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.
