Literary Las Vegas: Sean Dow

In local author Sean Dow’s thriller “Debridement,” Dr. Jack Hastings, a physician with an impeccable record, finds he is the target of a frivolous malpractice suit brought on by an attorney widely viewed as a “scumbag.”

“His presence could make spoiled milk smell like a fresh spring day, a summertime outhouse seem like a refreshing picnic spot,” Dow wrote.

Dow, who also practices as a pulmonologist and critical care doctor at St. Rose Dominican Hospital’s Siena and San Martin campuses, said he was inspired to write the book after his own brush with a malpractice accusation.

“I thought it would be fun to see if I could create a likable character who could level the playing field and get the revenge many physicians must have dreamed of, but like me, would never carry out.”

Dow’s second novel, “A Leafy Green World,” is set to be released Dec. 9.

For more information, visit seandow.com.

Excerpt:

I talked myself out of killing Moon at least a dozen times, but the idea refused to die … I played my role well, at least until he cornered me in the restroom.

“I know everything about you, Hastings,” he said. “I know where you bank, where you eat, and where your wife shops while you’re at work. I know the route your son takes to school and where his girlfriend lives. There is nothing I won’t do to win this case. I suggest you think about coming to terms today.”

I was about to reply in kind when I saw the edge of a tape recorder under his suit. Clever bastard; he’d have had me except for that. I leaned forward as I walked past, speaking directly into his recorder. “See you in court, my friend.”