How cool is this?!?

The National Examiner made CRITICAL CONDITION their book of the week!

Here’s their review:

Book of the week: Critical Condition by CJ Lyons

Eugene Lonesco said, “A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.” A common misconception in most minds is that daring escapades go hand in hand with risk. Sky-divers, mountain climbers, and lion tamers are clichéd adventurers. They risk their lives for the thrill of a moment, and then claim the fame for being daring, and heroic. But what about the champions who tirelessly battle the clock, who wield razor sharp instruments in the great quest of taming death?

CJ Lyons has crafted her own work of art with her series, Angels of Mercy. At the center of the quartet are four extraordinary women who fight to save lives, transform into champions for one another and grapple with making astounding circumstance into day-to-day reality. Amanda, Gina, Lydia and Nora are four members of the Mercy hospital staff, spinning wheels, falling in love, defending lives, and fighting to save them.

In Critical Condition, the last in the series, readers are swept into the eye of a blizzard, on New Year’s Eve. Gina fights to keep it together while her fiancé struggles to recover from a gunshot to the head, even as armed gunman flank the hospital, with Gina set as their target. Lydia’s past, and secrets trapped within, has set the events tumbling forth. The four friends have to protect the lives of their patients, while trying to save their own.

Lyons doesn’t falter as she ensnares readers in the world of Mercy. The interweaving storylines are as hypnotic as the characters are magnetic. With the end of each chapter, brings the beginning of the next cliffhanger. Pace and plot move swiftly, as authentic prose elevates the characters dialogue from engaging to riveting. From start to finish, Critical Condition delights and satisfies – and proves show that great adventure lurks around every corner.

Critical Condition-CJ Lyons

Critical Condition
CJ Lyons
Jove, Nov 30 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780515148688

In Pittsburgh several staff and visitors at Angels of Mercy Hospital were shot by a hit man. Detective Jerry Boyle received the worst injury. The killer escaped, but also failed to kill his intended victim. Boyle’s girlfriend Dr. Gina Freeman worries about him because he is not same since he took the shot to the head.

On New Year’s Eve, a blizzard shuts down the streets and strands everyone at the hospital. The trapped includes the killer and his cohorts who plan to finish the job even if it means leaving a blood bath behind. These predators take charge with hostages. ER Charge Nurse Nora Halloran and medical rotational student Amanda Mason worry inside the facility, outside the hospital remains frantic ER Dr. Linda Fiore

The latest Angels of Mercy medical thriller (See Urgent Care, Warning signs and Lifelines) is a fantastic fast-paced finish to a strong hospital saga. Loaded with action but a bit over the top of PNC Park, readers will be hooked from the moment the killers begin taking over the hospital. With a neat late twist, fans will appreciate this terrific tale that inside an exciting plot showcases how far four women have come since CJ Lyons introduced them to fans two years ago. Perhaps a four-novella sequel to see where each is in five to ten years would be wonderful.

Harriet Klausner