"A fabulous mystery romance"
If readers want an engrossing, heart-stopping adventure
novel, loosely based on a real lawsuit yet embellished with
fiction, this book is guaranteed to fit the bill. Jeannette LeFleur has just landed her dream job. Fresh out
of school, she gets hired to work on a groundbreaking
project, the Living Lens, otherwise known as the Epi
Project, which takes donor corneas in eye surgery as
surgical implants for improving eye-sight, like a permanent
contact lens. She jumps in to the job full tilt, ready to
make a difference on the project, for her supervisor. Unfortunately, one of her first discoveries is poor record
keeping for patient records, and billing. She takes her
concerns to Dr Byron Rutherford, the lead in the project
but he says not to worry and to do whatever she needs to
fix the problem. However, the more she looks, the more
problems she finds. She discovers there is a lot more to
this than bad records and failed grafts. With the help of her lawyer boyfriend Charles Carter, and
her late husband's best friend Dr. Scott Fontenot, she
uncovers more then she bargained for. They find serious
problems, ranging from money laundering and fraud to "the
body Mafia," which is implicated in illegal trafficking of
body parts. Now her life is in danger, as are those of her
friends, and everyone involved in helping her uncover the
extent of the illegalities of the Epi Project. Will she get
to the bottom of it and get enough evidence to convict
involved parties before she gets killed? Wow! What a ride this story is! It is an adventure from the
first page to the last. The opening prologue sets the tone
for what is to follow, immediately giving readers a sense
of the risks Jeannette will be taking throughout the story.
The storyline progresses gradually at first, slowly leading
up to the heart of the plot, then steamrolls through from
there. This book takes numerous twists and turns weaving
back and forth and doubling back on itself, just like the
snakes and lizards living in the Louisiana bayou. A few different storylines all interrelated, but slightly
apart from one another, are seamlessly interwoven to give
the overall picture and just how much is at stake for
Jeannette, her family and friends. There is also an
undercurrent of love stories to be found, which adds
another level of richness to the plot. But don't
misunderstand, there is love and romance in the story, but
this is most definitely not a romance novel, the primary
focus being on the mystery. Having read other works by Ms. Michaels, this reviewer knew
what to expect in writing style, but this was a whole new
genre at which the author could try her pen. Ms. Michaels
does not disappoint in the mystery genre either. Her
trademark of rich storylines with strong plots is very
evident here. This is just one more reminder of why she is
fast becoming a favorite author for this reviewer. © Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2004. All rights reserved.
Courtesy Love Romances
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted December 14, 2006
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Jeanette LaFleur, newly graduated and qualified as an ophthalmic technologist, starts her dream job as Clinical Coordinator for the Epi Project. When she discovers irregularities in record keeping for the project, she chalks it up to her predecessors' lack of organization and sets about fixing the problems. But when she finds that records are missing or maybe never even existed, she takes her concerns to her boss, Dr. Byron Rutherford, the charismatic head of the project and a nationally renowned corneal specialist. While he expresses his concern, he assures her that it must all be a matter of poor record keeping and gives her carte blanche to fix the problems. Except the problems aren't easily fixed. As she digs deeper with the help of her current boyfriend, lawyer Charles Carter, and her deceased husband's best friend, Dr. Scott Fontenot, she becomes convinced that the project is a front for illegal activities. Medical negligence, fraud, and money laundering are just the tip of the ice berg. It is when the trio discovers that illegal body parts, and not just the corneas needed for the Epi Project, are being brokered through a corporation owned by Dr. Rutherford and a South American doctor that murder raises its ugly head. Now Jeanette is running for her life, as Scott endangers his by traveling to Brazil to find enough evidence to convict the highly esteemed Rutherford. From the corrupt streets of New Orleans to the steamy plains and jungles of Brazil, Blind-Sided twists and turns as torturously as the snakes that swim the bayous of Louisiana.
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