Books are sold for $2.99 for a reason. Good idea for a plot, but I had no interest vested in any of the characters. The only reason I finished it was I wanted to see what the mystery illness was, and who the culprit was. Borrrrrring. ( )

I recently responded to an offer of an ARC of [b:Warning Signs|848962|Warning Signs|Stephen White|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178885204s/848962.jpg|971877]for review, and I'm glad I did. The medical thriller is not a subgenre I've read much of, so this book broadened my reading horizons and I'll certainly check out Ms. Lyons' first book, [b:Lifelines|2766206|Lifelines|C.J. Lyons|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51t7mpa4ALL._SL75_.jpg|2791929].

Reading this book is much like watching a really good episode of ER or Chicago Hope, without the annoying commercials and with a lot more character development. Four women who work at Angels of Mercy, a teaching hospital in Pittsburgh, are the central characters; one is an ER doctor, one a nurse, one a resident and the last a medical student. Each has her own past conflicts and present demons, including both personal and professional concerns. The story is told in third person with the point of view shifting among the characters, which helps build suspense.

The main focus of [b:Warning Signs|848962|Warning Signs|Stephen White|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178885204s/848962.jpg|971877] is a series of unexplained illnesses and deaths of young, healthy women who enter the hospital with disturbing neurological symptoms and die before a diagnosis is made. What's worse, Amanda, the medical student, is experiencing some of the same symptoms. I thought I had the mystery figured out fairly early, only to find at the end that Ms. Lyons had another twist in store.

[b:Warning Signs|848962|Warning Signs|Stephen White|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178885204s/848962.jpg|971877] is due to be published January 27 in mass-market paperback. I would definitely recommend looking for it if you enjoy a fast-paced story with engaging characters and great hospital atmosphere. ( )