The Price of Compassion – [Display Sales Page]

“Michaels (The Promise, 2016, etc.) offers a historical novel about a surgeon [Tom Justice] who’s accused of murder after mysterious events at a medical clinic leave a man dead. With his client providing little assistance, [attorney Jonathan Perris] takes it upon himself to delve into Tom’s past and determine whether he is, in fact, guilty.  As Perris collects information through interviews, the author effectively drops clues along the way for the reader, painting a picture of what might have happened to result in Tom’s incarceration. This novel, the fourth in Michaels’ The Golden City series, is chock-full of details about California in the earliest part of the 20th century, and it showcases the rampant prejudice against Chinese immigrants that pervaded the West Coast during the period. In accessible and absorbing prose, the author also describes the arcane medical practices of the era. Although the numerous characters and subplots can get confusing at times, there are a sufficient number of high-stakes moments to keep the tale suspenseful and engaging throughout. A well-thought-out legal drama, full of intrigue and duplicity.” – Kirkus Reviews