Last week, I picked up a new novel by Richard Mabry, called Critical Condition. I managed to digest the entire book in just a couple of evenings, and enjoyed it.

I’ve read several other books by Mabry in the past, and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. This one just didn’t seem to be as good as the rest that I’ve read.

The premise of the story is based around Dr. Shannon Frasier. During a dinner party, a man is shot in her front yard, and dies in her arms. Add to that Dr. Frasier’s younger sister moving in after a fight with her boyfriend, and with drug trouble a possibility, Dr. Frasier is suddenly overwhelmed.

That’s when the questions and threats start coming. And they are coming from both the police and a mysterious caller. Dr. Frasier’s life becomes a nightmare, and just staying alive seems an impossibility.

I found the story line to be a great idea. The details were well situated and the plot carried itself along very nicely. The biggest problem was in the character development. I had a hard time understanding several key aspects of each of the major characters. Several times, it felt like Mabry assumed that the reader knows something about one of the characters that hasn’t been revealed yet. Dialog was forced, and occasionally the story would jump to conclusions that didn’t fit.

I found that disappointing. I was expecting to enjoy this story like the others I’ve read. Sadly, that was not the case. Overall though, it wasn’t a terrible novel. It felt as if Mabry were rushing to get Critical Condition finished before a deadline. A bit more effort would have turned this into another spectacular story.

I received this book free from Harper Collins Christian Publishing as part of their BookLook Bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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