Pg. 69: Patricia Gussin's "Shadow of Death"

Today's feature at the Page 69 Test: Patricia Gussin's Shadow of Death.

About the book, from the author's website:

Pull a trigger and everything changes. Whatever is good and normal dissolves before your eyes. Medical student Laura Nelson had just finished examining her first patient – bullet wound to the head. As she leaves the hospital, an angry voice erupts with obscenities. Shaken and confused, she quickly walks the deserted two blocks to her car, keeping an eye on the dark, riot-torn neighborhood around her – eager to get home to her husband and young sons. Suddenly, a rough hand drags her into a violent double crime. A trigger is pulled, and Laura’s world changes forever.

Set amidst the upheaval and smoldering chaos of the Detroit riots of 1967, this story unfolds in a real place at a real time. These riots created a terrible fissure in the social fabric of that city engulfing ordinary people and spinning the normal patterns of life into a downward spiral. Shadow of Death is a story that could happen to any of us, especially those who believe their world and all they cherish will hold together no matter what.

Among the praise for Shadow of Death:

“Shadow of Death is a surefire winner. I couldn’t put it down. The suspense is riveting, the pacing masterful. Patricia Gussin is a wonderful storyteller, and Shadow of Death is medical suspense at its best … original and masterfully plotted. Only a physician who is also a great writer could have crafted this novel. This book will have you gasping for breath.”
–Michael Palmer, author of eleven New York Times bestsellers, including The Patient

“…a very promising first novel about a little-explored incident in 20th century American history about which the author knows a great deal. Protagonist Laura Nelson, a medical student, finds herself in the middle of a riot in Detroit, tribulations as a student, wife and mother, and life and death challenges that keep coming.”
–Stuart Kaminsky, best-selling author, Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and Mystery Writers of America 2006 Grand Master Award

“A riveting, non-stop suspense novel from newcomer Patricia Gussin. Gussin taps into the deepest fears of women and places them artfully in the world of 1960’s Detroit.”
–Judy Clemens, Agatha Award-nominee and author of Till the Cows Come Home

“Nail-biting tension and suspense drive the story to its shocking climax. This is, surprisingly, a first novel by the author, and it is a remarkable debut.”
–Gloria Fiet, Spinetingler Magazine

Patricia Gussin attended medical school in Detroit after which she did an internship and pediatric residency at Tampa General Hospital. Board Certified in Family Medicine -- and known to colleagues as Dr. Patricia Stewart -- she has practiced medicine and has directed medical research in her role as worldwide vice president for a leading healthcare company.

Gussin's second novel, Twisted Justice, is due out in later this year.

The Page 69 Test: Shadow of Death.

--Marshal Zeringue