‘Justice may be the only comfort the living can offer the deceased.’

If you lack a past, how can you begin to understand your future identity and actions?

Doctor G. Kilbride has the fortune to witness a medical tragedy that blossoms into a scientific miracle, answering some of mankind’s most intriguing questions. This discovery will challenge public perceptions of life, death and beyond, and, for Kilbride, everything. With this knowledge, he is forced to reappraise his own life, mental blocks and dire errors.

In a perilous search for his lost self, he must learn to embrace some distressing truths that he no longer has the luxury to hide from.

Francis O’Keefe has been an independent writer, illustrator and designer for the past five years. Prior to that, he worked as a graphic designer, librarian and cardiac care nurse.

His chosen writing genre involves dark and gothic settings and uses science, medicine and psychology to create well-researched books with believable characters.

He enjoys learning languages, playing piano, reading, and walking with his dog in his spare time.

Customer Reviews

5.0

13 reviews

Micheal Munoz

I enjoyed how this book blended real science with storytelling. The medical parts felt authentic without being too complicated. I could follow the scans, drugs, and seizures, but I never felt lost. What kept me reading was the emotion. Families crying, doctors arguing, and nurses fighting for dignity, it all felt alive. The book didn’t feel like a textbook; it felt like real life. That’s what made it special for me.
George Howells

I found this book intense from start to finish. It never gave me a moment to relax, but I liked that. The tension was constant, whether it was in the hospital or at home. Kilbride’s character annoyed me sometimes, but he also made me think. He represents the side of science that pushes forward no matter what, while others around him represent compassion. That balance is what kept me turning the pages. It’s a heavy book, but a meaningful one.
Victoria Sola

This book felt heavy but necessary. It didn’t shy away from showing the darker side of medicine. The way patients were handled, especially the elderly ones, reminded me of how fragile life is. Dr. Kilbride made me angry many times because of how careless he sounded, but then I realized that was part of his character. He’s a man who hides behind science because of his own wounds. That made him interesting even if he was unlikeable. I also liked that the story mixed personal life with work life, because it showed how doctors carry problems everywhere. It left me thinking long after I finished it.
Christine Hall

The character of Imogen was important for me. She was patient, caring, and still strong enough to challenge her husband. Their marriage felt real, full of love but also arguments about big things like faith and science. It gave me a break from the intensity of the hospital scenes. I also liked how the author used their home conversations to explore deeper ideas about life and death. It wasn’t just about medicine; it was about belief, love, and how people see the world differently.
Daniel V.Kelly

I liked how real the characters felt. Nurse Collier reminded me of people I’ve met in healthcare; serious, detailed, and always fighting for dignity. She was a good balance to Kilbride’s coldness. Kilbride himself reminded me of doctors who are so clever they forget about emotions. The mix of these personalities made the story feel balanced. It showed that medicine is not just about science, it’s also about people. That contrast made the book strong and believable.
Sean Moynahan

What stayed with me most was Mr. Powell’s death. The way his brain activity was recorded even after he passed gave me goosebumps. Kilbride saw it as a victory, but others saw it as cruel. That tension made the book special. It’s about more than medicine, it’s about life and dignity.
Nicole Moynahan

This book drew me in from the very first chapter. Dr. Kilbride was not your usual kind doctor, he was cold, proud, and even selfish at times. That annoyed me but also kept me reading because he felt real. The story about Mr. Powell’s death and his brain still showing memory activity shook me deeply. It made me stop and think about life and death in ways I never have before. I don’t know if it’s true that the brain recalls memories at death, but just the thought of it gave me chills. The writing was straightforward but strong, and the author didn’t shy away from hard truths. This isn’t a light book, but it’s one that stays with you long after you close it.
Nicole Moynahan

This novel doesn’t let you stay comfortable. It draws you in with the promise of medical intrigue, then quietly unsettles you with existential questions. O’Keefe’s writing is both clinical and poetic, capturing the atmosphere of a hospital ward while simultaneously wandering into the metaphysical. Kilbride is not a perfect hero, he’s fractured, guilty, and evasive, but that imperfection is exactly what makes his struggle so compelling. The tension between life and death becomes the stage on which his inner reckoning unfolds.