The Secret of the Green Anole

by Jake Shuford

Part psychological thriller, part medical horror, what this debut novel ultimately births is medicine most monstrous.

For Dr. Tim Hill—surgeon, husband, and father of two—the regenerative ability of the green anole lizard to regrow its tail if the appendage is detached is a phenomenon that, if unlocked, could sharpen his already impressive skill set and potentially end the suffering of countless patients. Family has always come first for Tim, so when his obsession causes him to fall into the clutches of a lurking darkness, it will be his own flesh and blood that is transformed by his terrifying medical treatment protocol. In the Hill mansion, the boundary that separates good and evil ceases to exist and patient outcomes prove impossible to predict—and control.

The Secret of the Green Anole draws on the transformative yet gruesome operating room to diagnose the turmoil that resides within even the healthiest families.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Tim Petersik · Rating 3 out of 5]

People in the employ of brilliant surgeon, Timothy Hill, have been disappearing. And, coincidentally enough, his children have recovered from physical deformities. If you drew a connection between the surgeon and the disappearances, you’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what’s going on in this novel. I found the novel to be very creative in concept. However, I didn’t have any empathy for the characters, regardless whether they were protagonists or antagonists. Though the author tried to reveal the inner life of some of these characters, it just wasn’t successful in getting me to care about them. Nonetheless, the novel was pretty readable, perhaps even a little simplistic in style. As I said, there was a lot of creativity to the plot of this novel. It would be hard to categorize it, though. It’s part medical thriller, although there’s not too much thrill when you really know exactly what’s going on most of the time. It would probably be more correct to call it medical science-fiction. It certainly requires a healthy suspension of disbelief, particularly as it nears the climax. One plus is that this book is a quick read.

[Seth Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonstop suspense in this medical thriller!

The Secret of the Green Anole is an extremely difficult book to put down as the author has weaved together a plot impregnated with adrenaline that just won’t quit. Highly recommend for all fans of medical fiction.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so boring to me.