Jane Bennett Munro

Too Much Blood is the second book in the Toni Day Mystery series by Jane Bennett Munro, MD. Dr Munro is a pathologist in a small hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, as is Dr Toni Day Shapiro. There, the similarities end, I trust. The citizens of the real Twin Falls are better behaved, hopefully, than those of the fictional Twin Falls. The scheming, homicidal and incendiary nature of a few of the residents of fictional Twin Falls make Too Much Blood a very good read, however.

Toni is a very likable character, well written and three-dimensional. The amateur sleuthing of the protagonist in some other cozy mystery series can seem so far-fetched. Toni's assistance to the Twin Falls police officers is crucial to solve these murders. Her husband Hal, her mother Fiona, and her friends are also well-developed characters, and add a lot to the enjoyment of the book.

I am finding it difficult to explain further about why I like this book so much, without giving major spoilers (and I don't do that), or else just repeating what is in the synopsis. But I do. Really, really like it ― another five-star read for Jane Bennett Munro!

I received this book from the author, with no expectation of a positive review. My review was originally published at Jane Reads, along with an EXCLUSIVE author interview!… (mais)

Marcus Manning is hired to help with transitioning a privately owned hospital to one of the large hospital corporations. Unfortunately, he is an over-the-top jerk harassing his subordinates. Just one of those subordinates is the main character, Toni Day.

The story held my interest, but there was absolutely nothing believable in the story. The culture in the hospital didn't ring true, and most of the characters have such exaggerated personalities that they became obnoxious, especially the wise-crackin’ Toni.

While I know the book was written in a lighthearted manner, there was one incident in the book that just irritated me. Toni and another character, Jeannie, are talking about other hospital employees and one in particular. She was a fellow medical professional, a Certified Nursing Assistant, and they ridiculed her lack of education. They also called her feeble minded.

It was just OK for me and I think it needed less dialog and more narration.… (mais)

Too Much Blood is the second book in the Toni Day Mystery series by Jane Bennett Munro, MD. Dr Munro is a pathologist in a small hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, as is Dr Toni Day Shapiro. There, the similarities end, I trust. The citizens of the real Twin Falls are better behaved, hopefully, than those of the fictional Twin Falls. The scheming, homicidal and incendiary nature of a few of the residents of fictional Twin Falls make Too Much Blood a very good read, however.

Toni is a very likable character, well written and three-dimensional. The amateur sleuthing of the protagonist in some other cozy mystery series can seem so far-fetched. Toni's assistance to the Twin Falls police officers is crucial to solve these murders. Her husband Hal, her mother Fiona, and her friends are also well-developed characters, and add a lot to the enjoyment of the book.

I am finding it difficult to explain further about why I like this book so much, without giving major spoilers (and I don't do that), or else just repeating what is in the synopsis. But I do. Really, really like it ― another five-star read for Jane Bennett Munro!

I received this book from the author, with no expectation of a positive review.… (mais)

Dr Toni Day, the pathologist of a small hospital in Idaho, discovers a body in her own office - that of her arch-nemesis Dr Sally, no less. Dr Sally may have been at the hospital for only a month, but she succeeded in her mission to make it the worst month of Dr Toni's career. The evidence seems to point to Dr Toni as the murderer. It is up to Dr Toni to find more evidence that will clear herself, and implicate the real murderer.

This is a fast-paced book, one that I didn't want to put down. The storyline is very good, or, rather, storylines. In addition to the mystery of the whodunit, there is a second mystery – one involving a person from Dr Toni's past.

The characters and story are well written. My favorite character, by far, is Dr Toni. Dr Toni defends her lab staff when conflicts arise between her staff and the other doctors, because she knows her staff is using proper laboratory procedures and protocols. I am a Medical Technologist, as are her lab techs, and so I am partial to such supportive behavior. I also enjoyed reading about a realistic lab and hospital, where the lab work is performed by actual Medical Technologists. (Did you ever notice on the TV show House, that the lab was always inexplicably deserted except for Dr House's minions, who were running the lab tests themselves?)

There is some cursing – including several F-bombs. The language is not used gratuitously, however, and does not detract from the book. I feel that many people would use the same language under the same circumstances.

This is the debut novel by Jane Bennett Munro, a semi-retired pathologist of a small hospital in Idaho. The advice to “write what you know” certainly applied in this situation. Murder under the Microscope is an excellent book. Dr Munro has written a second book about Dr Toni, Too Much Blood, which I am anxious to read.

If you like Romantic Crime mysteries, with a medical aspect similar to that of the old TV series Quincy, M.E., you'll love Dr Toni and Murder under the Microscope. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it!
… (mais)