Control by Hugh Montgomery

It's been years since I read a proper medical thriller, so I was thrilled to be asked to take part in this tour. Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Not all doctors are heroes . . . 

'A suspenseful and frightening thriller' Lynda La Plante

Renowned surgeon Michael Trenchard locks his office door and prepares for a relaxing evening - Wagner on the sound system, a fine Scotch to hand. A knock at the door heralds the arrival of the person he most wants to see - the person who excites him more than anyone else. But what follows will turn his dreams into a living nightmare . . . for he will be discovered later that night in a locked-in coma, the victim of an auto-erotic asphyxiation.

Can this really be an accident? It is left to Dr Kash Devan, Trenchard's young protégé, to uncover the truth. What he discovers is chilling: in his ruthless pursuit of wealth and success Trenchard has left a trail of wrecked lives behind him. Which of his victims hated him so much they wanted not only his life, but also his reputation ruined?

Control is a dark and compulsive medical thriller for readers of Robin Cook and Tess Gerritsen.

Control was published by Zaffre on 8th August 2019. You can by it from Waterstones, Amazon UK, Amazon US and other good bookshops.


My Review:

I love TV medical dramas (at least I do until they get too soapy - nobody needs that) and watch them all, but I don't think I've read a  medical thriller since Robin Cook's Coma, so.was intrigued to read this. I was also drawn in by the author's bio - he'd be an ideal dinner party guest (see below and you'll know what I mean) and is clearly eminently qualified to write a medical thriller.

Michael Trenchard, a brilliant renowned surgeon, is found almost dead from what appears to be a tragic auto asphyxiation accident. The scene is pretty sordid and the rumours soon spread about what he'd been up to. The medical team keep him alive, but he is locked in, with no movement, and will be cared for at the hospital where he worked.

Over time Kash Devan, a promising young doctor who worked under Trenchard, is convinced that somebody set Trenchard up and his condition wasn't self inflicted. Ridiculed by both the police and his colleagues, he risks his relationship and his reputation in his quest for the truth. But it turns out he might not like what he finds out.

I loved Kash - there's a certain amount of wide eyed innocence about him. His early efforts to woo nurse Claire are sweet, if clumsy, and I was touched by the love he put into the letters he writes to his mother. There's a point towards the end of the book that brought a tear to my eye. But Kash toughens up and becomes steely in his resolve to uncover what happened, regardless of what it costs him.

Apart from Kash, and Trenchard, most of the main players, good and bad, in the story are women, which was nice to see. There's a real variety from Kash's young girlfriend through to octogenarian Liz, who might be dying but is still more aware than many of what's going on around her. I had a real soft spot for her, actually. They are exquisitely drawn, particularly Anna who Kash encounters at work, and all believable.

Whilst this is mostly set within the four walls of a hospital it is happily free of too much jargon. Medical terms and procedures are simply explained without ever being patronising.

There are plenty of red herrings and dead ends, and I ended up frustrated more than one when I thought I had it all figured out only to be disappointed. So I only finally worked things out at the actual reveal, and I certainly didn't predict the final act.

At just over 400 pages it's a substantial read, but I raced through it. Kash is an engaging, relatable protagonist, the pacing is perfect and there's a great cast of characters. A well written and thrilling drama.


The Author:

Hugh Montgomery is a distinguished physician, known for his pioneering genetic research.

Outside the field of medicine, he was a founding member of the UK Climate and Health Council and is an endurance expert, who has run three ultra-marathons, scaled the world’s sixth highest mountain, jumped naked from a plane at 14,000 ft and holds the world record for underwater piano playing.

Zaffre, Bonnier Books UK’s flagship adult fiction imprint, publishes Control this month.