Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Paperbacks (2017), Edition: Reprint, 464 pages
Description
Fleeing home from his military service in Afghanistan when his wife dies in an apparent freak household accident, Dr. Mike Scanlon struggles with the tragedy, his inability to bond with his new baby daughter and a downsizing in his medical practice only to discover a shocking secret that changes his understanding of everything.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cats57
Don't Go
2.0 out of 5 stars Not Shocking, Surprising or Thrilling, April 14, 2013
It is going to be quite difficult to describe why I did not see this novel in the same light so many others have. However, I will try. I have to wonder just why the editor/publisher chose not to add a synopsis of the
Ms. Scottoline wrote this as if it was two almost separate books in one. The first book was the emotional one, dealing with the death of Chloe and then several of the members of his medical team. This first half was written while Mike was still at war and was filled with a lot of medical technical jargon.
The second book deals with Mike coming back to the US, dealing with his medical condition and trying to become a proper father to his daughter. It reads as if the time passage is much longer but only about a week goes by while it is all hitting the fan.
All I could think while I was reading this novel was just how obvious everything was. You knew every mistake Mike was making BEFORE he made it just by reading closely
I had no sympathy for Mike or any of the other main characters in this book. Where I should have been experiencing deep emotion, I was rolling my eyes. He was always using what could be termed `the easy way out' and I never saw him as good father material. ------------> SPOILERISH END SPOILER
2.0 out of 5 stars Not Shocking, Surprising or Thrilling, April 14, 2013
It is going to be quite difficult to describe why I did not see this novel in the same light so many others have. However, I will try. I have to wonder just why the editor/publisher chose not to add a synopsis of the
Show More
book here but used the first chapter, which has nothing to do with giving an over-all look at the book.Ms. Scottoline wrote this as if it was two almost separate books in one. The first book was the emotional one, dealing with the death of Chloe and then several of the members of his medical team. This first half was written while Mike was still at war and was filled with a lot of medical technical jargon.
The second book deals with Mike coming back to the US, dealing with his medical condition and trying to become a proper father to his daughter. It reads as if the time passage is much longer but only about a week goes by while it is all hitting the fan.
All I could think while I was reading this novel was just how obvious everything was. You knew every mistake Mike was making BEFORE he made it just by reading closely
I had no sympathy for Mike or any of the other main characters in this book. Where I should have been experiencing deep emotion, I was rolling my eyes. He was always using what could be termed `the easy way out' and I never saw him as good father material. ------------> SPOILERISH END SPOILER
Show Less
LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
The author did it again. She created a book in which I thought I knew what was going to happen, but didn't exactly...and I was pointing my anger at the characters in the wrong direction.
Mike makes for such a sad hero of the book. He a podiatric surgeon in a nasty war in Afghanistan, his wife Chloe
This novel is quick and easy reading, but many parts of it made me so angry. I hated the way Chloe's sister Danielle and her lawyer husband Bob railroaded Mike into their being the sole caregivers for Emily and always made Mike feel so inadequate and guilty when he tried to express love for and nurture his only child. I guess novels are supposed to push buttons, and this one did. I stayed mad at Mike's "so called family" throughout the whole book.
I loved the light lawyering in this book (the author is a former attorney) as I did in a previous book of hers I read. "Lawyer novels" always turned me off in the past, but now that my own daughter is soon to sit for the bar exam in our state, I'm more open to them!
I didn't care for the book cover, which the author commended in her acknowledgement by the way, because the Emily (Mike's daughter) in the book was an infant and a toddler, but never the pre-schooler hanging on to her dad that is pictured on the book's front cover .
I liked this book enough to stay up late one night to finish it and also to recommend it to my husband. It's light and entertaining though it hits with a huge punch some tough subjects. I'm ready to read more novels by Lisa Scottoline which is good. I'm starting to give best-selling authors a bit more leeway in my reading list!
Mike makes for such a sad hero of the book. He a podiatric surgeon in a nasty war in Afghanistan, his wife Chloe
Show More
is found dead at home in the United States, and he and close army buddies are subject to an attack by explosive device will forever change Mike's outlook on the world. This novel is quick and easy reading, but many parts of it made me so angry. I hated the way Chloe's sister Danielle and her lawyer husband Bob railroaded Mike into their being the sole caregivers for Emily and always made Mike feel so inadequate and guilty when he tried to express love for and nurture his only child. I guess novels are supposed to push buttons, and this one did. I stayed mad at Mike's "so called family" throughout the whole book.
I loved the light lawyering in this book (the author is a former attorney) as I did in a previous book of hers I read. "Lawyer novels" always turned me off in the past, but now that my own daughter is soon to sit for the bar exam in our state, I'm more open to them!
I didn't care for the book cover, which the author commended in her acknowledgement by the way, because the Emily (Mike's daughter) in the book was an infant and a toddler, but never the pre-schooler hanging on to her dad that is pictured on the book's front cover .
I liked this book enough to stay up late one night to finish it and also to recommend it to my husband. It's light and entertaining though it hits with a huge punch some tough subjects. I'm ready to read more novels by Lisa Scottoline which is good. I'm starting to give best-selling authors a bit more leeway in my reading list!
Show Less
LibraryThing member teeth
A doctor who is serving in Afganistan is called home when his wife is found dead leaving their 7 month old daughter with her sister. he returns to Afganistan and reups butreturns home seriously injured to deal with the wreckage at home This deals with the many issues our soldiers have to deal with
Show More
after they return from war. It also has some good twists and turns. Show Less
LibraryThing member Coltfan18
I related to this book as I'm a daughter of a man who served in the Navy. Dr. Mike Scanlon is called to duty leaving his wife and baby daughter. He returns home for his wife's funeral after she dies in an accident. He learns a terrible secret about his wife and decides to return to finish his tour.
Show More
Mike is injured and returns home to a daughter who cries when she sees him, a career he is unable to do, and wanting to find answers about his wife. He is angry and that is believable but hard to read at time. I loved the ending though it was predictable. Show Less
LibraryThing member lyn369
Once again Lisa Scottoline held me captive. This book made me wonder how many military men come home to something like this. The twists and turns were very well written. If you enjoy a little mystery, you will enjoy this book.
LibraryThing member bookaholicmom
This was the first Lisa Scottoline book I have read but it won't be my last! I am not a big suspense book reader but I this book grabbed my attention.
The book starts out with a woman, Chloe, who is dying on her kitchen floor. Someone walks in and instead of helping her, walks out the door. Who was
The story then shifts to her husband, Mike who is deployed in Afghanistan. Mike deals with not only the death of his loving wife, but also deals with the effects of war. When Mike comes home from Afghanistan he has so much to overcome. His infant daughter doesn't know him, his in laws don't understand him, and he is obsessed with solving the questions surrounding his wife's death.
The book kept me guessing as to who murdered Chloe. The rest of the story was a bit predictable and maybe a bit far fetched but it did keep me reading. I I enjoyed the combination of suspense and drama. There was more to the story than just someone being murdered and who did it. I found this book entertaining and will be reading this author again.
The book starts out with a woman, Chloe, who is dying on her kitchen floor. Someone walks in and instead of helping her, walks out the door. Who was
Show More
it? Was it the murderer? Who would want to kill this young mother and wife I was hooked!The story then shifts to her husband, Mike who is deployed in Afghanistan. Mike deals with not only the death of his loving wife, but also deals with the effects of war. When Mike comes home from Afghanistan he has so much to overcome. His infant daughter doesn't know him, his in laws don't understand him, and he is obsessed with solving the questions surrounding his wife's death.
The book kept me guessing as to who murdered Chloe. The rest of the story was a bit predictable and maybe a bit far fetched but it did keep me reading. I I enjoyed the combination of suspense and drama. There was more to the story than just someone being murdered and who did it. I found this book entertaining and will be reading this author again.
Show Less
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway but I have read several of Lisa Scottoline's books before. The story was definitely interesting and fast paced - I didn't want to put it down. I thought I had it figured out pretty early on, but somehow I knew what I was thinking was a little too obvious. I
Show More
would have liked to have seen the character of Chloe developed a little more - the author never really resolved if she was drinking or why she had the affair. But overall I enjoyed this book a lot. Show Less
LibraryThing member GoudaReads
Lisa Scottoline has been chick-lit-ified. Her recent books (maybe the last three?) stand out from her previous Rosato and Associates series, and for me, not in a good way. Although they are still "mystery" books, they are written and packaged (look at those covers!) to sit on the shelf next to Jody
Her older books had heart and depth and spunky characters. They had families and friends who liked each other. The had rich lives and interesting relationships. Everyone in Don't Go feels more like a caricature. We have the dedicated military husband, the artsy, free-spirited wife, the uptight sister, the straight-laced, workaholic brother-in-law, the money-grubbing partner, etc. All well-defined, but difficult to connect with--very few of the characters even seem to be able to connect to each other!
After three books like this, I may have to face the reality that Lisa and I have grown apart. I'm sure there's an audience for books like Don't Go, but I'll spend my reading time elsewhere.
Show More
Picoult and the like. If Don't Go were to be made into a movie, it'd air on Lifetime.Her older books had heart and depth and spunky characters. They had families and friends who liked each other. The had rich lives and interesting relationships. Everyone in Don't Go feels more like a caricature. We have the dedicated military husband, the artsy, free-spirited wife, the uptight sister, the straight-laced, workaholic brother-in-law, the money-grubbing partner, etc. All well-defined, but difficult to connect with--very few of the characters even seem to be able to connect to each other!
After three books like this, I may have to face the reality that Lisa and I have grown apart. I'm sure there's an audience for books like Don't Go, but I'll spend my reading time elsewhere.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jnut1
I enjoyed this book.
This was a story of a man who went to war and while gone he wife died.
Lisa did a good job of making you want to know what comes next. There is so much going on. You won't want to miss it.
This was a story of a man who went to war and while gone he wife died.
Lisa did a good job of making you want to know what comes next. There is so much going on. You won't want to miss it.
LibraryThing member Staciele
Dr. Mike Scanlon, an orthopedist, is overseas serving his country in Afghanistan. Back home his wife, Chloe, and seven-month-old daughter, Emily, are trying to survive without him. In just a month, his tour will be over and he will be home for good. During his last month in Afghanistan, he finds
Life doesn't go as planned once Mike returns to Afghanistan and his home life also begins to spiral out of control. As Mike leaves Afghanistan, he hopes all the battles are behind him and he just wants to see his daughter. Instead, he has battles to fight at home as well.
This is my first Lisa Scottoline book and definitely not my last. I rank her up there with Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah for writing stories with real characters and true-to-life situations. The characters feel like people you know and their emotions overflow off the page.
"Mike couldn't listen, thinking of Chloe's loving heart, leaking blood until it stilled. He thought of Emily's tiny heart, beating down the hall, and his own heart, broken." Page 27
Scottoline did thorough research related to war injuries, PTSD, and family law. From the way the soldiers communicated and dealt with the war to the affects on the families left behind during their service, Scottoline covered all the emotions, struggles, and complications that can be involved.
"War didn't stop for the dead. War didn't stop for anything or anybody." Page 119
The chapters are short and keep you riveted so you want to read the next chapter and the next chapter and the next. You will breeze through the book because you want to know what really happened and what the future holds for Mike and his daughter, Emily.
This was our book club choice for this month and I am sure we will have lots to discuss. If you like character driven stories with a bit of mystery and real-life situations, you will rush through DON'T GO. If nothing else, it will make you see soldiers and their families with a whole new perspective. I can't wait to read another of Scottoline's books.
As a side note, I hope the author has found a new proofreader since the printing of this book. The amount of typos and silly mistakes in this book were distracting and unprofessional for this caliber of an author.
Show More
out his wife has died after a freak, household accident. He returns home to a daughter who has no idea who he is, a dead wife who appears to have been a closet alcoholic, and a failing medical practice. With plans to return back to Afghanistan for the remainder of the month, he leaves Emily in his sister-in-law's care and hopes that everything can be managed once he returns home.Life doesn't go as planned once Mike returns to Afghanistan and his home life also begins to spiral out of control. As Mike leaves Afghanistan, he hopes all the battles are behind him and he just wants to see his daughter. Instead, he has battles to fight at home as well.
This is my first Lisa Scottoline book and definitely not my last. I rank her up there with Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah for writing stories with real characters and true-to-life situations. The characters feel like people you know and their emotions overflow off the page.
"Mike couldn't listen, thinking of Chloe's loving heart, leaking blood until it stilled. He thought of Emily's tiny heart, beating down the hall, and his own heart, broken." Page 27
Scottoline did thorough research related to war injuries, PTSD, and family law. From the way the soldiers communicated and dealt with the war to the affects on the families left behind during their service, Scottoline covered all the emotions, struggles, and complications that can be involved.
"War didn't stop for the dead. War didn't stop for anything or anybody." Page 119
The chapters are short and keep you riveted so you want to read the next chapter and the next chapter and the next. You will breeze through the book because you want to know what really happened and what the future holds for Mike and his daughter, Emily.
This was our book club choice for this month and I am sure we will have lots to discuss. If you like character driven stories with a bit of mystery and real-life situations, you will rush through DON'T GO. If nothing else, it will make you see soldiers and their families with a whole new perspective. I can't wait to read another of Scottoline's books.
As a side note, I hope the author has found a new proofreader since the printing of this book. The amount of typos and silly mistakes in this book were distracting and unprofessional for this caliber of an author.
Show Less
LibraryThing member amym53
This book frustrated me at times and there was alot going on to the point where it over dramatic at times. I was especially frustrated at Dr. Mike Scanlon becuase I wanted to see him be successful and he kept making dumb mistakes.
LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
This was one of Lisa’s best books I have read thus far! A page-turner – and hard to put down – Captivating and holds your interest from page one to the ending! The research and writing –excellent!
Mike, a podiatrist with his own practice is called to serve as army doctor in Afghanistan
Mike, a podiatrist with his own practice is called to serve as army doctor in Afghanistan
Show More
leaving behind his wife Chole and their newborn baby. However, Chloe dies in their home from a household accident. When Mike returns he finds his wife’s sister, Danielle and husband Bob have taken over raising his child and his daughter does not even know him. What makes the book very exciting are the secrets and mysteries which unfold--thriller of a hero who saves his family . . . A must read! Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathryn_Brown
This is the first book I've read by Lisa Scottoline. I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't. I spent a lot of time skimming for the good parts which were few and far between.
LibraryThing member rivergen
Clearly Mike walked under a few ladders in his childhood to have to face so many awful events in the course of one year. I think the author went a little overboard with the drama on this one. If only he had been a more likeable person - that might have made the book more satisfying. But he was just
Show More
such a shmuck most of the time that it was really hard to empathize. Show Less
LibraryThing member techeditor
It is always a welcome change when Lisa Scottoline comes out with a standalone novel, a departure from her Rosato and Associates series. But DON'T GO didn't thrill me as her other legal thrillers have. Every plot twist is predictable.
The problem is not so much, as other readers say, that a lot of
In all fairness, I still suggest that you check out Scottoline's Facebook page. You should fall in love with her. Her daily entries tell you she cares about her readers. That makes it difficult to be honest about this book. But, thank goodness, I can also honestly say that her other books I've read are better.
The problem is not so much, as other readers say, that a lot of
Show More
subject matter is contained in too small a book. Rather, everything in this book hints at how it will turn out. Nothing is a surprise.In all fairness, I still suggest that you check out Scottoline's Facebook page. You should fall in love with her. Her daily entries tell you she cares about her readers. That makes it difficult to be honest about this book. But, thank goodness, I can also honestly say that her other books I've read are better.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
A podiatrist serving in the Army in Afghanistan is called home when his wife is found dead leaving their seven month old daughter with her sister. After reupping, Mike is seriously injured and sent home left to pick up the pieces of his fragmented life. In the debris he discovers some ugly facts
Not Socottoline's best, but some good twists and turns. This was more of a girly-girl story than her other books.
Show More
while dealing with his own PTSD.Not Socottoline's best, but some good twists and turns. This was more of a girly-girl story than her other books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman
Good book. I read it in one long sitting, lol.
LibraryThing member Cherylk
I felt the raw emotions that Mike was expericing with the loss of his wife and trying to bond with his daughter. It was so sad. Yet I was fully invested in Mike and his mission to find the truth no matter the cost. So everything that he did or said I understood and it made sense for the story. For
Show More
me it was the characters, the story, and the emotions that made this book as good as it was. Although, I have to say that I was not that surprised when the truth came out. So there was no real suspense there as far as this aspect of the story was concerned. Yet, still a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member SaschaD
I have become a major Scottoline fan, but Don't Go almost didn't receive four stars from me because it seemed as if there were many passages in which the story seemed to drag and I almost became a frustrated reader wondering why there were so many "extra" bits tossed in. The last quarter of the
Show More
book redeemed the novel for me and was taut and suspenseful. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013-04
Physical description
464 p.; 4.42 inches
ISBN
1250117003 / 9781250117007