To the Bone
by Neil McMahon

List Price: $23.95
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0060529164
Publisher: HarperCollins

Carroll Monks is the physician on duty when a beautiful young woman, naked and in a coma, arrives at Mercy Hospital's emergency room. Against the advice of his peers, Monks makes a radical and counterintuitive attempt to save her life -- a brilliant maneuver that nearly succeeds.

As Monks does his post-mortem, trying to make sense of the various contraindicating symptoms, the girl's grieving parents want his head -- and medical license. For Monks, wracked with guilt, there are several details that simply don't fit, and he becomes obsessed with trying to figure out how a healthy young woman died in his care -- and whether a world-famous plastic surgeon may ultimately be to blame.

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1. Monks makes a risky decision when treating Eden Hale. If you were a friend or relative of Eden's, would you blame Monks for her death?

2. Gwen Bricknell has obviously placed a great deal of importance on her physical appearance. How would her role in story change if she was unattractive?

3. Monks and Martine Rostanov seem to grow apart throughout the book. Is there something about Monks's personality that precludes close relationships?

4. What type of clues does Neil McMahon use to lead (or mislead) the reader towards the killer's identity?

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"Exhilarating...crackles with suspense and narrative tension throughout."

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An excellent series...McMahon is a stylish writer."

—Booklist

"A deftly crafted tale with engaging characters blending gripping action, high suspense and medical intrigue."

—Kathy Reichs, author of Bare Bones

"To the Bone is a compelling novel by a first rate writer. I urge you to read it."

—Robert B. Parker, author of Back Story