4.5 stars rounded up A series of suicides and accidential deaths in the medical community are actually well-disguised murders and only Lucas Page can see the pattern and discern the truth that no one else believes. Lucas Page is a polymath, astrophysicist, professor, husband, father of five adopted children, best selling author, and ex-FBI agent - emphasis on "ex." Severely wounded after being caught in an explosion, Page left the FBI behind. Lucas Page's wife, Erin, looses a friend, a gifted plastic surgeon, to suicide, and Lucas begins to realise how many friends Erin knew have died in the past year, in freak accidents, now suicide. Dr Lucas Page solves what seem to be impossible crimes with the FBI's New York Field Office. Lucas is looking into the deaths of over thirty physcians who had been categorised as suicide, accidential death or natural causes. Now his wife, Erin, is in danger. The story is told mainly from Lucas point of view. I like the rapport between Lucas and Special /agent Alice Whitaker. the pace is fast from the first page. and doesn't let up all the way through. This is a well written, action packed page turner. It's tense, funny, and the suspense builds throughout. I would like to thank #NetGalley #HodderStoughton and the author #RobertPobi for my ARC of #DoNo Harm in exchange for an honest review.

4.5★s Do No Harm is the third book in the Lucas Page series by Canadian author, Robert Pobi. Only brilliant astrophysicist and numbers genius, Lucas Page could come home from a charity dinner convinced that thirty doctors have been murdered undetected by any law enforcement body. By the next morning, his grad student Bobby Nadeel has analysed the cases and produces the figures to prove it, but FBI Special Agent in Charge of Manhattan, Brett Kehoe isn’t wholly persuaded that this string of accidents, suicides and seemingly natural deaths are really murders. When their friend, Dr Dove Knox has apparently suicided after the same dinner, Lucas’s wife, Erin asks him to look into her colleague’s death. Much to the irritation of the NYPD and the ME’s officers, Lucas immediately reads the scene as murder. By the time Dr Arna Solomon is shot in what is meant to look like a mugging in the car park opposite Weill Cornell, the FBI is convinced. As first responder to several of the cases for which the FBI is requesting files, NYPD Detective Johnny Russo has quickly worked out that something is going on, and demands to be involved. The irritating alcoholic does seem to have some valid points, and seems able to withstand his rudeness like water off a duck’s back, so Lucas reluctantly lets him stay. Thorough investigation and analysis lead them to conclude that the murders look random and, indeed, the victims seem to have nothing in common except that they are doctors; of the few cases where a perpetrator is identified, nothing seems to link these unlikeliest of killers to their victims. Their motivation to commit murder is a complete mystery. Any inclination Lucas might have to leave the investigation to the FBI, though, is quashed when Erin is targeted by a gunman and three of their children narrowly escape incineration. The FBI goes into deep analysis of every scrap of data they can find, and gradually, Lucas forms a theory. Despite the red herrings and distractions, the most astute reader may figure out what is going on early in the piece but discovering the who, the why and the how is guaranteed to keep the pages turning right up to the final jaw-dropping reveal. And whenever the tension builds up, Russo throws in his two cents worth, or there’s another vehicle mishap… Special Agent Alice Whitaker, somewhat recovered from the injuries sustained in their last encounter, ends up needing her shiny black Navigator SUV replaced FOUR times as she drives Lucas around, courtesy a wild mercy run to hospital, a body falling from a great height, a motorcyclist through the rear screen, and a second body falling from a great height. And then a Ferrari SF90 Whitaker is driving is comprehensively destroyed in an exciting high-speed car chase. This third instalment is cleverly plotted and Pobi includes plenty of action scenes, some of them quite grisly, characters from previous books engaging in entertaining dialogue, some chillingly nasty killers and a high body count. Disbelief may need to be suspended for some aspects, but the best advice is to hang on and enjoy the ride. Gripping, intriguing, and often blackly funny, this is another excellent crime thriller. This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

4.5 rounded up Lucas Page #3 Lucas Page is a genius astrophysicist professor and ex-FBI who can see patterns most of us can’t, interpret them and discern truths. To say he is a bit physically damaged is an understatement, one prosthetic leg, one prosthetic arm, a glass eye and a bad haircut. There has been a series of apparent suicides of people linked to medicine and many targeted are friends of his surgeon wife Erin. Lucas will do what he has to in order to protect Erin as who knows if she could be the next victim. He is joined in this endeavour by Detective Russo who has a penchant for Gatorade and vodka (rather you than me mate) and SA Alice Whitaker. To describe her as a speed Demon is like saying Lewis Hamilton quite likes fast cars. Wowza! This is like reading an action packed thriller movie with the pre-requisite car chases, guns, et cetera et cetera but with the addition of several laugh out loud moments. The opening scene sure grabs your attention and is certainly vivid utilising a famous NYC location and weather for the added bonus of atmosphere. It’s a rollercoaster read, with a clever plot packed with suspects who raise your suspicion antenna and some excellent red herrings for good measure. There’s plenty of suspense, some OTT violence, correction, rather a lot of OTT violence some of which is outlandish, bizarre and utterly jawdropping. I lap it up! What can I say about the ending? Well, my spidey senses are having an off day and veer in the wrong direction. I love the humour especially between Lucas and Whitaker, their dialogue is very smart and highly entertaining. Lucas is fascinating, so clever, yes he is blunt and rude, definitely not a people person but I couldn’t help but like him and his family. Some scenes between Lucas, Whitaker and those that cross their path are beyond tense, there’s often with the car involved and they are simply breathtaking. Creative use is made of New York which adds to the fantastic cinematic drama. Overall, I love the way this is written with the tone being everything from outright funny to ironic to a thrill a minute exciting. It’s a cracking read, just off for a lie down to recover! Highly recommended.

City of Windows was one of my favourite thrillers of 2019, a complex and inventive tale that intrigued me from the very start. Not only that, but it introduced Dr Lucas Page a former FBI agent who has a number of interesting ‘differences’. Firstly, he lacks an arm and a leg – these being replaced by state of the art prosthetics – but more importantly he is a master of numbers, with an ability to compute and analyse information that it would normally take a bank of computers to replicate. This is all used to the full and his extraordinary skills pretty much held this story together. In Under Pressure, the second book in the series, it seemed to me that Pobi struggled somewhat to overcome the lack of surprise that Windows had served up. The story was okay, but Page’s skills weren’t so well fitted to the challenge he faced and as a result it all felt somewhat leaden. So what to do with book 3? Well, the author has made what I believe to be the right choice in deciding to expand the way in which readers engage with not only Page but also his family unit: wife Erin and a bunch of children of varying ages. There’s a lot more about Page the man here, he’s still got his taciturn ways and he’s rude beyond belief but this has somehow become increasingly engaging. Some other carry over characters are here too and suddenly I’m starting to feel about Page what I’ve long felt about some other fictional characters I follow (Harry Bosch, Dave Robicheaux, John Rebus and Guido Brunetti instantly spring to mind). That is to say, I want to know what’s happening to them and those around them. The story here is a step up from Book 2 also, with Page becoming aware of the fact that an awful lot of doctors in the New York metropolitan area are seeming to meet an untimely death. His wife is a surgeon so this one feels close to home. How it plays out from here I’ll leave readers to discover for themselves, but what I would say is that it somehow recreates the excitement I originally experienced with this character with quite a bit less of the ‘superpower’ input. It’s clever it’s fast paced and it held me firmly in its grip throughout. Outstanding, I loved it.

Robert Pobi is a new author to me so I began reading this not knowing quite what to expect. What can I say - except I thoroughly enjoyed this read and that it really exceeded my expectations. I think this is the third in a series and whilst there are references to events in previous books, this can still be read on it’s own in my opinion. I will definitely read the previous books though when I can. Dr Lucas Page is an Astrophysicist, an ex FBI agent and sees patterns with events that generally no one else can. So when he realises a number of Doctor deaths are not all as they seem, he and the FBI investigate further. I really liked the main character and Whitaker, the FBI agent. The case takes a worrying and personal turn for Page when his wife is targeted. Page and Whitaker follow every lead, with help from a Police Officer and as they get closer to finding out who is behind these deaths and why they find their own lives in danger. I think this is a very well written book with a great plot line, and a read which definitely kept me engaged and entertained. I loved the many separate story threads here, all the twists that still kept me guessing and lots of action scenes. I thought I knew who was behind the deaths and was wrong. Very wrong. If you like a book that is impossible to put down, one that just pulls you in right from the first page, is full of action and thrills then this book is possibly for you. I’d definitely recommend this book and will read more by this Author in future. 4.5 stars