This is a well-written story about some sensitive topics. You may not want to start this book unless you know you have time to finish it in one sitting. There are some situations that are graphic and go into detail, but you will end up more educated and better for the knowledge.

The book is very good. I highly recommend it. It is entertaining. You won't want to put it down.

So, this book was not for me. I know it happens. But I didn't enjoy reading about it.

It's a book about a doctor who abuses his patients sexually and hooks them on drugs.

Just not my cup of tea.

EH, WHAT’S UP, DOC?

In June of 2017, I received a request from Thomas Walton Keech, the author of Doc Doc Zeus, to read and review the novel before its release date. And because I had already had my calendar filled with other business and career commitments, I was not going to have enough free time to view the work. Therefore, I did not agree to read and review Doc Doc Zeus; however, the fiction would eventually present itself on my dashboard at NetGalley, an evident offering from its publisher. I saw the effort, but I had not committed to reading and reviewing the work before its appearance. So I had no other choice but to allow it to remain on my NetGalley dashboard until time permitted me to view it.

On this date, Saturday, October 27, 2018, I decided to read Doc Doc Zeus, considering that I received the book without having agreed to review it. Unfortunately, I had never downloaded the dialogue from my NetGalley page to my Kindle library, though I thought I had. And because I neglected to download the book then, I could not locate it in my library today. That was somewhat of a disappointment, but thank God for the gift of samples, in this case, a sufficient enough extract to provide me with a fleeting glimpse into the icy heart of one named Doctor Zeus. Maybe in due time, I’ll seize the opportunity to complete this title in full; but for now, I’ll render it a brief critique as a courtesy to its author. My analysis will now commence.

WHEN WAS YOUR LAST PAP SMEAR?

Ah yes, a dreaded question pertinent to that old, dreaded diagnostic procedure most women tend to hate, despite its being crucial to their overall cervical health. And on the pages of this chilling medical thriller, the pap smear is just what a particular doctor consistently orders, that he may feed the insatiable need of his lustful beast within.

Diane, our sixteen-year-old leading lady, is currently in the process of undergoing such a checkup as the plot pulls open its curtain to reveal the standard set dressing: a sterilized examination room, sterile exam supplies, an exam table with stirrups, and a forty-year-old male physician—performing the “intimate” procedure minus the presence of a female nursing assistant to chaperone. With hair like the hue of ebony silk; and eyes like the tone of a rich, velvety cobalt blue, Dr. Zeus is a highly-respected clinician in the medical branch of obstetrics/gynecology. And he loves his work, as do his female patients. He likes to heal the ill womb and maintain the healthy inner glow of the uterine cervix. And many of his patients consider him to be quite a delight: patients like Diane, who, by the way, guides the reader through this tale in her captivating first-person narrative.

ABOUT DIANE.

Diane was once a promising high school student with her entire life ahead of her. But recently, she has gotten herself tangled up in the ensnaring rope of teenage lust: she was just fourteen when she met Carl, an older boy of sixteen, who’d turned her on to several activities out in the wild. Carl knew what he wanted, and Diane believed that he was madly in love with her until she conceived. From there, all that appeared to be well went straight to hell: Carl abandoned her, her parents became disgusted with her, her school friends hissed and wagged their heads at her, and along came a woman named Sue to smother her with a healthy dose of religion. Sue. She had said that the pregnancy was no mistake; it was a blessing. Sue said that the child was to be born for Jesus. She told Diane that it was all a blessing from above. And so, pregnant, alone, and practically disowned, the young—and desperate—Diane nestled into the arms of the woman who had come bearing the Good News. The Church would surely take care of everything, said Sue. And so would Dr. Zeus, its affiliate by way of his medical practice. That seemed like an eternity ago.

YOU’RE SIXTEEN, YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL, AND YOU’RE MINE.

Now sixteen and lovely as ever, Diane’s legs are spread for yet another “older man,” Dr. Zeus, as he examines her cervix, determining that her young womanhood is just fine—in more ways than one.

STAY TUNED FOR THE CONCLUSION.

This little excerpt provided me with significant proof that Doc Doc Zeus will be an entertaining dialogue worthy of completion. And that is what I intend to do, complete the novel. I am only regretful of my failure to acquire the effort via NetGalley when I received the galley in 2017, the year of its release. And while I extend my apologies to Real Nice Books and Thomas Keech, I can also assure the same that I will, in due time, view the effort in its entirety and render it a more comprehensive analysis. Thank you, Mr. Keech; I admire your tenacity. And congratulations on your publishing this work of fiction.

Five pap-tested stars.



REVIEWER’S NOTE: It is my kind pleasure to thank Real Nice Books and Thomas Walton Keech, as well as NetGalley, for the complimentary offering of Doc Doc Zeus in exchange for my review consideration.

Partial analysis of Doc Doc Zeus is courtesy of the Reviews by Cat Ellington book series.

Date of Partial Review: Wednesday, October 31, 2018

This is a story of a 16year old girl grieving over an illegitimate baby that she had to give away and being abused by a perverted gynaecologist. I struggled with this, no likeable characters or any I could relate to .The writing style wasn't enabling and the descriptions pedantic. Not my kind of story and seemed to border on voyeurism.

I really wanted to be able to rate this book higher. It starts off well, but then rather stagnates and drags on.

The story is told from three different points of view: a misogynist doctor, a vulnerable teenage girl, and a determined investigator at the medical board.
I liked the way that the story had the different perspectives. It defenitatly kept it interesting. It is a powerful topic and had the potential of being a really great book.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and Real Nice Books for the DRC, which I read free and early in exchange for this honest review. This novel was published earlier this month and is for sale now.

Doc Doc Zeus is a tough one to review. There are strengths that drew me at the outset and I thought I was going to love it; unfortunately, the literary aspects and a blind spot or two regarding women and rape have kept me from cheering and promoting the way I expected.

Conceptually, it’s innovative and gutsy. We have Diane, who at 14 has been manipulated by a conservative Christian group and agrees to carry a baby rather than have an abortion.

Diane’s physician is Dr. Zeus, and he is being paid by the church that is housing Diane. Diane is thrilled because she is made to feel heroic, special, for deciding not to end the pregnancy. At age 14, she is right in the throes of the all-about-me stage of adolescence, and this is the strongest part of Diane’s development as a character. Of course, once the baby is born and sent off to live with adoptive parents, Diane is no longer being spoiled and petted, and so she is in a vulnerable place. Her parents are not as available as they might be, so she is isolated, and makes an excellent target for a guy like Zeus.

Zeus is pond scum, a serial rapist, a liar and a thief. He conspires to direct his hospital’s lab business through an intermediary company he owns for no purpose other than to drive up costs and line his own wallet. The guy is so toxic and free of any redeeming qualities that I couldn’t read this story for very long at a time; there are other reasons, too. I’ll get to them in a minute.

Our third main character is Dave, who works for the state’s medical board. Dave is frustrated by the lack of interest on the part of the state in pursuing Zeus legally. Why is this guy allowed to practice? There’s plenty of documentation to show that he should not only be stripped of his license, but be behind bars. Why can’t this happen?

The best part of the book is the opening, not to mention the quirky, engaging title. When we begin, the narratives by Diane and by Zeus make me alternately laugh out loud and groan. It’s dry humor, savagely funny. I want it to stay that way.

Sadly, by the thirty percent mark, I am starting to wonder whether a high profile editor might be needed to assist with the literary aspects of this thing. The last time I saw this sort of problem was also with an author that had a lot of technical expertise and a lengthy, successful career in an area that dovetailed with his novel; Keech is retired from a state attorney general’s office. He has plenty of knowledge regarding state bureaucracy as it applies to physicians, but the elements a novel requires—character development and above all a story arc, with the action and urgency rising around the 75 or 80 percent mark and then falling back toward a conclusion, are simply not present. Our hero, Dave, is trying valiantly to shut Zeus down, but readers won’t engage with the amount of bureaucratic detail here. This area needs to be condensed, and Dave needs development as a character. The setting is nearly absent.

The other problem here is a certain tone-deafness regarding the book’s audience. Potentially, this story could be a rallying cry for women that have experienced rape and for anyone that has been molested as a child or when they were vulnerable. There are so many out there.

But for these readers, this is a hot-stove issue. Less is more. This reviewer has not even been there, and yet the level of detailed sexual predation in this book is painful to me, and unnecessarily so. Chapter after chapter; page after page. Most people that would otherwise champion a novel like this one, won’t finish it because it’s too hard to read. The crime itself should wink in briefly, decisively and memorably, and then the story should be built around it.

I would also change the ending.

To be sure, I am convinced that Keech is on the side of the angels, and I would bet my last dollar that he has seen or heard of a situation similar to the one in this story. I suspect that he’s a good man who is transitioning from his career in state government to a career as a novelist, and trying to use fiction to make a difference. For this reason also, I wanted to be able to promote this book and send out a Twitter storm telling people to read it. I avoided writing this review, because it isn’t the one I had hoped to write.

With a great deal of TLC, this story could be rewritten in a way that would work. The idea is strong, but the execution is lacking. A high profile editor might be very useful here, and if that happens and a rewrite significantly improves this work, I would be willing to reread and review again. But as it stands, I cannot recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
This is a book about a despicable doctor who sexually abuses some of his patients and gets them hooked on drugs. It really doesn't have much to commend it. The characters are not well developed and most of them are not likable. The descriptions of sex are matter of fact and not interesting. The action is slow until the last part where it picked up enough to keep me reading. The description of the book and the background of the author made me hope that a strong Medical Board would step in. That was not really the case. 2.5 stars.

3.75 stars. Told from three different points of view, this was an interesting story about a narcissistic doctor, a vulnerable teenage girl, and an ardent investigator at the medical board.
At age 14, Diane fell pregnant and after giving birth to a baby girl, gave her up for adoption. She has been seen regularly by Dr. Hartwicke Zeus who takes a special interest in her. Diane is vulnerable, feeling lonely, and easily falls for the charms of forty-something Zeus.
David is new to his job at the Board of Medicine. A job he mainly took to earn some money to pay off his large student debt. When he comes across a file with a complaint against Dr Zeus, he is intrigued.
I found the medical board investigation aspect of this really interesting. Not knowing the first thing about this process, I can't judge how realistic any of this was, but it felt completely believable to me. The strength of this was in the characterization of the three characters I mentioned above. You really got to know them. In the case of Dr Zeus, this wasn't a pleasant experience. The man had no redeeming features whatsoever and didn't even hesitate to use his own teenage daughter as a pawn with no regard for her emotional well-being. His attitude towards females in general was beyond belief. If you enjoy getting into the mind of a totally egotistical, manipulating, and contemptible person, he's your man.
Diane was frustrating. One moment, she was incredibly naive and kept repeating the same mistakes over and over again, the next moment she came across as quite clever and with plenty of empathy for other people.
I really liked David. He's your generally nice guy who is trying to do his best. At the end, I would have loved to read about his meeting with his fiancée's Dad. I didn't like the open ending to that part of the story, or put it another way, I needed more.
The only other thing that was a bit off was the portrayal of Diane's parents who somehow turned from completely inadequate at the beginning into the most caring and understanding parents ever.

Overall, something a bit different and really interesting. Contains some strong language and sexual situations, but not graphic or gratuitous.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

Despite the title, this book is oddly disturbing and I’m not quite sure I like it. The writing was good and the characters were explained very well, but I didn’t care for Dr. Zeus one bit. He used his position a gynecologist to sexually abuse young women.
Diane, a patient of his starts to get a little suspicious about him and what he’s really been up too as their relationship goes on. I’ll let you as the reader figure out what happens next.
Overall, the writing and storyline were great. I do recommend reading this book so go pick up your copy today!

A good, solid read. This book had me flipping pages like crazy. The things this doctor got up to was unbelievable. I enjoyed reading this book.

Dr. Zeus is slime. He's a serial cheater and he likes them young. He also likes them addicted to drugs and if they aren't when he first meets them, they soon are.

Diane is 16 years ago. She was pregnant at 14 and gave her baby up for adoption. She finds Dr. Zeus a good listener, but she's really starting to question why he needs to examine her so often.... and why he writes so many prescriptions for her when she doesn't need them.

Dave is an employee of the state medical board. He stumbles over an old case of a woman filing a complaint of Dr. Zeus. According to her, she saw him for an injured knee. He got her hooked on pain killers .. and then he assaulted her.

Dave is a little concerned about complaints that go nowhere. He gets an anonymous call about Dr Zeus and then a video of the doctor touching a young teenage girl.

These lives intertwine and there are consequences to be faced.

This is a crime thriller ... what is called a white coat thriller. No dead bodies ... no police chases.. no explosions. Suspense starts with the first page. Characters are so credible I wanted to slap some sense into Diane. I imagined all sorts of things I could do to the doctor.

I know we've all heard horror stories of one kind or another about some physicians who are not on the up and up. As someone who worked many, many years for OB-GYN physicians, I feel it very necessary to point out that in this specialty, a doctor .. male or female... a nurse practitioner, physician's assistant or any other kind of provider is never, ever left alone in an exam room with a patient. There is always at least one employee in the office until the patient walks out.

Not an original theme, but it is well-written.

Many thanks to the author / Real Nice Books / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Diane was young girl who had gotten pregnant at 14 and gave the baby away. She was helped by a church that was almost a cult and had attended their church school. Now she was back at her regular school. She felt that she did not fit in anywhere. The kids at both schools treated her like a freak. The one person she could talk to was Woody who had been into drugs in middle school and was clean now, living in a garage and working two part time jobs.
Doctor Hartwicke Zeus was an obstetrician working for the church’s free clinic. He was treating Diane for postpartum “problems” doing gynecological exams every other week and “counseling” her. Diane trusted him and felt he was the only person she could talk to about her problems. Their friendship became sexual with the help of the pills he gave her to “relax”-Xanax and oxycodone to the tune of 480 prescriptions. Luckily Woody convinced Diane not to take the drugs and he kept the prescriptions.
Doc Zeus was a really creepy despicable villain who thought he could do whatever he wanted because he was a rich doctor. As I became more and more disgusted with him I kept reading hoping he would finally get his. I won’t spoil the ending but I was partially satisfied.
I requested a copy of this book from Netgalley because I love medical mysteries. While this book does not qualify as such it was a satisfying read. Thomas Keech’s background as an attorney and counsel to the Maryland Board of Physicians and as a juvenile counselor served him well in this book. I am looking forward to reading more of his works.

We are first introduced to 16-year-old Diane Morrell as her legs are in the stirrups, being examined by the handsome and altruistic doctor, Hardwicke Zeus.

Diane, by the standards of the small-town bible belt area in which she lives, is perceived as damaged goods. She had a baby that she gave away for adoption at the age of 14. So it follows that attention from an older mentor figure who always schedules her appointments last might be flattering, though she is sharp enough to ask Dr Zeus why he does this.

Dr Zeus does, of course, have plans for Diane that are not really in her best interests.

Luckily for Diane, she has friends who are truly looking out for her. Dr Zeus Iis also being investigated by rookie lawyer David, who knows a little more of Zeus"s more nefarious proclivities. But will he be able to get a case against Zeus in time? And will Diane become completely ensnared in Zeus's clutches?

The story is told through the viewpoints of both villain, victim and seeker of legal justice. There is a reasonable amount of suspense in the telling, the author displays an awareness of legal.procedures and the frustrations involved in bringing ilvillains with clout to account.. Dr Zeus as satisfyingly sociopathic as a villain besieged with marital and financial problems. Finally Diane emerges from the start as a young woman for whom victim hood was never a true destination, especially as she gains in confidence and self awareness.

This book surprised me. It has hidden depths that gradually reveal themselves. I particularly grew to like and respect David, for his socialist views and strong principles. Diane is a complex and likeable teenager. The investigation and hearing increase the momentum and tension towards the end of the book. At one point I was worried that it was becoming a middle aged man's fantasy, as there are a lot of sexual descriptions, but these turn out to be necessary for the story, they are not gratuitous. Overall, a gripping and thought provoking book.

Despite the goofy title, this book is serious and often disturbing. Dr. Zeus uses his position to sexually abuse young women. One young woman, Diane, grows suspicious of Zeus’s behavior as he grows more violent in their relationship. The book seems particularly timely as this reader lives near Lansing, MI and the descriptions of abuse mirror the descriptions of alleged abuse by the MSU gymnastics coach. Further, the story of a powerful and arrogant Zeus who rapes Diane has numerous ties to Greek Myth. Overall, this book is more complex than anticipated and worth a read.

This was a very interesting, but hard to read story due to the subject matter. A doctor that abuses his young, vulnerable, patients and how he got away with it for so long. Well written. Kept my interest easily. Thanks for the free book from Netgalley. Was definitely worth reading!

Diane is a teenager, who got pregnant at age 14 and gave her baby up for adoption . She was under the care of Dr. Zeuss, who continued to want to see her, even after there was no longer a medical need for that. He first befriends Diane, then supplies her with drugs and develops a sexual relationship with her that becomes more and more abusive as time goes on.
David is an investigator with the medical board and investigates Dr Zeuss after a complaint of rape by another woman and is frustrated when his efforts are thwarted by this and other investigations.
Doc Doc Zeuss grabbed my attention when it became available on NetGalley, because I worked at an insurance company fraud department, where we investigated the schemes described in this book. The upcoding of services, the inaccurate medical records, the kickback schemes etc. I also experienced first hand the reluctance of the medical boards to convict the doctors, rather a slap on the hand, continuing education and fines, so they can go back and continue their schemes. The author accurately reflected this reluctance in describing David's frustration of being able to bring charges against a repeated offender, Dr. Zeuss, who in addition of misrepresenting his medical records, also sexually abused innocent women.
The book was a real page turner and an easy read. I would have liked to know a little more about the circumstances that led to Diane breaking up with the baby's father and giving up her baby. Overall 3.5-4 stars.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

As a doctor and a church minister I thought this novel would be an interesting if challenging read, Instead I found it almost impossible to finish. Neither the medical nor the church based aspects were true to life or believable. I found the story tedious, I cannot recommend this to anyone.