Second Opinion

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-GBX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 This is the third infant death we’ve had in Maternity since summer. There seemed nothing unusual about the first baby’s death; nor the second. Tragic, but not suspicious. But a third in the same Maternity Unit in only five months is not usual, and forensic pathologist Dr George (never Georgina) Barnabas - alerted by the anonymous note she finds appended to the post-mortem request - is worried. No one will admit to writing the note. And when a fourth child is found dead, undoubtedly murdered, George’s appetite for the hunt is roused. Just what happened to the babies? How are their deaths connected? It is a harrowing case: George has to deal with grieving parents, distressed staff, and a disconcerting outbreak of racial tension. To cap it all, her elderly mother arrives from America for an extended visit, and George is far happier when there are at least three thousand miles between them. Amid the traumas, medical and maternal, however, George has Detective Chief Inspector Gus Hathaway alongside her, who –despite his annoying habits, and reluctant though she is to admit it- she has been missing. And he proves himself a tower of strength as the investigation twists and turns to its utterly satisfying conclusion. Written with Claire Rayner’s instinctive understanding of character, motive and emotion and, like First Blood, Second Opinion once again interweaves the drama of life in a busy hospital with an intricate and entertaining mystery.

Claire Rayner of London, UK Claire Rayner (1931–2010) had a long and varied career. As a journalist she contributed to many popular magazines and also had work published in professional journals, including The Lancet and Nursing Times. Among her fiction is the ambitious 12-volume se

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  • Claire Rayner wrote over 80 books, from fiction to works on a broad range of medical subjects, including sex education, home nursing, and family health