The Pain Nurse: A Cincinnati Casebook

By Jon Talton

Book Overview

Cheryl Beth Wilson is an elite nurse at Cincinnati Memorial Hospital who finds a doctor brutally murdered in a secluded office. Wilson had been having an affair with the doctoras husband, a surgeon, and this makes her a aperson of interesta to the police, if not at outright suspect. But someone other than the cops is watching Cheryl Beth. The killing comes as former homicide detective Will Borders is just hours out of surgery. But as his stretcher is wheeled past the crime scene, he knows this is no random act of violence. Instead, it has all the marks of a serial killer case he supposedly solved years before. Rebuked by his former partner and unable even to walk, Borders starts to investigate. He teams up with Cheryl Beth, who is desperate to clear her name. But as the city teeters on the edge of violence and a killer grows closer, the two are running out of time to unlock the secrets of the murder and the brooding, old hospital. The Pain Nurse begins a new series by the author of the award-winning David Mapstone series.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590586247
• ISBN13: 9781590586242
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Talton at his best

Getting away from Mapstone this time and moving his venue from Phoenix to Cincinnati, Talton shows his strong development as a writer. The Pain Nurse is well organized, full of tension and shows an excellent development of characters. Although his earlier novels were fine reads, Talton has vastly improved his talent for suspense in this work. A real page turner for mystery lovers.

An elite nurse who finds a doctor murdered in an office - and herself the suspect

Jon Talton's THE PAIN NURSE tells of Cheryl Beth Wilson, an elite nurse who finds a doctor murdered in an office - and herself the suspect. When another killing follows, a serial killer case is suspected and it's up to Will Borders, former homicide detective, to team with Cheryl to save the puzzle.

Great read for anyone who likes crisp, intelligent writing

With each mystery he writes, Jon Talton moves closer to becoming a cross-over phenomenon with non-mystery readers who appreciate crisp, intelligent writing. In "The Pain Nurse," he introduces a strong female protagonist -- Cheryl Beth Wilson, the pain nurse at Cincinnati Memorial Hospital -- and her patient "sidekick," Will Borders, who harbors painful secrets from his years as a homicide detective. Borders becomes obsessed with the murder of a doctor at the hospital, where he has just undergone spinal cord surgery. Their relationship and pursuit of the killer are riveting and sometimes sweet. Even more exciting is the range and creativity that Talton demonstrates in his first novel that's not part of the excellent Mapstone series that established his mystery creds.

Will appeal to all mystery lovers

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (2/09) Cheryl Beth Wilson is a nurse who helps patients to manage any pain they are experiencing. She is employed at a large inner-city hospital in Cincinnati which is not exactly located in the best neighborhood. One night Cheryl Beth discovers the body of one of her colleagues in the hospital basement and because of her past, she is instantly considered a person of interest in the case. However, Will Borders, a former policeman and current patient in the hospital, sees the crime scene and recognizes its similarities to a serial killer case from a few years ago. As the investigation goes on, the information that is uncovered leads the police in several different directions. I was impressed by the way the author makes nearly every character a possible suspect in the murder. He presents the case from several different angles, allowing the reader to sift through the information in an attempt to solve the crime. I enjoyed trying to figure out if the murder is related to something going on in the hospital or if the incident is merely a result of the neighborhood in which the hospital is located. The main characters in the story are strongly developed and very likable. Cheryl Beth's efforts to make sure her patients were kept comfortable and free from pain are remarkable. In times such as these with all the problems surrounding the health care system, it is good to see health care workers depicted as caring and competent. Will similarly is portrayed as a heroic character. He is recovering from surgery to remove a tumor from his spine. Although he is unable to walk, he is determined to prove he is still capable of doing his job. The inner strength he exhibits when it seems he has nothing left to look forward to in life is inspiring. "The Pain Nurse" by Jon Talton will appeal to all mystery lovers, even more so to those in the medical field. As the author describes the hospital as an underfunded teaching hospital with a Level I trauma center in the inner city, I feel right at home as this is so eerily similar to the facility in which I am employed. Although the action is somewhat slow at times, the overall content and style are excellent.

excellent refreshing investigative thriller

At Cincinnati Memorial Hospital, Pain Nurse Specialist Cheryl Beth Wilson finds the corpse of Dr. Christine Lustig in an isolated office. The CPD homicide detectives quickly suspect Cheryl Beth killed the victim because of her affair with the deceased's spouse. One of Cheryl Beth patients, just out of surgery removing a tumor on his spinal cord, former homicide cop Will Borders feels like he suffers from déjà vu when on his gurney heading back to his room he glimpses the crime scene. It eerily reminds him of the Mount Adams Slasher, who was caught, convicted and executed. Bed-ridden and in severe pain, he is unable to make the cops including his former partner listen to him. Instead Will directs Beth on investigating the crime while someone nearby watches her every move. THE PAIN NURSE is an excellent refreshing investigative thriller starring a detective stuck in bed and his "legs"; mindful of Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhymes. The location plays a key part in this thriller as Jon Talton moves from Arizona (the Mapstone mysteries) to an Ohio hospital. Readers will feel empathy pain as Borders' aches are that descriptive; on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being hurting at Mt. Everest levels, he is a 12. However, it is the recuperating patient and his pain nurse who team up as an unlikely investigative duet searching for a killer. Harriet Klausner