We received a copy of this book for review by Harley House Press, the book's publisher, and were immediately interested in this new concept of a military mystery tale; before we jump in, here's a little bit more about the book:
Shell Shock by Dr. Steve Stahl
Publisher: Harley House Press
Shell Shock Trailer
About "Shell Shock"
Description: "When psychiatrist Dr. Gus Conrad is called to consult by the U.S. army for its growing epidemic of suicides and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) among soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, his problems begin.
Accused of murdering one of his own patients, a soldier with PTSD, Conrad learns from the mother that the answer to who is the real killer resides in England, where her family holds a long-hidden secret.
Now Conrad must find the real killer as he slips out of the country to uncover to his horror the practice over the past century of British and U.S. armies both secretly killing their own soldiers who claimed psychological problems following combat, deeming them cowards, making their deaths look like suicides. The current head of the American death squad has apparently killed Conrad’s patient, and is now targeting Conrad himself for death. Following the clues in England, Conrad is shocked at what he discovers.
Will Conrad and Warburton be able get back to the U.S. to expose the practice of armies killing their own soldiers they deem cowards? Can they stop the rogue leader of the American death squad before they themselves are killed?"
Review of Shell Shock by Dr. Steve Stahl
Impression: What we like the most about this book is the time and dedication that was taken into the promotion of this book by Unlimited Publishing and the author; as you can see by the trailer, this book's publicity plan included the upmost respect for readers by offering us an almost documentary-style trailer for a work of literary fiction. It's really one of the best book trailers we've ever encountered.
Delving into this book, it's evident that this book may very well turn into one of the best fictional war movies of the next few years.
Highlights: The book starts with the prologue set in France during 1915 where we meet Jennings, a Yorkshireman serving in the Great War missing his wife and hauntingly expecting for a shell detonation to blow him to pieces as he sits in the burrow of a trench.
From here it's evident that this book will have two simultaneous stories taking us through the life of this soldier and that of another man, a psychiatrist, Dr. Gus Conrad, living a century after Jennings served in the war. As Conrad dabbles with the concept of "shell shock", which we now call PTSD, he is asked by the U.S. Army to help consult with their growing cases of PTSD in the force, taking him on a wild journey to uncover the truth behind a clandestine mission to exterminate the men affected by this disorder.
We return to the Western Front in the autumn of 1915, where Jennings is receiving treatment for shell shock, a treatment that is doing nothing to offer progress for his continuously ailing mind and body. Here in the first few lines, the author does an immaculate job of putting into words the experience that is felt by a soldier experiencing PTSD and how their body can completely disassociate itself from the control of its person.
As the author nears the end of the chapter, he sets the pace for and unwinding story that will continue throughout the book. He describes Jennings as feeling broken, defeated by a disorder that made him feel like less of a duty-bound soldier, yet still holding dear his thankfulness of survival, thinking of his wife and unborn child he eager awaits to see. However, as this doctor sees no progress in his condition, the author writes:
"his doctor wrote in his medical records words that would haunt Jennings and his family for the next century. Diagnosis: “Shell Shock.”His entrance into Chapter 11 for us was completely immersive, very talented in his use of "behind the scenes" appeal that he attributes to the actions of this doctor and that helps to wrap up the concept of how Jennings is no longer in control of anything, not even knowing the actual truth of his fate.
Stepping forward 100 years to Fort Hood in Texas, he gives a comical description of Conrad's encounter with federal agents accusing him of espionage, where of the book becomes a plot to uncover hidden truths and reclaim innocence.
Quality: Overall, the author utilizes a very complex method of describing very personal situations of the characters in his book, making it a very realistic story. The one thing we personally disliked about the edition of the book we read was its chapter break up.
The edition of the book we read had a total of 131 chapters, some of which were extremely short, just a few paragraphs long. This made the book feel choppy. While not all readers will feel this way, we like to have cohesive chapter break ups; even if stores are taking place simultaneously, that doesn't mean that two separate stories cannot coexist in the same chapter; it seems the author prefers to utilize separate chapter per segment of a each story.
That seems to be the only negative comment we have about the book, because it is written almost perfectly. We found no errors in the book, and the vocabulary used by the author was enticing. The book's backstory was immersive, its publicity plan was immaculate, and the plot-line was completely unique and original. As I mentioned before, this book has all the makings of a major motion picture.
Notable Praise
Praise: This book has received praise from New York Times Bestselling Author's and others, which we'll share here.
"A fast-paced, rip-roaring historical fiction thriller that entertains and educates. So gripping, it will leave you desperately hoping that what you are reading is pure fiction!" -- “It is sure to be a major motion picture.” - Louann Brizendine, M.D.,New York Times Bestselling Author
“it becomes nearly impossible to tell where the fiction stops and the story continues … in a fast-paced read that is reminiscent of Dan Brown.” - Chad Clement, Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO3), US NAVY SEAL (RETIRED)
“Gripping and thrilling to the very end ...” - Lieutenant Commander Dr. William Sauve, former U.S. Navy psychiatrist embedded with army troops in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom
“Iconic psychopharmacologist Stephen Stahl demonstrates his mastery of the crime mystery genre in a shock and awe novel that barrels along with Stahl’s customary brio while informing us about PTSD and, as ever, man’s inhumanity to man.” - Professor Gordon Parker, Black Dog Institute, Australia
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Shell Shock by Dr. Steve Stahl
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