The Trial of Dr. Kate
By Michael E. Glasscock
Publisher: Greenleaf Book
Group Press
Published: Oct. 6, 2013
ISBN: 9781626340138
Amazon Synopsis:
Book
Two of the Round Rock Series
A doctor who can’t remember her crime.
A reporter fighting for the story of her life.
Two women at a crossroads in a town that never forgets.
In the summer of 1952, Lillian Johnson was found dead in her home, slumped in the wheelchair that had become her cage due to multiple sclerosis. An overdose of barbiturate had triggered a heart attack, but the scene was not quite right. It looked as though someone other than Lillian herself had injected the fatal dose.
Dr. Kate Marlow, Lillian’s physician and best friend, now sits in the Round Rock city jail. The only country doctor for miles, Kate cannot remember her whereabouts at the time of Lillian’s death ⎯ and the small Tennessee town buzzes with judgment.
As Dr. Kate’s trial approaches, another woman is determined to uncover the truth about the night of Lillian’s death. Memphis reporter Shenandoah Coleman grew up in Round Rock on the wrong side of the tracks, but unlike the rest of her unsavory clan, escaped her
A doctor who can’t remember her crime.
A reporter fighting for the story of her life.
Two women at a crossroads in a town that never forgets.
In the summer of 1952, Lillian Johnson was found dead in her home, slumped in the wheelchair that had become her cage due to multiple sclerosis. An overdose of barbiturate had triggered a heart attack, but the scene was not quite right. It looked as though someone other than Lillian herself had injected the fatal dose.
Dr. Kate Marlow, Lillian’s physician and best friend, now sits in the Round Rock city jail. The only country doctor for miles, Kate cannot remember her whereabouts at the time of Lillian’s death ⎯ and the small Tennessee town buzzes with judgment.
As Dr. Kate’s trial approaches, another woman is determined to uncover the truth about the night of Lillian’s death. Memphis reporter Shenandoah Coleman grew up in Round Rock on the wrong side of the tracks, but unlike the rest of her unsavory clan, escaped her
destiny. Now, back in the town she grew up in, she’ll have to
turn every stone to keep Kate from a guilty verdict.
The Trial of Dr. Kate is the second novel in a four-part series from Michael E. Glasscock III that explores the intricate social cloth of Round Rock, Tennessee. Though each story stands alone, readers who enjoyed Glasscock’s first Round Rock tale, Little Joe, will delight in the cameo appearances in this one.
The Trial of Dr. Kate is the second novel in a four-part series from Michael E. Glasscock III that explores the intricate social cloth of Round Rock, Tennessee. Though each story stands alone, readers who enjoyed Glasscock’s first Round Rock tale, Little Joe, will delight in the cameo appearances in this one.
Book Links
My Thoughts:
The trial of Dr. Kate takes
us back to Round Rock in the 1950’s, about 10 years after Little Joe (book 1). Dr. Kate is the daughter of Dr. Marlow from Little Joe and she works ridiculously
hard for the people of Parson’s County. Now she’s been charged with the murder
of one of her patients, and she can’t remember what happened that day.
Shenandoah Coleman, now a
reporter with the Memphis Express, is back in Round Rock to cover the trial.
Though the trial is about Dr. Kate, Glasscock brings depth to several different
characters in this story. We learn about their histories via reminiscing and
through conversation between characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed the
romantic element in this novel. It was sweet and clean. This time the romance
was between a widower with a child and an independent woman with no aspirations
toward motherhood. It was very amusing to see her willingness (and ineptitude
at her attempt at childcare).
I felt that I really
connected with Dr. Kate and wholly approved of her moral values relating to abortion
and assisted suicide. I also liked her attitude of equality with the black
people in her community. I thoroughly disliked the Sheriff on the other hand
who used his authority to belittle black people, put them down, and bully those
he didn’t like.
I was shocked by some of the
surprising twists near the conclusion of the story. I can’t mention them here
as they will spoil the story, but suffice it to say that I was blindsided by
them. I’m not sure that I liked them, but they did make for an ending I did not
expect, so be sure this is not your typical formula for a book.
Michael Glasscock is a very
smooth writer. His people are believable, their dialogue flows the way people
really talk to one another. This was altogether an enjoyable book. I highly
recommend it. I gave it 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley who
provided a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I
was not required to give a positive opinion. All thoughts are my own.
About the Author:
Michael Glasscock is an internationally recognized clinican,
surgeon, educator and author. He was born in Longview, Texas where he was
raised for the first eight years of his life on his grandfather’s cattle farm.
At the beginning of World War II, he moved to a small Tennessee town similar to
the town of Round Rock in his “Round Rock Series” novels.
Dr. Glasscock enjoys flying helicopters, sailing and power
boating, writing essays, short stories, and novels.
Other books by William Glasscock III:
Little Joe (Round Rock
Series, book 1)
Utopia, Texas
Connect with the Author:
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