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With a Passion Put to Use (Eisenmenger and Flemming Forensic Mystery) Hardcover – August 1, 2008

by Keith McCarthy (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 67 ratings
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A John Eisenmenger and Helena Flemming Forensic Mystery - When John Eisenmenger is unwilling to accept his bosss death from natural causes diagnosis on an autopsy, he goes to old friend DI Beverley Wharton. When this and other unnatural deaths lead to Atopia, a private clinic for the treatment of allergies run by a Dr Dreifus whose wife has just been found dead, it seems that there is more to this than death by natural causes . . .
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  1. Book 6 of 12
    Eisenmenger-Flemming Forensic Mysteries
  2. Print length
    282 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Severn House
  5. Publication date
    August 1, 2008
  6. Dimensions
    5.52 x 1.02 x 8.74 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0727866397
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0727866394
  9. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When John Eisenmenger takes a temporary job as pathologist at a local hospital, the most important things on his mind are the impending birth of his first child with his partner, Helena Flemming, and whether he can make enough money to support his little family. But he has barely started at the lab when he runs into trouble with his new boss, a petty tyrant who, it’s whispered, often ignores suspicious autopsy findings or, worse, covers them up so his lab can run smoothly. So when Eisenmenger’s first autopsy uncovers some “inconsistencies,” and he announces publicly that there are possible indications of an unnatural death, his boss is livid. Compelled to investigate further as a way of saving his job, Eisenmenger hooks up with an old friend, police detective Beverley Wharton, to investigate the suspected murder. Complicating matters, Helena suffers a miscarriage and lapses into deep depression. A gripping plot, startling twists, and a slam-bang ending add up to a fine thriller—the fourth in a too-little-known series. --Emily Melton

About the Author

Keith McCarthy lives in Ledbury, England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House (August 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 282 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0727866397
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0727866394
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.52 x 1.02 x 8.74 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 67 ratings

About the author

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Keith McCarthy

Keith McCarthy

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In the day job I'm a consultant histopathologist, cytopathologist and morbid anatomist; that means I diagnose diseases in living patients from tissue biopsies, tissue excisions and fluid samples (looking for atypical cells). Until recently (until ill-health) I performed autopsies to find the cause of unexpected death. Over the past 15 years I've published 15 novels and 10 short stories, mostly in the genre of forensic thriller and mystery, some a little bit removed from that. I've always tried to be as accurate in my depiction of how pathologists work as I can be. Also, I can't help it but they're also a tiny bit British.

I'm delighted that Endeavour have now republished all but one of my previous Eisenmenger Mysteries as ebooks - and have just published the latest - TO MOURN A MISCHIEF - please read and rate it on Amazon. I have also published independently - THE MISTAKE. Please also check out my website (keithmccarthy.co.uk) for more info and some stuff about pathology, or if you want to contact me.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
67 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Henri IV
5.0 out of 5 stars The characters are all psychos...
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
whose lives consist of a tightly packed series of unrelated disasters.

On the other hand, the story is very good, unlike the potboiling sillinesses of Cornwell and her ilk.
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J. Lesley
4.0 out of 5 stars Will I read others in the series? I don't know.
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2016
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Endeavour Press.

This is book number six in the Dr. John Eisenmenger Forensic Mysteries. The main characters, Dr. Eisenmenger - pathologist, his girlfriend Helen - a lawyer, and Inspector Beverley Wharton of the police have very long entanglements going back over many years. These relationships are not explained all at once and I often found myself wondering why a character was behaving in a somewhat unusual way until I finally got everybody in their proper place in the dynamics. From this standpoint I have to say the novel was confusing. I also didn't quite ever understand why Dr. Eisenmenger was working as a locum for three months at a hospital in a small town he and Helen had very recently moved to instead of practicing on a permanent basis at a hospital or morgue. But, I continued reading and found myself thoroughly engrossed in the mysteries which were presented.

Inspector Wharton has been assigned a new Detective Sergeant to work with her and they are polar opposites who clash immediately. The first case they are working together has all the appearance of being a suicide except it could also have been a cleverly planned murder. Wharton and her DS begin a painstaking investigation which led them to a possible suspect who then led them to another possible murder. All of this while Dr. Eisenmenger is putting his professional career and future freedom on the line by breaking a law while performing an autopsy. In the meantime Helen is going through her own crisis, this one medical in nature.

This is a very "active" book. There are so many things happening to the characters on so many different levels because of their past histories that there was absolutely no slow-down time at all. There are so many issues from their past which separate the women and John is caught in the middle because of his present relationship with Helen and his past involvement with Beverley. It was all quite entangled. Add in a death which cannot be ruled either suicide or murder and two more deaths which have the appearance of death by natural causes and you have a long strand of tangled threads to be unpicked. The author did a very good job of that because even if you manage to discover the method of death for one case, I seriously doubt you can do it for all of them.

Strangely enough, as much as I admire the way author Keith McCarthy was able to keep me guessing about the solutions to the mysteries all the way until the end of the book, I really didn't like several of his characters. I don't know if I will read more in this series or not. I'm going to have to think about that.
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BOOKLOVER EB
3.0 out of 5 stars "It really was a most slippery case."
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2008
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In Keith McCarthy's "With a Passion Put to Use," solicitor Helena Flemming and her partner, John Eisenmenger, are expectant parents, but Helena's pregnancy is not going smoothly. While Helena is on leave from her job, John takes a temporary position as a pathologist in St. Christopher's Hospital. He finds the work tedious and his life is made more difficult by the incompetent and obnoxious Arnold Throckmorton, head of the pathology department. John has performed thousands of autopsies and he takes each one seriously.

When he opens up the corpse of fifty-six year old Ernest Melnick, John finds no obvious cause of death, and he orders a full toxicological analysis to give him further clues as to why this man died. Since Throckmorton performs most of his autopsies in a perfunctory manner, with "heart disease" listed as the usual cause of death, John's thoroughness and conscientiousness raise red flags in the coroner's office. They wonder what this newcomer is trying to prove and why he is rocking the boat. John, who is trained in forensics, is determined to "never make assumptions unsupported by evidence." After the tests show that Melnick may have died under unnatural circumstances, John has a tough decision to make. If he tries to learn the truth without his supervisor's permission, he will antagonize Throckmorton and possibly lose his job. However, John has never been one to shy away from a challenge, especially when he suspects foul play. He decides to do some investigating of his own. Fortunately, he has a contact in the police department and he consults with his old acquaintance, Detective Inspector Beverly Wharton.

DI Wharton is tough, foul-mouthed, blunt, sarcastic, and perpetually irritable. Her mood is worsened when her Chief Inspector saddles her with a rookie, Detective Sergeant Larry Grover, an extremely religious individual who hates profanity and disdains immorality. Beverly detests him. Unfortunately, they are stuck with one another as they investigate the case of Anita Delorme, who apparently killed herself with a shotgun. Or did someone else kill her and make it look like suicide? This death is followed by several others, all of which appear to be linked to the medical practice of Dr. Adam Dreifus, a man who is sinking under the weight of severe financial and personal problems. John's and Beverly's cases converge as they join forces to catch a clever and malevolent killer.

"With a Passion Put to Use" is not McCarthy's strongest effort. The author throws in too many red herrings and the overheated plot boils over by the time all of the characters' misdeeds are sorted out. Another problem is that Helena plays a secondary role in this story; her absence is sorely felt. When Beverly Wharton is on stage, however, she generates sparks. Although she is a smart woman with good instincts, Beverly is also a relentless harpy who steps on anyone who gets in her way. Even though she is an officer of the law, she is not above cutting corners when it suits her. As is always the case in McCarthy's novels, the forensic information is intellectually engaging. However the mystery is poorly constructed and lacks the psychological depth that usually makes this author's novels so enthralling.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2015
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Very good mystery
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Claire
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016
This one really keeps you guessing. One of McCarthy's best. I am growing tired of Helena. She is so depressed at times and then appears normal. A bit too much of up and down. I liked it enough to continue the series.
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Top reviews from other countries

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bimbamdoria
3.0 out of 5 stars always the same pattern
Reviewed in Germany on July 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
It's a good read in itself but as part of a series it gets a bit boring as one knows that there's always some life or death situation at the end, that poor Helena is due to suffer some more (not only having her parents murdererd but her brother not only being falsely accused of their murder but committing suicide, the real killers being her childhood's best friend family, not only getting breast cancer but needing chemotherapy, not only having a miscarriage but also severe depression- next book she'll probably find out that Eisenmenger was unfaithful AND have a cancer relapse...). Also the amount of incompetence and laziness in the police force / coroners/ pathology as a whole gets a bit boring.
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L.D. Lil
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Must
Reviewed in France on September 15, 2017
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The novels in these series are all an excellent read and this was no exception. Will keep going but they are such page turners that the end of each book comes all too quickly.
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ND
4.0 out of 5 stars A Thrilling Medical Mystery Worth Every Minute!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
I recently delved into "WITH A PASSION PUT TO USE," and I must say it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. As a long-time fan of the Eisenmenger-Flemming Forensic Mysteries series, I was eager to see what awaited me in Book 6, and it did not disappoint.

The plot is incredibly fast-paced, and the author's passion for the subject matter shines through in every page. Dr. Eisenmenger and his team are back in action, and their forensic investigations are as intricate and fascinating as ever. I was thoroughly engrossed by the medical and scientific aspects woven into the narrative.

The characters continue to evolve, adding depth to the series. Their personal lives and professional challenges make them relatable and real. The writing style is engaging, and the dialogue feels authentic, keeping me hooked from start to finish.

I would have given this book a full 5 stars, but there were a few moments where I felt the story could have delved even deeper into some of the characters' emotional journeys. Nevertheless, this is a minor point in what is otherwise an outstanding addition to the series.

If you're a fan of medical thrillers or forensic mysteries, "WITH A PASSION PUT TO USE" is a must-read. Even if you're new to the series, you'll find it easy to get into the story. It's an intense, gripping, and highly enjoyable read that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment. Highly recommended!
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Taruka Quauhtezcatl
1.0 out of 5 stars Oh dear! Two deaths, the boss thinks they're ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2016
Verified Purchase
Oh dear! Two deaths, the boss thinks they're natural and Eisenmenger doesn't. This is an intriguing read, carefully researched (to my eyes at least) and full of plot twists. I didn't work out the killer this time. Oh and watch out for the two medical references that I spotted among the names.
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