What do you think?
Rate this book
Angel of Mercy
A police detective confronts a nurse with an unusual bedside manner and her chilling twin sister in Andrew Neiderman’s page-turning thriller
Palm Springs detective Frankie Samuels is on medical leave when a rash of suspicious suicides rock his town. Against the advice of his doctor and his supervisor, he investigates the case of a grieving widower who died of insulin shock, overdosing on his wife’s meds, along with a sleep aid called Dilantin. But the police can’t find any Dilantin in the man’s medicine cabinet. The second victim, another surviving spouse, perishes from a lethal dose of chloral hydrate.
Private-duty nurse Faye Sullivan seems to be the common denominator in the deaths. But Faye has a sister: an identical twin named Susie, who also has a connection to the victims. As Samuels discovers more clues that don’t add up, his suspicion begins to fall decisively on the two women. But the truth is more terrifying—and deadly—than he can imagine.
Palm Springs detective Frankie Samuels is on medical leave when a rash of suspicious suicides rock his town. Against the advice of his doctor and his supervisor, he investigates the case of a grieving widower who died of insulin shock, overdosing on his wife’s meds, along with a sleep aid called Dilantin. But the police can’t find any Dilantin in the man’s medicine cabinet. The second victim, another surviving spouse, perishes from a lethal dose of chloral hydrate.
Private-duty nurse Faye Sullivan seems to be the common denominator in the deaths. But Faye has a sister: an identical twin named Susie, who also has a connection to the victims. As Samuels discovers more clues that don’t add up, his suspicion begins to fall decisively on the two women. But the truth is more terrifying—and deadly—than he can imagine.
- GenresFiction
229 pages, ebook
First published May 25, 1994
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Neiderman
74 books392 followersAndrew Neiderman is the author of over 44 thrillers, including six of which have been translated onto film, including the big hit, 'The Devil's Advocate', a story in which he also wrote a libretto for the music-stage adaptation. One of his novels, Tender Loving Care, has been adapted into a CD-Rom interactive movie.
Andrew Neiderman became the ghostwriter for V.C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He was the screenwriter for Rain, a film based on a series of books under Andrews name. Between the novels written under her name and his own, he has published over 100 novels.
Andrew Neiderman became the ghostwriter for V.C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He was the screenwriter for Rain, a film based on a series of books under Andrews name. Between the novels written under her name and his own, he has published over 100 novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 10, 2013
Odd story with a good twist, if one I'd seen before. A lot more sex of erotic nature than I'd expect in a usual horror story.
March 15, 2023
Oh wow. Bad pie, Neiderman. Angel of Mercy just didn't work at all. It was too short to make me care about anything at all (familiar Neiderproblem), it really didn't
make a lot of sense to me (sort of familiar Neiderproblem), and it had an anticlimactic ending (massive elephant in the room Neiderproblem). It is a slightly
interesting idea to have an antagonist be some insane nurse who feels bad for those who have been parted from their loved ones by death. Mercifully, they will not have
to suffer for long because their caretaker will make sure they are reunited with said loved one much sooner than they may wish. Sound cool? I thought the same but, like
I said, the story just did not work at all. I guess this one might qualify as a medical thriller, but the only thrills you might get are thrills of horror at how damn
bad it is.
make a lot of sense to me (sort of familiar Neiderproblem), and it had an anticlimactic ending (massive elephant in the room Neiderproblem). It is a slightly
interesting idea to have an antagonist be some insane nurse who feels bad for those who have been parted from their loved ones by death. Mercifully, they will not have
to suffer for long because their caretaker will make sure they are reunited with said loved one much sooner than they may wish. Sound cool? I thought the same but, like
I said, the story just did not work at all. I guess this one might qualify as a medical thriller, but the only thrills you might get are thrills of horror at how damn
bad it is.
November 3, 2019
I'm not surprised I'm the only one to really review this book. It's so far off the beaten path for horror fans, and Andrew Neiderman reads like a trashy beach novelist. The story is simple, the narrative easy-to-follow, but the idea is psychologically mind-blowing. I read the book because I played the game Tender Loving Care as an adolescent (a horny one at that) and found the themes of a naughty nurse taking advantage of a frustrated husband and his enfeebled wife to be so deep it stuck with me. The concept was entirely plausible, which makes this book somewhat difficult to categorize; indeed, the PC game Tender Loving Care was based on the premise of a "psychological thriller", one where meaning and ambiguity is left to the reader to decide.
Is it a horror book, or a thriller? And what is to be made of the cuckold husband, who is torn sexually because of this live-in nurse? Is this not a true fantasy (or horror) for every frustrated husband who needs a live-in aide for an enfeebled wife? Are there nurses who legitimately live through their careers as borderline prostitutes or "sexual therapists"? And considering the results she was able to achieve, was she an evil, diabolical human being or was she a true "angel of mercy"? I deeply enjoyed the computer game because it forced me to take on such deep introspective questions. And for this story to do so to an adolescent in puberty, and leave such a mark on me 10 years later is saying something.
Is it a horror book, or a thriller? And what is to be made of the cuckold husband, who is torn sexually because of this live-in nurse? Is this not a true fantasy (or horror) for every frustrated husband who needs a live-in aide for an enfeebled wife? Are there nurses who legitimately live through their careers as borderline prostitutes or "sexual therapists"? And considering the results she was able to achieve, was she an evil, diabolical human being or was she a true "angel of mercy"? I deeply enjoyed the computer game because it forced me to take on such deep introspective questions. And for this story to do so to an adolescent in puberty, and leave such a mark on me 10 years later is saying something.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews