Review by Prisallen -- McDowell by William H. Coles

[Prisallen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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McDowell is a novel written by William H. Coles about a world renown surgeon by the name of Hiram McDowell, who seems to have it all. He is married and has three of his own children and two stepchildren. He was elected as President of the International College and later confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because of unscrupulous methods in rising to the top, he made several enemies along the way.

Then, his world started imploding. His son, Billie, impregnated his stepsister. His youngest daughter, Sophie, became despondent and didn’t want to get out of bed after her partner left her. Ann, his eldest daughter who was married to a cold and unsupportive husband, was paranoid and depressed. They had two difficult children, one who was around when several pets mysteriously died. McDowell was dismissed from the President’s position at the International College and was accused of fundraising malfeasance shortly afterward. After something horrible happened to the family, McDowell was faced with a decision that landed him in prison. He managed to break out, but he had to go on the run.

William Coles is very good at character development. In the beginning, Hiram McDowell was a very difficult person to like. After a fellow mountain traveler became too weak to go on, McDowell left him to die, after taking his oxygen supply for himself. He was narcissistic, unfaithful, arrogant, ambitious, and a womanizer. Manipulation and lying were used abundantly to get to the top. When things started falling apart, he blamed everyone except himself. His only redeeming qualities were that he was a good surgeon and cared, at least monetarily, for his children. So, it was no surprise when I did not care if he ended up in prison. The development of McDowell’s character, as it changed and matured into someone the reader liked and pulled for, was very well done. Paige, who was a TV journalist, and Sophie, McDowell’s youngest daughter, were an important part of the book and also had good character development, as did a couple of other minor characters in the book.

My favorite aspect of the book was the plot. From the beginning, I was not sure where it was going to go next. As McDowell got into one predicament after another, it was frequently intense. At other times, humor was written into the novel, easing the tension and making me smile. Loneliness, sadness, but also hope were underlying emotions in the story. McDowell reminded us how important human interactions are, and his search for meaning in his life also affected me. The ending was very surprising.

I wanted better descriptions of the characters. Clothes were described well, but facial features, such as the shape of the face and nose, the color and shape of eyes, color and length of hair, etc., were rarely mentioned. This was my least favorite aspect of the book. It is easier to visualize someone when their features are described.

Only one error was found, so the book was professionally edited.

I wanted to give a rating of 3.5, but, as this is impossible, I am giving it a rating of 4 out of 4, in spite of my wish for better character descriptions. In my opinion, the book deserves better than a 3. Because of sex and the subject of euthanasia, it isn’t suitable for children. I think this novel would be enjoyed by readers who like crime dramas and thrillers.

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McDowell
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Like Prisallen's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Fazzier]

This book seems intriguing. I like the fact that the characters are well-developed and that you found the imprisonment of Hiram McDowell justified. Thank you for heightening my curiosity in this book!

[Prisallen]

This book seems intriguing. I like the fact that the characters are well-developed and that you found the imprisonment of Hiram McDowell justified. Thank you for heightening my curiosity in this book!

Thank you for stopping by and reading my review!

[Carla911]

I agree with the character description being an important factor. I like to visualize my characters! Nice review!

[Jlbaird85]

I also visualize stories in my head, and I hate when authors fail to do an adequate job describing things. It interrupts my flow of reading. Otherwise, it sounds like a very interesting story. Thanks for the great review!

[Prisallen]

I also visualize stories in my head, and I hate when authors fail to do an adequate job describing things. It interrupts my flow of reading. Otherwise, it sounds like a very interesting story. Thanks for the great review!

It was really the only negative thing I could say about it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Kibet Hillary]

Hiram McDowell seems to have had it all briefly before the entire empire came crumbling down. This is a story that one ought to add to their shelves. Many thanks for the review.