In the mixture of genres isn’t enough to get you interested, the way they are worked together in the story should. When a “dead” soldier ‘comes to life’ on the autopsy table the thrill ride is just beginning. Action, betrayals, action, intrigue, action, misdirection, action, deception, and more action make for an excellent novel.

A gripping and fast paced medical military thriller. A great combination. Shulkin delivers a great read filled with action, medical science and military operations. Without getting to deep into the science, he delivers on the level that the reader can grasp. You will not be disappointed in this novel.

A captivating and engaging read that held my attention from the outset. The plot was rife with intrigue and suspenseful action. As someone who hasn't explored the medical thriller or military genres before, I found this book to be quite an enjoyable experience, full of unexpected twists and turns.

A bit of a slow start but then picks up the pace
Dual timelines that intersect. Military advancements, testing humans and regeneration . The scary thing is you can imagine this scenario happening. Looking forward to more books by Joel.

military, medical-examiner, medical-doctor, pathology, PTSD, regret, relationships, relationship-issues, relatives, forensic-medicine, forensic-pathology, siblings, missing-persons, thriller, suspense, cover-up, combat, action, secrets, lies, conspiracy, unputdownable, new-series, first-in-series*****

This retired RN was entirely caught up in this action thriller despite its moderate misogyny. The story is intense and rapidly switches from one aspect to another at the pace of Olympic slalom skiing.
Looking forward to the audiobook READ BY AUTHOR
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you
#DeathBenefitsBk1 #Forensics #MedicalThriller #MilitaryMystery #BookTwitter #ibpa #ZeroDarkPublications

Heroic Measures is a fast paced military action thriller about an American Medical Examiner working on an army base in Germany, who uncovers a shocking conspiracy to create unkillable supersoldiers. It’s the opener for a planned series and according to the author’s afterword, was inspired by his love of superhero stories.

Stephen Englehart never got over the violent deaths of his parents when he was only young, and threw himself into a pathology career so he could give other families the answers he never got for himself. When bodies from a massacre in the Middle East are diverted to his base, the initial autopsy findings don’t match the information his team have been given, and Stephen suspects something sinister is afoot - and then a supposedly dead soldier wakes up! Meanwhile his sister Sharon, a formidable Green Beret, is looking forward to catching up with him en route to her next posting - but then she goes missing…

Not knowing much about the US military hierarchy and structure, I initially found this a bit bewildering, between all the different ranks, acronyms and base names, but once the plot got going that didn’t matter and this turned into a fun adventure story with fantastical elements straight out of Marvel. It’s well written - the author is a practising physician and it shows in the various forensic details described.
There’s murder, intrigue, twists, a little romance, a female protagonist who’s way more kick-ass than her geek-hero brother, and dastardly villains - I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel, Extraordinary Measures, which is due out next year.

Thanks to the author for the ARC. Heroic Measures is published on September 17th 2024.

So You're Investigating A Dead Body - That Moves. What Do You Do? And thus, the critical hook here. Shulkin combines his own military experience generally with his general medical knowledge as a working MD and spins a tale he openly admits (in the Author's Note) was designed to pay homage to some of the great comic book tales of old - and it absolutely works. The Nick Fury level spy story, the Purple Man horror of not being in complete control of your own body, in addition to the far more obvious Captain America and Hulk aspects here. Indeed, Shulkin takes nearly the entirety of the Marvel *comic* stories - where *oh so much* of the villains' actions revolved around some version of trying to recreate the Super Soldier program that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America - and manages to use that as inspiration for a plausible-enough real-world tale of how those things could actually play out.

Thus, for those looking for a fun action read with balls to the wall "total nonstop" action... this is going to be a ride you're going to love. For those needing a palate/ mind cleanse from the seriousness of whatever drama/ suspense/ thriller had your brain in a twist or from the latest bubblegum pop saccharine sweet romance (with perhaps some ghost pepper spice, if that is your thing)... this is going to give you exactly that. A fun few hours of engaging your brain just enough to follow along with all the twists here - and shutting it down enough to simply enjoy the ride. (At nearly 400 pages, this is on the longer side for many readers, though perhaps fantasy readers will enjoy the "speed read", since their books generally double that length. ;) )

Overall a fun read that does everything Shulkin set out to do and likely then some, this is absolutely one to check out almost no matter your normal preferences.

Very much recommended.

Loved this book. It was very well played out, i loved all the characters! Joel is so talented in his writing and this book really shows that

A bit of a supernatural story, set in Germany including one family and their voluntary commitment to the military, and their involuntary changes their lives and bodies go through. With a emphasis on what being a hero takes. Will the brother and sister be able to save on another?

This was quite the read and it kept me hooked and entertained throughout.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin MD was so good I ended up sitting in my comfy chair reading it in one sitting. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, Heroic Measures is a very fast paced military action thriller and is about an American Medical Examiner called Stephen Englehart, he dedicates his life to bringing peace to the families of fallen soldiers and is working on an army base in Germany. Whilst in the middle of the autopsy, the impossible happens.

The soldier wakes up.

He then uncovers a shocking conspiracy to create un-killable super soldiers.

WoW....This book would make a great film.....

I highly recommend this book. 5 star read!

Thank you to Joel Shulkin for the ARC!

The medical examiner's job is to speak for the dead…but what happens when the dead speak for themselves?

Stephen Englehart is an Armed Forces medical examiner, whose job it is to bring peace to the families of fallen soldiers. He’s also fantastic at spotting forensic clues that others often miss. But when the body of a fallen Marine, supposedly burned beyond recognition, shows up without a scratch, Stephen is confused. But then, in the middle of the autopsy - somehow the soldier wakes up. Something is going on that even Stephen can’t understand. When his own sister goes missing, he knows he has to get to the truth to save her.

The whole concept of waking up during an autopsy sold me on this book - how wild! As someone who didn’t respond well to anesthesia, and felt the majority of my c-section operation years ago, the idea of something like this happening terrifies me. Stephen’s confusion was all too understandable as he tried to get to the bottom of things. With a fast pace, lots of action, and a dash of a superhero story, “Heroic Measures” is a unique techno-thriller. If you enjoy action-packed stories with a military setting, give this one a try! It looks to be the beginning of a series as well.

This book is out now! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)