Beneath the Wake

A Dr. Zol Szabo Medical Mystery, Book 4

By: Ross Pennie

Narrated by: Dan Willmott

The eagerly anticipated fourth medical thriller in the award-winning series

Epidemic investigator Dr. Zol Szabo hopes an extended cruise on the Indian Ocean with his girlfriend and his son will salve the wounds of the rough times they’ve been weathering at home. As they set sail coddled in unaccustomed luxury on the Coral Dynasty, things below deck are a little less sunny for the ship’s physician.

Dr. Noah Ferguson reckons that bandaging the wounds of the crew’s seedy missteps is just part of a job that comes with a fair share of loneliness, but he’s increasingly frustrated that the most rewarding aspect of his practice must remain unspoken. When a mysterious microbe cuts a lethal swath through the crew’s quarters, Noah enlists a reluctant Zol, who must put his vacation on hold to investigate the illness before it consumes everyone on board. As the body count climbs, it becomes apparent that everybody carries a secret in international waters.

Miles from land, the captain makes the rules, and anything inconvenient gets tossed overboard to disappear beneath the wake.

©2017 Ross Pennie (P)2020 ECW Press

Critic reviews

“Pennie is a doctor specializing in infectious disease, and his expertise clearly informs and adds a complex realism to this excellent page-turner.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Taut and timely (and not likely to encourage cruise travel), Pennie’s latest has got the pacing that makes for a great read.” (Owen Sound Sun-Times)

“If you’re planning a cruise on the high seas any time soon, don’t read this book.” (The Globe And Mail)

A fun read

I liked the story except that it seemed a less complex mystery than other Ross Penne books. It addressed a lot of important social problems but the actual characters didn’t have a whole lot going on. I enjoyed the “blogger” sections since we never hear from Max’s best friend that much usually.