Last Patient of the Night

Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers’ Favorite

It's one of those regular nights in the emergency room of the Ben Taub Hospital. AJ Docker, otherwise known as Doc to his colleagues and friends, is putting in his due and looking forward to the end of his shift when he ends up with a mysterious girl who looks like she has been tortured. Doc does his best but is unable to save her life. Her death leads him to investigate how she ended up in the emergency room in the first place. Little does he know that his inquisitive nature is about to lead him into a world of prostitution and blackmail where human lives have no value in Gary Gerlacher’s Last Patient of the Night.

Gary Gerlacher's easygoing approach to telling the story is evident in every aspect of this riveting crime novel, Last Patient of the Night. He introduces us to his characters using a casual approach when unfolding their origin stories. His depiction of the hospital scene is quite accurate as he goes the extra mile to make this story feel as authentic as possible using precise medical parlance and operating procedures, not to mention some of the weird slang the staff are throwing around. His ability to alternate humor with suspense creates the perfect recipe for a riveting read which is difficult to put down. I especially like the way he casually inserts modern money laundering methods into a deceptively simple story. When it comes to the crime genre, Gerlacher's novel is in a class of its own.

Last Patient of the Night is like a Wild Mouse coaster ride, racing along the track with sharp twists and turns, looking like it's headed for disaster, but somehow always staying on course to deliver an exhilarating and satisfying ride. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Everything from mental illness to major trauma comes through Ben Taub Hospital in Houston. Each shift, the doctors and nurses participate in a chapter of someone’s life, seldom knowing how the story began or ended. Until one shift when A. J.  Docker, aka Doc. treats a young woman’s minor injury, which she refuses to confirm was not an accident. Her life might have ended when someone dumped her out in the ambulance bay, but not the story, Doc learns when he tries to find answers.

If no good deed goes unpunished, Dr. A. J. Docker’s acts to find out about a patient’s violent death leads him to face a devil. Then all Hell breaks loose.

Last Patient of the Night is a fun, fast-paced thriller. Gary Gerlacher’s debut novel introduces us to A.J. “Doc” Docker, an ER physician with a quick, sarcastic wit and a mind for solving mysteries. When one of his patients dies under suspicious circumstances, Doc makes it his mission to discover what really happened and find justice for her, regardless of the risks. Smartly plotted, loaded with memorable characters, and deftly mixing action and humor, Last Patient of the Night keeps the pages turning until the end.