Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I originally stayed away from this book because of the suicide theme, but now that the holidays, anniversary of my son’s birth and death have passed I was able to read and enjoy the story.

Katie LeClair fresh out of residency has taken a job at a clinic in Baxter, Michigan. She has only been there a few months when one of her patients dies in the emergency room. Her death has been ruled a suicide by overdose. An overdose of a drug that was prescribed by Katie. The problem is Katie doesn’t remember writing a script for the woman. There is also no record of it in the patient’s file.

When the autopsy comes in it contains a couple of surprises, including that the patient was actually murdered. Due to the original suicide ruling evidence has been lost so Katie starts investigating on her own with some shocking discoveries. Discoveries that put Katie in danger. This unusual death could claim one more victim.

Katie LeClair is a dedicated physician that wants to give her patients the best possible care. Her partners are a father and son and together they share clinic and hospital duties. She meets a diverse group of people at the clinic needing all different types of care. She lives with her younger brother, a real computer genius. Together they are still dealing with the loss of their mother several years ago. Katie also meets another young doctor that could lead to a romantic relationship. Due to a freak event, she is also close to the Baxter police chief. All of these characters come together naturally and are very well written.

Ms. Eastman gives readers a very suspenseful story. There is a lot going on and the suspects were tangled together in so many ways. I think the police really made a blunder my labeling the death as a suicide before they had the autopsy report. Thankfully Katie was doing some digging initially on her own. Clues were dropped nicely for us readers to follow but I was still juggling suspects when the killer was revealed.

A subplot deals with a very relevant 2018 topic. I was impressed by the way this was handled.

I am a huge fan of Dawn Eastman’s stories. This story had a darker feel than her Family Fortune Mysteries, but I enjoyed it just a much. I love the way she tells a story.

Dawn Eastman has done it again. Her writing is amazing. She creates a smooth plot that draws you in and keeps your attention. The characters are well rounded and have room to grow. They become like family and friends even when you want to hate them. The perfect weekend and summer read.

A little to light on the mystery and suspense for me. This was not an awful novel but I wish it could of gotten me hooked in the way a dark mystery does. I just felt the whole time I was reading it was just like BLAH for me. Nothing too scary nothing to eery nothing to OMG for me...it was all so bland.

Dr. Katie LeClair, just having joined a small town family style medical practice finds herself very quickly embroiled in the controversial death of one of her patients by an overdose of a medication she had supposedly prescribed. Initially thought to be a suicide her death is later changed to homicide. Who would want to harm this well liked woman and why? That becomes Katie’s mission to find out. This is a good easy read that focuses more on the investigation into who-dun-it rather than the medical aspects. I’m hoping this is just the beginning of the series as I would like to read more Katie LeClair mysteries.

Unnatural Causes (A Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery)
Dawn Eastman

Beautiful Cover. I really liked this story. It is very well written. Not a lot of medical jargon but enough to keep the reader wondering. Characters were well done and interaction between Katie and her brother,Caleb, was warm. They worked well together. Of course the murder was not as simple as first thought. Seeing how the story progressed often threw the reader of track. A very good mystery with a lot of red herrings and a good ending.
I hope to see more of Dr. Katie LeClair.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did,

Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman is the first book in the Dr. Katie LeClair mystery series. Katie has completed her residency and wants a quiet life as a small town doctor. She moves to Baxter Michigan and sets up a small town practice. A death occurs of one of her patients and is found to died from a prescription Katie prescribed. Katie does not remember writing it and soon is drawn into trying to save her reputation. As she digs deeper into the mystery she finds town secrets and forces working against her .
This is a surprising thriller that is a enjoyable read. I look forward to the next in series.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Unnatural causes by dawn Eastman.
Katie LeClair has finally settled down as the new doctor in Baxter, MI. After years of moving, schooling, and training, she wants nothing more than to find a place she can call home, and a small town outside of Ann Arbor seemed perfect.
A fantastic read with great characters. Loved Kate. How she wouldn't stop til she found the murderer. It wasn't who I thought it would be. 5*.

Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman is the first book in the Dr. Katie LeClair mystery series. I found this to be a suspenseful mystery that had me juggling quite a few suspects along the way. I love the redirections thrown in and the way the story just kept growing. I thought the ending was so good! I am looking forward to more books in this series.

I found this book a fairly interesting read,not too taxing and yes as others have said ‘ a cosy read’,parts of the book did contain twists and turns and kept my interest and I would read the 2nd book in the series to see what happens to. Kate next.

EXCERPT: There was one thing that bothered her about Ellen's death. Katie had no memory of writing that prescription.

THE BLURB: Katie LeClair has finally settled down as the new doctor in Baxter, MI. After years of moving, schooling, and training, she wants nothing more than to find a place she can call home, and a small town outside of Ann Arbor seemed perfect.

Katie quickly gets to work in building a life for herself in Baxter, and beyond reviving her love life, she also finds a pair of business partners in a team of father and son family practitioners. But that idyllic dream is immediately shattered when one of her patients is found dead. That wouldn't be the worst thing, except the death is ruled a suicide, and as evidence has it, the suicide was a result of the medication Katie had prescribed. But she doesn't remember writing it.

When a closer investigation reveals it was murder, Katie is catapulted into an off-the-books investigation that leads her down a dark path of past secrets. But someone is willing to kill to keep part of the town's history in the shadows, and Katie must race to find out who before it's too late in nationally bestselling author Dawn Eastman's riveting series debut Unnatural Causes.

MY THOUGHTS: I mostly enjoyed Unnatural Causes, # 1 in a new series from Dawn Eastman. Although I found it a little light-weight, (I prefer my murder mysteries a little darker), it certainly didn't stop me from turning the pages rapidly. I would classify Unnatural Causes as a 'cosy', which is not a criticism, but personally I would have liked a little more suspense. There was certainly plenty of opportunities for this to happen.

I do have one major gripe which spoiled my reading experience, but I am probably being a bit OCD here. ... (view spoiler) I hate loose ends!

3.5 ☆ for Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman, downgraded to 3☆ due to the issue above.

Will I read more in this series? Yes, I will.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

I give this book 4 out of 5 Suspenseful Stars! I really enjoyed this story and was completely engrossed by the suspense of this story. The story wasn’t too suspenseful but not too cozy either, it was mostly just right. I really enjoyed Katie’s character and the complexity of her relationship with her brother. I found Katie likable and relatable which was fantastic. The reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because I wish their was some more tension in the story at some points. It’s kind of hard to explain, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful novel. The plot was very intriguing and solid. I thought this was a great start to an enthralling series and I am looking forward to the future books in this series!

I would of loved a bit more heartbeat moments I guess you would call it. The story was good don't get me wrong just not as fast passed as I would of liked it. The first part of the book you get to know Katie, the main character. You learn her past, so that when the book does take off you understand her pretty well. I do think that this series is worth a 2nd look and will be waiting for book 2.

Dr. Katie LeClair has finished her residency and has decided small town family practice is where she wants and needs to be. She takes a position as doctor in Baxter Michigan a small town outside of Ann Arbor living with her brother. Everything is going great until one of her patients is found dead. When the death is ruled suicide from a prescription medication she wrote the prescription for. Katie does not recall writing this prescription. When the death is changed from suicide to murder Katie decides to investigate and finds herself smack dab n the middle of the dark side of Baxter's past that someone is tying to keep a secret.

While I went into this story with the impression that it was going to be darker, it was ultimately a good, solid mystery that set the stage for a series that I am very much looking forward to continuing on with! It's light-hearted and low key enough for any mystery lover, but filled with more suspense and tension to set it above more traditional cozys.

I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the small town atmosphere through the eyes of a doctor, and because Katie is relatively new to the community, you get to form your opinion about a lot of these characters right along with her. It was also quite interesting to watch her approach her sleuthing in much the same way that she would diagnose a patient, taking all the parts as a whole rather than trying to make each piece fit. In the end, there is a lot of doubt to cast on a considerable amount of shady individuals and I was kept guessing until the very end as the culprit was someone I never saw coming!

Additionally, Katie is such an extremely likeable and relatable character that along with the connection she has with her brother will make for great fodder as the stories continue. This was such a fast-paced and engrossing start to a series that I will definitely be on the look out for as more books come out.

I have to be honest, I am never sure what I am getting when I read a more suspense driven mystery. But I was thrilled that this book not only kept me in suspense, it was really well written, and didn’t cross extreme boundaries of my comfort zone. It is kind of one of those books that you read and get engrossed in, then don’t know what to do afterwards…. I ponder this still… I guess I will be waiting for her next mystery!

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

Is it a Cozy or is it a Mystery? I don't know, but I do know that I really, really liked it. The start is slooow and there are a looot of characters, but please, please stay with it. The plot is inventive and those medical professionals out there will absolutely love it. There is a lot of medical detail and I bet they are spot on. Several trendy issues are here, but no preaching from the soap box. I will defiantly read more in this series.

Katie LeClair has her first real job after all the schooling it took to become a DOCTOR. She has chosen to settle down as a new doctor in a General Practitioner practice in Baxter, MI. It is a small, rural town where everyone knows everyone's business. She loves it. She and her brother Caleb share a house and life is good. Good, until one of her patients is found almost dead and later dies in the ER run by . . . Matt, the heartthrob resident from Ann Arbor. Not at all what Katie was expecting. And, on closer examination, this was murder.

Katie is drawn into the investigation by Beth, the dead woman's daughter, and it that leads her down a dark path of past secrets and unexplained disappearances. It seems that someone is willing to kill to keep part of the town's history a deeply buried secret or is it the present secrets that they are willing to kill for to keep hidden.

Dr. Katie LeClair recently completed her medical residency and has joined a father/son practice in the small town of Baxter, Michigan. Katie takes it hard when one of her new patients is found dead, an apparent suicide. Katie is suspicious, even before the woman's death is rules murder and puts herself in danger to find the truth and prevent further lives from being taken.

I enjoyed this debut in a new series. The books gets off to a fairly slow start, but once it picks up, I became engaged in the story. Having a practicing physician as the main character in a cozy is interesting and unique. The best part of the book is seeing Katie on the job and all the details included about the interactions between Katie and her patients. I also like seeing how well she and her brother, Caleb, who share a house, get along and support each other.

Dr. Matt Gregor is perfect as a potential love interest and he and Katie share great chemistry. Sometimes parts of the investigation don't seem to fit together, making the plot hard to follow. However, overall, it's an entertaining book, and I would definitely be interested in reading further installments in this new series.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Crooked Lane Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

This may fit the check boxes of a cozy, but it does not really feel like one. But if you are a lover cozies don’t let that deter you because this mystery will keep you hopping from one character to another trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding this little town in Michigan.

Katie may be a newer doctor but that doesn’t keep her from making sure she is doing the best job possible for all her patients. We see the caring side of her with some glimpses into her childhood and the tragedy of losing her mother at a younger age. That coupled with watching over her younger brother gives her that edge and allows her to look deeper when one of her patients dies from an apparent overdose and the feeling that something isn’t quite right.

I never suspected the killer or the reasoning in their thought process until the killer was revealed. The sad part is that if all parties involved would have just talked more the story could have ended differently. The author did a great job of feeding us clues to perhaps suspect some secrets that had not come out over time, but not so many that you figure out the ending.

There is a budding romance between Katie and Matt, another doctor that she knew from her residency days and while he was filling in for other doctors in Baxter. I can’t wait to see how their romance blossoms in future books.

Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman is the first book in A Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series. Dr. Katie LeClair has joined the family practice of Dr.’s Emmett and Nick Hawkins (father and son) in Baxter, Michigan. She is called into the hospital when Ellen Riley is brought in from an overdose of diazepam (and Nick did not answer his page). The bottle states that Katie wrote the prescription, but she never issued it to Ellen. The police believe it is suicide, until Ellen’s daughter, Beth convinces them to take another look. Beth states that Ellen was stressed over research she had been conducting. Ellen had discovered something—did it get her killed? Katie wants answers and enlists her brother, Caleb to assist her. What was Ellen Riley researching and why did Nick not answer his page? Someone is not happy with Katie’s meddling and warns her off her search. Can Katie uncover the killer, or will she end up the next victim?

I thought Unnatural Causes was nicely written and had a good pace. The author establishes Katie’s background early in the story and I found her a likeable, relatable character. The transitions between scenes was smooth (nicely handled by author). There is a repetition of information that could have been eliminated. The same details do not need to be repeated throughout the book. There are two mysteries in the book and both can be solved. The murderer can be discerned early in the story. The why is slowly revealed as the story progresses. There are good clues that will aid readers in solving the mystery. It is slightly convoluted and there is a surprise that readers may not anticipate. There are several suspects and some nice misdirection. The secondary mystery (regarding Nick Hawkins) is interesting and a common problem in our society (unfortunately). The action ramps up in the last 12% of the story. There is a love interest for Katie in the story. I was glad that the romance element was light and not rushed. Unnatural Causes is different from Dawn Eastman’s A Family Fortune Mystery series. It shows the author’s versatility. Unnatural Causes has good bones, and I look forward to reading the next book in A Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series.

A strong start to a bite your nails new series. We meet Katie, whom after years of schooling is finally ready to start her life as a new doctor. She finally finds the perfect place to set down roots and establish herself with the help of her new business partners, a father and son team of family doctors. Everything is moving along great until one of her patients is found dead, an apparent suicide, with the help of a prescription that Katie does not remember writing.
I was a fan of the author before reading this book, now I am even more of one. The characters are wonderfully written, I immediately was taken with Katie and her journey. This story was such a well thought out mystery, it kept me on the edge of my chair. After reading the final chapter, I at once felt a longing for more mystery, more characters. I didn't want it to end, I wasn't ready. I cannot wait for even more in this spectacular series.