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Downfall
First, his doppelganger is killed—then it’s his father. Rick Shepherd is being stalked by a murderer.
When Rick Shepherd, a physician, approaches his office on a busy Manhattan street, he finds police cars, an ambulance, and crime scene technicians. He soon learns a passerby was shot three times in the back, murdered at the front door to Rick’s office.
Later that evening while watching the local news, Rick and his fiancee, Jackie, see a photo of the victim—to their horror, the deceased looks identical to Rick.
Two nights later, while making a house call in a Brooklyn apartment building, Rick’s 64-year-old father is shot and killed in the exact same way. Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned the case, and they launch an investigation. There are no clues leading to the perpetrator.
Even more ominously, someone has been calling Rick and Jackie’s apartment and hanging up. Whoever is targeting Rick must have murdered his father, and they now have Rick in their crosshairs. Nager and Callaghan seem to be making no progress with their investigation. Rick’s quest for the truth draws him into a labyrinth of secrets, past tragedies, and the agonizing pain of lives shattered by a single event. Can he make it out before he meets the same fate as his father?
Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and J. D. Robb
When Rick Shepherd, a physician, approaches his office on a busy Manhattan street, he finds police cars, an ambulance, and crime scene technicians. He soon learns a passerby was shot three times in the back, murdered at the front door to Rick’s office.
Later that evening while watching the local news, Rick and his fiancee, Jackie, see a photo of the victim—to their horror, the deceased looks identical to Rick.
Two nights later, while making a house call in a Brooklyn apartment building, Rick’s 64-year-old father is shot and killed in the exact same way. Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned the case, and they launch an investigation. There are no clues leading to the perpetrator.
Even more ominously, someone has been calling Rick and Jackie’s apartment and hanging up. Whoever is targeting Rick must have murdered his father, and they now have Rick in their crosshairs. Nager and Callaghan seem to be making no progress with their investigation. Rick’s quest for the truth draws him into a labyrinth of secrets, past tragedies, and the agonizing pain of lives shattered by a single event. Can he make it out before he meets the same fate as his father?
Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and J. D. Robb
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2023
24 people are currently reading
1468 people want to read
About the author
Mark Rubinstein
35 books819 followersMark Rubinstein graduated from NYU with a degree in business. He then served in the army as a field medic tending to paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division. After discharge, he re-entered NYU as a premed student.
As a medical student at the State University of New York, he developed an interest in psychiatry, discovering in that specialty the same thing he realized in reading fiction: every patient has a compelling story to tell. He became a board-certified psychiatrist.
In addition to his private practice he became a forensic psychiatrist because of the drama and conflict in the courtroom. He also taught psychiatric residents, interns, psychologists, and social workers at New York Presbyterian Hospital, and became a clinical assistant professor at Cornell University’s medical school.
He is a contributor to Psychology Today and The Huffington Post.
Before turning to fiction, Rubinstein coauthored five medical self-help books: The First Encounter: The Beginnings in Psychotherapy (Jason Aronson); The Complete Book of Cosmetic Facial Surgery (Simon and Schuster); New Choices: the Latest Options in Treating Breast Cancer (Dodd Mead); Heartplan: A Complete Program for Total Fitness of Heart & Mind (McGraw-Hill), and The Growing Years: A Guide to Your Child’s Emotional Development from Birth to Adolescence (Atheneum).
Rubinstein's high-octane thriller Mad Dog House was a finalist for the 2012 ForeWord Book Of The Year Award for suspense/thrillers. His 2nd thriller, Love Gone Mad, was published in September 2013 and his novella, The Foot Soldier (November 2013) won the Silver award in the 2014 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition, in the Popular Fiction category. His novel Mad Dog Justice (September 2014), tagged as a "pulse-pounding tale of post-modern paranoia," is a finalist for the 2014 ForeWord Book of the Year Award. His novella, Return to Sandara, won the Gold Medal for suspense/thrillers in the 2015 IPPY Awards. The Lovers' Tango, is a medical and legal thriller about which Michael Connelly said, "The tension on these pages never lets you go. Rubinstein is a born storyteller." The Lovers' Tango has won the Gold Award in Popular Fiction for this year's 2016 IPPA Benjamin Franklin Award.
Bedlam's Door: True Tales of Madness and Hope, was published in September 2016. Beyond Bedlam's Door: True Tales from the Couch and Courtroom was published on May 15, 2017.
Rubinstein's book MAD DOG VENGEANCE, the 3rd in the Mad Dog Series, was published on October 15, 2017.
Rubinstein has since written Assassin's Lullaby and A Lethal Question.
As a medical student at the State University of New York, he developed an interest in psychiatry, discovering in that specialty the same thing he realized in reading fiction: every patient has a compelling story to tell. He became a board-certified psychiatrist.
In addition to his private practice he became a forensic psychiatrist because of the drama and conflict in the courtroom. He also taught psychiatric residents, interns, psychologists, and social workers at New York Presbyterian Hospital, and became a clinical assistant professor at Cornell University’s medical school.
He is a contributor to Psychology Today and The Huffington Post.
Before turning to fiction, Rubinstein coauthored five medical self-help books: The First Encounter: The Beginnings in Psychotherapy (Jason Aronson); The Complete Book of Cosmetic Facial Surgery (Simon and Schuster); New Choices: the Latest Options in Treating Breast Cancer (Dodd Mead); Heartplan: A Complete Program for Total Fitness of Heart & Mind (McGraw-Hill), and The Growing Years: A Guide to Your Child’s Emotional Development from Birth to Adolescence (Atheneum).
Rubinstein's high-octane thriller Mad Dog House was a finalist for the 2012 ForeWord Book Of The Year Award for suspense/thrillers. His 2nd thriller, Love Gone Mad, was published in September 2013 and his novella, The Foot Soldier (November 2013) won the Silver award in the 2014 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition, in the Popular Fiction category. His novel Mad Dog Justice (September 2014), tagged as a "pulse-pounding tale of post-modern paranoia," is a finalist for the 2014 ForeWord Book of the Year Award. His novella, Return to Sandara, won the Gold Medal for suspense/thrillers in the 2015 IPPY Awards. The Lovers' Tango, is a medical and legal thriller about which Michael Connelly said, "The tension on these pages never lets you go. Rubinstein is a born storyteller." The Lovers' Tango has won the Gold Award in Popular Fiction for this year's 2016 IPPA Benjamin Franklin Award.
Bedlam's Door: True Tales of Madness and Hope, was published in September 2016. Beyond Bedlam's Door: True Tales from the Couch and Courtroom was published on May 15, 2017.
Rubinstein's book MAD DOG VENGEANCE, the 3rd in the Mad Dog Series, was published on October 15, 2017.
Rubinstein has since written Assassin's Lullaby and A Lethal Question.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 4, 2023
Set in the 1980s, Downfall is a psychological thriller that drops us into the mind of your ordinary, everyday citizen who is suddenly confronted by the possibility that he has been targeted for murder. This is a mystery that combines the psychological thriller elements with a police procedural investigation with each running in parallel with each other.
When a man is shot to death in broad daylight out in front of Dr Rick Shepherd’s surgery his concern for the poor man turns to fear for himself when he discovers the man looks almost identical to himself. Could this shooting have been a case of mistaken identity and was he the true target?
Shortly after this first troubling murder, Rick’s father, also a doctor, is murdered, shot in the back while making a late-night housecall. This clearly rocks his world and his mind immediately returns to the other shooting, not to mention the increasing number of hang-up calls he’s been getting.
Investigating the doctor’s murder is Detective Art Nagel and his partner Detective Liz Callaghan, a pair of Brooklyn detectives who, for quite some time appear to be spinning their wheels. While they grind through the process of trying to pick up the killer’s trail, we slowly get a clearer picture of what makes each of them tick. It’s this part of the story where we’re given a full picture of both cops which gave me a firm stake in their success or failure.
Although there is an attempt to build the drama through occasional first person narratives from the perspective of the killer who is clearly still on the trail of Rick Shepherd, the actual danger feels rather removed. There was a great deal of “I’m gonna get ya, I’m gonna get ya” but not a lot of doing.
In fact, this turns out to be a story more inclined to the mental anguish felt by Rick as he does a great deal of reevaluating of his life. His reasons for becoming a doctor, his relationship with his murdered father, his dissatisfaction with the current job situation and questions over whether he is truly content in his relationship with his girlfriend all burn within him. Churning through all of this comes the specter of a family tragedy that has clearly made its mark on the entire Shepherd family.
The resolution, when it comes, aims to provide an unexpected twist which really didn’t hit the mark, although it was a valiant effort. The twist aside, the final confrontation was packed with energy, anguish and self-doubt and it was here that I found myself most deeply invested.
A moderately paced psychological thriller, I ended up rating it three stars. This came down to the fact that, after devoting a significant portion of the book to the building relationship between the detectives, Nager and Callaghan, they disappointingly play an extremely minor role in the outcome. I would call this more a psychological examination of the human mind than a true thriller.
My thanks to Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley for the digital ARC of the book to allow me to read, enjoy and review Downfall.
When a man is shot to death in broad daylight out in front of Dr Rick Shepherd’s surgery his concern for the poor man turns to fear for himself when he discovers the man looks almost identical to himself. Could this shooting have been a case of mistaken identity and was he the true target?
Shortly after this first troubling murder, Rick’s father, also a doctor, is murdered, shot in the back while making a late-night housecall. This clearly rocks his world and his mind immediately returns to the other shooting, not to mention the increasing number of hang-up calls he’s been getting.
Investigating the doctor’s murder is Detective Art Nagel and his partner Detective Liz Callaghan, a pair of Brooklyn detectives who, for quite some time appear to be spinning their wheels. While they grind through the process of trying to pick up the killer’s trail, we slowly get a clearer picture of what makes each of them tick. It’s this part of the story where we’re given a full picture of both cops which gave me a firm stake in their success or failure.
Although there is an attempt to build the drama through occasional first person narratives from the perspective of the killer who is clearly still on the trail of Rick Shepherd, the actual danger feels rather removed. There was a great deal of “I’m gonna get ya, I’m gonna get ya” but not a lot of doing.
In fact, this turns out to be a story more inclined to the mental anguish felt by Rick as he does a great deal of reevaluating of his life. His reasons for becoming a doctor, his relationship with his murdered father, his dissatisfaction with the current job situation and questions over whether he is truly content in his relationship with his girlfriend all burn within him. Churning through all of this comes the specter of a family tragedy that has clearly made its mark on the entire Shepherd family.
The resolution, when it comes, aims to provide an unexpected twist which really didn’t hit the mark, although it was a valiant effort. The twist aside, the final confrontation was packed with energy, anguish and self-doubt and it was here that I found myself most deeply invested.
A moderately paced psychological thriller, I ended up rating it three stars. This came down to the fact that, after devoting a significant portion of the book to the building relationship between the detectives, Nager and Callaghan, they disappointingly play an extremely minor role in the outcome. I would call this more a psychological examination of the human mind than a true thriller.
My thanks to Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley for the digital ARC of the book to allow me to read, enjoy and review Downfall.
April 21, 2023
I have always enjoyed author Mark Rubinstein's work and Downfall, his latest novel, is a great read!
Set in the 1980's in New York City this riveting psychological murder mystery surrounds the murder of an elderly doctor as well as the murder of a man that could be the identical twin of his son (who is also a doctor).
After the murder of his father and the man that could be his doppelganger Dr. Rick Shepherd, along with the police, uncover dark family secrets and lies in their search for the truth.
A fast-paced intriguing novel that you won't want to put down.
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Set in the 1980's in New York City this riveting psychological murder mystery surrounds the murder of an elderly doctor as well as the murder of a man that could be the identical twin of his son (who is also a doctor).
After the murder of his father and the man that could be his doppelganger Dr. Rick Shepherd, along with the police, uncover dark family secrets and lies in their search for the truth.
A fast-paced intriguing novel that you won't want to put down.
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
March 10, 2023
Following in his father’s footsteps, Rick Shepherd became a successful physician. Rick was good at what he did. But he wasn’t particularly fond with the group practice he was involved in. So when a look-alike is gunned down in front of his office building, Rick becomes hyper-aware and paranoid. Was he the target? Adding to his paranoia, his father is also gunned down in front of a patient’s building. Was it coincidental? Or, is his family the targets of a vengeful former patient?
Downfall is a slow and methodical police procedural. It’s a novel that didn’t quite grab me and it took a while for the plot to unfold. Since I prefer a much faster pacing, I found that this police procedural subgenre isn’t my preferred type of mystery novel.
I liked the characters in this novel. Not so much the main character, but the detectives involved in the investigations. Their personalities shine through in the book.
There were multiple plot twists, but nothing really surprising, and very little shock value. But, for those readers that can appreciate the methodical investigation type novel, Downfall would be a good fit.
Overall, Downfall is a fairly good mystery, but there wasn’t anything thrilling about it. Three stars.
I received a digital ARC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Downfall is a slow and methodical police procedural. It’s a novel that didn’t quite grab me and it took a while for the plot to unfold. Since I prefer a much faster pacing, I found that this police procedural subgenre isn’t my preferred type of mystery novel.
I liked the characters in this novel. Not so much the main character, but the detectives involved in the investigations. Their personalities shine through in the book.
There were multiple plot twists, but nothing really surprising, and very little shock value. But, for those readers that can appreciate the methodical investigation type novel, Downfall would be a good fit.
Overall, Downfall is a fairly good mystery, but there wasn’t anything thrilling about it. Three stars.
I received a digital ARC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
March 24, 2023
My first thought: the blurb was better. Really, the blurb promises us a story about a young physician, Rick Shepherd, who has to fear for his life. The murder of his father is being investigated by a couple of detectives, Art Nager and Liz Callaghan but it seems they are getting nowhere. Ricks mother and sister are devastated, not to mention Rick’s father twin brother Harrison.
There is talk about a very special gun that was used to kill Ricks father and there is talk about secrets from the past and in between all this, Rick comes to realize that he maybe did not choose well when he followed in his father’s footsteps.
Yes, I finished the book because it is a very good attempt to write a captivating ‘psychological police procedural’. Sadly, although Nager and Callaghan are interesting characters, Rick himself is not. He stays flat, his family stays flat and even his boss, whom he says he hates, stays flat. There is romance in this story but this part read as if it came from a book from the fifties. A man who only has eyes for the beautiful blue eyes of a woman? A man who almost drools over her, thinks of her day and night, while we get absolutely nothing to read about hér feelings – except after the first time they sleep together and even then it reads like she has more of a high school crush.
And then the villain. Better not say anything about the villain.
And then this: I became more and more irritated by the fact that you have to read this book with a map of Manhattan in hand. Seriously, every character in this book is driving or walking all over the place and we have to read about every street, alley and avenue. When you’re not a born and bred New Yorker, this is very confusing and it leads nowhere (no pun intended). I do not understand why people always want to go to crossings when the address they want to visit could well be in the middle of a block. But ok, this is a cultural thing I think.
The idea of this story is not bad at all. It’s just that I think the author could have done better and I hope he will the next time he writes a novel.
Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for this review copy.
There is talk about a very special gun that was used to kill Ricks father and there is talk about secrets from the past and in between all this, Rick comes to realize that he maybe did not choose well when he followed in his father’s footsteps.
Yes, I finished the book because it is a very good attempt to write a captivating ‘psychological police procedural’. Sadly, although Nager and Callaghan are interesting characters, Rick himself is not. He stays flat, his family stays flat and even his boss, whom he says he hates, stays flat. There is romance in this story but this part read as if it came from a book from the fifties. A man who only has eyes for the beautiful blue eyes of a woman? A man who almost drools over her, thinks of her day and night, while we get absolutely nothing to read about hér feelings – except after the first time they sleep together and even then it reads like she has more of a high school crush.
And then the villain. Better not say anything about the villain.
And then this: I became more and more irritated by the fact that you have to read this book with a map of Manhattan in hand. Seriously, every character in this book is driving or walking all over the place and we have to read about every street, alley and avenue. When you’re not a born and bred New Yorker, this is very confusing and it leads nowhere (no pun intended). I do not understand why people always want to go to crossings when the address they want to visit could well be in the middle of a block. But ok, this is a cultural thing I think.
The idea of this story is not bad at all. It’s just that I think the author could have done better and I hope he will the next time he writes a novel.
Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for this review copy.
April 5, 2023
Mark Rubinstein's latest riveting psychological murder mystery, DOWNFALL, features a doctor that realizes the murder of his father was identical to another shooting outside his office—begging the question—who was the intended victim?
Little does he know, the frantic search will unravel a dangerous web of dark family secrets and lies.
Set in the 80s in New York City, 34-year-old Dr. Rick Shepherd, divorced, is on staff at a Manhattan practice. He is pondering the mistake of joining this medical practice a few years earlier.
He has his family, Jackie (live-in girlfriend), sister, Katie, and Mom and Dad (separated). There is also his Uncle Harry, his dad's twin brother.
Then some guy gets shot outside his office in broad daylight. The man was 33, Robert Harper, an elementary school teacher. An unknown assailant. The weird thing is the guy could be Rick's twin brother. Random or intentional?
It is uncanny how much they look alike— from their hair, jaws, and blue eyes. A dead ringer, doppelganger—could be his double. He was killed at the entrance to his office. Shot three times. Was he the intended target?
Also, ironically, he had been receiving hang-up calls.
Two nights later, he receives a call from his mom—his dad, also a doctor, is dead at age 64. He was making a house call in Brooklyn at an apartment and was shot in the back—MURDERED.
This is up close and personal for Rick. What is going on? Were the bullets meant for him? Do they have enemies?
Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned to the case, and they launch an investigation. There are no clues.
Could it be Katie's rough violent ex-boyfriend, Brock? Rick regrets the last words with his dad the night before he died. Death has no do-overs.
Rick is thinking of his dad and how medicine and practices have changed. How to practice medicine for the next thirty years. You have to be in a group with a treadmill of patients where billing and revenue drive everything. Was he the Golden Boy who wanted to please his father?
A killer is still out there, and Rick may be next. Motive?
In the meantime, he has to go to Connecticut to check on his Uncle Harry. He is afraid of what he will find. The house looks abandoned. What drove him to this condition?
In Rick's search for the truth, he is drawn into a web of dark family secrets of the past and tragedies. Will Rick make it out alive before meeting the same fate? Someone is out for REVENGE!
Compelling! An intense murder mystery page-turner I read in one sitting.
Rubinstein is a fantastic crime writer and knows his stuff (check out his impressive bio). I would classify DOWNFALL as psychologically rich—leaning more towards an intense character study, family saga, literary fiction, part medical thriller, detective, and a whodunit/whydunit suspense murder mystery.
I hope this book ends up in the right hands of a reader who will appreciate it. The book stays with you long after this heartwrenching story ends, leaving you with a hopeful, satisfying conclusion.
I am a big fan of literary fiction, where the action often takes a back seat and focuses on what is going on at the moment. More character-driven rather than plot-driven and a reflection on the human condition —as why I enjoyed this immensely.
Classic, elegantly written, lyrical, and layered, a realistic tale of human character. Yes, there is the crime thriller, detective, and cop procedurals; however, the story shines at its best as the author explores what it means to be a human and its intense emotions.
Thought-provoking! The lies we tell ourselves and others. How the past defines you. The struggling, balancing work, career/personal, and family dynamics. All the while dealing with self-awareness, the power of the past, choices, regrets, remorse, envy, resentments, deception, aspirations, the importance of time, and the mysteries of memory.
Highly charged topics are addressed: suicide, infidelity, murder, mental health, child abuse, grief, complex relationships, sibling rivalry, revenge, family dynamics, and the power of memories.
DOWNFALL would make for an ideal book club pick, and discussion questions included. There is much meaning to the title.
"Memory is such a strange thing. When you think about it, this instant in time is the only one that's not a memory. Our entire lives from this moment back are just memories. Yes, without our memories, we'd be empty vessels."
Some people choose to rewrite their memories.
My only comment: It would have been helpful to identify the chapters of POV. It switches around, so you spend a few paragraphs trying to figure out who is speaking when it changes.
DOWNFALL is for fans of authors Michael Connelly, Lisa Gardner, Michael & Daniel (DJ) Palmer, and John Hart (favorites). I highly recommend it and cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author.
Thanks to #OceanviewPublishing via #NetGalley for a gifted e-ARC for an honest review.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5
April 2023 Must-Read Books
Little does he know, the frantic search will unravel a dangerous web of dark family secrets and lies.
Set in the 80s in New York City, 34-year-old Dr. Rick Shepherd, divorced, is on staff at a Manhattan practice. He is pondering the mistake of joining this medical practice a few years earlier.
He has his family, Jackie (live-in girlfriend), sister, Katie, and Mom and Dad (separated). There is also his Uncle Harry, his dad's twin brother.
Then some guy gets shot outside his office in broad daylight. The man was 33, Robert Harper, an elementary school teacher. An unknown assailant. The weird thing is the guy could be Rick's twin brother. Random or intentional?
It is uncanny how much they look alike— from their hair, jaws, and blue eyes. A dead ringer, doppelganger—could be his double. He was killed at the entrance to his office. Shot three times. Was he the intended target?
Also, ironically, he had been receiving hang-up calls.
Two nights later, he receives a call from his mom—his dad, also a doctor, is dead at age 64. He was making a house call in Brooklyn at an apartment and was shot in the back—MURDERED.
This is up close and personal for Rick. What is going on? Were the bullets meant for him? Do they have enemies?
Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned to the case, and they launch an investigation. There are no clues.
Could it be Katie's rough violent ex-boyfriend, Brock? Rick regrets the last words with his dad the night before he died. Death has no do-overs.
Rick is thinking of his dad and how medicine and practices have changed. How to practice medicine for the next thirty years. You have to be in a group with a treadmill of patients where billing and revenue drive everything. Was he the Golden Boy who wanted to please his father?
A killer is still out there, and Rick may be next. Motive?
In the meantime, he has to go to Connecticut to check on his Uncle Harry. He is afraid of what he will find. The house looks abandoned. What drove him to this condition?
In Rick's search for the truth, he is drawn into a web of dark family secrets of the past and tragedies. Will Rick make it out alive before meeting the same fate? Someone is out for REVENGE!
Compelling! An intense murder mystery page-turner I read in one sitting.
Rubinstein is a fantastic crime writer and knows his stuff (check out his impressive bio). I would classify DOWNFALL as psychologically rich—leaning more towards an intense character study, family saga, literary fiction, part medical thriller, detective, and a whodunit/whydunit suspense murder mystery.
I hope this book ends up in the right hands of a reader who will appreciate it. The book stays with you long after this heartwrenching story ends, leaving you with a hopeful, satisfying conclusion.
I am a big fan of literary fiction, where the action often takes a back seat and focuses on what is going on at the moment. More character-driven rather than plot-driven and a reflection on the human condition —as why I enjoyed this immensely.
Classic, elegantly written, lyrical, and layered, a realistic tale of human character. Yes, there is the crime thriller, detective, and cop procedurals; however, the story shines at its best as the author explores what it means to be a human and its intense emotions.
Thought-provoking! The lies we tell ourselves and others. How the past defines you. The struggling, balancing work, career/personal, and family dynamics. All the while dealing with self-awareness, the power of the past, choices, regrets, remorse, envy, resentments, deception, aspirations, the importance of time, and the mysteries of memory.
Highly charged topics are addressed: suicide, infidelity, murder, mental health, child abuse, grief, complex relationships, sibling rivalry, revenge, family dynamics, and the power of memories.
DOWNFALL would make for an ideal book club pick, and discussion questions included. There is much meaning to the title.
"Memory is such a strange thing. When you think about it, this instant in time is the only one that's not a memory. Our entire lives from this moment back are just memories. Yes, without our memories, we'd be empty vessels."
Some people choose to rewrite their memories.
My only comment: It would have been helpful to identify the chapters of POV. It switches around, so you spend a few paragraphs trying to figure out who is speaking when it changes.
DOWNFALL is for fans of authors Michael Connelly, Lisa Gardner, Michael & Daniel (DJ) Palmer, and John Hart (favorites). I highly recommend it and cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author.
Thanks to #OceanviewPublishing via #NetGalley for a gifted e-ARC for an honest review.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5
April 2023 Must-Read Books
February 13, 2023
I enjoyed this book. Well, it’s like this : when you’re watching the news and see that you appear to have been
murdered on the steps of the building where you WORK but you’re positive you’re not dead, you can be certain
you’re in for a ride. Then, when your father is murdered just two days later while making a house call…It’s becoming too much to understand, I could go on, but you get the point; this is a very well constructed story about (one (or more) truly flawed people who choose the wrong way to settle their inner demons down.
Dr. Rick Shepherd is the son of a nearly retired Physician, and also has a twin brother who is not a Physician.
When the Detectives assigned to the murder outside the medical offices are well into their fruitless investigation
Into the two seemingly unrelated killings, the story begins to take a rattlesnake twist and strike that will become a
story you won’t want to put down until …. But you won’t because as the story unfolds the most unlikely of people
becomes the main focus of a complicated whodunnit that is really well written and captivating. The conclusion
is well built on a plane not often achieved in suspense these days. It will come as no surprise that the Author is
prolific in his writing and is a medical doctor. Mark Rubinstein is a practicing Psychiatrist and has written extensively, both teaching tools and fiction, I was immediately reminded of books by JD Robb and her
Dr. Mira consults.
I recommend this book! My thanks to Ocean View and NetGalley for providing this download copy in
exchange for my honest review.
murdered on the steps of the building where you WORK but you’re positive you’re not dead, you can be certain
you’re in for a ride. Then, when your father is murdered just two days later while making a house call…It’s becoming too much to understand, I could go on, but you get the point; this is a very well constructed story about (one (or more) truly flawed people who choose the wrong way to settle their inner demons down.
Dr. Rick Shepherd is the son of a nearly retired Physician, and also has a twin brother who is not a Physician.
When the Detectives assigned to the murder outside the medical offices are well into their fruitless investigation
Into the two seemingly unrelated killings, the story begins to take a rattlesnake twist and strike that will become a
story you won’t want to put down until …. But you won’t because as the story unfolds the most unlikely of people
becomes the main focus of a complicated whodunnit that is really well written and captivating. The conclusion
is well built on a plane not often achieved in suspense these days. It will come as no surprise that the Author is
prolific in his writing and is a medical doctor. Mark Rubinstein is a practicing Psychiatrist and has written extensively, both teaching tools and fiction, I was immediately reminded of books by JD Robb and her
Dr. Mira consults.
I recommend this book! My thanks to Ocean View and NetGalley for providing this download copy in
exchange for my honest review.
July 29, 2024
I would like to thank Oceanview Publishing and Mark Rubinstein for granting me a copy of this book.
3,5 ⭐ - What a thrill to read! This novel is based in the eighties, Rick Shepard finds out his double is murdered in front of his physician practice and informed soon his father also gets killed.
Is it a coincidence? Was the killed double of Rick supposed to be Rick? Is someone targeting the Shepard family?
The story is told in different POV's and the plot slows down mid story but overall a good thriller with an exciting twist in the end.
3,5 ⭐ - What a thrill to read! This novel is based in the eighties, Rick Shepard finds out his double is murdered in front of his physician practice and informed soon his father also gets killed.
Is it a coincidence? Was the killed double of Rick supposed to be Rick? Is someone targeting the Shepard family?
The story is told in different POV's and the plot slows down mid story but overall a good thriller with an exciting twist in the end.
April 17, 2024
Mark Rubinstein's Downfall comes with a built-in advantage. As a physician and psychiatrist, he has real life experience in making characters who are physicians believable and in presenting sound motives and behaviors for all his characters. One striking aspect of the book is the human tendency to explain behavior or concerns as paranoia. When a man who resembles Dr. Rick Shepherd is shot to death outside his office, Dr. Shepherd convinces himself that even though he had thoughts he was the target, he was just being paranoid. After his father Dr. James Shepherd is killed, the similar three shots in the back method again triggers thoughts of a connection. Will Rick be the next victim? The detectives on Dr. James Shepherd's case end up doing a thorough investigation. They explore potential motives and identify, and then eliminate, several suspects. When sibling rivalry becomes one of the remaining motives, Rubinstein's profession makes this aspect of the investigation complex and interesting. Rubinstein reminds us that human behavior is complex and that perception and reality are intertwined.
March 23, 2023
The story begins in 1983 in New York when a man that looks so much like Rick Shepherd, is shot. The coincidence bother's Rick, but the police doesn't think much of it. But then Rick's father dies in the same exact way, with 3 shots in the back, and the physician starts to fear for his life, worrying that he will be next.
Detectives Art Nager and Liz Cunningham investigate, but there are no leads nor suspects. Although they investigate all the family dynamics, friends and patients, all they find is a special weapon that is used, but no suspect. Parallel to the main plot, the author includes a small romance story between the emotionally fragile detective Art and Liz.
In this fast paced psychological thriller, the reader gets the POV of Rick Shepherd, the POV of the murder and the POV of Detective Art Nager. I really enjoyed the details, the different point of views where characters spend time reflecting about what happened in the past which helps the reader to understand better each character, and the unexpected twist in the end.
Thank you so much to Oceanview Publishing and Netgalley for this arc. The opinions above are my own and given freely.
Detectives Art Nager and Liz Cunningham investigate, but there are no leads nor suspects. Although they investigate all the family dynamics, friends and patients, all they find is a special weapon that is used, but no suspect. Parallel to the main plot, the author includes a small romance story between the emotionally fragile detective Art and Liz.
In this fast paced psychological thriller, the reader gets the POV of Rick Shepherd, the POV of the murder and the POV of Detective Art Nager. I really enjoyed the details, the different point of views where characters spend time reflecting about what happened in the past which helps the reader to understand better each character, and the unexpected twist in the end.
Thank you so much to Oceanview Publishing and Netgalley for this arc. The opinions above are my own and given freely.
May 3, 2024
It this book a fiction, a mystery, a psychological thriller or maybe it is a police procedural drama who knows? One thing is “Downfall” gives us a bit of everything and it does it relatively well.
The story in a few words:
Rick Shepherd, a doctor, on his way to his office, finds police cars and ambulance are blocking his way...a passerby was shot and murdered at the front of his office....In the evening, on while watching the local news, Rick noticed, the deceased looked identical to him...was this a mistake in identity? But when two days later his father, also a physician is shot dead in the exact same way...A coincidence? Detective Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned to the case...and an investigation is launched......
My thoughts:
Set in New York City 1983 this mystery has some excellent characters but most are stereotypes at best and filled with old clichés. The story can be confusing at times it is all over the place. The action repeats and turns in circles many times....The pacing of the plot movement was not as engaging as I would have liked. I prefer things to get going much faster. The psychological tension was at a minimum, hang up phone calls that is it although the author shows Rick’s anguish over his relationship with his father and his paranoia being the next target quite well. I guess I would too in his shoes.
Don’t get me wrong the story is not bad at all but it seemed to plod along too much for me and over all did not grab my full attention, But we do have an unexpected twist at the end but apart from that nothing really surprising or of shock value happens.
Overall “Downfall” is a fairly good mystery but nothing to write home about.
I received a copy of this book from Oceanview Publishing for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.
The story in a few words:
Rick Shepherd, a doctor, on his way to his office, finds police cars and ambulance are blocking his way...a passerby was shot and murdered at the front of his office....In the evening, on while watching the local news, Rick noticed, the deceased looked identical to him...was this a mistake in identity? But when two days later his father, also a physician is shot dead in the exact same way...A coincidence? Detective Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned to the case...and an investigation is launched......
My thoughts:
Set in New York City 1983 this mystery has some excellent characters but most are stereotypes at best and filled with old clichés. The story can be confusing at times it is all over the place. The action repeats and turns in circles many times....The pacing of the plot movement was not as engaging as I would have liked. I prefer things to get going much faster. The psychological tension was at a minimum, hang up phone calls that is it although the author shows Rick’s anguish over his relationship with his father and his paranoia being the next target quite well. I guess I would too in his shoes.
Don’t get me wrong the story is not bad at all but it seemed to plod along too much for me and over all did not grab my full attention, But we do have an unexpected twist at the end but apart from that nothing really surprising or of shock value happens.
Overall “Downfall” is a fairly good mystery but nothing to write home about.
I received a copy of this book from Oceanview Publishing for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.
November 19, 2022
Thank you for the opportunity to preview Downfall. This is a fast paced novel. The locale and the decade make this more interesting. Set in NY city in the 1980s the stage for two murders seemingly unrelated until one of the men looks strangely like the son of one of the men who was killed. Coincidence. Dr Rick Shepard starts to think he was targeted and some other man was killed because he looked like him.
Two police detectives start to investigate the son’s father and in doing so start to think the doctor may be right. He was the target
But who would kill the sons father. He too was a doctor and at 64 years old he was an old school physician who barely ha d a practice left
This book really is character driven and a good ending. I was pleasantly surprised with what a good book this was. 4 stars. Definitely a good book to read in one day. Recommend
Two police detectives start to investigate the son’s father and in doing so start to think the doctor may be right. He was the target
But who would kill the sons father. He too was a doctor and at 64 years old he was an old school physician who barely ha d a practice left
This book really is character driven and a good ending. I was pleasantly surprised with what a good book this was. 4 stars. Definitely a good book to read in one day. Recommend
dnf
March 30, 2023Dnf at 29%. I just can’t with the writing anymore. It’s not great. The way the male characters think and talk about the female characters… can’t do it.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
April 1, 2023
Downfall by Mark Rubinstein #eighteenthbookof2023 #arc
CW: Murder, outdated terminology for sex workers
First, his doppelganger is killed—then it’s his father. Rick Shepherd is being stalked by a murderer.
This is the description that made me want to read this book. Sounds good, right? Sadly, it’s the most interesting part of the novel. All I can really say about it is…meh. It was fine-ish. It was a little slow, not super interesting, and the story just sort of plodded along. A lot of time is spent by the main character, after the main mystery is already solved, trying to determine whether a farfetched story he’s told is true, and I just didn’t care.
I didn’t realize the book was set in the 80s until I discovered that answering machines figured heavily. Add several references to The Godfather, and fax machines as the way the cops are communicating about the case. I could absolutely tell who was writing this book. The author uses a few outdated ways of describing sex workers, which may have used based on the time period of the setting, but it still frustrated me. He repeated a lot of things, like feelings about how the main character’s father didn’t want him to follow his dreams of being a professional baseball player, and then you later learn he’d only played in high school. In my opinion, thank goodness his father dissuaded him from professional sports to become a doctor.
This was just not the book for me but those who like a lighter murder mystery might enjoy this.
Thank you to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for the advance copy. (Pub date 4/4/23)
CW: Murder, outdated terminology for sex workers
First, his doppelganger is killed—then it’s his father. Rick Shepherd is being stalked by a murderer.
This is the description that made me want to read this book. Sounds good, right? Sadly, it’s the most interesting part of the novel. All I can really say about it is…meh. It was fine-ish. It was a little slow, not super interesting, and the story just sort of plodded along. A lot of time is spent by the main character, after the main mystery is already solved, trying to determine whether a farfetched story he’s told is true, and I just didn’t care.
I didn’t realize the book was set in the 80s until I discovered that answering machines figured heavily. Add several references to The Godfather, and fax machines as the way the cops are communicating about the case. I could absolutely tell who was writing this book. The author uses a few outdated ways of describing sex workers, which may have used based on the time period of the setting, but it still frustrated me. He repeated a lot of things, like feelings about how the main character’s father didn’t want him to follow his dreams of being a professional baseball player, and then you later learn he’d only played in high school. In my opinion, thank goodness his father dissuaded him from professional sports to become a doctor.
This was just not the book for me but those who like a lighter murder mystery might enjoy this.
Thank you to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for the advance copy. (Pub date 4/4/23)
April 22, 2023
This is a character driven psychological thriller that moves at a consistent and methodical pace. There is much character thought in relation to action. We have the thoughts of Rick, the targeted doctor. We have the thoughts of Art, the detective investigating the case with troubling issues with his ex. We also have periodic chapters with the thoughts of the villain.
The pace of the plot movement was not engaging. I found myself skimming paragraphs of thoughts to get to the next dialogue or action scene. There was not much psychological tension. Rick received hang up calls and that was about it. Even those stop when he changes his phone number. There is one scene of suspense near the end.
Rubinstein does explore several issues in the novel such as perception and memories as well as the impact of childhood experiences. Readers who enjoy lots of character reflection will like this novel.
I received a complimentary egalley of this novel from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
The pace of the plot movement was not engaging. I found myself skimming paragraphs of thoughts to get to the next dialogue or action scene. There was not much psychological tension. Rick received hang up calls and that was about it. Even those stop when he changes his phone number. There is one scene of suspense near the end.
Rubinstein does explore several issues in the novel such as perception and memories as well as the impact of childhood experiences. Readers who enjoy lots of character reflection will like this novel.
I received a complimentary egalley of this novel from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
May 15, 2023
With some effective plotting, as well as the building of tone as it is apparent that Rick remains in jeopardy with some help from the Manhattan and other NYC settings, this was a reasonably okay Psychological Thriller. I read for CH and was disappointed that I never felt much for Rick and any of the other CHs. The two detectives were the most attractive to me; however, the romantic build-up was unnecessarily repetitive and lacked finesse. Much of the dialogue and internal thoughts were redundant and did nothing to inform either CH or plot. Police procedure was well conceived and detailed until the last part of the story which fell apart for me—and the 2nd shoe to drop went on much too long. I think Riley Sager, B.A. Paris and Linwood Barclay are good examples of writers who do Psych Suspense well.
April 4, 2023
***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
When Rick Shepherd, a physician, approaches his office on a busy Manhattan street, he finds police cars, an ambulance, and crime scene technicians. He soon learns a passerby was shot three times in the back, murdered at the front door to Rick’s office. Later that evening while watching the local news, Rick and his fiancee, Jackie, see a photo of the victim—to their horror, the deceased looks identical to Rick. Two nights later, while making a house call in a Brooklyn apartment building, Rick’s 64-year-old father is shot and killed in the exact same way. Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned the case, and they launch an investigation. There are no clues leading to the perpetrator. Even more ominously, someone has been calling Rick and Jackie’s apartment and hanging up. Whoever is targeting Rick must have murdered his father, and they now have Rick in their crosshairs. Nager and Callaghan seem to be making no progress with their investigation. Rick’s quest for the truth draws him into a labyrinth of secrets, past tragedies, and the agonizing pain of lives shattered by a single event. Can he make it out before he meets the same fate as his father?
I have read several of this author's books and enoyed them, so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, this one fell a little short of expectations for me. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't great. At some points it seemed to plod along, and then other points it was somewhat suspenseful. Once it was revealed who the killer was, it seemed to devolve even further from there. At times this felt like I was reading a police procedural, other times a mystery, and other times a psychological thriller. Overall this one gets a solid 3.
When Rick Shepherd, a physician, approaches his office on a busy Manhattan street, he finds police cars, an ambulance, and crime scene technicians. He soon learns a passerby was shot three times in the back, murdered at the front door to Rick’s office. Later that evening while watching the local news, Rick and his fiancee, Jackie, see a photo of the victim—to their horror, the deceased looks identical to Rick. Two nights later, while making a house call in a Brooklyn apartment building, Rick’s 64-year-old father is shot and killed in the exact same way. Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan are assigned the case, and they launch an investigation. There are no clues leading to the perpetrator. Even more ominously, someone has been calling Rick and Jackie’s apartment and hanging up. Whoever is targeting Rick must have murdered his father, and they now have Rick in their crosshairs. Nager and Callaghan seem to be making no progress with their investigation. Rick’s quest for the truth draws him into a labyrinth of secrets, past tragedies, and the agonizing pain of lives shattered by a single event. Can he make it out before he meets the same fate as his father?
I have read several of this author's books and enoyed them, so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, this one fell a little short of expectations for me. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't great. At some points it seemed to plod along, and then other points it was somewhat suspenseful. Once it was revealed who the killer was, it seemed to devolve even further from there. At times this felt like I was reading a police procedural, other times a mystery, and other times a psychological thriller. Overall this one gets a solid 3.
January 21, 2023
This was certainly cleverly written and engaging. I didn't find it an easy read. Its a very character driven police procedural which is fine but it all just felt like people chatting to each other constantly with no other forms of investigation which felt odd. The entire book felt like its conveyed through conversations. The povs also switched at random and made the book feel really disjointed. There wasn't any signalling to indicate who's pov it was or that it had switched so you did have to be on the ball. I loved the premise so much and thought it'd make such a good story but it just felt like ot dragged quite a bit. I did enjoy how cleverly written it was and how many plot lines were weaved throughout. The characters were well defined and 3D and you can easily picture every second of this book. I jist felt like nothing really happened but I do personally prefer more action led thrillers or police procedural where you're involved with all the aspects of the investigation and not just talking to people of interest. I didn't seem to come across much evidence collecting or public appeals or work back at the station....... I've no idea why I noticed that because I'm not about to claim any knowledge on what going into police investigations! It just felt very dated maybe? I've no doubt it'll appeal to a lot of people and will be loved by those who do like this style of book but I struggled. Oh and every so often the pov switches to the killer who just seems to skulk in the background going on about how he killed someone. N I already know that so didn't really need to hear from him
March 28, 2023
I've been reading reviews with mixed feelings and not so flattering remarks about this book and I cannot understand why: it is wonderfully written, maybe sometimes slightly repetitive, ok, but it's part of the narrative style, since the POV is basically that of an omniscent narrator, who zoomes in on each protagonist (and at that point the narration is in the first person) and recounts their stream of consciousness, making all major characters tridimensional. Someone wrote that Rick, the main character, a doctor whose life is forever changed by heinous events, is a flat character and I beg to differe in this case too: he has a true, gradual development, from naive uptown young man to a disillusioned but self-consciuous man in 10 months (the time that elapses from the beginning to the end of the story). Moreover, when it comes to the plot: well, I read many thrillers and I didn't see the plot twist coming, I kept suspecting virtually every character but I hadn't imagined who the real culprit would be.
I loved the atmosphere the author created with his words, the 80s and New York are so vivid in my mind even if I haven't lived either of them. He describes places and landscapes, indulging in small details that really make you image how they look like (I know some places where invented, as the author himself points out in the final note, but still it doesn't matter - I highlighted many place and restaurant names that I want to look up, just to give you an idea of how obsessed I am!).
I loved the atmosphere the author created with his words, the 80s and New York are so vivid in my mind even if I haven't lived either of them. He describes places and landscapes, indulging in small details that really make you image how they look like (I know some places where invented, as the author himself points out in the final note, but still it doesn't matter - I highlighted many place and restaurant names that I want to look up, just to give you an idea of how obsessed I am!).
April 1, 2023
Downfall by Mark Rubinstein #eighteenthbookof2023 #arc
CW: Murder, outdated terminology for sex workers
First, his doppelganger is killed—then it’s his father. Rick Shepherd is being stalked by a murderer.
This is the description that made me want to read this book. Sounds good, right? Sadly, it’s the most interesting part of the novel. All I can really say about it is…meh. It was fine-ish. It was a little slow, not super interesting, and the story just sort of plodded along. A lot of time is spent by the main character, after the main mystery is already solved, trying to determine whether a farfetched story he’s told is true, and I just didn’t care.
I didn’t realize the book was set in the 80s until I discovered that answering machines figured heavily. Add several references to The Godfather, and fax machines as the way the cops are communicating about the case. I could absolutely tell who was writing this book. The author uses a few outdated ways of describing sex workers, which may have used based on the time period of the setting, but it still frustrated me. He repeated a lot of things, like feelings about how the main character’s father didn’t want him to follow his dreams of being a professional baseball player, and then you later learn he’d only played in high school. In my opinion, thank goodness his father dissuaded him from professional sports to become a doctor.
This was just not the book for me but those who like a lighter murder mystery might enjoy this.
Thank you to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for the advance copy. (Pub date 4/4/23)
CW: Murder, outdated terminology for sex workers
First, his doppelganger is killed—then it’s his father. Rick Shepherd is being stalked by a murderer.
This is the description that made me want to read this book. Sounds good, right? Sadly, it’s the most interesting part of the novel. All I can really say about it is…meh. It was fine-ish. It was a little slow, not super interesting, and the story just sort of plodded along. A lot of time is spent by the main character, after the main mystery is already solved, trying to determine whether a farfetched story he’s told is true, and I just didn’t care.
I didn’t realize the book was set in the 80s until I discovered that answering machines figured heavily. Add several references to The Godfather, and fax machines as the way the cops are communicating about the case. I could absolutely tell who was writing this book. The author uses a few outdated ways of describing sex workers, which may have used based on the time period of the setting, but it still frustrated me. He repeated a lot of things, like feelings about how the main character’s father didn’t want him to follow his dreams of being a professional baseball player, and then you later learn he’d only played in high school. In my opinion, thank goodness his father dissuaded him from professional sports to become a doctor.
This was just not the book for me but those who like a lighter murder mystery might enjoy this.
Thank you to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for the advance copy. (Pub date 4/4/23)
July 18, 2022
Veteran NYPD Detective Art Nager and his newbie partner, Liz Callaghan, might have the makings of a cold case on their hands. Or two cold cases…nobody’s sure.
Arriving at his Manhattan Upper East Side office, Dr. Rick Shepherd is stopped by police. Somebody’s been shot in the back, on the steps. When the victim is shown later on the news, Rick and his wife are shocked: he could be the doctor’s twin. In a lengthy, wryly funny scene, we see a jaded cop brush off the coincidence, but it doesn’t seem so random the next day when Rick’s father is also murdered, also shot in the back. The elder Dr. Shepherd was on a house call. But maybe it was more. Or could it be that a low-life whom Rick’s sister dated had enough of her family’s dislike? Perhaps a disgruntled patient? And is the second murder connected to the first, and to the creepy silent phone calls to Rick’s home?
The detectives have their work cut out, and they portray the best of a police-procedural duo: camaraderie, doggedness in pursuit of the truth, and revelations of past relationships on and off the job. Narrator Nager’s growing feeling that this relationship could become more adds that something extra that makes this read comforting as well as a great puzzle. Did I mention the closing twist?—Henrietta Verma
For more reviews of forthcoming Crime Fiction, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, First Clue: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/First...
Arriving at his Manhattan Upper East Side office, Dr. Rick Shepherd is stopped by police. Somebody’s been shot in the back, on the steps. When the victim is shown later on the news, Rick and his wife are shocked: he could be the doctor’s twin. In a lengthy, wryly funny scene, we see a jaded cop brush off the coincidence, but it doesn’t seem so random the next day when Rick’s father is also murdered, also shot in the back. The elder Dr. Shepherd was on a house call. But maybe it was more. Or could it be that a low-life whom Rick’s sister dated had enough of her family’s dislike? Perhaps a disgruntled patient? And is the second murder connected to the first, and to the creepy silent phone calls to Rick’s home?
The detectives have their work cut out, and they portray the best of a police-procedural duo: camaraderie, doggedness in pursuit of the truth, and revelations of past relationships on and off the job. Narrator Nager’s growing feeling that this relationship could become more adds that something extra that makes this read comforting as well as a great puzzle. Did I mention the closing twist?—Henrietta Verma
For more reviews of forthcoming Crime Fiction, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, First Clue: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/First...
February 11, 2023
I'd not read anything by Rubenstein before so had no expectations going in, but the blurb really caught my attention. It started out very strongly, I really liked the doppelganger murder angle and as things developed I was extremely curious to see where they would go. Unfortunately, where they went was on a meandering and long-winded journey through a lot of conversations from a lot of different points of view. This journey lasted for most of the book, until things took an exceptionally unexpected and unanticipated twist 3/4 in, and from there things shifted gears into a much faster pace through to the end.
All in all, I found this story to involve more effort than I expected based on how aggressively the book opened, and it felt like there was an awful lot of repetitive conversations circling back and around on each other that didn't really advance the plot so much as generate a feeling of everything being stalled. That may have been intentional, but it definitely kept pulling me out of the story and I won't lie - I skimmed a fair bit of that in the middle...
By the end I was feeling about as weary with this case as its major players. And that's when things really got weird. Mostly interesting weird, and I did enjoy the playing with memory and perception that unfolded in the last bits. Still I can't say this was one of my favorite reads.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
All in all, I found this story to involve more effort than I expected based on how aggressively the book opened, and it felt like there was an awful lot of repetitive conversations circling back and around on each other that didn't really advance the plot so much as generate a feeling of everything being stalled. That may have been intentional, but it definitely kept pulling me out of the story and I won't lie - I skimmed a fair bit of that in the middle...
By the end I was feeling about as weary with this case as its major players. And that's when things really got weird. Mostly interesting weird, and I did enjoy the playing with memory and perception that unfolded in the last bits. Still I can't say this was one of my favorite reads.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
April 5, 2023
Thanks to Net Galley and Oceanview Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more.
A fast paced psychological murder mystery thriller.
Dr Rick Shepherd is watching the news, a man who looks like his double has been shot dead outside The building where Rick works.
Rick feels shaken and anxious and is asking himself was the shooter after him, and if so why, what could the motive be?
A few evenings later, Rick’s father, who is nearing retirement and is also a doctor, is making a housecall to an apartment block, when he is shot dead, Rick feels that the two cold blooded murders are related. The two detectives working the case are not so sure and are treating the two shootings as separate cases.
Rick becomes more stressed and anxious, again asking himself who would want both his father and himself out of the picture, so he begins his own investigation.
The suspense and tension builds as the story unfolds. The reader is kept guessing as to who did it! A very clever twist, lots of tension as Rick’s investigation unknowingly leads him to the shooter, an action packed clever conclusion..
Really good characters in the two detectives. Great read. 4.5 stars.
This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more.
A fast paced psychological murder mystery thriller.
Dr Rick Shepherd is watching the news, a man who looks like his double has been shot dead outside The building where Rick works.
Rick feels shaken and anxious and is asking himself was the shooter after him, and if so why, what could the motive be?
A few evenings later, Rick’s father, who is nearing retirement and is also a doctor, is making a housecall to an apartment block, when he is shot dead, Rick feels that the two cold blooded murders are related. The two detectives working the case are not so sure and are treating the two shootings as separate cases.
Rick becomes more stressed and anxious, again asking himself who would want both his father and himself out of the picture, so he begins his own investigation.
The suspense and tension builds as the story unfolds. The reader is kept guessing as to who did it! A very clever twist, lots of tension as Rick’s investigation unknowingly leads him to the shooter, an action packed clever conclusion..
Really good characters in the two detectives. Great read. 4.5 stars.
March 21, 2023
This multi-viewpoint mystery centers around the death of a 64-year-old doctor who was making a house call. It also includes the death of a man outside a doctor's office. Both methods of murder - three shots in the back - are the same.
Dr. Rick Shepherd and his fiancée are watching TV when they see a picture of the man who was shot outside Rick's office and are dismayed to learn that he looked very much like Rick. When Rick's father is killed the same way, Rick feels that there has to be a connection. He's wondering is someone is also targeting him. He's had a high frequency of hang-up calls on his phone lately.
Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan have the case of the death of Rick's father and are busy looking into his life to find out who wanted him dead. They are also building a relationship with each other despite their trainer/trainee relationship and complicated pasts.
The killer also has a viewpoint as we see him planning his kills and learn something about his past.
This was a pretty introspective mystery with all the characters spending a lot of time reflecting on their past experiences. Fans of the introspective will be the best audience for this one.
Dr. Rick Shepherd and his fiancée are watching TV when they see a picture of the man who was shot outside Rick's office and are dismayed to learn that he looked very much like Rick. When Rick's father is killed the same way, Rick feels that there has to be a connection. He's wondering is someone is also targeting him. He's had a high frequency of hang-up calls on his phone lately.
Detectives Art Nager and Liz Callaghan have the case of the death of Rick's father and are busy looking into his life to find out who wanted him dead. They are also building a relationship with each other despite their trainer/trainee relationship and complicated pasts.
The killer also has a viewpoint as we see him planning his kills and learn something about his past.
This was a pretty introspective mystery with all the characters spending a lot of time reflecting on their past experiences. Fans of the introspective will be the best audience for this one.
October 21, 2022
Having never read a novel written by Mark Rubinstein, I had no expectations. However, once I started reading Downfall, his latest novel, I was blown away. The plot revolves around a murder on the city streets of New York of a man who bears a striking resemblance to the doctor who is the central character in the book. Underlying issues in the book are family relationships and a commentary on the current status of the medical profession wherein the profit motive is more important than patient care.
The writing, in my opinion, is extraordinary. How can one not marvel at prose such as:
1) His beer gut’s big enough to have its own zip code
2) ….the marriage has soured like a carton of milk that’s past it’s sell-by date
3) ….the body heat in the place could bake a loaf of bread
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all readers and look forward to reading more of Mr. Rubinstein’s novels. I thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
The writing, in my opinion, is extraordinary. How can one not marvel at prose such as:
1) His beer gut’s big enough to have its own zip code
2) ….the marriage has soured like a carton of milk that’s past it’s sell-by date
3) ….the body heat in the place could bake a loaf of bread
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all readers and look forward to reading more of Mr. Rubinstein’s novels. I thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
March 14, 2023
A standalone medical thriller, Downfall by Mark Rubinstein is set in 1983, New York. It begins with an elderly GP Doctor being shot in the back, whilst making a house call to one of his patients. His son, Rick Shepard also a medical practitioner, returns to his clinic where a man (his doppelganger) has been shot and killed. Detectives Art Nager and Liz Cunningham investigate, but there are no leads nor apparent suspects. Rick starts receiving telephone calls but nothing is said and they hang up. Believing he may be a target, Rick is determined to find the truth about why his father was killed. As the family’s past tragedies and secrets are revealed, will Rick be next? An enjoyable psychological suspense tale with an unexpected twist, if all too rosy an ending. So overall, it is a three stars read rating, given the disappointment of the culmination of the story. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
April 3, 2023
I really wanted to love this book. It’s a crime thriller that boasts “ a labyrinth of secrets, past tragedies, and the agonizing pain of lives shattered by a single event.” But I felt it fell short.
There is a TON of background on the characters that really doesn’t move the plot along. It might be a setup for future books, but I’m not sure of those would star Rick or Art and Liz.
The vocabulary really threw me for a loop. There was a lot of sophisticated conversations and then a few spots that dropped the F-bomb repeatedly and unnecessarily. It also bothered me how the author kept using the term “blow him away” in regards to shooting someone. Not only was it overused, but it didn’t match the rest of the jargon of the novel.
I liked that I didn’t have to think too hard about the plot or storyline, and the characters were well written (if a little overwritten) the story was engaging, if a little slow and I didn’t foresee “who-dun-it”, which was nice, but it was really one of two twists in the story.
I received this arc as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
There is a TON of background on the characters that really doesn’t move the plot along. It might be a setup for future books, but I’m not sure of those would star Rick or Art and Liz.
The vocabulary really threw me for a loop. There was a lot of sophisticated conversations and then a few spots that dropped the F-bomb repeatedly and unnecessarily. It also bothered me how the author kept using the term “blow him away” in regards to shooting someone. Not only was it overused, but it didn’t match the rest of the jargon of the novel.
I liked that I didn’t have to think too hard about the plot or storyline, and the characters were well written (if a little overwritten) the story was engaging, if a little slow and I didn’t foresee “who-dun-it”, which was nice, but it was really one of two twists in the story.
I received this arc as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
February 7, 2023
The beginning seems a bit predictable: a guy is murdered in cold blood on a Manhattan street, under the eyes of a doctor who is, for all intents and purposes, his doppelganger, and the reader thinks he already knows what the possible developments of the story will be. Some of these possible developments are indeed explored by the investigators, who at some point, however, seem intent on dismissing the case for lack of clues. Until the doctor's father, himself a doctor, is killed in the same way. The dig into the family's life becomes an archaeological work on interpersonal relationships, family dynamics, parenting and much more. In fact, although this book is a very successful thriller, for me it is best in this respect. The writing is excellent and the whole makes it a book that you read all in one night, from which you cannot tear yourself away.
October 23, 2022
With his doppelgänger is shot dead in front of his office door and his father shot under eerily similar circumstances, Dr. Rick Shepherd wonders if he is next.
The story follows Rick and the detectives assigned to his father's case as they cope with the aftermath of the murders. I found the story to be interesting and entertaining. Fairly well written with a couple of interesting surprises.
The story unfolds from several perspectives, some times with a first person narrative and at others from the third person narrative. I found the random switching to be a little distracting. Some parts of the story also felt rushed, and I think providing a little more detail in those parts would have made for a richer, more enjoyable story.
The story follows Rick and the detectives assigned to his father's case as they cope with the aftermath of the murders. I found the story to be interesting and entertaining. Fairly well written with a couple of interesting surprises.
The story unfolds from several perspectives, some times with a first person narrative and at others from the third person narrative. I found the random switching to be a little distracting. Some parts of the story also felt rushed, and I think providing a little more detail in those parts would have made for a richer, more enjoyable story.
February 5, 2023
Downfall by Mark Rubinstein
This is a mystery that has as an aside a sad commentary on the medical field. Rick Shepard is an Internist in a high pressure NYC medical practice. His father, also a doctor, is a dying breed that still makes house calls. Rick’s father is murdered which starts the events of the story.
Rubinstein is able to sandwich in a mini-romance with two emotionally wounded detectives as well as noting the sad state of medical practice factories. They mystery was good as it was certainly not obvious who did the killing.
The anguish Rick went through was well portrayed. Jackie could have had more depth but overall the characters were well portrayed.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it.
This is a mystery that has as an aside a sad commentary on the medical field. Rick Shepard is an Internist in a high pressure NYC medical practice. His father, also a doctor, is a dying breed that still makes house calls. Rick’s father is murdered which starts the events of the story.
Rubinstein is able to sandwich in a mini-romance with two emotionally wounded detectives as well as noting the sad state of medical practice factories. They mystery was good as it was certainly not obvious who did the killing.
The anguish Rick went through was well portrayed. Jackie could have had more depth but overall the characters were well portrayed.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it.
February 26, 2023
Downfall by Mark Rubinstein keeps the reader guessing until the end. The story revolves around Rick Shepherd, a physician, who finds himself stalked by a murderer after a passerby is killed outside his office and is discovered to bear a striking resemblance to him. When his father is killed two nights later, Rick becomes convinced that he is the target. The two detectives assigned to the caseare unable to find any solid leads, leading Rick to investigate on his own. The book is well-paced with an unexpected ending that ties up all the loose ends.
Overall, Downfall is a well-written and entertaining murder mystery that will appeal to fans of the genre. I would recommend it and give it a rating of 4 out of 5
Overall, Downfall is a well-written and entertaining murder mystery that will appeal to fans of the genre. I would recommend it and give it a rating of 4 out of 5
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