The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe is not what I expected. I was expecting a medical thriller, but it felt more like a political thriller (sort of). It is more about jealousy and the desire to succeed no matter the cost. There are some medical aspects since the main character, Dr. Anne Wiley is a surgeon. There is not one likeable character. I found Dr. Anne Wiley is annoying. Her anxiety and self-pity got on my nerves. There is page after page of Anne agonizing over the surgery and the outcome. Anne is beset with guilt. I expect a cardio surgeon to be a confident, determined individual who does not take any flack especially from a misogynistic anesthesiologist. Anne is so consumed with her work and the latest surgery with the distressing outcome that she fails to notice what is happening in the lives of her family. Paula is an assistant district attorney who is determined to succeed. Jealousy, an affair, and the drive to succeed are the main aspects of this book. There is a significant amount of repetition in the first half. The mystery or thriller aspect was lackluster. I did not feel the story was a thriller. I wanted action, intrigue, and suspense. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat as I quickly turned the pages (I could have cared less if I finished this book). Anne loses a patient during a surgery. In Anne's twelve-year career, this is the first time she has lost a patient (really). She did everything correctly. I found Annie's worry that she would be arrested to be baffling. Her surgery (which was filmed from multiple angles) went off without a hitch. What is there to worry about? She did recognize the patient after the surgery was completed. I found it odd that Anne would not have checked in on the patient in preop or at least visited him in the operating room before the anesthesia was administered. I ended up skimming through the second half of the book. I just wanted to finish it. The twist can be anticipated. The information was there from the beginning. I found the ending to be unsatisfying (talk about a letdown). The Surgeon does contain foul language and intimate situations. I had high hopes for The Surgeon, but they were quickly dashed. The Surgeon has a departed patient, an ambitious ADA, a dishonest husband, a compassionate mother, a departed daughter, and an unexpected discovery.

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