From Publishers Weekly
Fast plotting, thorough research and a swaggering-cop style elevate this sixth novel from Dreyer, known for Brain Dead (1997) and other standard medical/serial-killer thrillers. "SWATBabe" Maggie O'Brien is one tough broad. As a new tactical emergency medic for the city and county of St. Louis, Mo., trauma nurse at Blymore Memorial and part-time firefighter medic, she has to be. This single 26-year-old overachiever lives, loves and plays hard to release the pressure found in her work and in her stormy relationship with her abusive father, ex-cop Tommy "the Terminator" O'Brien. When one of her favorite mental patients, Montana Bob, a former top FBI agent, becomes a casualty in what should have been a fairly routine call, O'Brien finds her name on "The List" at Blymore-the hospital's wall where names of troublemakers are scrawled by medical personnel to relieve tension. Her gut instinct leads her to start investigating people on the list with a link to Montana Bob who have turned up dead, but no one wants to hear her suspicions, since they may implicate her own beloved colleagues. Soon O'Brien discovers she's being prepped as the "fall gal" when a series of inexplicable ER deaths appear to be caused by her. O'Brien makes a complex, conflicted heroine, defiantly macho and yet so scarred by family violence that she refuses to use a gun even when doing so could save the lives of those she loves.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Maggie O'Brien, a nurse and medic on a SWAT team, is an overachiever. She's trying to get out from under her father's thumb--both physically and emotionally. But Maggie tries too hard to fit in. While on a hostage call, she uncovers a deadly plot and soon becomes a pariah in the ER, the morgue, and the police department as she investigates who is killing patients. Laural Merlington's characterization of O'Brien's tough exterior and tender interior is well done. Her pace keeps up with the action and suspense. Her vocal changes for O'Brien's insolent father and other hard-nosed city cops are believable, as well. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Robert Crais
"Dreyer evokes the edgy, sketchy world of crisis and trauma medical operations better than anyone I've read."


Tami Hoag
"...smart, provocative, page-turning thriller. Cutting edge suspense with characters as sharp as knives. An absolutely terrific, hair-raising read!"


Nora Roberts
"...a roller coaster ride driven by a kick-ass heroine who navigates the twisty line between life and death."


Tess Gerritsen
"Dreyer is one of those rare authors who can raise laughter and chills at the same time."


Keith Ablow
"Eileen Dreyer is the next big thing in crime fiction...Her prose is greased lightning."


Review
"Eileen Dreyer gives us another smart, provocative, page-turning thriller. Cutting-edge suspense with characters as sharp as knives. An absolutely terrific, hair-raising read!"
-Tami Hoag, author of Dark Horse

"Eileen Dreyer evokes the edgy, sketchy world of crisis and trauma medical operations better than anyone I've read. WITH A VENGEANCE is a first-tier cop thriller offering the grit and reality of a tough cookie named Maggie O'Brien, a heroine courageous enough to uncover the darkest crimes even when they are closest to her own heart. This woman is something; I hope we'll see more of her."-Robert Crais

"Eileen Dreyer is the next big thing in crime fiction. Get in on the ground floor and take the ride all the way to the top. Her prose is greased lightning. One sentence bleeds into the next, every page fuels the fire, building to an explosive climax you won't forget. You get the feeling reading Eileen Dreyer that her name will be spoken in the same breath with Robin Cook, Janet Evanovich, and Patricia Cornwell."-Keith Ablow, author of Compulsion and Psychopath

"Eileen Dryer is one of those rare authors who can raise laughter and chills at the same time. I raced through this thriller, devouring every page. I just couldn't get enough of heroine Maggie O'Brien, and I DEMAND she return in a second book."-Tess Gerritsen, author of The Apprentice

"A first-rate action-packed medical thriller on a par with Robin Cook."-Midwest Book Review

"With a Vengeance is replete with ambivalent characters, St. Louis' landmarks, and a challenging, intricate plot. Dreyer describes O'Brien's travails with relentless intensity, seldom pausing between assorted shootouts, violent interludes, and hostage stalemates. She ratchets up the drama to an impossibly high level, then ends with a remarkable flourish."
--St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Fast plotting, thorough research, and a swaggering-cop style elevate this sixth novel from Dreyer...O'Brien makes a complex, conflicted heroine, defiantly macho and yet so scarred by family violence that she refuses to use a gun even when doing so could save the lives of those she loves."-Publishers Weekly [starred]

"Retribution, fear, and betrayal are at the heart of this intriguing novel. The hospital emergency room is drawn with frightening reality, and the ease with which a staff member can move unseen through trauma rooms to deliver fatal doses to chosen victims may instill deep fear in readers. Brightly written and with a smart but vulnerable heroine, this first appearance of Maggie O'Brien is surely not the last."-Dallas Morning News

"Turbocharged thriller...nonstop action and a tough babe with a heart. Top-drawer."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred reviews]

"Dreyer fashions unique and memorable characters, which is her greatest strength...will offer something to every reader. As with all of Eileen Dreyer's books, this is another keeper."
-The Mystery Reader

"Fans of Tess Gerritsen will enjoy." -Library Journal

"A gritty, page-turning thriller with a standout lead character...packs a mighty wallop."
-BookLoons Mystery Reviews

"A chilling read through and through. Put this at the top of your reading list."-Rendezvous

"A medical thriller with rich, gritty, raw language that feels real as only an "insider" could deliver. Readers just don't watch the drama unfold-they become part of each breathless moment. Don't miss this terrific tale of medical intrigue."-Cozies, Capers, and Crimes

"Treat yourself to a transfixing and emotionally powerful read."-Romantic Times Bookclub

"This author is awesome! You do not have to be in the police or medical professions to find yourself holding your breath and sitting on the edge of your seat as you quickly read to see what happens next! WITH A VENGEANCE is a roller coaster ride that hooks its readers on page one and refuses to let go!"-Huntress Reviews



Book Description
Maggie O'Brien, a nurse and a medic on a SWAT team, has a thirst for justice, and a chip on her shoulder. She lives in the shadow of her father, a famous (or infamous) cop. Is she more his daughter than she wants to admit? The question hits home when Maggie feels the desire--as all cops, nurses, doctors and medics sometimes do--to dispense her own brand of justice. Soon she finds evidence that someone else may be acting on that desire. Her search for the truth is a searing tour through the shades of gray between the impulse to heal and the urge to punish.



Download Description
A tour-de-force thriller about a female medic on a SWAT team and the dangers (and inner demons) she must confront--perfect for Tami Hoag fans.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Maggie O'Brien, a nurse and medic on a SWAT team, has a longing to heal, a thirst for justice, and a chip on her shoulder. She lives in the shadow of her father, a famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) cop. A great deal is expected of Maggie - after all, she's Tommy O'Brien's kid. Maggie wants to put as much distance between herself and her father as possible, but is she more his daughter than she wants to admit? The question hits home when Maggie feels the desire - like anyone who deals with the worst elements of society - to dispense her own brand of justice. Soon she finds evidence that someone else may be acting on that desire. A killer is waiting and watching from the hospital halls and from the shadows. Maggie's search for the truth is a searing tour through the shades of gray between the impulse to heal and the urge to punish.

FROM THE CRITICS

Romantic Times

After an absence, powerhouse author Eileen Dreyer explodes back onto the suspense scene with a book that will leave you breathless. Nobody does hospital thrillers better than Dreyer. Treat yourself to a transfixing and emotionally powerful read.

Publishers Weekly

Fast plotting, thorough research and a swaggering-cop style elevate this sixth novel from Dreyer, known for Brain Dead (1997) and other standard medical/serial-killer thrillers. "SWATBabe" Maggie O'Brien is one tough broad. As a new tactical emergency medic for the city and county of St. Louis, Mo., trauma nurse at Blymore Memorial and part-time firefighter medic, she has to be. This single 26-year-old overachiever lives, loves and plays hard to release the pressure found in her work and in her stormy relationship with her abusive father, ex-cop Tommy "the Terminator" O'Brien. When one of her favorite mental patients, Montana Bob, a former top FBI agent, becomes a casualty in what should have been a fairly routine call, O'Brien finds her name on "The List" at Blymore-the hospital's wall where names of troublemakers are scrawled by medical personnel to relieve tension. Her gut instinct leads her to start investigating people on the list with a link to Montana Bob who have turned up dead, but no one wants to hear her suspicions, since they may implicate her own beloved colleagues. Soon O'Brien discovers she's being prepped as the "fall gal" when a series of inexplicable ER deaths appear to be caused by her. O'Brien makes a complex, conflicted heroine, defiantly macho and yet so scarred by family violence that she refuses to use a gun even when doing so could save the lives of those she loves. (Mar. 17) Forecast: A 10-city author tour, plus blurbs from Nora Roberts, Tami Hoag, Robert Crais and Tess Gerritsen, should help lift Dreyer close to bestseller territory. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Maggie O'Brien was destined to be a police officer. Raised by Tommy "The Terminator" O'Brien, formerly one of St. Louis's finest, Maggie is a crack shot and a member of the local SWAT team. However, she is also a nurse and refuses to carry a gun. Trying to juggle the dangers of police work with the pressures of working in an understaffed hospital police ward, Maggie and her fellow nurses blow off steam by keeping "The List," a log of patients who have committed particularly despicable crimes. When Jimmy Krebs torches his four-year-old son after a 12-hour hostage standoff, his name makes The List. Then, Jimmy suddenly dies in the hospital-and Maggie discovers that other List members have also died mysteriously. Dreyer, a real-life trauma nurse, infuses her tale with the same authentic details that enlivened her Brain Dead, and she keeps the plot moving. Fans of Tess Gerritsen will enjoy; recommended for most popular fiction collections.-Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calumet Lib., Hammond, IN Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

Maggie O'Brien, a nurse and medic on a SWAT team, is an overachiever. She's trying to get out from under her father's thumb—both physically and emotionally. But Maggie tries too hard to fit in. While on a hostage call, she uncovers a deadly plot and soon becomes a pariah in the ER, the morgue, and the police department as she investigates who is killing patients. Laural Merlington's characterization of O'Brien's tough exterior and tender interior is well done. Her pace keeps up with the action and suspense. Her vocal changes for O'Brien's insolent father and other hard-nosed city cops are believable, as well. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews