Fatal Intent by Tammy Euliano is a fast-paced medical mystery thriller. The story follows the main character Dr. Kate Downey who starts looking into the unexpected deaths of elderly patients after minor surgeries, which shouldn’t have killed them. Kate is an anesthesiologist and was part of the team involved in the surgeries. While she suspects the surgeon Dr. Charles Ricken, she does not have any evidence to prove it. The Chief of Staff is quick to blame Dr. Kate Downey as she is already under probation for a previous error, she committed during a heart transplant. Kate now has to prove her innocence to not only save her job but her career as well. And she must do it while caring for her husband who’s in a vegetative state after an accident while on duty.

When Christian O’ Donnell, a lawyer and the son of one of the victims, offers to help her, she finds herself with an accomplice and a good friend. Kate wrestles with her growing feelings for Christian while she feels guilty for her feelings when her husband is in such a state.

The whole story takes place within a two-three weeks window and is paced very well. Clues that lead to the original killer are placed throughout the book, plus one to the author for managing to do this in as subtle a manner as possible. One of the most annoying things I find in thriller novels is when clues end up becoming spoilers. Tammy Euliana has managed to provide the readers with enough to keep it interesting, but at the same time keep us guessing. Dr. Kate Downey is a lovable character and as a reader, I felt an instant connection to her. She goes through a variety of internal emotional conflicts during the two weeks of traumatic events as the story unfolds. It culminates by leading her to an impossible decision where she must make a choice on who to save among all her loved ones. An impossible choice for any human let alone a Doctor who has taken an oath to protect all lives.

The Climax of the story reveals the killer and the figure behind the killer. While I was able to guess who it might be, I was pleasantly surprised by the manner in which it was revealed. It kept me on the edge of my seat and had me turning the pages without missing a beat. The only aspect that I did not like was the stereotyping of POC. The author describes a Black Man for the security guard role, an Asian Ph.D. researcher, and a Latina Housekeeper. I would’ve preferred it if the author hadn’t done that and left their ethnicity out of the descriptions for these very minor roles that are a blink and you miss roles in the book. Religion and the right to live or die is a big concept of this book. However, the author has managed to base the mystery on this concept without making it controversial.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it to everyone who loves a good mystery thriller, especially those who love medical mysteries.

I give it a solid 4/5 stars.

Fatal Intent by Tammy Euliano was a great mystery that kept me intrigued until the very end.

Just enough twists and turns to keep you interested. Love the MC - Dr. Kate Downey. Overall I give this a 5 star review. This book was provided to me in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Elderly patients were dying days after having surgery. This book had many twists and turns and kept me guessing from the first page through the last. This book was well written and I cant wait to read Tammy's next one.