Title: The Loveable Resident
Author: Mary A. Faderan
Publisher: Ideopage Press
ISBN: 978-1-5434-6636-2
Pages: 136
Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Crime
Reviewed by: Jake Bishop
Hollywood Book Review
This novel is a bit out of the ordinary. To begin with, it has what appears to be the hero committing a brutal murder. For a good portion of the tale, it seems as if multiple characters are more interested in rationalizing the hero’s action than actually making him face responsibility for what he’s done. Then an interesting plot point is inserted that seems to reverse what we readers have come to believe—at least to a point—and we’re off on a crime solving adventure that begins to complicate itself exponentially.
Mike Oates is a young surgical resident that seems to have it all. He’s confident, attractive, witty, highly intelligent, a ladies’ man, and a fine surgeon to boot. It seems that everything is going his way. Then one evening he gets into an altercation with another doctor and suddenly a body lies at his feet. While initially, he appears to have gotten away with the act, the seriousness of what he’s done overcomes him and he decides to forego any consideration of becoming his hospital’s top surgeon. In fact, he seemingly becomes committed to leaving medicine altogether. Here, certain aspects of the plot begin to take root. I’ll not spoil any of the surprises that begin to unfold one upon another. I’ll simply say they involve kidnapping, blackmail, love affairs, revelations from out of the past, and last minute attempts to right wrongs and set things straight.
Author Faderan does a particularly good job of bringing interesting characters to life. In addition to Mike, there’s Lauren, a young woman he’s known since childhood. She is a generally levelheaded and smart attorney. However, she’s not immune to Mike’s charms. There’s Missy, a real dish who doesn’t at all like the idea of being replaced as Mike’s number one squeeze. Henderson is a mob boss who has no compunction with calling in old markers. His past ties to Mike’s father complicate matters exponentially. Laura’s dad, Jonathan, runs the law firm where his daughter works. He takes on Mike as a client while doing whatever he can to keep Laura out of Mike’s arms. There is also a cadre of policemen, who methodically and relentlessly march their way to solving a murder that’s anything but cut and dried.
Faderan is first-rate storyteller who uses her skills to drop interesting tidbits of information along the way. Her revelations enhance different character’s backstories and provide motivation for their behavior. She keeps the pace of her novel moving swiftly and one never has the feeling of stopping too long to acquire information. The occasional odd word choice sometimes finds its way into her characters’ dialogue but it never hampers credibility or comprehension. If you’re looking for something different, something you can move through swiftly while enjoying continually, treat yourself to being treated by The Loveable Resident.