I spent yesterday at the Ottawa CEMO High-Fidelity Resuscitation Skills day, which meant that I spent the morning doing mock codes with mannequins that groan and blink and try to die on you (“Those aren’t mannequins. Those are robots!” said my mother, when I described them) and the afternoon carving airways into pig cricothyroid membranes and the like. It cost me $900, but was the best CME I can remember.
Then I crashed at my brother’s family home, stuffing myself on delicious Indian food from Indian Punjabi Clay Oven.
In the meantime, Jodi White sent me a Kobo link that looked like this:
OMG. Squee!
Just a reminder that everyone who buys a print book of Terminally Ill will receive a free Kobo e-book. Contact me for details. Thanks!

Terminally Ill
An escape artist plunges into the icy waters of Montreal’s St. Lawrence River, chained and nailed into a coffin—and never breaks free.
After they dredge him from the waves, Dr. Hope Sze resuscitates him, saving his life. When he regains consciousness, but not his memory of the event, he hires Hope to deduce who sabotaged his act. Even as she probes the case, and the strange world of magic and illusion, she must confront her own fears of death on the palliative care ward—and tackle the two toothsome men who can’t wait for her to choose between them.
Available in trade paperback on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk, internationally, and at your friendly neighbourhood bookstore.
“Entertaining and insightful.” —Publishers Weekly
Also available directly from Windtree Press and Gumroad.
“Narrating in a sprightly style while sharing some of the nitty-gritty of a resident’s job, Hope Sze is an utterly likeable character.”–Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
TOP 50 EBOOK ON KOBO
Listen to CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning podcast of Dr. Melissa Yi’s interview with Wei Chen.
Watch Youtube video with audio excerpts
If you have trouble redeeming a free Kobo code, try this link, then contact Kobo: help@kobo.com
or click http://kobo.frontlinesvc.com/app/ask_NA to call, chat or email the Kobo reps.
Full Publishers Weekly review:
Montreal physician Hope Sze is looking for simple entertainment when she attends escape artist Elvis Serratore’s show, but when Elvis nearly dies in mid-act, Hope’s medical skills are available to save his life. She is less enthusiastic about his plea for her to use her detective skills to find out who tried to kill him by sabotaging his equipment.
The subject of unwanted fame as a sleuth, Hope struggles with a too-complex love life, is faced with an ominous death at the hospital at which she works and becomes concerned about a young patient whose requests have deeply disturbing implications. She soon learns that if she does not seek out mysteries, the mysteries will seek her.
The most recent installment in a series comprised thus far of three novels and a radio play, this novel demonstrates familiarity with the conventions of mysteries without being constrained by them and with the realities of Canada’s medical world. Although the tone is light, the author is not afraid to introduce darker themes. The three intertwining mysteries and Hope herself provide a narrative by turns entertaining and insightful.
Full Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine review (link will expire):
Publicity-seeking magician Elvis Serratore, in tribute to Houdini’s visit to Montreal nearly ninety years earlier, allows himself to be chained inside a coffin and dropped into the St. Lawrence River. When the escape fails, Montreal medical resident Hope Sze is able to resuscitate him. Against physicians’ recommendations, the magician prepares for an encore, but wants Dr. Sze, with her reputation for solving crimes, to find out if someone wants him dead. Narrating in a sprightly style while sharing some of the nitty-gritty of a resident’s job, Hope Sze is an utterly likeable character.
Why does Social Proxy by Mailchimp always put the wrong thumbnail and link up? Can someone wiser help me out? I had such cool photos, like Laure Robot by jagged-eye.
So exciting!!! Great to be the editors pick on Kobo. This is a great book. Every HopeSze book gets better and better. They are all good but this one is amazing. Huge congrats, Melissa!
Huge thanks for your kind words, Maggie. I really respect your taste, so this means a lot to me.