Medical Thrillers FAULTY BLOODLINE by Gary Gerlacher

AJ Docker (Doc) and his guard dog, Banshee, move to a small town in the mountains for a slower-paced lifestyle. Doc settles into the idyllic setting with a rewarding job and enriching colleagues, as well as with a romantic interest who leads him to contemplate marriage. His new life seems perfect until he begins to uncover the town’s dirty secrets. A serial killer hunts in the woods, and dirty money flows throughout the town.

Doc and Banshee win allies in their search for truth, but they also make powerful enemies. These sophisticated figures who control the town’s economy will stop at nothing to end Doc’s threat to expose them. Doc must fight for his freedom, and even for his life to escape.

Gary Gerlacher

Gary Gerlacher recently sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss his latest medical thriller, FAULTY BLOODLINE.

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

There has never been a great series with an emergency room physician as a protagonist, and they are perfect for it. The stereotypical emergency physician is an adrenaline junkie, risk taker, decisive, quick thinking, and stubborn when looking for answers. All of these traits make for a great main character. Add in the fact that all sorts of strange, violent and dangerous people pass through the ER, and the setting is perfect to start a story.

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

This whole book developed from a thought I had in the shower – what if I threw a stick into the woods, and my dog returned with a human body part instead of the stick? From there, I created the setting and built a cast of characters to support the plot. All of my books begin from a single event, and grow from there.

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

All of my books contain numerous scenes from the emergency room. While some of them are for comic relief, many of them point out serious problems with the American healthcare system. Issues related to access to care, mental health resources, stress, financial strain, and fear of the unknown are scattered throughout. I hope readers think a little more about the problems with the current healthcare system, and potential solution.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

I am currently working on book four in the series, untitled as yet. Doc and Banshee take a job in Washington, D.C., which means there will be a political plot integrated into the book. The book will also look at the issues with large corporations running medical practices. It is a growing problem and most people are not even aware of the dangers it poses.