Benjamin Oris, Carrie Rubin’s protagonist in her latest medical thriller is a med student/construction type of hero. A sexy combination. No wonder women are attracted to him. He is your basic guy next door who wears boxers to bed, buys cheap ties and tends to have untrimmed stubble because his life is so chaotic that he hardly has time to shave. He is caught up in a web involving women, a Vodou curse that goes back two hundred years, a mysterious relationship with his mother and having his supervisor down his throat. To name a few of his problems.
He’s easy to like.
The novel reads smoothly and there is a good level of palpable tension that increases throughout. Being a supernatural medical thriller the author does a great job creating a hospital environment and dwelling deep into Vodou curses.
A believer of paranormal I am not. Neither is Carrie Rubin. Or her protagonist Ben Oris. But, as Carol Keen points out in her review of The Bone Curse on Goodreads, it doesn’t matter.
It isn’t necessary for him (Ben Oris) to believe a curse has power or not. When others believe it, he is forced to take the curse seriously.
As Carrie Rubin does. Her usage of Haitian terms and her writing style ( “…, easing some of the heartache in the room.”) add charm to the novel. Before the opening of each chapter the author straightforwardly provides a date and time: Thursday, August 6, 10:00 A.M. This I found to be a very smart and efficient way for my distracted mind to keep track of the time span of the novel.
Although the ending was satisfying and all her loose ends were tightly tied, Carrie Rubin left the door open to a Book 2 with enough suspense to want to know how Oris’ relationship with the people he loves will develop. Including that of a disease detective in the Epidemic Intelligence Service.
The Bone Curse is available here.
For more reviews on The Bone Curse:
https://jmmcdowell.com/2018/03/23/book-review-the-bone-curse/
https://writersite.org/category/book-review/
I won The Bone Curse in Carrie Rubin’s ARC Giveaway awhile back.
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Carol Balawyder 
Read it…loved it! Of course, my review wasn’t as well written at yours, Carol. For some reason, I struggle writing reviews.
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Don’t say that, Jill! We’re all struggling writers! 🙂
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Thank you so much for posting the review on your blog, Carol! I really appreciate that. Very nice of you to spread the word.
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My pleasure. I hope you get lots of sales.
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You and me both. 😄
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Fantastic review Carol. I’ve just returned from my month long vacation and slowly catching up with blogs and ironically, I just read another great review for Carrie’s book before yours so as usual, I love your recommends and bookmarking! 🙂 x
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Thanks, Debby. Glad to see you back online. 🙂
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Thanks Carol. I’m slowly diving in. Much to write about and can’t wait to share. ❤
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Great review, Carol! I can’t wait to get my copy … it is on its way … I’ve been tracking it 😉
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I also meant to say ( ;)) that I’m glad you mentioned that you don’t believe in the paranormal. Neither do I. All I need are the characters to convince me that they do because that’s where the power is: their own beliefs. And that Benjamin is a skeptic is icing on the cake.
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Thanks for the enticing review. Carrie’s latest book is on my short list to read. Can’t wait!!
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Though this doesn’t sound like my usual reading pleasure, (My thrill level for thrillers is pretty low) I love the premise of a supernatural seeming curse that the main character has to take seriously because of the beliefs of others.
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Terrific review, Carol and I love the way you often choose an unusual angle. This is a great introduction to the novel through Benjamin Oris (brilliant, unforgettable name).😀 I like the sound of the date and time for each chapter … a grounding device. The cover is wonderful, haunting, mysterious and pulls us in!
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