New Novel is the Third in the Popular

Diana Bratton Trilogy of Medical Suspense – Thrillers

WordCrafts Press and nationally awarded novelist Darden North are pleased to announce the release of ROOFTOP, the latest thriller in North’s Diana Bratton trilogy of suspense/thrillers. In North’s signature thrill-ride style, ROOFTOP follows rock-star surgeon Dr. Diana Bratton through a tangled web of murder and medical intrigue in the Deep South. With her life at stake and a healthcare conglomerate threatening her practice, the stakes have never been higher in this gripping, ripped-from-the-headlines read that entangles family drama and dynamics.

 

“What kind of a monster would murder his own sister?”

Voncelle Wallace, a recycled physician from a failed medical practice, lands employment at the Cummins-Bratton Surgical Center and continues to battle her demons of regret and might-have-beens.

Her husband, Chuck Wallace, is a highdollar real estate negotiator for the international acquisition of the lucrative Belmont Clinic, a nearby exclusive, multiservice medical and cosmetic treatment practice.

The Belmont family of physicians tends to put profits above ethics, and Chuck is not above cooking the books to his and their advantage. But before the deal can be consummated, a rifle fired from a rooftop puts financial negotiations on hold.

Surgeon Diana Bratton’s effort to avoid the Belmonts and simplify her life is derailed when new patient, Roy Garnett, checks in at her office. Roy confides that his troubled nephew is off his psychiatric meds and has accused him of murdering his sister, the nephew’s mother. Suddenly, Diana finds herself again drawn into a tangled web of deceit, highstakes intrigue, and multiple homicide that this time could involve a friend and colleague.

 From the Novel

A figure in shadowy green clothing stalked the woman to the area across the street and traced her every movement from an opened window in the decayed, abandoned four-story building. When the target finally stilled after the second shot, the figure disassembled a long-range rifle and stuffed the pieces into a duffle bag.

Built in the 1920s, the Art Deco-style building had been home to the Bank of Central Mississippi. After the banking institution dissolved and the building failed to sell during a real estate slump, the vacant site unofficially welcomed the homeless and served as a place of business for drug dealers and prostitutes.

A long-time resident of the building spotted the shadowy figure as it ran down a fire escape to a vehicle left parked in the alley. She jumped from her window perch into a corner storage room once used to file away checking and savings account ledgers that
now served as her home. She hid behind her shopping cart; salvaged sleeping bag and pillow, with large cardboard canopy; and stash of partially filled plastic food and beverage bottles.
When not soliciting cash from drivers stopped at red lights, the homeless woman’s entertainment was watching the progress of the nearby construction crew. But today’s monotony had been broken by the brown, four-door sedan she spotted follow the lady just before the bloody murder across the street. Today had been an exciting day.

“Darden North is one of those rare storytellers who has the uncanny ability to grab readers by the throat and compel them to turn the page to find out what happens next,” said Mike Parker, publisher of WordCrafts Press. “One of the great features of ROOFTOP is that it can be equally enjoyed as either a stand-alone novel or as a satisfying addition to the Diana Bratton series. We are thrilled to be Dr. North’s publishing home and look forward to many more mysteries and adventures in the New South.”

North’s mystery and thriller novels have earned national recognition, including an Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY Award) in Southern Fiction for Points of Origin and Party Favors. North has served on author panels at writing conferences including Killer Nashville, Murder on the Menu, the Mississippi Book Festival, SIBA Thriller Author Panel, Murder in the Magic City, and ThrillerFest.

His novels consistently earn high praise from fans and media alike, with reviewer Ellen Quint of The Big Thrill declaring: “Darden North’s writing unfolds like scenes from a movie, blending descriptions with brisk dialogue to propel the plot forward.”

Reviewer Mary Emrick, in Bluffs and Bayous Magazine, declared, “Darden North, MD, may become to the medical mystery genre what Grisham is to the legal thriller.”

And George Halas of the New York Journal of Books praised the filmic quality of North’s novels, adding, “North’s visually acute, action-packed style … is likely headed for the silver screen.”

Also by Darden North

About the Author

A board-certified gynecologist practicing at Jackson Healthcare for Women in Flowood, Mississippi, Darden North served as Chairman of the Board of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Mississippi State Medical Association. He lives in Jackson with his wife Sally and enjoys family, travel, and outdoor activities. The Norths have two adult children, who also work in the medical field.

For more information about Darden North visit:
https://dardennorth.com

Multi-genre author, Frank F. Fiore