Official Review: The Perfect Host by Robert C Martin

[jechamer]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Perfect Host" by Robert C Martin.]

The Perfect Host by Robert C Martin walks you through the story of Damien Driscoll, who is an anesthesiologist working at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and is fascinated by near death experiences, primarily due to an incident as a child in which he encountered his mother’s ghost. Damien meets up with Chloe Giles, a former heart transfer patient whose heart surgery Damien participated in. Damien and Chloe are being visited by the ghost of the previous owner of Chloe’s heart. The ghost indicates that she was murdered and Damien and Chloe embark in a quest to find out who the murderer was. Damien and Chloe find themselves in a complicated situation that includes not only the two of them wresting with emotions for each other but also bizarre circumstances that include ritualistic sacrifices and Satanism. As time goes on, Damien and Chloe find themselves in danger from those that do not want them to find out the truth about what’s going on.

Mr. Martin’s story has an interesting plot and takes you through a world that many times includes bizarre and dangerous practices. It includes a contrast of more conventional religious practices, such as Catholicism and non-conventional practices such as Satanism. Like most mysteries, the main characters find themselves in dangerous situations and trying to balance finding out the truth with the demands of their daily life.

The story includes a number of characters and a lot of historical background. It can be difficult to follow, especially at the beginning. I found myself paging back several times to review who a particular character was and to double-check events.

The book begins with a prologue, and then the first chapter seems almost like a second prologue. It jumps from character to character and back and forth from the present to historical events with the various characters. This can become confusing as it seems to break the flow of the story.

Some events seem to not be developed enough. An example is that Damien has a girlfriend and is having issues with that relationship. Some disagreements leave the relationship in a kind of limbo and he then starts talking to Chloe and almost from one sentence to another, Damien and Chloe’s relationship turns romantic with very little build-up.

I have rated this book two out of four stars. The theme of the book is intriguing but it needs some more development. There is a lot going on in it and the story does not flow as well as it could.

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