Lifelines
By C. J. Lyons
Berkeley, $7.99
ISBN: 978-0-425-22082-5

C.J. Lyons is an engaging new voice in the mystery scene, and a most welcome one. With her debut novel, she presents Dr. Lydia Fiore, who, as the book begins, is entering her first day of work as attending physician in the Emergency Department at Angels of Mercy Medical Center, as well as the new medical director and training advisor of the EMS. Lydia, now 30 years old, is a product of LA's foster care system, newly arrived in town and trying to adjust to life in Pittsburgh, a far cry from the surfer world she knew. She appears to be earning the grudging respect of her new colleagues when a trauma patient comes in, a 28-year-old male pedestrian struck down by a car, suddenly in much worse condition than originally thought, having lost consciousness and gone into profound respiratory distress in the ambulance en route to the hospital.

Although Lydia takes every conceivable step she can think of to save him, the patient dies. Lydia, tormenting herself with what she may have missed that might have saved the young man's life, finds she doesn't have that luxury as her problems have more far-reaching consequences: the dead man is the son of the hospital's chief of surgery, who publicly accuses her of killing his son. She is immediately placed on suspension, threatening her entire professional career and civil and possibly criminal charges promised. The mystery arises when it appears that the dead man, a gay rights activist, may have been murdered.

Lydia is but one of the hospital workers featured in the book. There is also Gina, third-year emergency medical resident; Amanda, 4th-year med student; Nora, the charge nurse who butts heads with Lydia on her first day but is slowly coming to admire her medical skills; Seth, fourth-resident surgical resident and Nora's boyfriend, who apparently has some secrets; and the assorted male docs, interns and paramedics who orbit their lives. Interspersed with exciting and realistic medical crises both in and outside of the hospital [the author is a pediatric ER physician] are scenes giving the reader gradual knowledge of the women's private lives. At the risk of getting corny [which the book is not], the novel is all about the literal as well as figurative lifelines we all reach for. This is a first-rate novel, with strong plotting, well-drawn characters, and just enough romance to not get in the way of the mystery, and is recommended.

Review by GLORIA FEIT

©2008 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.