I’m so excited to be part of the Compulsive Readers Jack Jordan Blogathon. For the next few months, we’ll be doing a series of blog features of seven of this bestselling author’s books! Today we’re starting with Do No Harm, which was first published in 2022. When this came out it was EVERYWHERE – my social media was flooded with posts and pics about this book, and of course, its author. I HAD to get a copy, but it was nowhere to be found in South Africa!! So last year when I visited my mom in London, guess what was top of my shopping list?!
Blurb:
My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…
Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.
The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.
I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.
WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?
My Review:
This one literally leaves you breathless from the first page! And the pace doesn’t let up. It’s told from three points of view, Anna (the surgeon), Margot (a nurse), and Rachel (a DI).
I didn’t find any of these women particularly likeable, and as I always say, this is where a really clever author grabs their audience because they write their story so well, that the reader can’t turn the pages quickly enough, wanting to know what these characters will do next and where they’ll end up!
Yes, Anna’s situation is dire, and while I felt her desperation and panic, she’s just not someone that most people would find themselves warming to. Margot too finds herself in a difficult predicament and pushed to breaking point she makes some truly awful decisions (when she’s capable of making any decisions at all!). Rachel was harder to figure out. She knows as soon as she starts sniffing around that something is just not right, but cannot for the life of her put her finger on what that might be.
My favourite character here would have to be Rachel. She’s layered and nuanced and there’s so much more to her than meets the eye. I hope the author decides to give her a cameo role in a future book as I think there are depths to her that still need exploring.
As the chapters unfold in the (more or less) alternating voices of these three women and we learn more about them, the twists and surprises are plentiful, and there are secrets to be revealed before a grand finale that will leave you unable to get this book out of your mind, long after you’ve finished it. And of course, you will wonder: “What would I have done …?”
If you’re a lover of thrillers, then this is one is an absolute must. The plot is clever and complex, but never obnoxious enough to over-explain to the reader. There’s an elegance to Jordan’s writing, even when there’s gore involved. I can’t wait to read more from him.
Next up in this Blogathon series is ‘Conviction‘ on 1 November, so look out for it!
Thank you to Compulsive Readers for putting this all together – a mammoth task!!
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