Judith Kelman, The First Stone

The First Stone

Judith Kelman

Berkley, May 2007, $24.95, 368 pp.

ISBN 0425213676

New York General induced Dr. Malik into leaving his present position in Cleveland by giving him a tremendous salary increase, a state-of-the-art lab, and a new pavilion called the Malik Center for Cardio-Thoracic Diseases. Dr. Sam Colten, a resident, wants to get on Malik's good side and study under him. His pregnant wife Emma is uneasy about the Maliks who live in the apartment above them. She hears him yelling at his daughter almost every night and she hears Adriana begging her father to stop.

Emma is so upset with what she hears each night that she tells her friend, social worker Siena, about it although Emma doesn't believe what she overheard means the child is being abused. She is more worried about Sam's interest in beautiful bombshell Dr. Suze Stitch, a colleague of Dr. Malik's. One day Sam comes home saying he was fired as Suze complained he attacked her and Dr. Malik and his assistant back her up. Emma doesn't believe the charges and vows to help Sam regain medical reinstatement not realizing that appearances are deceptive and things and people are not always what they seem.

Judith Kelman is one of the best authors writing suspense in the market today. Readers empathize with Emma who believes Sam was tried because of what she said to Siena who did call child's social services. Emma is the strong one in the marriage who holds the family together while being pregnant, working part time and taking care of an energetic three year old who doesn't want his mom and dad to have a baby. THE FIRST STONE will appeal to readers who like authors like Patricia McDonald, Andrea Kane and Jodi Picoult.

Harriet Klausner