Into the Fire

Lip Reading by Harry Kraus (MD), published by David C. Cook

I've been a fan of Harry Kraus for many years, but his recent novels haven't resonated with the same appreciation for his earlier books. Lip Reading, the current CFBA novel up for review, hasn't changed that opinion. Which makes this a difficult review.

The novel has a similar backstory to Chris Fabry's novel Dogwood, but Lip Reading is situated in the medical/pharmacological fields. We can count on Harry to give us authenticity and complexity, and Lip Reading provides no exception. With the study and development of a synthetic substitute for blood, to avoid the dangers of transfusions in sick or injured patients, as the front and center objective of two now older and former high school sweethearts, the race is on between two "big pharma" companies to invent this potentially multi-billion dollar product.

The former sweethearts, who work for competing pharmaceutical research companies, haven't seen each other in many years due to a complex chain of events which happened on a Halloween night back in high school. That single event provided the impetus for the intense research to develop the synthetic blood product.  

When the story begins with PHD Becca Jackson in Kenya to promote a drug manufactured by her family's company, she must listen to unexpected consequences of the test natives who had taken the drug. One of the practicing doctors there makes sure she gets his message, which is the need for some kind of compensation for the victims, before she returns to the states. 

In the meantime, Noah Linebrink's boss, CEO of his competing pharmaceutical company, requires Noah to contact his old girlfriend to attempt to hire her away from her family's company. Noah attempts to argue the unlikelihood of that proposition, but his boss won't take no for an answer. This launches an awkward reunion between the two never-marrieds, and from this point the obstacles involving an old romantic triangle, a severe health condition, old threats renewed, and new threats leveled, occupy all the space between discovering how hemoglobin molecules must "fold" correctly to imitate real blood.

Admittedly, the story is interesting in its objective, but if I didn't know this was a Harry Kraus novel, I never would've pegged him as the author. Certainly the authenticity when discussing anything medical is there, and perhaps just a bit overdone, but the dialogue, the excessive focus on lipstick brands and colors, the spark-less"romance" especially - all of it just didn't sound like the Harry of old. The significance of the title comes toward the end but almost falls under "too little, too late" to generate meaningful emotion for me. The reason being: I could not find one character to like. Not one. I don't think that's ever happened to me. In novels where I didn't like the protagonist(s), I could usually find some peripheral character to appreciate. Zero in this story. None. Nada. Zippo. Wait: Noah's dead father sounded like a good man.

The "romantic" triangle truly put the three adult professionals back in high school angst, and moved the story into teen reading. The ending became predictable, martyr-ish, unsatisfactory, and the cafe scene-slash-resolution between Becca's dad and Noah held little redeeming value because, for the entire novel, Becca's dad got away with being a mean guy who did whatever he wanted to do without repurcussions. Becca's mom see-sawed between a classless snob and a doting mother who couldn't figure out the difference between right and wrong.    

I really don't enjoy doing reviews like this because criticizing authors hurts. However, if you go to both the Amazon and Barnes&Noble reviews, you will find the majority of readers gave Lip Reading by Harry Kraus 4 or 5 stars. My opinion of this book is the exception, and it gives me no pleasure to write a bad review.

Father, continue to bless Harry in all he does for you, wherever he is. Make his paths straight and illuminate the road before him. Encourage him as only you can do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.