- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Dr. Simon Patterson is a successful and well-respected neurosurgeon at Central Hospital in Seattle. He saves the life of the powerful mobster Carlo Vucci. Three weeks later, Christine, Carlo Vucci’s wife shows up at the hospital, complaining of terrible headaches. A series of shocking events follow that turn Dr. Patterson’s life into a nightmare.
nle1
Posted February 14, 2012
If you’re the wife of a researcher; be prepared to take the back burner to mice, rats, rabbits and other critters that come cheap and can be tossed if they die. If you’re married to Dr. Simon Patterson like Helen is; even Dorothy the rabbit upstages you. A plus might be that if his experiment works, Simon Patterson will have discovered the way to a much longer life. Not that Helen is anyone’s idea of a gem. She is shrill, nagging, shrill, beautiful, shrill, nagging….you get the idea. She wants something – ANYTHING – other than what she has. She is openly envious of all who are rich and can travel, vacation in exotic spots and tells them so with every breath.
Then Simon saves the life of a very special man: Carlo Vucci and instantly is in Carlo’s inner circle. Possibly a little too in as Carlo’s wife Christine starts finding excuses to visit Simon at the hospital. Soon they have gotten closer than planned and if a comparison of Helen and Christine, Helen isn’t even on the dance card. The closeness evolves into an affair and, knowing that Carlo will kill them if he finds out, the couple go through many moves to stop that from happening. Alas, you know they never work.
Simon is hiding from Carlo, Catherine is pursuing Simon, someone kills Helen in her bedroom, Simon’s chief assistant is gunning for Simon’s job. Such chaos, several murders and near riots ensue. Someone is double-crossing everyone else and there are several suspects. Figuring it out is the fun part!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Everybody wants something from Dr. Simon Patterson; his wife, Helen, wants him to make more money so she can have better things, his chief at the hospital wants him to just concentrate on being a neurosurgeon, and his assistant, Jerry, wants Simon to let him become an associate. With all these people harping on him for something Simon finds himself running into the arms of Christine Vucci, the wife of local mobster Carlo Vucci. In the end no one is safe from all the revenge going around.
There are many characters in this book which at first had me a little confused but once I got used to all the characters I was hooked at how all their lives seemed intricately connected. While the book is mainly about Simon it does also follow the relationships of others and some glimpses into the lives of the other characters. Throughout many of the relationships in the book there seemed to be one character that was controlling and the other that seemed weak. This can be seen through the many romantic relationships, i.e Simon and Helen, Anita and Jerry, Carlo and Christine. I liked the contrasting of the controlling and weak characters.
I loved the action in this book, it was fast-paced and I couldn't get enough of it. I also liked that with the action there was also some mystery, like who really killed Helen? I have to say that I was surprised when it was finally revealed who killed her.
In regards to Simon's arrest and trial, from what I had read I didn't think the police really did have enough evidence to arrest them and really not enough to try him for murder. That is probably just the paralegal student in me though.
I was happy to see some characters get their revenge in the end. In the end those characters who were driven to do deceitful things get knocked down a notch.
Overall this is a fast-paced book that jumps into the action right away. Readers are shown characters with different wants and just how far they are willing to go get what they want. For some of these characters you'd get chills just to see how far they are willing to go.
[I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Set in and around a hospital in Medford Oregon, Ian Fox’s Promise me Eternity tells the stories of criminals, self-absorbed doctors, unfaithful wives, ambitious girlfriends, broken homes and wounded childhoods all rolled into one. With so many flawed characters it was hard sometimes to settle into reading—each new scene feeling like an accident waiting to happen. Promise Me Eternity is not a comfortable book or a quick read, but it does have a soap-opera allure as it meanders from hospital to rich man’s home, from bedroom to operating theater, and from FBI agent’s files to doctor’s notes. The ending returns fairly satisfyingly to the start and leaves the reader to enjoy the company of one honest protagonist and kind relationship.
There’s a nice hint of mystery in the well-chosen first scene that keeps the reader turning pages, but the large cast of characters can sometimes be confusing and multiple backstories seemed a little distracting and slow. Hospital scenes with neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists never quite felt convincing to me, which may say more about my interests than my knowledge. Meanwhile dogged investigators chip at the edges of the tale, slipping in and out at inopportune moments.
A long dark tale with tortured characters and cruel twists of fate, this novel blends medical mystery, psychological drama, thriller, suspense, action, romance and more, fitting something for everyone into the tale of man who’d like to save the world if the world would only let him.
Disclosure: I received a free ecopy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Anonymous
Posted March 31, 2012
This is a must read! I love this author and will read anything he writes!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
"Promise Me Eternity" by Ian Fox was indeed good suspense mystery. The author
really had a lots going on in this novel. It was a long read and if you are
able to stick with it.. lots of details ....you will find its a very good read.
The characters go on and on....Dr. Simon Patterson, (his wife) Helen, Anita and
Jerry, Carlo and Christine, Edna, and Paul Tuttle only to name a few. All of these
characters and more really prove to be very interesting people in this novel that
changes a lot in each chapter. You will have to definitely keep up or you will be
left wondering just what is going on. "Promise Me Eternity" was a fast paced read
that took many twist and turns to that you had to follow to keep up. For you will
find a lots of suspense, jealousy, affairs and murders. Truly money was of great
importance in this novel.
Dr. Simon Patterson was a well know neurosurgeon from Oregon, married
fifteen years to is wife Helen. Simon has spent a lot of this time with trying to
develop an anti aging vaccine. His wife was all about the money she can
get her hands on for for her clothes, cars, vacation trips and more..she
wanted it all... now. Real problems arrive from this behavior and when Simons saves
a gangsters life (Carlo Vucci) who offered Simon a check for Fifty Thousand dollars
and Simon refuses and this greatly upsets his wife... Helen. Then Carlo's wife
(Christine) makes a play for Simon...then Simon wife (Helen) is murdered ...
Who kills Helen and why is Simon accused of her murder?
The story is loaded with so many twist and turns that you will you will only have get
this great read to find out just what is going on. I do not want to give too much of
it away. However, you will definitely be in for a good read with all of its suspense
that is presented because there is never a dull moment in this read all the way to the
end. As you continue to read you will find out what fate comes to Dr. Simon Patterson and
how or if he will he get out this mess. Who is really responsible for what has
happened to Simon? Also, what's up with those lovely beautiful roses that are in
Simon's yard?
I can only say if you are in for a good suspense mystery "Promise Me Eternity" will
be a good read for you.
Anonymous
Posted January 31, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Dr. Simon Patterson is a successful and well-respected neurosurgeon at Central Hospital in Seattle. He saves the life of the powerful mobster Carlo Vucci. Three weeks later, Christine, Carlo Vucci’s wife shows up at the hospital, complaining of terrible headaches. A series of shocking events follow that turn Dr. Patterson’s life into a nightmare.