I loved every minute spent reading this novel and this author has solidified herself as one of my favorites. Her writing style is completely immersive and I often forget I'm reading and not living life as one of the characters (FBI special agent, of course). I especially love her knowledge of the medical field and the way she shares the information so it's easy to understand and flows as part of the story. It adds an extra layer to the plot and increases the sense of urgency. There's a crazy twist or two to the storyline that I never saw coming and the ending was sheer perfection. You don't want to miss this one!

I was gripped from the very first lines of Cristina LePort's CHANGE OF HEART--surprising me since a young medical student is dying and the detailed analysis of her brain death was more brain facts than I want to know, BUT somehow, I cared about her and the detective called in on the case plus the other investigators joining him in uncovering a complex, dangerous business in organ harvesting. I didn't always like the medical details, but I did enjoy the front-row seat in a suspense-filled, wonderfully written story. LePort's characters feel like people I know, encouraging me to cheer them on and worry about them when the criminals were too close. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

In the bustling heart of New York City, a young medical student's life is tragically cut short, though her heart continues to beat, holding the promise of life for another. Detective Kirk Miner is called to the scene and quickly uncovers a chilling conspiracy involving organ donations and high-stakes crime. As the investigation unfolds, Miner realizes the case is far more complex and dangerous than it initially seemed.

Enter FBI Agent Jack Mulville, who steps in to supervise Special Agent Charlotte Bloom as they join forces with Miner. Together, they unravel a web of corruption, revealing that Amy Winter's death is connected to a ruthless organ trafficking ring. Amy Winter, a promising pre-med student, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Her death triggers an investigation that pulls Miner, Mulville, and Bloom into a labyrinth of deceit and desperation. As they dig deeper, they discover that Amy's heart is not just a donor's gift but a coveted prize in a deadly game controlled by criminals willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.

The quest for justice takes Miner, Mulville, and Bloom through the shadowy underbelly of organ trafficking, revealing the lengths to which people will go to secure life-saving transplants. Amidst the danger, they face moral dilemmas and personal risks, pushing them to their limits as they strive to protect innocent lives and dismantle a powerful criminal network.

"Change of Heart" is a gripping medical thriller that intertwines the intricacies of modern medicine with the relentless pursuit of justice. Cristina LePort, M.D., masterfully combines her medical expertise with edge-of-your-seat storytelling, delivering a novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night. Dr. LePort is an accomplished physician with a passion for weaving medical knowledge into thrilling narratives. Her extensive background in medicine lends authenticity and depth to her stories, making the Miner & Mulville series a unique blend of fact and fiction.

Loved it. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

This is an enthralling story that I found nearly impossible to put down. It begins with finding a young woman, Amy Winters, a medical student, shot in the head, right in front of a hospital. She is brain dead; however, her heart is still beating, making her the perfect candidate to donate a heart for transplant to a patient waiting for a heart. Having her found right at the hospital, makes it possible to give her still beating heart a patient in need of a new heart.
Detective Kirk Miner is recruited to work with the New York Police, however, upon further investigation, a conspiracy theory is formed that necessitates getting the FBI involved. It seems careful murders and suicides are occurring for the sole purpose of harvesting organs to accommodate those on a patient transplant list, specifically waiting for a heart.
As the case becomes more complex and dangerous, the FBI is called in. Special Agent Charlotte Bloom, and her Supervisor, Agent Jack Mulville, join forces with Detective Miner and it is soon apparent this is a very dangerous and corrupt operation of organ trafficking.
This story takes the reader on a wild ride as more deceit and unscrupulousness acts are revealed. Shocking, life-changing secrets are revealed as more information and details comes to light.
I absolutely could not put this riveting book down and kept reading until the last page was turned.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Change of Heart, by Cristina LePort, MD, is an exciting, fast paced medical thriller that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
In New York City, a medical student is found brain dead. Detective Kirk Miner arrives on scene and soon starts to uncover a dangerous conspiracy. He soon realizes that this case is far more intricate than it originally seemed.
Then FBI Agent Jack Mulville arrives to supervise Special Agent Charlotte Bloom as they work with Miner. All together, they discover corruption involving an organ trafficking ring.
Together they're in a race against time to prevent more deaths.

Change of Heart by Dr. Christina Laporte is as intriguing and exciting as an open-heart surgery. But with more unpredictability and more violence. Amy Winters is a medical student in New York City who is found dead. Her death took place in front of a hospital, which facilitated an easy path to donation. The reader sees more and more of these crimes. Are they murders or suicides? The FBI is brought in to assist the NYPD. Is this an organ trafficking ring or a coincidence? Change of Heart is a superior blend of medical mystery and an absorbing police procedural. It is a wild ride, and readers would be advised to secure the first title in the series, Dissection.

FBI Agent Jack Mulville, Special Agent Charlotte Bloom and Detective Kirk Miner work together to solve the murder of a young woman. As the investigation evolves, they discover an organ trafficking ring. It’s a gripping, fast paced thriller full of suspense and intrigue. A must-read for mystery readers.

"A Miner & Mulville medical thriller"


In the bustling heart of New York City, Amy, a young medical student, has her life tragically cut short under mysterious circumstances, though her heart continues to beat, holding the promise of life for another. Private Detective Kirk Miner is called to the scene and quickly uncovers a chilling conspiracy involving organ donations and high-stakes crime. As the investigation unfolds, Miner realizes the case is far more complex and dangerous than it initially seemed.

Enter FBI Agent Jack Mulville, who steps in to supervise Special Agent Charlotte Bloom, who is nearing the end of her probation, as they join forces with Miner. Together, they unravel a web of corruption, a labyrinth of manipulation, deceit and desperation. The deeper they dig, the more they realise that Amy's heart is not just a donor's gift, but a coveted prize in a deadly game, controlled by criminals willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.

Amidst the ever-increasing danger, Kirk, Jack and Charlotte, together with Doctor Zayne, face moral dilemmas and personal risks, pushing them to their limits as they strive to protect innocent lives and dismantle a powerful criminal network.

…

"Change of Heart" is a multi-faceted, gripping medical thriller which cleverly and authentically intertwines the intricacies of modern medicine with the relentless pursuit of justice, thus making the Miner & Mulville series a unique blend of fact and fiction. This story has it all; medical expertise, murder, mystery, cybercrime, ethics and moral issues, and romance.

When I agreed with Meryl Moss Media Group to review this title, I hadn't realised that it was in fact, book #2 in the series, so it was with no preconceived ideas of whether I would be able to dove-tail into the backstory details, that I began reading. No worries on that score however, so, despite now probably having to revisit old ground with the characters, I shall be adding book #1 to my list and hoping to get hold of a copy very soon.

I was also kicking myself early on for choosing to read any heart operation related storylines right now, as my husband is waiting on a date for open-heart surgery, to replace a damaged heart valve. However, with a plot which combined the storytelling technique of Robin Cook, a master in the genre; together with the hard-hitting, gritty dialogue and narrative reminiscent of the great Tess Gerritsen; I became too engrossed and immersed to give my nagging doubts the light of day. It certainly pays dividends when an author writes about a subject they know like the back of their hand and is also totally versed in wrapping that professional knowledge around a gripping fictional plot, which has multiple jaw-dropping twists and turns along the way, is fast-paced, full of action and presented in neatly defined and good length chapters.

The characters are well defined, developed and totally relatable in the roles they have been assigned. I'm not sure how well the personality of trainee FBI agent Charlotte Bloom resonated with me, as whilst I could sympathise with the personal and professional dilemmas she faced, I do believe that she was too keen to put herself first and the mission second, at the expense of Kirk and Jack, even going so far as to put their lives in danger.

Jack Mulville clearly has a soft spot for his young protégé, who is more like a daughter to him and is prepared to give her much more free rein then he might anyone else, a situation which Charlotte doesn't totally recognise, but which she is clearly willing to take advantage of in this instance. Jack gets rather side-lined by Charlotte and her manipulation of the truth, especially when Kirk becomes complicit in the subterfuge, which didn't sit well with me.

Doctor Zayne is also besotted by Charlotte, and whilst he reluctantly allows himself to become embroiled in the operation to uncover the dangerous criminal boss who is manipulating the donor register for his own personal reasons and bring him down, his medical training won't allow him to overlook completely the dire risk to her own health Charlotte is taking.

Kirk Miner is your typical ex-police officer turned Private Investigator. Being a cop had taken a terrible toll on his family life and, unwilling for his relationship to go the way as that of so many of his colleagues, his change of job was meant to bring a stability to his career, which would by default make his home life happier. So far however, his wife Aurora had seen only minimal improvements and this time Kirk had unwittingly put her life in danger as well as his own, so I shall be keen to follow this particular aspect of the series and see how things pan out for the couple.

This book is all about the storyline and characters, so location was never really a strong factor, with the action predominantly taking place in and around medical facilities, which could have been located almost anywhere in the USA. However, such was the descriptive power of the writing, that each new scene was brought to life as if I were there and part of the action - often not a good place for me, as I suffer terribly with 'white-coat syndrome' and will generally avoid doctors and medical institutions at all cost.

You probably won't be surprised that this was a 5* read for me all the way!

A gripping medical thriller that pushes the boundaries of ethics, HIPPA and relationships.
A PI who quit the police force to stay safe for his wife and son, only to be drawn into a medical hacking scheme. An FBI cyber crime Probie who excels at hacking, perhaps even better than the bad guys. These are the characters that draw you into this book. These characters and the “chain donation” which is the “heart” of who is next to get a viable heart. Written by a doctor the book resonates with solid medical information and the possibility of medical suicide. I received an arc from Netgalley and Bancroft Press. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Kirk being called to a scene where a supposedly suicide took place. The event took place in front of a hospital with a note identifying the victim as wanting to donate her organs. After Kirk looked the scene over, he determined that the victim was murdered and the note was probably. Kirk was told by John, his friend and police capt., that the FBI was taking the case over and Kirk was to be the police liaison.

The FBI agent that Kirk was to work with was named Bloom and she was with the cypher division. As the investigation proceeded, it was learned that there was a Donor list and several of the people on the list as donors had also committed suicide and near a medical facility so their organs could be utilized. They discovered by reviewing the list that there was mystery patient as well as donor that plays a major role.

To discover what exactly Kirk and Bloom learned, who was killing the donors and how everything worked out in the end, then you must read this book.

This will definitely keep you reading not wanting to put it down. Don't miss out, get this book, you won't be sorry.

This was a really well-thought-out book. Great characters to become attached to. The story revolves around who is going to get heart transplants. There are some very good surprises in store for the reader. Nice combination of medical and mystery. I highly recommend this reading.

Another great entry into the medical thriller genre. In this story we learn a lot about the very lucrative organ donor-harvesting-transplant business. The investigation reveals lots of information as the detectives aren’t on Vince’s the death was accidental or coincidental. We’ll design plot with excellent characters.

Review of eBook

Amy Winters is dead, shot in the head. But her heart is still beating. And she’s left a note indicating her desire to be an organ donor.

Private investigator Kirk Miner, called to the scene by NYPD captain John Spencer, has been asked to consult. What, at first, seemed to be a suicide, may be murder.

FBI probationary special agent Charlotte Bloom, assigned to the cybercrime division, longs to be in the field, working on challenging cases.

Circumstances conspire to bring these people together in an unexpected way, setting the stage for long-held secrets to come to light. And why does the hacking of hospital records play such an important part in the investigation?

=========

Believable characters in plausible situations populate this medical thriller. Anchored by a strong sense of place and a clever, inventive plot, the unfolding narrative pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the outset. The medical details add depth to the telling of the tale and the fast pace keeps the story moving.

Moral and ethical questions, the inevitable politics, and the challenges faced by doctors all work together to make this tale both captivating and thought-provoking. Filled with surprising twists, this medical murder mystery keeps those pages turning as fast as possible. With readers on the edge of their seats, the revelations keep readers guessing right up to the satisfying denouement.

Readers who enjoy mysteries with a medical twist will find much to appreciate here as will those who are looking for a good mystery.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Bancroft Press and NetGalley
#ChangeofHeart #NetGalley

Kirk Miner was nicknamed “The Medical Detective”. A former cop turned private investigator, he was often called in as a criminal case consultant. Medical student Amy Winters had seemingly committed suicide by shooting herself in the temporal lobe. She was found inside her vehicle parked in front of a NY Medical Center. The passenger seat, containing a signed and dated note, stated her intention to donate her organs. Before the fatal shot was fired, 911 had been called. In order to save lives, Amy must be rescued before her organs shut down.

In just two months, Charlotte Bloom’s probationary period would end and she would become FBI Cyber Special Agent Bloom. A glitch might disqualify her, one she must keep under wraps.

Kirk Miner and Charlotte Bloom, chosen by the FBI in conjunction with the NYPD, were tasked with investigating unsolved cybercrime, crimes that had been escalating since hospital medical records were hacked one year ago. The main suspect orchestrating these breaches was a slippery mobster, someone continuing to illegally access patient information. The death of Amy Winter, a homicide made to look like suicide, was an attempt to harvest her organs.

NY Medical Center maintained a chain donation database. Each patient signed up with a potential donor. To create anonymity, patients were identified by a letter and number. Suicides among chain donors were found to be at an all time high. Who would benefit? “Someone wanted Amy Winter’s heart to go to a certain patient, very badly.”

This medical thriller will leave the reader breathless. It has it all; medical expertise written in layman terms, mystery, cybercrime, ethics and moral issues and romance. The cast of protagonists are well fleshed out and relatable. Author Cristina LePort, MD has written an outstanding novel that is adrenaline charged and unputdownable.

Thank you Bancroft Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.