Murder Under the Microscope

Toni Day Mystery #1

by Jane Bennett Munro

Dr. Antoinette Day—a young, successful pathologist known to her friends and colleagues as Toni—has no idea what awaits her when Dr. Sally Shore arrives at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, to fill in for a colleague recovering from a heart attack. Toni’s life is about to become a living hell. Dr. Shore is supposed to see patients, perform surgeries, and take turns covering the emergency room until the regular surgeon recovers from his quadruple bypass. But unfortunately, she uses her temporary opportunity to discredit Toni and tarnish her reputation with her medical colleagues. When the visiting surgeon is conveniently murdered—her lifeless body found in Toni’s office—Toni is the obvious suspect. But Toni is not going down without a fight. Forced to solve the murder in order to save her future, Toni’s life becomes even more complicated when her ex-boyfriend starts stalking her and threatening her husband. In this riveting murder mystery, a stubborn pathologist must rely on more than just her microscope as she delves into a complicated web of deception, soon discovering that it is not just her freedom at stake—but her life.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

428 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2011

Reviews

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love medical thriller and initially thought I would love this book. Unfortunately, the further I got into the story, the more certain things detracted from my enjoyment.

I'll start with the good stuff. Munro has the kind of writing style that draws me right in. I was happy to step into the characters' world and forget everything else. Being a doctor herself allows Munro to give the medical aspects of the story a realistic feel. The main character is likable. And the plot held my interest, with a few twists many readers won't see coming.

Now the not so good stuff. While Toni, the main character, is fairly well developed, the rest of the cast serves more as props and they lack personality. I didn't feel I knew any of the characters aside from Toni.

The other negative for me came with solving the crime. The police are portrayed as pretty much useless, with Toni driving the investigation forward. There are certain things police generally do in a murder investigation, regardless of the size of the town or city, and those things just weren't done here. This stretched credibility too far for me, making the mystery less enjoyable.

[Rena Glubay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered that there is a pathologist who works at the same hospital that I do who also writes murder mysteries. So of course I was curious. I enjoyed this book and will look for others that she has written.

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (http://thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca/...)

Note: My sincere thanks to author Jane Bennett Munro for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Thoughts: Medical mystery is a genre that I really haven't read. But one of the things that drew me to review this book was the fact that the author had a successful 33 year career as a forensic pathologist. To me, this means that she could back up all the medical terms, storylines and the inner workings of a hospital with her real-life experience. This experience gives the book a sense of authenticity to Toni's role as a pathologist.

But one of the downfalls of having a professional medical specialist write a mystery is that sometimes the medical jargon gets a little heavy and that's what, in my opinion, happened here at times. I was left wondering in a few spots if the unknown medical term I had just read was vital to the mystery or if I could just keep going and assume that my 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'ER' TV medical 'training' was enough to get me through the verbiage. The good news is that, for the most part, my hours watching Dr Grey and her cronies was enough to get me by. (Note: I also read this the 'old fashioned way' with a paperback so
I also didn't have my Kindle's dictionary at my fingertips to help me along the way either.)

So, what did I think about this first book in the Toni Day mystery series? Overall it was a good start and had many things going for it. There were a lot of plot lines and twists and Toni was an interesting and strong main character who was knowledgeable and spunky. She definitely held her own and was able to get into enough trouble to keep things flowing fairly well. Toni was definitely the star of the book and the author used this first book to help the reader really get to know her. The supporting characters were much more on the sidelines in this book so I'm hoping that I'll get to know them in the next book.

I did have an issue with the dialogue and it stemmed from the emotions of some of the characters seeming to come out of nowhere -- specifically anger and excessive swearing. I'm not against swearing in a book but I prefer it to not be used needlessly. For example, Toni referring to a 'f**king endotracheal tube' was a little over the top for me and her anger over the tube seemed to come out of nowhere. This excessive swearing and sudden angry emotional outbursts seemed a little disjointed with who I thought the characters were. I actually went back and reread a part a couple of times to make sure that I had understood the feeling of the conversation but I still couldn't understand the reasons for the sudden outburst of anger/swearing. Unfortunately those episodes did detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Two of the things that this book excels at are amount of action and the twists and turns. Wow! There were a few storylines (ranging from the murder to a creepy stalker) as well as red herrings to keep the reader guessing. While I had an inkling about 'who dunnit', it didn't detract from me enjoying the book.

Overall, this is a very ambitious first book of a new series. Dr Munro has created an interesting main character and setting that will ensure many opportunities for Toni to solve crimes. I was impressed with the detail involved in this first book by the author and while sometimes it did get a little heavy in medical-ese I did enjoy the read. I'm sure the character development and flow of the dialogue will only improve in future books.

There is already a second book to this series, "Too Much Blood" that Dr Munro has generously sent me to review as well. I look forward to reading that book soon to see what kind of trouble Toni can get into now. :)

My Rating: 3/5 stars (a solid start to a new series)

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saying Dr. Toni Day’s life as a pathologist is about to become a living nightmare is a gross understatement! As if there isn’t enough pressure in the lab with routine labs to run for doctors, because, of course, they all need them ASAP, the new doc in town seems to have to it out for Toni. Is it not enough that Dr. Shore is runway beautiful? That she is a successful surgeon? And what did Toni do to her anyway? When Dr. Shore has the audacity to turn up dead in Toni’s office, an obvious victim of foul play, Toni is now under the microscope of suspicion of murder. But wait-there’s more! It seems Toni’s old boyfriend, a twisted deviant stalking Toni’s every move has suddenly shown up and is threatening to destroy what remains of Toni’s happiness. Will Hal, her husband, become a victim to a jealous mind? What about her feisty English mother? Is she in danger? When all is said and done, what dark and devious secrets will Toni uncover? Just how many people has she ticked off? Will she survive long enough to let the police know?

Like one of those 5,000 piece puzzles from a garage sale, Murder Under the Microscope by Jane Bennett Munro has created an amazing mystery to put together, one piece at a time, and somehow all of the pieces start to fit together, unrelated as they seem! As a character, Toni is an incredibly strong force to be reckoned with. Ms. Munro has given her just enough snark and attitude that I laughed at the thoughts rumbling along inside her head, while her analytical mind was astounding to behold, as well as her physical prowess and stamina. Through it all, Toni just plows on through, no stone is left unturned, and believe me this is believable stuff! Well, larger than life believable and that’s what makes this book so worth reading! There wasn’t a wasted word, a wasted scene, or an unnecessary character in the creation of this book. This is a fine fictional mystery blending with the reality of hospital smells, personnel, politics, and even hospital food, (think: Jello), it’s all here in this fast-paced, twist-filled plot!

I want to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Murder Under the Microscope.

Publication Date: May 13, 2011
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1450298621
Number of Pages: 428
Genre: Medical Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Adults
My Rating: 5 stars
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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[Katie Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't like a good Medical Mystery? I personally am a HUGE fan of shows like Forensic Files, CSI, NCIS and anything that has to do with crime solving, forensics and a good little mystery thrown in. This book was just up my alley!

Murder Under The Microscope by Jane Bennett Munro MD grabs your attention from the first page. You walk/read right in to a murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the last page. Although you have a few great guesses along the way, you are left wondering who killed who and for what reason.

You meet young pathologist Toni Day in the first scene as she walks into her office to find a coworker dead on the floor. The book draws you in quickly as you backtrack to learn of office tensions, jealousies, past romances gone bad and the chance that someone might be out to get her, but for what reason? Dr. Sally Shore came in to work alongside them like a whirlwind. What started as a temp position was quickly being rumored to become permanent. But why was she so adamant about bringing Toni and her team in pathology down? What was the reason behind the hostility? And why were so many people dying and being injured in this quickly woven tale of forensics and murder mystery?

Dr. Munro shows not only her working knowledge of pathology and forensics but her great skill as a story teller. Having read a lot of books in the last several months from first time authors and authors who are not well known yet, I can tell you there are some people out there who have great stories to tell but don't have the talent to tell them with. Those are the ones that I can give a couple of stars to for the plot but not much for the writing skills. There are others who have what is truly talent and skill in writing. They can take a great idea, a wonderful story and they can weave it together into a book that you can't put down. Dr. Munro is definitely one of the latter. I was thrilled with the detail and the accuracy of the medical processes as well as the ease in which the dialogue and story line flowed. Yes - this book is a 5 star in my opinion. Some may think the medical info is a bit too detailed, but since I enjoy that - I was thrilled with it.

[Jane Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Toni Day, the pathologist of a small hospital in Idaho, discovers a body in her own office - that of her arch-nemesis Dr Sally, no less. Dr Sally may have been at the hospital for only a month, but she succeeded in her mission to make it the worst month of Dr Toni's career. The evidence seems to point to Dr Toni as the murderer. It is up to Dr Toni to find more evidence that will clear herself, and implicate the real murderer.

This is a fast-paced book, one that I didn't want to put down. The storyline is very good, or, rather, storylines. In addition to the mystery of the whodunit, there is a second mystery – one involving a person from Dr Toni's past.

The characters and story are well written. My favorite character, by far, is Dr Toni. Dr Toni defends her lab staff when conflicts arise between her staff and the other doctors, because she knows her staff is using proper laboratory procedures and protocols. I am a Medical Technologist, as are her lab techs, and so I am partial to such supportive behavior. I also enjoyed reading about a realistic lab and hospital, where the lab work is performed by actual Medical Technologists. (Did you ever notice on the TV show House, that the lab was always inexplicably deserted except for Dr House's minions, who were running the lab tests themselves?)

There is some cursing – including several F-bombs. The language is not used gratuitously, however, and does not detract from the book. I feel that many people would use the same language under the same circumstances.

This is the debut novel by Jane Bennett Munro, a semi-retired pathologist of a small hospital in Idaho. The advice to “write what you know” certainly applied in this situation. Murder under the Microscope is an excellent book. Dr Munro has written a second book about Dr Toni, Too Much Blood, which I am anxious to read.

If you like Romantic Crime mysteries, with a medical aspect similar to that of the old TV series Quincy, M.E., you'll love Dr Toni and Murder under the Microscope. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it!

[Kim Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, I love medical mysteries whether it is a book, movie or tv show. Nothing like someone who really knows the ins and outs of the investigative process pouring that experience into a book – and Jane Munro does a fantastic job with “Murder Under the Microscope”!

The main character in this book is Dr Toni Day, who is a pathologist just like the real life author Munro. She is a very successful pathologist working at a hospital in Idaho, but her life is about to be turned inside out when a new doctor, Sally Shore, arrives at her hospital to fill in for an ailing colleague. Although there just to “fill in”, Dr Shore sets out to ruin the reputation of Toni – until she is found dead in Toni’s office. As you might expect, Toni is the main suspect and is thrust into a mystery she needs to solve to save her reputation and life.

This book is a very quick read because it is written in short paragraphs and it is fast paced and will keep your attention. I sat down and read it in one night. Since Dr Munro has quite a bit of experience in forensic cases, it makes this story very believable and I really enjoyed it!

[Gigi Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Bennett Munro has orchestrated the ultimate novel.

In the world of Dr. Antoinette Day, a pathologist at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, reputation is everything. Never has it been more crucial to necessitate the preservation of her professional integrity than the present.

The appearance of Dr. Shore, a temporary replacement for a regular resident, begins the rapid decline into strange occurances such as misread reports and missing patient data. The sudden onslaught of murder doesn't help matters. It seems that practically overnight, Dr. Day has become the focus of a police investigation that places her as the prime suspect.

It is an intriguing tale of murder, deceit and, strangely enough, faith. The author's background lends a deeper perspective into the medical world, illuminating and merging complicated data into an intelligent and appalling story. Munro demonstrates her talents of narration throughout the book.

Read the full review here:
Bookend Chronicles

[Sharon Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a real thought provoking novel, with twists and turns on every page. I was hooked from page one, the characters and the setting were superb.

Based around a memorial hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, a new doctor, Sally Shore, arrives and starts to tarnish the image and credibility of the pathologist Dr Antoinette Day. After an argument between the two Dr Shore is found deady in Dr Days office.

The above scenario is excellently played out throughout the book, the text and language is easy to read and understand and any jargon is clearly explained. The knowledge and expertise the author has gained from her own profession as a pathologiest is expertly crafted and scripted into a first class novel.

As murder mysteries are my favourite ready material, for a debut book and author this really rates highly in my library of literature. I hope this is the first of many novels featuring Dr Day.

[Gayle Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW:

Dr. Antoinette Day is a pathologist at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho. Dr. Day tries hard to keep her professional integrity in tact.

A temporary replacement for a resident is Dr. Shore. Strange things start to happen, missing patient records, reports that are read wrong. To top it off, murders start taking place. Overnight Dr. Day has become the main focus of a police investigation, which does not help her reputation any.

The author does a great job of entwining a web of murder, lies and odd enough, faith. The author takes some of her personal knowledge and weaves it into the story which makes it more real life and much more interesting. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is in to medical murders. A good read.

I would give this book 4 STARS

I received a complimentary copy of this boo MURDER UNDER THE MICROSCOPE by the author Jane Bennett Munro for this unbiased review.

[Kimberley Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackmail, deception, stalking, and murder. This is what can be found amongst the page of this riveting debut murder mystery, Murder Under the Microscope by Jane Bennett Munro. Using her 33 years of expertise as a pathologist, Jane Bennett Munro spins a web of mystery in this fast paced medical murder mystery. Discovering the who and the why of this book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat, I couldn't put it down! Not only is the story line really good, but I also loved the characters too. Dr. Toni Day is spunky as my grandma used to say! I'd actually like to see her character again, maybe in a series. This book should definitely make it on your summer reading list!

[Babus Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scintillating medical mystery, set in Idaho with a strong female protagonist, fantastic plot twists and enough intrigue to tie me up for hours! Dr Toni Shapiro finds herself at odds with a locum surgeon, Dr Sally Shore, who is antagonistic to all. When the surgeon's body is found in her office she comes under strong suspicion of her murder. To make matters worse an old boyfriend and stalker tracks her down threatening her husband and safety.

Who killed Dr Sally Shore and why? An absolutely fabulous whodunit. Highly recommend!

[Emily (Heinlen) Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the main character. I just felt like she was complaining the entire book, which made me dislike the book as a whole.

Also, I noticed several grammatical errors that seemed to revolve around commas.

[Anne Egbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun. I grew up in Twin Falls, so it was great to read about streets and places I know. The story was amusing and fun.

[Mhd]

Only read first 4 chapters: slow, little action, unlikeable characters….