Good day, book people. Lately I’ve been pondering the notion that most fiction is not just creativity and skill at work in crafting a believable story, but it is also often the result of hours, if not weeks or months, of research on the author’s part. Suppose you don’t have an education or work-related background in the legal field. In that case, you’re probably going to have to do quite a bit of legal research (talking to lawyers, law enforcement officers, etc.) in order to make a legal thriller realistic. Conversely, if the author is a lawyer or physician, chances are their legal or medical fiction will be slightly more authentic. I’m incredibly honored to welcome physician, Dr. BJ Magnani, author of A Message in Poison to the blog today. Dr. Magnani will be discussing doctors writing fiction with us. I hope you’ll enjoy what she has to share and add A Message in Poison to your ever-growing TBR list. Thank you, Dr. Magnani, for stopping by, the blog is all yours.
Doctors Writing Fiction
by BJ Magnani
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When doctors write fiction, technical jargon flows and descriptions of medical situations are usually based on authenticity. While Dr. Lily Robinson’s medical cases are real, her assassinations are pure fiction—a winning combination. As the author, I use my knowledge of medicine to give Lily nuance. Not many people know what a pathologist does or may only have a narrow view gleaned from television. Are we the ghoul in the basement, the anti-social doctor who cannot interact with patients, or the physician who provides answers? Pathologists are sometimes called the ‘the doctor’s doctor’ because other physicians rely on us as consultants. We are the puzzle solvers and give the treating physician information to help them manage the patient. Pathologists are physicians who diagnose disease using tissues, cells, or body fluids and, based on those results, help determine prognosis and treatment. Pathologists make it happen if you need a blood test or a biopsy. Or a Covid-19 test.
Dr. Lily Robinson, the heroine of my books, is a pathologist. Her expertise is toxicology, and her comprehension of drugs allows her to help patients suffering from toxic overdoses. But she also has a dark side. Driven by guilt over the loss of her daughter, she became entrapped in the government’s plan to use her knowledge of toxins and poisons to eliminate world terrorists. Dr. Robinson rationalizes her dual existence with the mantra “the good of the many outweighs the good of the one,” or how else could she justify defying the Hippocratic oath? Like The Queen of All Poisons and The Power of Poison, A Message in Poison showcases the collision of medicine with frightening geopolitical events and the brilliant doctor who solves the puzzle.
The fun of fiction combines writing what we know with what we can imagine. ♦
A Message in Poison
by BJ Magnani
May 9 – June 3, 2022 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
Sparks fly as Dr. Lily Robinson-the brilliant academic pathologist and covert assassin for the U.S. Government-investigates two seemingly unrelated deaths alongside her lover, Agent Jean Paul Marchand, and D.C. Medical Examiner Dr. Logan Pelletier.
A U.S. Senator and the president of a developing nation are found dead in their beds. As governments thousands of miles apart react to the fallout and begin their investigations, no one claims responsibility, and no motives are clear. Yet, the cause of death implies a link between the two—one that only a mind versed in poisons and politics can decipher. With her personal relationships teetering on the brink and her loved ones facing foreign threats, Lily must unravel the mystery and uncover a plot more calculating than anyone could imagine—but it may be too late.
A Message in Poison, the third part of the Art of Secret Poisoning trilogy (The Queen of All Poisons and The Power of Poison), continues with twists and turns as Dr. Lily Robinson travels the globe, stares down death, and finds herself at “another crossroad, another choice between life real or imagined…”
The fast-paced action juxtaposes nicely with the personal dilemmas Lily faces as she uncovers a new plot that forces her to reconsider her talents and place in the world.
~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Book Details:
Genre: Medical Mystery / Thriller
Published by: Encircle Publications
Publication Date: April 20th, 2022
Number of Pages: 278
ISBN: 1645993256 (ISBN13: 9781645993254)
Series: A Dr. Lily Robinson Novel, The Art of Secret Poisoning Part 3
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Author Bio:
BJ Magnani (Barbarajean Magnani, PhD, MD, FCAP) is the author of the Dr. Lily Robinson novels: The Queen of All Poisons (Encircle Publications, 2019), The Power of Poison (Encircle Publications, 2021), and A Message In Poison (Encircle Publications, 2022.) Lily Robinson and the Art of Secret Poisoning (nVision Publishing, 2011) is the original collection of short stories featuring the brilliant, yet deadly, doctor. Dr. Magnani is internationally recognized for her expertise in clinical chemistry and toxicology, has been named a “Top Doctor” in Boston magazine, and was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Laboratory Medicine Professionals in the World by The Pathologist. She is Professor of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (and Professor of Medicine) at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and the former Chair of both the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Toxicology Committee and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Tufts Medical Center.
Follow BJ Magnani on:
www.BJMagnani.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @bjmagnani
Twitter – @bjmagnani
Facebook – @bjmagnaniauthor
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The Book Diva's Reads 
Great guest post. I have always loved books with a medical background.
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Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on thebookdivareads.
The fun of fiction combines writing what we know with what we can imagine. ♦
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