Captivating.. and Infuriating

There were a couple of times when I actually swore out loud listening to this audiobook: "How could he do that!!" or "How could she not know!!" Some of the events portrayed in the book are jawdropping  - almost unbelievable - and the subject matter is straight-up maddening. I am a small-town physician with a strong commitment to ethics. I also have a daughter, genuine religious beliefs, and a profound dislike for hypocrites. The betrayals by John Huntington Story MD depicted in the text are like a punch in the gut on several levels. This book reminded me of the outrage I feel when considering fellow Canadian doctor John Schneeberger - it's an uncomfortable read.. but it's well-worth reading.
Jack Olsen is an excellent writer - researching his subject matter extensively and then using impressive diction to paint the setting vividly and providing gripping testimonials from multiple perspectives - generating a truly immersive experience.  Readers can easily place themselves in the scenarios Olsen describes.
I found the best way to enjoy this book, however, is to consider it a "Based on a True Story" narrative rather than a documentary. In fact, I hesitate to call this a 'True Crime' novel at all. Most of the conversations portrayed in the book *never* actually occured - they're quite clearly dramatized. I was a little put-off at first, but decided to look at this book as if it were a Screenplay for a very good 'Lifetime' movie.. after doing that, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The performance from Kevin Pierce is best described as "good". He reads very well compared to other projects I have heard from him - clear, interested, foregoing accents and affectations - but has a startling sibilance and reads too slowly (speeding playback to 1.15X makes the sharp 's's less noticeable and the reading rate more tolerable).

If you can set aside that this is a liberally dramatized exposé, this viscerally-affecting book is excellent. Even with relatively poor narration, 'Doc' rates 8.5/10 stars.

ATTENTION SOUND EDITORS: If you work with Pierce, please soften the High Frequency tones. The man is intolerable with Headphones.

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