It is my policy at Phoenix Book Reviews never to reveal too much about a book, thus hopefully avoiding spoiling its enjoyment for readers. Thus, you will have to believe me when I assure you that the following review contains nothing more than is written on the back cover of the book - rather too much information, I felt.
The Surgeons Wife is the story of a relationship gone terribly wrong. Outwardly, Robert and Gail Bierenbaum appeared to have the perfect marriage. He was a successful surgeon, a genius who spoke several languages and also a qualified pilot. She was studying to be a Psychologist. Yet the seemingly perfect wife was engaged in extra-marital affairs, less than three years after her elaborate wedding. And the seemingly perfect husband also had a dark side, once trying to choke his wife after he caught her smoking. In 1985, after an argument with her husband, Gail inexplicably vanished.
Many people, including Gail's family, had strong suspicions that Bob had killed her, yet no body was found. In fact, police uncovered no hard evidence at all until fifteen years later when the case was reopened. At that point, Bob was arrested, charged with her murder and found guilty.
Thus, having read the back cover, the reader knows the outcome of the book from the word go and that is about as exciting as it gets. Perhaps author Kieran Crowley is not entirely to blame, since to cover a murder case with a fifteen-year gap between the event and its conclusion requires an awful lot of 'padding'. There are only so many times that you can read about the day to day exploits of a killer who is not actually killing and meanwhile is portrayed as quite nice really (although an incorrigible womaniser) without the narrative becoming tedious and repetitive. If The Surgeon's Wife had lost maybe half of its four hundred pages, then it may have been a good read - even a very good read. As it stands, though, the book becomes bogged down in detail and I found myself losing interest very quickly. Even the "8 pages of chilling photos" are nothing more than snapshots of some of the key players in the case.
This is the third true-crime book that I have read by author Kieran Crowley and, in fairness, his books are normally excellent examples of the genre. Like the others, this book is well written and well researched, but despite that, failed dismally to hold my interest. As a seasoned crime reporter for the New York Post, specialising in investigative reporting of murders, Crowley has the credentials to be a master of true crime. This is simply not one of his better books. It is the account of a rather dull case and is not helped by over enthusiastic summarising on its back cover that effectively removes all elements of suspense and intrigue. For a better example of Crowley's work, I would recommend his account of the notorious Zodiac Killer, Sleep My Little Dead. Sadly, The Surgeon's Wife is not a book I can recommend with such enthusiasm.
Publisher: St Martin's Press
ISBN:0312976410
Price: £5.99
Date Reviewed: July 2002
My Rating: 2/5
