DOCTORED EVIDENCE

Occasionally, the solution to a good mystery such as this one will actually make the whole story more interesting. In Biehl's first novel, this is true in a number of ways, for not only do the killer's identity and motive come as appropriate surprises, but these revelations heighten the reality and deepen the humanity of the book. The killer here, however, is not the prime target of our detective's investigation. Courageous and morally upright Karen Hayes, a staff lawyer at Shoreview Memorial in Jefferson, Ill., faces a crisis when the hospital's chief financial officer dies during an operation, apparently the result of a defective catheter. Anticipating a lawsuit, Karen discovers that the victim was engaged in his own investigation. A number of prominent physicians on the staff are involved in performing utterly unnecessary but profitable procedures on unsuspecting patients and billing Medicare and Medicaid for patients who have died. Karen finds herself in a difficult situation facing the wrath of both staff and administration as well as the possibility of death at the hands of the murderer. A lawyer familiar with hospitals and the kind of fraud that costs the taxpayer $100 billion annually, the author knows how to use his insider's knowledge to tell an engrossing, nicely paced tale, with credible and engaging characters. This harrowing exposé of medical fraud will chill as well as infuriate. (June)