The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block

Zoe Goldman is back in this follow up to Little Black Lies.

Still reeling from her mother's death and on probation at work after failing her RITE, Zoe knows she has to be on her best behavior. Course that becomes a bit difficult when your ADHD is acting up and your meds aren't doing what they need to.

When a new patient arrives close to catatonic and labeled a "Jane Doe" Zoe once again finds herself embroiled in a mystery that becomes an obsession. The girl, a teen with a strange scar on her ankle, finally awakens but has no memory of her identity or her past. She calls herself Candy and claims her last memory was chasing after a limousine. Days later, Candy disappears, becoming Daneesha, a brash and angry personality whose own story doesn't quite match up with Candy's. Zoe's determination to help the girl soon begins to clash with the diagnosis and plans put forth by her attending, leaving the young doctor with a tough choice: stick to her guns and potentially lose her job or toe the line and possibly see her young patient permanently damaged.

As with its predecessor, Block once again has created a tale that draws you in from the get go. I was actually reading this one on a plane back from Louisiana and was so absorbed I almost didn't notice when we touched down in Denver!

Medical jargon and descriptions of various diagnoses, meds, complications etc all flesh out the book nicely as does Zoe's day to day responsibilities and interactions - professional and personal. I really enjoyed continuing to get to know Zoe and especially appreciate Block's own background as a neurologist as I think it adds great expertise (and believability) to the story.

Fans of psychological suspense and medical thrillers will love Block's series. If I haven't quite sold you on it, you can check out a free sample over on Sandra Block's via site here. (You can read The Girl Without a Name without having first read Little Black Lies but I do recommend reading them both in sequence.)

Rating: 4/5