Category Archives: Dawn Eastman

Review: Do No Harm by Dawn Eastman

Title: Do No Harm by Dawn Eastman
Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Readers of J. T. Ellison and Tess Gerritsen will be enthralled by Do No Harm, by real-life small-town doctor and national bestselling author Dawn Eastman.

Small-town doctor Katie LeClair is drawn back into an old murder investigation, a mysterious disappearance, and a dark undercurrent of violence.

The idyllic town of Baxter, Michigan, seemed like the perfect place for Dr. Katie LeClair to settle down after years toiling in medical school—until the murder of a patient shattered the peace she had found. Now on the mend and balancing the responsibilities of a new house and the joys of a new romance, Katie is finally ready to start enjoying life. But danger arrives just as the town is gearing up for its annual Halloween festival—and once again, this doctor-turned-sleuth will have to unmask a killer in their midst.

Trouble comes in threes this Halloween. Katie sees a new patient who has just been released from prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Inexplicably, the patient suddenly goes missing. And matters take an even more sinister turn when a college student who had been investigating Katie’s old murder case is found dead in the woods near Baxter.

Could Katie’s involvement with the case be responsible for the student’s violent death? Is her new patient truly a cold-blooded murderer? Is this Halloween about to become a real-life horror show? Katie embarks on a desperate race to find the truth in Do No Harm, the second gripping Dr. Katie LeClair mystery.

Review:

Do No Harm by Dawn Eastman is an intriguing mystery that is fast-paced and multi-layered. Although this newest release is the second installment in the Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.

Dr. Katie LeClair has settled into life in Baxter, MI. She enjoys working in the family practice clinic with her mentor and she is in the early stages of a relationship with Dr. Matt Gregor. As a newcomer to Baxter, Katie lacks the background information of her newest patient, Eugene Lowe.  Years earlier, Eugene was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Heather Stone. Having served his sentence, he has returned to Baxter to live with his mother. Not everyone is happy to have him living in town and Eugene is targeted by unknown persons as they attempt to force him to leave.  These attempts have turned violent which is how Eugene’s path crosses Katie’s.  She wants to trust her instincts that Eugene is not dangerous, but new information leaves Katie doubting her intuition.

Katie is very upset when she learns Taylor Knox, a college student whom she  mentored, is now missing. Even more alarming is the discovery that Taylor is  working on a class project about Heather’s death and Eugene’s conviction.  Katie is worried that the advice she gave to Taylor right before she vanished is somehow connected to her disappearance.  What, if any, new details did Taylor unearth about Heather’s death that might have led to foul play?

Katie is a resourceful woman whose medical training also makes her an excellent investigator. With her computer wiz brother Caleb’s assistance, she searches through Taylor’s research to see if she can pinpoint  exactly what raised the young woman’s suspicion that Eugene might not have murdered Heather. Following the scant leads she unearths, Katie re-interviews key witnesses from the old case. She also discovers some very troubling information that lends weight to the theory that Eugene was not Heather’s killer. But if Eugene did not murder Heather then who did?

Do No Harm is an engrossing mystery with a clever plot and a fantastic cast of characters.  Dawn Eastman keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the novel hurtles to an action-paced conclusion. A suspenseful addition to the Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

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Review: Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman

Title: Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman
Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Katie LeClair has finally settled down as the new doctor in Baxter, MI. After years of moving, schooling, and training, she wants nothing more than to find a place she can call home, and a small town outside of Ann Arbor seemed perfect.

Katie quickly gets to work in building a life for herself in Baxter, and beyond reviving her love life, she also finds a pair of business partners in a team of father and son family practitioners. But that idyllic dream is immediately shattered when one of her patients is found dead. That wouldn’t be the worst thing, except the death is ruled a suicide, and as evidence has it, the suicide was a result of the medication Katie had prescribed. But she doesn’t remember writing it.

When a closer investigation reveals it was murder, Katie is catapulted into an off-the-books investigation that leads her down a dark path of past secrets. But someone is willing to kill to keep part of the town’s history in the shadows, and Katie must race to find out who before it’s too late in nationally bestselling author Dawn Eastman’s riveting series debut Unnatural Causes.

Review:

Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman is a perplexing and refreshingly unique mystery. This first installment in the Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series features a charming lead protagonist and a delightful small town setting.

Dr. Katie LeClair has settled into her partnership with Drs. Emmett & Nick Hawkins, the father and son duo who own family a practice clinic in Baxter, MI. However, Katie is bewildered and upset when one of her patients, Ellen Riley, dies from an apparent overdose of medication that she does not remember prescribing for her. Ellen’s husband, Christopher Riley and her daughter, Beth Wixom, are also skeptical that Ellen committed suicide so Katie agrees to help Beth look into the case. When the autopsy proves Ellen was, in fact, murdered, police Chief John Carlson has his work cut out for him investigating her death since the crime scene was not preserved.  Katie and her brilliant computer genius brother, Caleb, discover puzzling information on Ellen’s computer, but will Katie be able to fit the pieces of this confusing puzzle together and unmask a killer?

Katie really enjoys working with both Emmett and Nick but immediately following Ellen’s death, she notices their relationship appears to be a little rocky. She is also concerned by the uncharacteristic dimming of Emmett’s typical upbeat personality. As she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding Ellen’s prescription, Katie becomes aware of some troubling discoveries within the practice.  When Nick unexpectedly takes time off from work,  Katie experiences disturbing suspicions that something is just a bit off when she covers for him in his pain clinic.

Reluctant to search for evidence to back up these misgivings, Katie instead focuses on looking into the research project Ellen was working on just before her death. Ellen inadvertently stumbled across a secret that someone does not want revealed, but Katie is hard put to make figure out exactly what her deceased patient discovered. Her quest for answers leads to digging around in the complicated histories of some Baxter’s citizens but Katie quickly learns just how far people will go to keep the past buried.

With a wonderful cast of quirky characters, an intriguing mystery and a gutsy heroine, Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastmanis an engrossing mystery. The investigation into Ellen’s death is fast-paced and the situation at Katie’s family practice is quite interesting.  With a dash of romance, a hint of danger and an unforgettable amateur sleuth, the Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series is off to a promising beginning that will leave fans eagerly awaiting future installments.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Dawn Eastman, Dr Katie LeClair Mystery Series, Mystery, Review, Unnatural Causes