SledgeHammer--Action packed medical fiction thriller--describes what if ...

Book Information & Reviews:

Book Title: SLEDGEHAMMER

Author: Dr. Paulo J. Reyes, M.D

Book Genre: Thriller Fiction Book

Publisher: Virtual Word Publishing-www.virtualwordpublishing.com

ISBN # ISBN 097713870-4

Price: $14.95

Publication Date: March 2005

Page Count: 200

Recommended Audience: Avid fiction thriller readers

Read SledgeHammer Sample Now-Free-

Reviewer:


A year ago a DUI killed his beloved wife Leana, leaving ER physician Dr. Max Kroose to raise their two preadolescent children alone except for their nanny Esmeralda. After dropping the kids at school, Dr. Kroose expects a normal day of traumas and tragedy. As always, ER is overwhelmed so when his son takes a nasty spill at school, but is okay he has no time to pick him up. A patient arrives with strange symptoms that reminds Max somewhat of smallpox yet seems more powerful than a disease most people thought eradicated.

As the clock ticks, Max becomes increasingly convinced that they are dealing with a lethal strand of smallpox. He fails to persuade the skeptical bottom line hospital administrator Kilgorn to arrange mass vaccination to prevent a pandemic spread. His only chance resides with his friend a bio-weapons researcher, but even if he somehow receives help, Max knows that the potential for spreading has walked out the hospital door numerous times.

This is a gut wrenching medical thriller that centers on how relatively easy the spread of a bio-weapon can occur in this country. Max keeps the story line realistic and together as he goes from the daily troubles of a single dad who has had no time to mourn his loss to fears for his two children and others from a stalking killer. His frustrations mount as he fails to convince anyone that vaccination is needed as the health system calculates the cost as greater than the risk. Paulo J. Reyes provides a SLEDGEHAMMER to a system that set up to insure mass failure when (not if) the crisis happens.

Reviewer:
Lightwood Publishing
www.lightwordreviews.com

Today's real threat of a terrorist smallpox attack is dramatically illustrated in a riveting fictional account. Author as 25 years ER medical experience, and has thoroughly researched the implications of this threat. The scene covers six crucial days when a terrorist comes into a Los Angeles emergency room with smallpox symptoms.

Noteworthy: In addition to the timeliness of the theme, the gripping novel covers in detail information all of us should be aware of. The characters spring to life as time grows increasingly short to save our country from this pandemic. Readers will gasp learning how inadequately prepared we are for this event today, and how we can prepare.

Science Fiction Book Review By: www.readerviews.com
Kelley Anderson for Reader Views (8/06)

An emergency room doctor with a history in infectious disease and connections above and beyond the hospital board, has what it takes to diagnose and prevent a
U.S. smallpox pandemic.

Although very well written, Sledgehammer is thick on facts and ideas and slim on suspense. Having been an LPN, I understood most of the medical jargon that packs the book from cover to cover, but anyone with less medical knowledge wouldn't understand a lot of the terminology and anyone with more, wouldn't enjoy the book. Also, the romance was open ended. I would have liked to have seen the doctor and nurse either have a lot more feelings for each other or keep it strictly professional.

It seems they just teased at the possibility of feelings and never really decided one way or another. The one bright spot is that Dr. Reyes is an excellent writer and put the word together in an incredible way. With a solid storyline that is more thoroughly developed, he could write a book that would easily be a best seller. I would like to read a longer book of his to see if the quality showed through.

“Sledgehammer” is a light, quick read that leaves you wondering what would really happen if small pox would walk through an emergency room door in Anytown, USA. Would any of the doctors be able to detect it or would it spiral out of control and devastate the population?

Science Fiction Book Review By:
Rambles-A Cultural Arts Magazine http://www.rambles.net

-- Sledgehammer has all the ingredients of a great read.
It is bang up to date. The topic is hot. Readers cannot get enough rollercoaster
thriller novels. The author, Paulo J. Reyes, is an expert in his field and appears to
have a genuine love of his subject.

Unfortunately, the book appears to lack a decisive editor.

A thrilling tale is lost in a sea of clichés from the very beginning.

From the opening paragraph of the preface, the author nails his colours to the mast
and we know we are in for a patriotic "tour de force." The world revolves around
the United States of America. Maybe in real life it does, but we do not need
it so obviously delineated in print. Again we are up against terrorism and, another
staple of modern thriller fiction, a widowed hero and cute kid.

I really looked forward to this book. The scenario of bio-terrorism is so real today
we can taste it, and as Alfred Hitchcock once wrote about the essence of a thriller
 -- to bring tension into the story we need to know the threat is there.

Reyes is an MD, but unfortunately he assumes his readers have similar
qualifications. The book is strewn with medical terms; sometimes they are
explained, other times not. In addition, he seems to be in the business of
coining new words, like "stomachache."

The book charges along and I believe that anyone who can avoid being distracted
by the above-mentioned faults will enjoy the story. It will make you think --
long and hard. It may even give you nightmares about possible scenarios we
might face in the future. For that content, I would give it a cautious recommendation.
I could easily see this as the basis of a TV movie in the not-too-distant future.

Reviewer:
Tami Brady

Over the centuries, smallpox epidemics have devastated world populations killing an estimated 40% of those that come in contact with the disease. In 1796, Edward Jenner developed a vaccine that reduced the loss of life from this catastrophic disease eventually leading to the complete eradication of the disease. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared that no natural forms of smallpox existed and most vaccination programs ceased to exist.

Due to recent world events and increase in the rise of terrorism, however, concerns have been raised about the potential of bioterrorism in the form of manmade forms of deadly diseases such as smallpox. As much of the population has not been vaccinated against smallpox, this disease could easily restart its horrible killing spree. Moreover, new bioengineered versions of this deadly disease could be created to be faster, more efficient killing mechanisms.

SledgeHammer tells the chilling story of what if. The story details five days in the life of a doctor working in the emergency ward when a man dies of what everyone thinks is the flu. Confused by the death of the previously perfectly healthy man, this doctor must not only fight through his own doubts about the true cause of the death but also through mountains of bureaucracy and his own imminent mortality. The result is such a true to live account that it is actually quite alarming.