Alex Trent was as shocked as everyone else when he found out that he could heal with the touch of his hand. He thought that he was on the fast track to fame and fortune, just for the simple act of touching others.
He is about to find out how wrong he is.
Alex will be forced into a bizarre game of medical Russian roulette that will threaten not only his life but those around him.
And that's just the beginning of his problems.
As Alex is being pursued by powerful people who want to use him for their own ends, he must stay one step ahead of them. Alex must find out how to get rid of The Healer's Curse before it crosses a line—a line where not even his own healing ability can save him.
The Healer's Curse is a modern-day supernatural thriller with a medical twist.
Sometimes what some see as a blessing is nothing more than a curse! That's exactly what is discovered by the main character of The Healer's Curse, Alex. He discovered he was capable of healing someone just by touching them. Even though this sounds like a tremendous asset to have, it is quickly discovered that it is quite possibly the worst thing that has ever happened to him. Overall, the characters were likeable but not as believable as I thought they should have been in some parts of the book. Some of their decision making was completely irrational and simply didn't make sense for the situation they were in. The book was a great read, easy to follow and understand, and kept me wanting to read the next page or chapter. Even though it was pretty obvious the storyline couldn't be completed in one book, it still held my attention long enough and well enough for me to be excited about the followup novel!
The Healer's Curse is a fast paced thriller with some unexpected twists and turns. As a fellow health care worker, I appreciated the accuracy of the underlying medical themes. I especially enjoyed the loyal friendship between the main character, Alex and his childhood buddy Cyan. I'm looking forward to reading more from Mr. Doyle.
This is an interesting tale with an obvious to-be-continued ending. The protagonists are all likeable enough, except for Alex’s girlfriend at the beginning of the story. But their actions didn’t always seem logical to me. After all, what reasonable adult blames their significant other for circumstances beyond their control like Kat does? (Although this maybe a conscious choice on the author’s part to show a clear contrast between her and Harper, who appears later in the book.) And why would someone in Alex’s circumstances not demand to have his work contract given to him so that a lawyer of his own choosing can review it first to make sure he’s not being shafted somehow? Why doesn’t he sue the company responsible for placing all those recording devices in his home for burglary and invasion of privacy, especially since it has resulted in a potential loss of income for his girlfriend? He should likewise press assault charges against the rock-throwing evangelists. There’s also the fact that Alex and Cy never bother to do anything much to change their appearance while they’re on the run and Alex subsequently keeps getting found out by the people he encounters. But these are very minor problems and I already recommend it to a friend who was looking for something new to read.
Car chases, shootouts, crooked cops, super powers, the Mafia -- The Healer's Curse has it all. The book begins calmly enough with nurse Alex Trent's discovery that he can heal people by touching them. A medical professional himself, author J.P. Doyle brings authority to his descriptions of hospital life, illnesses, treatments and injuries. These details bring to story to life and make the stakes seem real.
Because the setup of the story involves Alex selling out, I expected it would be a basic hero's journey to learn that "with great power comes great responsibility" but its much more of a Bourne-style thriller with a supernatural element. While the book does follow some tropes, Doyle ensures the plot never becomes predictable. He infuses some original twists to the story -- including interesting consequences of Alex's powers -- and manages to create a three-dimensional cast of characters that make up Alex's entourage of allies and sidekicks. The development of Alex, as well as the book's main villain, as they struggle with morality through the course of events is believable and well-illustrated.
Overall, the book is page turner that's fit to be turned into an action flick.
The general theme of this novel is not an uncommon one - a young man discovers he has the miraculous capability of healing anyone with a simple touch of his hands - but twisting this idea into a thriller is truly intriguing. It is acutely obvious that J.P. Doyle has a background in the medical field when you read The Healer's Curse. The incredibly specific and accurate attention to detail makes Alex Trent's unique "condition" seem all the more conceivable. This is a truly engaging novel that will have you turning each page with rapture, with nothing predictable or slow about this story. Doyle has taken an entirely fantastical concept of magical healing powers and made it not only a captivating one but also a genuinely believable one as well.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
This was a novel about a man who learns he has an extraordinary power to heal. He wasn't aware of this power, but once he learns about it, his life becomes quite chaotic.
This magical realism type story was at times believable and at other times infuriating. I did mostly enjoy this, but there were times where it seemed as though the story changed to fit that particular scene, then that was forgotten, but later came back when it was helpful to the story. It started really strong, but seemed as though the author ended up winging it toward the end.
This book definitely kept me engaged. It made me feel as though I was watching a science fiction series TV and I was constantly left with a desire to want to read more. The main character, Alex, realized he had a special power of healing people, just by the touch of his hands. Overall, he wasn’t a really likeable character; I rolled my eyes at him a few times throughout the book but he did keep me intrigued. I’ll be excited to read more in the next book as the ending clearly left you wanting more.
Great parts: Really was a page turner near the end. Character development of main characters was good.
Parts I want to know more about (perhaps in future books in series) Distant disease transfer
Parts I didn't like: Lots of death of innocent people (which I find sad, it's fine from a literary standpoint. Everyone dies in John Irving novels too.)
For what it was, this book was enjoyable. I could certainly imagine this book, and others written by the author to be successful paperback sellers. The book was well written and provided enough excitement and intrigue to keep the pages turning. While there is an element of science fiction to the story, it was not so outlandish as to make it difficult to accept within the rest of the storyline. Overall a pleasant and fun read.
I received a copy of this book from a giveaway. This is my honest review.
Brilliant. I couldn't put it down. Mildly paced, exciting and thoroughly entertaining. I found the story original and unique. Towards the end of the book I was enthralled and reading at top speed, dying to find out the ending. It was such a thrilling ride. J. P. Doyle is a wonderful story teller and one to follow. I highly recommend this book.
I must say I love a tricky ending! This is a good book. I could feel the hero's angst. So well written, I didn't want to put it down. Just like a good movie, a book should have a "scene" you cannot forget, in this it's the underwater sequence. I'm quite surprised that I didn't dream about that later. I'm so glad I got this book free from good reads giveaways, and I will be reading more Doyle, ASAP
Alex Trent! What a character! He goes from a regular guy to finding out he has some strange healing capabilities... but that's not all....I really enjoyed this Novel! It kept me super interested.. If not for my crazy work schedule and home renovations I would have finished reading it a lot sooner. Sometimes what others may see as a blessing may actually be a curse. From action to friendships this novel had it all! I highly recommend you pick up this book and give it a shot!
After J.P. Doyle established his hero's gift of healing, I felt the book was going on a dead end with the actions predictable and sentimental. Fortunately I was very wrong. Mr. Doyle added wonderful but acceptable supernatural touches that all contributed to a great hectic ending with a fabulous denouement. Try not to cheat to thoroughly enjoy the ending and the aftermath. I look forward to his next work.
I received this book free from goodreads giveaways, and I'm glad I did this is an excellently written story. It takes the reader along on the hero's journey through innocence, discovery, trickery, abuse, tragedy, guilt, and punishment. It's quite a ride. Like a rollercoaster it takes you to the brink and then drops you before building again. Love, love, loved the ending. For me, saying I loved the ending is saying a lot. Usually books hold me enthralled if they are good until the very end, and then turn too sharply, and I fall off the side. Endings quite often disappoint me. Read this book it's great!