Hmmmm. This is a hard one.
I was super excited to read this from the information on the blurb. I thought it would be a racy thriller based on a murderous doctor.
To say I was let down would be an understatement. Where was the thriller? The last 30 pages probably. The doctor? Unlikeable just like the rest of the characters.
I really think that the wording on the cover should be changed as it makes it out to be a completely different plot. And the murderer was easily guessable that when I got to the end I wasn’t shocked at all. It was also very repetitive, the same things just happened constantly and therefore I feel there wasn’t really any substance to the plot.

I feel bad being so negative about the book, but unfortunately I can’t help the way I felt reading it.

*instagram post to follow soon

Alison leaves London after a divorce, an affair her husband had with her coworker and job suspicion. Her new job seems like it could be the answer to her prayers for a fresh start. Soon she seems to be targeted at work and at home and met with hostile villagers. Beside the sabotage at work, a serial killer is at work killing people who are in the hospital. Is she next? The premise of this book was interesting but it became too much. It was as if to make a point, the author had the villain go very far overboard. This is a case of less can be more. It was a first novel so would be interested to see what comes next from this author

Having worked in hospitals I found this an easy read, fairly creditable but fairly obvious as to who was the murderer. Alison seemed a bit weak to be in the job she was in and resorted to the cure of the wine bottle too often. Mike sounded a nice character and was good support when neededbut again the relationship was easy to see where it was going.

Grabbed from the first pages a hospital patients dying a true page turner.Well written tense a book that kept me up late into the night.#netgalley #avonbooksuk.

Patients are dying in the hospital and the culprit has to be found. The story is unrealistic, and the plot is predictable. Very slow-paced and boring with a better ending. A very average reading.

The tag line for this story drew me right in. I wanted to know whether this character was a life saver or a killer. Medical thrillers hold a special place for me and I feel like they have to be done right and this was! It took me a little bit to get into the story but once I did, I was hooked!

A good thriller over all.
Dr Alison Wilson has just become medical director of St Margaret's hospital where staff morale is low and the CQC rating just as bad. Someone resents her appointment and is doing everything they can to get her sacked. On top of it all someone also seems to be playing god and patients are dying unexpectedly.
The author has worked for the NHS so most of the medical details are correct but there are a few errors which was a shame. Could have been a bit shorter but with just as much impact. The ending was messy and somewhat far fetched. It would have been much better to have had a showdown in the office or at the disciplinary. Harming animals always loses a star I'm afraid
I think the author is just finding her feet at the moment and I think subsequent books will be better

Excellent, excellent, excellent! I loved the character development, plot, thoroughness, and the twist! This was a wonderful suspense novel.

Something Dark Lurks..
Something dark lurks at St Margaret’s Hospital. Something or someone that may well be hiding in plain sight. When Doctor Alison Wilson takes a new role there, hiding from demons of her own, she becomes aware that something is definitely amiss - but what is it? She is soon uncovering a string of secrets and lies. With a carefully and authentically crafted setting, a busy plot populated with an array of characters, potential suspects and red herrings alike, this is an engaging and atmospheric medical suspense albeit with clichés aplenty.

This book is different and I think that is what made the book stand out.

Set in a hospital Alison takes on the job of Medical Director in a small town. The last one resigned and Alison does everything she can to improve the hospital. Although not everyone is open to her suggestions...

A really good read. A bit slow to get in but here you are getting to know the background, atmosphere and characters. Once I had past that I couldn't stop reading.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Somebody is murdering patients. A new medical director is employed after the previous one left under a cloud. The new director’s every move is sabotaged. She believes someone is hacking into her computer. The director is also targeted at home her every move watched her personal safety threatened. There is no support from her hospital manager or his sidekick. Read the book to find out more.

This story is a bit unbelievable. The director is the target of many personal attacks which affects her work and safety at the hospital .These attacks are largely ignored by her senior management who do nothing to support her. I found this an annoying frustrating read. 3 stars

I enjoy medical thrillers but this novel did not have the pace or engagement to keep me involved. The authors medical background shone through and I liked the hospital detaiks.

Alison takes up the post of medical director to turn around the figures and get the hospital ratings up, not expecting in the quiet seaside town to be confronted with a series of attacks at her new home, car and cat.
Nothing quite added up right? Appointments cancelled, figures changed, emails going missing and reports changed a trip to IT doesn’t help and leaves Alison changing her password daily and reverting back to paper diaries and phone calls and text messages.
Not quite the excitement but still unable to put the book down. Having my own suspicions and being totally wrong made this a quick read.

A intriguing, completely gripping and suspense filled book. One that is guanteeded to make you stop and think for sure. Lots of politics, lots of scary for real moments. Very well written.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased and honest review.
Really enjoyed this book as backed up by the fact that I rattled through it at a fair old rate.
Really interesting to understand the politics involved in running a hospital and mixing it with a number of suspicious deaths in it.
Doctor Alison Wilson is running away from her life in London and takes up a role as Medical Officer in a small coastal town's hospital.
Things start to wrong very early with someone targeting her at home as well as at work.
Is it someone from her past, is it the person she replaced at the hospital, is it the doctor who claims she bullied him and is currently on sick leave as a result.
Decent thriller with a few twists along the way.
Solid four stars

Whoa! Kind of a scary thought, this book definitely makes you think! It had suspense, intrigue, action murder, mystery, serial killer, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and a bit scary! It kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The Doctor by Annie Payne was an engrossing read.

I was completely immersed in this book and didn’t want to put it down.
An atmospheric read that I read in one sitting and kept me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding.
This book has everything I’d hoped it would have.
A story not to be missed.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You Netgalley and Avon Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

This book started off good but unfortunately it became very frustrating. The plot was just really predictable. I was hugely unimpressed.

I love a good medical thriller, but sadly this one didn't really work for me. The beginning seemed promising, but sadly the story got more and more predictable the further you read and it didn't really manage to hold my attention all the way through.

The plot was pretty predictable, I guessed the reveal early and there was never really any suspense. The story was a bit cheesy at times, and also became pretty boring in the middle. It seemed like everyone was suddenly a suspect for whatever reason, no matter if it made sense or not.

The ending was alright, but overall this turned out to be a pretty average read for me.

If you enjoyed creepy medical thrillers, this is for you. It was ine of the best I've read. Kept me on my toes throughout. The hunt for a serial killer in the hospital grounds. I was suspecting everyone! Brilliant story xx