The Silent Cradle

Rating:
Summary: Save your time and money!
Review: I found this book very distressing. First, the medical stuff is very overblown. OBs do *not* spend their time saving babies left and right -- I read several passages to a few of my OB friends and we all agreed, "Give us a break!" Second, the hospital politics was *not* realistic! Third, the author -- and consequently her heroine -- appears to be a drama queen (not something I think I would want in my doctor!). Like many reviewers, I found myself angry that I continued reading the book. But I also found myself angry that the author, as an OB, depicted birth as a big scary event which often goes bad. Pregnant women in our society hear enough scary stories and don't need them perpetuated by an OB writing a "thriller."

Rating:
Summary: Very good first novel and can't wait for her second!
Review: I had just recently finished reading a few Micheal Palmer and Robin Cook books and found this novel to be comparible in everyway. I found it very entertaining and hard to put down. It was well written and kept me guessing to the end. I will definetly purchase her next medical thriller.

Rating:
Summary: Oxytocin use in excess is real and fatal
Review: I just got done reading this book. I actually have had to pick my jaw up from the floor. Having suffering a "rare spontaneous oxytocin" uterine rupture on a previously unscarred uterus has obviously had some personal affects on me. My son died, my uterus exploded like some of the characters and I almost didn't survive the delivery. I feel her research in this book to be truly amazing. Though you hear more and more of uterine ruptures it's still something that is very real and people should be aware of. Even if this book is fiction, it happens. Aside from the emotinal aspect for me, I would reccomend this book. I found it to be very suspense filled.

Rating:
Summary: Oxytocin use in excess is real and fatal
Review: I just got done reading this book. I actually have had to pick my jaw up from the floor. Having suffering a "rare spontaneous oxytocin" uterine rupture on a previously unscarred uterus has obviously had some personal affects on me. My son died, my uterus exploded like some of the characters and I almost didn't survive the delivery. I feel her research in this book to be truly amazing. Though you hear more and more of uterine ruptures it's still something that is very real and people should be aware of. Even if this book is fiction, it happens. Aside from the emotinal aspect for me, I would reccomend this book. I found it to be very suspense filled.

Rating:
Summary: can we award a zero?
Review: I know this author. As a nurse, I've worked with her in the Berkeley hospital where she based her practice. In my opinion, she should stick to obstetrics and leave the art and craft of writing to others. I began reading this book with anticipation, as I like mysteries and I love obstetrics. It started off poorly, but I knew what she'd earned as an advance, so I figured it'd get better.
Wrong.
It got worse. The characters are cut from cardboard, the writing is repetitive and trite, the book slogs from one cliche to the next, and it's way too melodramatic. If Dr. Cuthbert thinks this level of poor writing is what the market demands, then I don't believe she has much respect for her readers. I hope she has more respect for her OB patients. I kept reading, and I'm embarrassed that I wasted my time. It would have been more productive if I'd done a couple of loads of laundry.
Don't waste your money.

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent Read for the Curious Mind
Review: I love this novel, it not only keeps you guessing whudonit till the last page, it is also very stimulating intellectually. I have learned new medical terminologies that l would not under every day circumstances seek out. I will read Margaret's other books (if any)in a heartbeat and recommend it to all who has a curious mind. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Novel...I Enjoyed It!
Review: I read the other reviews and I don't agree with the negatives. I thought this was a very good book that was well written especially for a first novel. I don't know much about the facts concerning the medical stuff however one must realize this is fiction. Which gives the author the right to embellish to make it seem truthful. I thought the author did a great job with keeping the excitement going and the energy up. I found myself holding my breath at times. The only thing that I didn't really like was the relationship that developed between Dr. Rae Duprey and Sam. Overall, this was a good read and worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: Not believeable
Review: I read this book and I couldn't get into the plot. There were so many inconsistent portions. Apparently only mothers and babies were to be murdered, because this loose cannon doctor ran around accusing everyone but wasn't in any danger herself until the very last. At the end the bad guy died in a car wreck, but the doctor walked away without a scratch to continue to get her man. Also, the pitiful swat team just stood there watching the good doctor save the day and baby. I wish my husband had found this book someplace like one reviewer, because I'm sorry that I bought the book.

Rating:
Summary: "Like eating a piece of dry bread."
Review: I read this book with a great deal of curiosity, since I work in a hospital Labor & Delivery unit. The medical tangent is right-on, and I probably agree with her analysis of the health care crisis in America. Also, my experience with many Md's match hers. However,I wish she did not perpetuate the stereotype of loose-moraled doctors and gossipy nurses. Dr. Cuthbert's writing skills are weak and at best sophmoric.I was not drawn to any of her characters except Bernie, the protagonist's close friend. Their dialogue rang true, while unfortunately much of the actions and conversations of the other characters did not.

Rating:
Summary: Very pleasing first mystery
Review: I really enjoyed Cuthbert's first book. Unlike the former reviewer, I really appreciated the depth of the novel. It is clear that Cuthbert knows what she is talking about and all that "stuff" about being a black female ob/gyn was wonderful. It made her character fuller, more interesting, and more appealing to a diverse audience. The hospital politics that is a major part of the story was also very intriguing. The one part of the mystery that I found hardest to believe and least developed was the doctor romance angle. Can't wait for more.