced, 'unputdownable' books.

Please visit my website/blog at:

http://www.mikewellsbooks.com/

And please join me on Twitter and Facebook:

http://twitter.com/mikewellsauthor

http://facebook.com/mikewellsauthorEmail me at mike (at) mikewellsbooks.com or follow me on Twitter (@MikeWellsAuthor) and get a FREE copy of one of my bestselling books. I'm an American author best known for my Lust, Money & Murder series and and written more than 25 other thriller and suspense novels. I also have taught in the Creative Writing program at Oxford. I'm known for my super fast-paced, 'unputdownable' books.

Please visit my website/blog at:

http://www.mikewellsbooks.com/

And please join me on Twitter and Facebook:

http://twitter.com/mikewellsauthor

http://facebook.com/mikewellsauthor

Book Review: The Guardian Angel by Aneil Komal

Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Guardian Angel

Subtitle:

Author: Aneil Komal

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series? No

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39898357-the-guardian-angel

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This book tells the story of Aries, a confused young boy who despite his best efforts gets knocked down. Instead of giving up, he decides to keep on and get where he wants.

Things, however, take a different turn and after a chase, he wakes up in a world unknown to him to a destiny he did not envisage. How will he deal with this and will he succeed?

What I liked about the book:

I particularly liked the down-to-earth way Aries remained even when his destiny became clearer to him. A destiny he initially did not believe in, but still tried to work towards.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I wasn’t impressed by the repeatedly missing or superfluous words in this book. The book could do with a re-edit to improve readability and increase the pleasure for the reader.

My favourite bits in the book:

I loved the little bits in the book where things showed to be different than expected. To avoid spoilers, I will say no more. Read for yourself if you wish to find out what I mean.

My least favourite bits in the book:

I didn’t like it when I had to read back on a sentence to find where the author went with his story and to have to fill in the missing words or delete the ones that made the sentence non-sensical.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I am not aware of any further books planned to make this a series.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book reminded me of other books about the supernatural world and angels, but was unique in its own way. I liked the book, but would have enjoyed it better after a good editing job.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

If you like the supernatural and angel stories this book might be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author (especially after a good editing job).

Book Description by Author:

More often than usual, Aries questions his purpose in life. In his heart, Aries believes he should be doing something with more significance. However, his dubious, timid demeanor continuously holds him back from pursuing the answer. The ultimate question he desires to answer is – what is my true destiny?

The answer to his question soon comes to fruition after finding himself far away from Earth to the realm of Nari. There, Aries learns he once was the mystical hero, “The Guardian Angel.” Unfortunately, during his absence, Nari has been held under siege by his nemesis, a demon named Blace. It is up to Aries to regain his powers and save the realm.

The stars appear to be aligned, except, for one problem. Aries has no recollection of being the “Guardian Angel.” Being the only one who can to save Nari, Aries’ reluctance to accept his gift leaves the fate of the spirits in turmoil. Not to mention, Aries only has one week to save the realm before Blace obliterates it. Will Aries accept his calling as the “Guardian Angel” and rescue Nari from demise?

 

What happened to Christmas?

Well, I for one completely missed Christmas. After working on Christmas Eve and coming home with a bursting head around 4pm, I immediately went to bed. Although I hoped to feel better Christmas day of perhaps even after resting for a few hours, the flu-symptoms had a good hold of me and did not wish to let go of me. Other than for toilet breaks, I remained in my bed and slept most of the afternoon, night, day and another night away.
Only on Boxing Day did I feel well enough to leave my bed and join the family. I had so looked forward to sharing time with them, but it was not to be.
Even on Boxing Day I was not yet well enough to cook tea or to do much other than sit and watch a movie with the other half. No such luck as being able to write a little. I had so looked forward to the time off to do this.

Still, things are much better now and it is the weekend. Finally, I can return to my laptop and check emails, messages, etc from the last week. And now I can show you one of the graphics I arranged especially for Christmas.

Although Christmas has come and gone, why don't you grab LOST LOVE?

The book is always free on Kindle Unlimited and was recently rated ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ by Gary Leishman, author. 

This book continues the story of Krista and Theo after their relationship was discovered and broken up by their friends and family. This is an emotional rollercoaster for the couple who are both thrown into a deep depression. Will they be able to work their way back to happiness? Will Josie and Ronald be able to repair the damage they did?

You can find the book here: books2read.com/u/bWzE9M

Joni,

Lost Love: A Story of Love, insecurities and friendship. (Friends, Family and Love Book 4) by Joni Martin - GRANT LEISHMAN

Read this great review of my fourth book. Thanks, Grant, much appreciated!



Lost Love: A Story of Love, insecurities and friendship. (Friends, Family and Love Book 4) by Joni Martin - GRANT LEISHMAN

Book Review: No Rest for the Vengeful by Ian Worrall

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: No Rest for the Vengeful

Subtitle: Counterstriker’s Revenge Book 2

Author: Ian Worrall

Genre: Fantasy/Spy

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 2

Best read after earlier books in series? No

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42972269-no-rest-for-the-vengeful

Overall score:

I scored this book 3/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This book tells the story of Melissa, once the lover and protégé of a Russian mob boss. She had turned evidence against him in the first book (this is the second book in the series) and her once boss is plotting his escape and putting things in place to discover where she is hiding under the witness protection scheme. She is, however, captured by another organisation before he finds her and put to work to help a young woman escape human slavery.

What I liked about the book:

I particularly liked the theme of the story and the tension it appeared to promise. The story is a good one, which I enjoyed reading.

What I didn’t like about the book:

However, I wasn’t impressed by the writing style of the author. It was rather halting and stumbling at times and the sentences at times that short that you would have thought you were reading a story for children who were only learning to read. This, unfortunately, took some of the rhythm out of the story and made it annoying at times. I still wanted to know what happened next, though.

My favourite bits in the book:

I loved where Melissa and her handler got close and worked together to save the girl and where Melissa decided she had to save more girls from human slavery on the road there.

My least favourite bits in the book:

I didn’t like it when the story stumbled along with poorly constructed sentences at times.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I understand this is the second book in the series and expect the author will write more books in this series. The story certainly did not appear to be quite finished yet. What is the relationship between the boss of the organisation that recruited Melissa in a rather unorthodox way and Melissa? I’m sure there is more to this story than only the first two books.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book reminded me of other spy books I have read, although it did not quite measure up to them. Perhaps with time the writing style of the author will improve as there certainly is promise in his books.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

If you like Spy and Action series this book might be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author and finding out what happens to Melissa next.

Book Description by Author:

One year after going into witness protection Melissa is discovered by the Russian Mafia. And they’re not the only ones who want her. Now, she has a choice to make: renew the mission she abandoned when she went into hiding, or head to Russia for a final confrontation with her greatest enemy? Either way, her past is catching up with her and she's tired of running. The question is, who will win this time?

Third Assignment: The Importance of Saying Goodbye

Today I have worked on my third assignment for the free writing course from the University of Iowa.

Here is what I have put down:

The Importance of Saying Goodbye

This afternoon I need to visit Trevor at home. Trevor is a fifty-eight-year-old man who is terminally ill with bowel cancer. The district nurse informs me he likely has only a few more days to live and requests my visit today. Something exists which is called the two-week-rule. If a patient dies, and that patient was seen within the last two weeks, I can issue a death certificate. If not, the coroner needs to be involved. Trevor’s family will be distressed enough when he dies, they do not need the added distress an autopsy would bring.

* * *

When I arrive at his door, Trevor’s daughter opens the door, “Thank you for coming, doctor. Dad is in the back room.”

I hardly recognise him. Trevor used to be rather plump but today Trevor resembles a skeleton, his ribs and jawbones protrude. A glint lights up Trevor’s eyes, “Nice to see you, doc, not seen you for a long time.”

“Yes, you are right, it must have been a few years since I last met you. How are you holding up today?”

Trevor points to the syringe-driver, “Much better since you increased the pain relief, thank you. Managing okay now.”

We chat a while longer and Trevor tells me how it won’t be long now, “I can feel it in my bones.”

Trevor’s wife, two daughters and a son-in-law sit around his bed. Mary, Trevor’s wife, wipes away the tears from her eyes and one of Trevor’s daughters wraps an arm around her, “It will be okay mum,” while handing Mary a hanky and wiping her own eyes.

* * *

This may very well be the last time I will see Trevor alive. To be honest, I agree with the district nurse; I don’t expect Trevor to last the weekend. Although I am strapped for time, I do everything in my power to give the impression I have all the time in the world for Trevor. Still, at twenty-five past two, I get up and say goodbye to Trevor.

As I walk to the front door, Mary and her daughters follow and take me to the side, “How long do you think Dad has left? Should we ask Bill to come over from America?”

Bill is Trevor’s son and if Bill wants to be here before his father dies, he should really be quick. How can I word this without upsetting the family even more? “I can’t really say how long it will be. Anything I say is only a guess and Trevor may surprise us. My gut tells me this is a matter of days, but as I said, he may surprise us.”

The eldest daughter meets my gaze, “Thank you, doctor, I will phone Bill as soon as you have left.”

* * *

Before I leave, I feel the need to inform the family of some practicalities. Today is Friday and I won’t be back at work again until Tuesday. If Trevor passes away before I am back at work, a death certificate will need to wait until my return. In the past, the Out-of-Hours service has mistakingly informed families to pick up the death certificate at ten in the morning on the first working day. This is not always possible, and the delay distresses the family more than is necessary. I need to do all in my power to avoid this.

Mary turns towards me, “Thank you once again for coming doctor,” and opens the door.

As I say my goodbyes, I wish the family all the strength they need during this difficult time. If only I could do more.

While I drive home after the visit, my thoughts return to Trevor, Mary, their daughters and their son Bill. Will Bill make it in time to say goodbye to his father? I hope he will.

* * *

A few days later I find out Trevor passed away early on Sunday morning in the presence of his family. Bill was able to get home in time to say his goodbyes. A relieved sigh escapes. Being able to say your goodbyes can make the grieving process so much easier. It will still be hard, but at least it won’t be complicated by feelings of guilt caused by not making it on time.

Book Review: Desolation by Jesper Schmidt

Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Desolation

Subtitle: The Keystone Bone Trilogy #1

Author: Jesper Schmidt

Genre: Fantasy

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 1st

Best read after earlier books in series? No

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33556463-desolation

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This book tells the story of Aea, a Duian girl, who lives away from her people after they executed her father for theft. When a dragon visits the tribe and kills her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Aea finds out her sister is still alive although her mother dies in her arms.

Aea sets out to save her sister, but nearly dies in the process. Losing her unborn child in an attempt to save and escape with friends. She nearly is killed, but is saved by an apprentice of the Bronze Tower. A woman who later turns out to be her older sister.

What I liked about the book:

I particularly liked the descriptions of the main characters, the dragon included. All wanted what was best for themselves and the ones they loved or cared for.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I liked the book in its entirety.

My favourite bits in the book:

I loved where Ayida saved Aea and how she continued to do her best to do what was right at every point in the book. The way a love appears to develop between Ayida and Drewet is also touching.

My least favourite bits in the book:

I didn’t like it when Aea loses her baby and nothing is able to save her boyfriend. Still, I expect this is what led to her desolation.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I understand this is the first in a series and this is a trilogy.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book reminded me of some paranormal books I have read, but it is not comparable to any of them. It is in its own league and I really enjoyed the book.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

If you like Fantasy and stories about dragons this book could be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author and was sorry when the book was finished. Hopefully, I will have a chance to read the other books in the trilogy.

Book Description by Author:

Eons has shrouded the giant dragon in legend. Ancient myths soon become terrifyingly real…

Aea is an outsider. At age six the clan executed her father and when her mother and sister disappeared, Aea’s life spiraled into chaos.

Suddenly staggering out of the woods, broken by the deadly disease the Field Blight, her mother lays a desperate choice on Aea. To leave the protective forest realm and save her sister from mortal danger.

In a race against time, Aea puts the noose of the Field Blight around not only her own neck, but also that of her unborn child.

Before long, Aea discovers that the world of Erisdün is nothing like she imagined. Surviving the Field Blight might be the least of her concerns, as the great dragon dispatches his army to retrieve the Keystone Bone.

The bone of a God is the only component that will prevent the Arch Demon from breaking free. Powers as old as time itself are about to set the world on fire.

Desolation is an epic fantasy.

If you like a fast-paced read with dragons and demons, then you will love Desolation.

Delve into the exciting adventure today.

This is the first book in the Keystone Bone trilogy.
(Must be read in order)

Stories of Place: Writing and the Natural World, second assignment.

Here is my second assignment for the writing course. Hope you like it.

Life in the forest

Oliver was getting on in years. He had lived at the edge of the forest with his family for many years. Oliver loved it here, towering over all around him, he felt respected and happy. Over the years he encountered many challenges and adversities, but in the main Oliver survived and conquered them. He stood tall and during downcast days his crown would touch the clouds, leaving dewdrops on top. As he towered over Olivia, his beautiful wife and Olly their son, Oliver gazed in the distance, keeping a protective arm around his family. In the breeze, his fingers touched Olivia’s while his other hand ran over Olly’s crown.
The summer had been a difficult time. Ferdinand roared through the forest in July and hurt and killed many of his friends and distant relatives. Even Oliver and his family did not escape the heat Ferdinand produced as his flaming fingers touched everything in his way. Olly still bore the scars on his trunk as did Oliver himself. Fortunately, Olivia escaped with only minor burns.
Then, during the autumn, one of Oliver’s arms broke and, although he tried desperately to hang on to Libby, he lost her as Harry tore her away from him. She tried so hard to stay with her father and fought to hang on, but there had been no hope of salvation. Their tears were hidden by the rain showering down on them. Things had been different for Avery. This beautiful daughter also tried to cling on to her father’s hand in desperation but Oliver realised it was time to let go and for Avery to move on to the next phase in her life. Oliver simply knew Avery would grow into a beautiful young woman and when he finally let go of her hand, he followed her as Avery slowly fell to the soft forest floor, a tear sliding down his trunk. He could hardly wait to see the woman Avery would become.
* * *
Today was a cold day, frost was in the air. William snuggled close, pecking his nose into Oliver’s trunk. It tickled and Oliver shivered, “William stop it, you are tickling me. Stop it, I can’t stand this much longer.” His arms moved haphazardly around and Oliver nearly knocked little Olly over.
“Watch it, Dad. I told you I should move away, we live too close and I’m an adult now.”
This was an ongoing disagreement between father and son. Olly craved his independence and wished to move to a different part of the forest, to make his own life and raise his own family. Oliver did not agree. Instead, he wanted Olly to stay close.
“I will not discuss this any further, young man. More than once before I have told you moving away is not an option. To do so would mean you would die,” Oliver shook his head. Would Olly never learn? Only if he remained with his family could Oliver protect his son. No, he would not allow Olly to uproot everything and move away.
* * *
Still, Olly remained unconvinced. He continued to crave a time where he would lead his own life and no longer lived in his parent’s shadow. When he would become his own man and create his own family.
Unbeknownst to Oliver, Olly had developed an escape plan with his friend Billy. A plan to move away from the family and start his own life. Billy had told him about this lovely river a little further in the forest where he would play and catch salmon and Olly wanted to join him there. To watch his best friend frolic around with other members of his family and other friends. Olly was convinced the area would be perfect for a new life, at least there was water around and he would not need to go thirsty. And if Ferdinand would visit again, he would cool the scars if needed.
Billy would often visit their home and rub his back against Oliver and Olivia to fight an itch. During one of those times, Oliver and Billy had come up with a plan. If Billy would rub against Olly hard enough, perhaps he was able to free Olly’s legs and enable him to move to a different part of the forest.
Olivia had overheard their conversation and tried to convince Olly not to do this but kept the knowledge about the plan to herself. “No need to worry your dad,” she had said. Olivia worried about the effects this would have on their family and a fear that Oliver might be right nibbled on her toes although that might
also be the young woodmice family living on the forest floor. If she could have moved, Olivia would have been dancing by now. It tickled and for a moment she looked down.
That was when Billy turned up and began to execute their plan. He rubbed against Olly’s trunk and Olly could feel his legs loosen from the forest floors. Their plan was working. Or so he thought.
* * *
Oliver looked down and watched as Billy and Oliver stood close. For a moment, he wondered if Billy was pushing against Olly too much. If he continued, he would loosen Olly’s legs and that would put Oliver’s family at risk.
Olly shook and Oliver realised Billy was indeed rubbing against his son too much, “Stop Billy, you’re hurting Olly.”
Billy did not take any notice and he could hear Olly whisper to him.
“Billy, enough. If you continue like that, Olly’s legs will break away and he’ll die.” Fear and desperation overcame Oliver. Losing another child would be unbearable. Why didn’t Olly realise it would kill him if his feet let go of the forest floor? Oliver moved his hand over Olly’s crown, “Hang on there, son. Although I realise it is not what you want, you need to stay here. We are not made to move around the forest but are meant to stay in one place. Please, son, I don’t want to lose you.”
Oliver’s pleas finally appeared to get through to Olly and at the same time Olly felt one leg loosen from the forest floor, he decided his dad was probably right, “Billy stop, my toes are tingling and I can’t get enough food and fluids in through it. Dad is right.”
Olivia extended her arm and touched her son, happy to know Olly would stay around and a smile graced her face as Oliver sighed in relief. Olly complained of a burning sensation in his toes as though something continued to pull and stretch them and he despaired at what he had done. His need for independence had nearly cost his life.
* * *
The next day, Oliver and Olivia stood with their arms around Olly. Olly appeared a little weak and still complained about a burning sensation and they felt a need to hug their son. The night had been cold and even that had not eased the burning in the slightest.
The family gazed out over the valley below the wooded hill they stood on when the first flakes began to fall forming a white blanket on all that was around, Sylvia had arrived to the forest to announce winter was here.
Like a comforting blanket, Sylvia put an arm around the family and held them close and safe. Although it was cold in the forest, the blanket Sylvia placed over them, comforted and insulated them from the fiercest cold. At the same time, it soothed the burning in Olly’s foot and gave Olly a chance to recover from the trauma Billy’s rubbing did to his body. A trauma which was unintended and unforeseen.
Now, the family had a chance to sleep for a while and prepare for when spring would wake them again to another year in the forest. Another year of facing Ferdinand and Harry, of being comforted by Sylvia, of Billy rubbing his itchy back against them and of William pecking their trunk. Oliver was confident they would make it through the winter. Even though he still worried about Olly and hoped no permanent damage was done to his feet, Oliver was hopeful for the future. Hmm, Sylvia’s blanket of snow started to relax him and put him to sleep. In a few months’ time, he would need to start work again, holding more children on his arms and sheltering his family from the threats cropping up around them. Life in the forest was a hard one.
* * *
This is a work of fiction. To help you identify with the characters better, here is a summary of them:
Oliver – An oak, father to Olly, Avery and Libby and husband to Olivia
Olivia – An oak, mother to Olly and Avery and wife to Oliver
Olly – An oak, son of Oliver and Olivia
Avery – An acorn, fallen from Oliver’s branches
Libby – A leaf fallen from Oliver’s branches
Ferdinand – A Forest Fire
William – A woodpecker
Harry – A hurricane
Billy – A Brown Bear
Sylvia – The Snow
Hope you have enjoyed this little story.
Joni

Still going strong.

#NaNoWriMo is nearing its end for this year. Not a lot of days left and still working on it daily. Not adding a lot of words, the first draft has been completed after all, but editing a few scenes or chapters every day. Only edited a few scenes this morning, too tired and horrible headache. Still did a little before leaving for work. Now, I am home again for a short period, and longing for my bed. Need to pick youngest up from school soon, though.

And after all that, tea will need preparing, the bins need to be put outside and perhaps then I can go to bed. I will share another little excerpt today, one of the stresses of general practice. One that all GPs hate, the dreaded complaint.

And here is what happened prior to the complaint, the consultation with the patient who complained:

After Moira leaves, I spot another three ring backs arrived. I’m running more than a quarter of an hour behind and I need to catch up. The receptionists would alert me if anything urgent had popped up. I leave the ring backs for now and buzz for the next patient.

Immediately an instant message pops up on the screen from Elaine, “Be careful with this patient, Dr J. He was very agitated and verbally aggressive in the waiting area.”

Forty-three-year-old Darren walks in without knocking, his face like thunder, “This is absolutely ridiculous. Do you think I have all the time in the world? For me, time is money. If I take time off to see the doctor, I don’t get paid and I expect to be seen on time. The service you provide here is completely atrocious. This is unacceptable and I should go to my member of parliament over this.” Darren’s demeanour is such that images of cartoon characters with steam coming out of their ears come to mind.

No ‘hello’ or even giving me a chance to apologise first. No, Darren steamrolls his way into my room and airs his anger. He remained standing while he spoke, his posture aggressive and looming over me, an attempt to intimidate me further. Now he sits down, sliding down on the chair, his face still like thunder.

How can I save the situation? “I’m genuinely sorry to keep you waiting. You are absolutely right that it is unacceptable to keep you waiting for such a long time and I take full responsibility for that. I apologise sincerely.” I take a breath, “So what can I do for you today?” and hope my apology will calm him down a bit, the fact I agree it is unacceptable may take the wind from his sails.

“Well, I don’t really have the time for this, but now I’m here,” he takes out a piece of paper with writing on it. “First of all, I have an ingrowing toenail and want some antibiotics for that. Second, I have this nasty cough for the last week and need antibiotics to clear that. And the third problem is this rash on my leg that has been bothering me for a few weeks. It’s itchy and you need to do something about that.”

How should I deal with this? At the surgery, we maintain a simple rule, One appointment, One patient, One problem. Instead, Darren expects me to deal with three problems at the same time and I am already running late. Every problem deserves their own proper attention and trying to force three problems within one appointment may make this difficult. 

I try to explain to Darren that we usually only allow one problem per appointment to allow it to get the attention it deserves, but I notice how he only gets more agitated and instead inform him we will deal with his problems today.

When I check his toenail, the nail is indeed growing in slightly, but it is not infected and does not require any treatment at the moment, “Daily bathing of the toe will help to avoid this getting infected. Just ten minutes in warm water and soaking it before dabbing it dry. If the toe does get infected after all, then please come back to have it checked.”

Darren sits up a little straighter, “Well that’s a bloody waste of time. I need you to give me some antibiotics for this now and make the wait worth my time. I haven’t got time to come back if it gets worse, I need this sorting out now.”

Next, we turn our attention to his cough. Darren doesn’t cough up any phlegm and has no temperature. His chest is clear on examination. Again there is no reason to prescribe antibiotics and this would be bad practice.

“You’re bloody no good. You call yourself a doctor?” Darren sits up even straighter and leans forward a little.

Darren’s last problem is the itchy rash on his leg. So far, he has not tried anything for it, instead wants me to sort the problem for him. On examination there is mild eczema and I advise him to use a moisturiser for it. When I offer to write a prescription, Darren refuses and leans forward more, invading my personal space as he does,  “You’re  a bloody disgrace, you’ve kept me waiting for half an hour and done nothing for me.” Darren stands up and struts out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I let out a deep breath of relief and wonder how I could have handled that better. Hopefully, his rants are sufficient for him, but I fear more is to follow. Is this job even worth it?

A few hours later, after a message from the Practice Manager:

Before I leave for my visits, I take more prescriptions and paperwork to reception and then walk upstairs, use the bathroom and go to see the practice manager as she requested earlier. My stomach is grumbling, but it will need to wait for now. 

Although I’m not sure what she needs to talk to me about, I suspect something is wrong as she often only asks to speak to us if a complaint has been received. After knocking on her door and entering, Claire greets me, “Busy day today?”

When I confirm it has been rather busy, Claire gets to the point, “Sorry, I’m not going to make your day any better. I received a complaint about you this morning. A patient you consulted this morning complains you were rude to him after already having left him waiting for over half an hour and then neglecting to give him the appropriate treatment for his problems.”

Three guesses who that complaint is from. Why on earth do I still try? Whatever we do, it is never good enough. Sometimes it seems better to just say to a patient, you are right, I’m a bad doctor and I will put in my resignation right now. That is not actually true though. The majority of patients are very grateful for what we do, it is just patients like Darren, who make you doubt your conviction to your job. After reading his letter of complaint, I go over the consultation in my mind. Had I been rude? I’m sure I remained civil throughout the consultation, even when he called me all sort of names. If anyone was rude, I consider it to be Darren, but maybe I’m in the wrong here after all. How one person sees a situation is not always how another person sees it. right?

Should I have given in to Darren’s pressure to prescribe antibiotics? Although it might have partially avoided the complaint, it would have been bad practice. Giving antibiotics when the situation does not require them, leads to bacteria developing a resistance to the antibiotics. These bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics and suddenly become killers. No, I’m not willing to enable this behaviour, complaint or no complaint.

Perhaps I should have been more compliant and not informed Darren we only allow one problem per consultation. However, patient education is important and if a patient is not aware of the fact he is supposed to book a longer appointment if he brings more than one problem to a consultation, he will continue to bring several complaints to one appointment in the future, ‘to save time’. In fact, it leads exactly to what he also complained about, having had to wait for too long a period. Half an hour he had mentioned. I was certain it was less than half an hour. Unless, of course, Darren included the wait from the time he arrived at the surgery to his appointment time and the quarter of an hour he had to wait after his appointment time.

At the moment my mood has plummeted, I’m hungry and there is still a lot of work ahead of me today. Now, I will first need to get ready for the visits and deal with the work during the rest of the afternoon. And when I have a moment, I will need to respond to that complaint. Dutifully apologise for any upset I have caused him and for the rude behaviour I was not aware I displayed. Really, why do I still try?

Joni

Day 24 of #NaNoWriMo and still working on it daily.

A quick update on the progress of #nanowrimo2018 again. Today I have not done much other than editing 'Diary of a Female GP' and working on my assessment for the writing course I am doing.

No excerpt from me today I'm afraid, other than the assessment I already published earlier today.

Editing the book, has brought another 388 words along. And here is the picture to go with it.

Joni.

Time for course work. 'The Hidden Village' by Joni Martins.

As you may be aware, I'm currently enrolled in a free writing course at the University of Iowa, entitled Stories of Place: Writing and the Natural World. 

You can find the course here (https://iowa.novoed.com/#!/courses/stories-of-place-iwp/flyer) if you are interested as it runs from 15 November to 31 December as an instructor-led course, but the course can be done at your own pace until 15 March 2019.

Below is my submission and I hope you like it.

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The ‘Hidden Village’

When I was a young girl, a young teenager, my grandparents lent me a book to read. The book was called ‘Het Geheime Dorp’ and told the story of a hidden village within a forest in the Netherlands during World War II. The thing which made the book so special for me was that this story was about real-life occurrences and took place just around the corner from where I lived. I really enjoyed reading this book as it brought the stories of the resistance and the refugees to life in a place I could relate to. If you ever read Anne Frank’s diary, you know where I am coming from on this.

Nowadays, a museum has been built in the area the village was and I will tell you about the history of the hidden village first to help you relate to this piece of nature as I do.

* * *

Between April 1943 and November 1944, between eighty and one hundred and twenty refugees lived hidden in the forest near Nunspeet, a Dutch village just east of the water in the middle of the Netherlands. Although the refugees initially lived in a tent and a container, members of the resistance built underground cabins in sections of the forest later.

Edouard von Baumhauer, Opa (grandpa) Bakker and his with Tante (auntie) Cor were instrumental in the running of the village and bringing food and supplies. Amongst those living in ‘Het Verscholen Dorp’, the Hidden Village in English, were many Jews, allied airmen, a German deserter, a Russian and a Pole. In total, ten cabins were erected to house eight to ten people each.

The village lay hidden deep in the woods, but not far from the home of the Vos family, who allowed the refugees access to their water pump and their home also acted as storage for food for the Hidden Village. A special communication system was in place to inform the refugees whether it was safe to come near the house. If it was unsafe, the Vos family would hang a piece of fabric on a tree. If they considered it to be unsafe the entire night, they would leave their guard dog outside, who would bark as soon as it noticed movement. This acted as a signal to tell the refugees to return to the Hidden Village instead. Eventually, a water pump was placed closer to the village.

 The access to medical and dental care was severely limited. This consisted of the presence of a medical student and a dentist amongst the refugees. If hospital treatment was required, the patient needed to be carried to a larger road, to be picked up by the ambulance there and taken to the hospital.

The sections of the forest on which the cabins were placed, were separated by fire corridors and it was strictly forbidden to visit the other cabins or the water pump during the daytime to avoid detection. The refugees were also expected to remain in absolute silence, something which was especially difficult for the children.

Their days consisted of crafting, reading, preparing meals and playing games and a few students provided the children with education. A survivor mentioned he could not remember a time when he had been bored there as a child.

When complacency set in as everything progressed so well, a member of the resistance made a film about life in the village. On a search of his home, the Germans confiscated this movie, but fortunately, something happened to the film and it no longer could be viewed. Some say it was a German who foolishly opened the container outside a dark room, others tell how a member of the resistance caused the error at the lab the film went to be examined. Discovery of the film led to the refugees being sent to other addresses in the area temporarily.

On the 29th of October 1944, two members of the SS hunted in the forest when they heard sounds of sawing and woodcutting. As they investigated this, they noticed a boy on his way to collect water. A survivor remembers hearing a loud shout, “Raus du Jude, raus raus!” (Get out Jew, get out, get out!) The members of the SS fired a few warning shots and a large group of refugees was able to escape during this time. The boy was allowed to escape to allow the SS-ers to get reinforcements from a camp nearby.

On their return, the majority of the refugees had escaped and hidden elsewhere, but still, they threw hand grenades in the cabins, demolishing them in the process. The soldiers had expected more resistance. During a search of the area, eight refugees were caught, amongst which a six-year-old boy. Two refugees faced the firing squad at the nearby camp, the other six were forced to walk back to the village, dig a hole and were shot there. On the site of the village now stands a monument in memory of these eight.

Three cabins have been rebuilt in the section where the water pump once stood. These are in memory of those who lived in the village during the war. Opa Bakker was arrested in February 1945 and shot with forty-seven other members of the resistance. His wife survived the war as did Edouard von Baumhauer. All people who helped to support and hide the refugees were honoured after the war.

* * *

 

Now you know the back story of this place in the forests near where I grew up, you may understand why this has made such an impression on a young teenager. Many a time I would cycle there and visit the camp when I was a little older. I would grab my bike and dog and cycle over, my dog running alongside the bike. She was a large dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. We would ride down the road in front of our house and at the end of the road, the forest already lay waiting. There we would take a left and continue our route along the edge of the forest. A lovely cycle path in the shade of the trees. The smells of the forest would surround me as I inhaled, the fresh pine needles, the oaks and the mulch underneath them.

We would ride further and cross over the motorway and then take a right on the large road into the forest. This road was tarmacked and soon there would be a sandy lane off towards the left. We would follow the cyclepath next to the lane, heather to our right with trees behind it and trees on our right. After a while, we would pass the ‘Waschkolk’ on our right. A small area of water where shepherds used to wash their sheep. On different days we would go for walks here, often before going to work in the morning. The lane continued and once we reached the Tongerenseweg, we took a left towards Huize Pas-Op, once the home of the Vos family. Once we passed the house, we took the first lane to the right and continued further. It was a long journey, but well worth the effort and ideal when you brought a packed lunch.

Near the site of the Hidden Village, I would park my bike against a tree and lock it, then grab my bag and explore the site. It was really amazing, hidden underground, with the roofs about at ground level, were huts which during the war would have housed eight to ten people. Along one side of the hut, bunk beds would be placed, all made of wood. Two beds above each other, four next to each other. A total of eight per hut. A table stood in the middle of the cabin. If I touched the wood around me, the memories were nearly palpable. Even though I knew these were not the original cabins, the memory still lingered in the woods and a lump would block my throat. A heaviness sat on my chest as I remembered those who suffered during the war, those who died and those who lost so much.

* * *

Soon, I hope to visit the site again, to show my daughter this amazing piece of history. As she loved the visit to the Battlefields in High School, I’m certain she will appreciate this trip too.

* * *

Nowadays the area is peaceful, you hear the birds sing and smell the fresh air around you. But we should never forget the atrocities the war brought. The devastation, but also the courage and solidarity of many who risked their lives to save others.  Would I ever be brave enough to do something like that? Although I fantasised I would as I read the book, I now realise I would possibly be too much of a coward.

Hat off to people like Edouard von Baumhauer, Opa Bakker and Tante Cor! May we never forget.

Joni Martins.

(Outside of the story, my approach is the way I like to write if describing things, an introduction, some background, the main, a discussion and a conclusion. This most likely stems from the time I used to write reports as part of my job)