Act of Murder

A Doc Brady Mystery (Book 1)

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Pub Date 24 Mar 2020 | Archive Date 26 Aug 2020

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Description

Doc Brady became an orthopedic surgeon to avoid being surrounded by death. But now it’s every where around him. Murder.

One spring day in 1994 Houston, Dr. Jim Bob Brady witnesses his neighbor’s ten-year-old son killed by a hit-and- run driver. An accident, or an act of murder? After the death, Brady enlists the help of his twenty-year-old son J. J. and his wife Mary Louise in chasing down clues that take them deeper and deeper into a Houston he never imagined existed. In the process, they discover a macabre conspiracy stretching from the ivory towers of the largest teaching hospital in Texas, to the upper reaches of Houston’s legal community, to the shores of Galveston.

Doc Brady soon realizes that the old adage remains true: The love of money is the root of all evil.

AUTHOR DR. JOHN BISHOP

Dr. John Bishop has lead a triple life. This orthopedic surgeon and keyboard musician has combined two of his talents into a third, as the author of the beloved Doc Brady mystery series. Beyond applying his medical expertise at a relatable and comprehensible level, Dr. Bishop, through his fictional counterpart Doc Brady, also infuses his books with his love of not only Houston and Galveston, Texas, but especially with his love for his adored wife. Bishop’s talented Doc Brady is confident yet humble, brilliant yet a genuinely nice and funny guy who happens to have a knack for solving medical mysteries, and above all is the doctor who will cure you of your blues and boredom. Step into his world with the first three books of the series, and you’ll be clambering for more.

Doc Brady became an orthopedic surgeon to avoid being surrounded by death. But now it’s every where around him. Murder.

One spring day in 1994 Houston, Dr. Jim Bob Brady witnesses his neighbor’s...


Advance Praise

"An engrossing and satisfying mystery with a humble Texas physician/sleuth at its heart."

—Kirkus Reviews


"John Bishop MD will blow reader's minds when they open up Act of Murder. Readers will be drawn into the story and the case that Dr. Brady gets in the middle of. You will not want to put this book down. Act of Murder will take control of reader's attention and minds and they will be powerless to stop reading......they will have to see things through.....just like Dr. Brady does."

—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews


"This thriller fits within the realm of legal thrillers by John Grisham, though with a medical twist. As the story unfolds Bishop does not shy away from covering darker elements in this mystery. He also is able to bring his own knowledge to the table and craft a story that shows an impressive amount of medical terminology. If you are looking for a read that will keep you guessing then this is a book for you. You can order your copy of Act of Murder today.”

—The Nerdy Girl Express


"The debut novel from author John Bishop M.D. is a solid beginning to a new series featuring the character of Doc Jim Bob Brady and his awesome wife Mary Louise (who is the star of the book). The characters are well-written and the story is a solid mystery.”

— Red Carpet Crash


"Act of Murder is fun, fast, and action packed...a fascinating read that you will not put down until you are finished with the last page. Guaranteed"

— The Boogie Man is My Friend


"Jim Bob and his wife Mary Louise were wonderful, warm, thoughtful and compassionate people who any reader could not help but love. The plot moved along at a good pace. This was a quick and enjoyable read, and it gets my recommendation. I’d be glad to read another Doc Brady novel."

— Men Reading Books


"I loved the plot in this novel, it was fast paced but not too fast that you felt as though you missed something. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and we learned how the characters were connected in such small but extremely important ways. Each character played an important role in the death of the young child and the resulting investigations and mysterious deaths that stem from this. The book is well written and highlights how greed can be a powerful motivator for evil actions. A definite must read novel.”

—Working Mommy Journal


"If you are looking for a unique thriller, I recommend you to give this book a try. I am certainly looking forward to reading the next book in this series." 

— The Book Decoder


"A really well-balanced book that kept me entertained on every level. Looking forward to Brady's next investigation.”

—Books From Dusk Till Dawn

"An engrossing and satisfying mystery with a humble Texas physician/sleuth at its heart."

—Kirkus Reviews


"John Bishop MD will blow reader's minds when they open up Act of Murder. Readers will be drawn...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781734251104
PRICE $12.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)

Average rating from 18 members


Featured Reviews

Hello, Fellow Houstonian here!!

Was extremely excited about this one - grab your Starbucks, and get on board for this thrill ride!

As a Houstonian, understanding the landmarks was tantamount in building my excitement for this well researched thriller.

As a future Author and Legal writer, this was just my cup of Joe. I found I could relate on a personal level, and let me tell ya, this Author knows his stuff.

I loved the woven medical and legal intricacies and how they affected the victims. A hit in run murder of a child, points to more hidden gems in the pages, and a roadmap of pay-offs with twists and turns you don’t see coming. Nothing like a good cover up behind the wealth and greed of big city lawyers and doctors. Makes me envision the downtown Chase building... are ya with me?

I did find the medical terminology a bit much for my taste, but I did expect such going into it. I did a lot of google searching.

The character building was steady and perfectly paced, the prose was dramatic and just dark enough for my liking.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and am looking forward to more by the author.

4 Stars

*Thank you to Net Galley, The Publisher, and Dr.John Bishop for providing me with this thrilling Arc in exchange of my honest review!

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I love love loved this read. It had many twist and turns. Here’s the synopsis, a young boy is hit by car out front his house. His neighbor Jim bob helps the police uncover clues as why it happened and what’s really going on. I could not put this book down. It’s been one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Incredibly detailed and informative. Awesome book!

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An entertaining and solid thriller, well written and full of twists and turns.
It's well researched, the plot flows and the characters are interesting.
Sometimes it's too technical but this doesn't stop you from enjoying it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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A good medical thriller with an orthopaedician investigating the hit and run of a neighbourhood kid. The prose is very well written, the medical terminology might be a bit difficult for those not in this field. The narrative is fast paced and kept me turning the pages. The only thing slowing it was the too frequent scenes of the couple. A solid read for the fans of this genre.

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Act of Murder by John Bishop MD is good mystery. This book is not only plot driven which means the author has spent a fair amount of time on character development. The protagonist is Doc Jim Bob Brady of Houston. This orthopedic surgeon was in his backyard when he heard the squeal of tires and then a thud. When he ran to the front of his house, he saw the crushed body of a 10-year-old neighbor boy, Stevie. He was afraid to move the child because of possible damage to his spinal cord, but there was already no evidence of life. It turned out this was also one of his patients who had a rare disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease which causes imperfect bones to repeatedly fracture, often causing early death. Paramedics were called, but their lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful.

Jim Bob and his wife Mary Louise were wonderful, warm, thoughtful and compassionate people who any reader could not help but love. They were friends with Stevie’s parents (Pete and Bobbie Huntley), but those relationships were greatly strained in response to the grieving for their son. Jim Bob attended the autopsy of Jonny, which only led to his discovery of another 10-year-old who had the same disease and died following surgery that same day of a more advanced form of the same disease. When he glanced at the body of Jonathan Fischer, he was struck by this child’s very similar facial appearance to the deceased neighbor boy. He wondered about the boys having been adopted, a fact which the Huntleys had kept hidden from everyone.

Brady was willing to do some investigation into this matter, and the Detective Susan Beeson was pleased for his help. So, the booked worked thru this mystery, clue by clue. The characters were good and well portrayed. The plot moved along at a good pace. This was a quick and enjoyable read, and it gets my recommendation. I’d be glad to read another Doc Brady novel.

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Act of Murder by Dr. John Bishop was an exciting medical thriller! A child is hit by a car and the driver leaves the scene. I liked that it was a medical thriller with the doctor investigating what happened!

I thought the story was fast-paced and easy to read. The medical investigation was very intriguing. I stumbled a bit at medical terminology, but not so much that it deterred me from enjoying the book!

I would recommend this for readers that enjoy medical mysteries!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

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In the mid-90s of Houston, Texas, orthopedist Dr James Brady —better known as Jim Bob — is watering the potted plants in his backyard when he hears tires screeching and a soft thunk, which draws him to the street. Lying on the pavement is 10-year-old Stevie Huntley, but the vehicle that ran him down is long gone.

Witnesses cite a small red pickup truck as the deadly hit-and-run vehicle, which sends the Houston Police Department into search mode while Detective Susan Beeson canvasses the neighborhood for information.

Stevie had a mild form of a rare bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, which caused his bones to break easily. While leaving the mortuary after Stevie’s autopsy, he spots another tiny body on the table, its exposed spine cruelly twisted into an S-shape, and can’t believe his eyes: he’s staring at Stevie’s twin.

As his practice’s managing partner lashes out in inexplicable fury and a mysterious woman returns to University Hospital, Jim Bob unearths information that exposes secrets whose keepers have gone to great lengths to keep permanently buried, and people who will resort to anything, including murder, to take what they consider their due.

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