The Family Doctor by Debra Oswald

Publisher's Synopsis

Paula is a dedicated suburban GP, who is devastated by the murder of a friend and her children by their estranged husband and father. Stacey and the children had been staying with her after fleeing his control, and Paula is haunted by the thought that she couldn't protect them when they most needed it. How had she missed the warning signs? How had she failed to keep them safe?

Not long after, a patient with suspicious injuries brings her anxious young son into Paula's surgery. The woman admits that her husband hurts her, but she's terrified to leave for fear of escalating the violence, and defeated by the consistent failures of the law to help her.

Can Paula go against everything she believes to make sure one woman is saved, one child spared? She isn't motivated by revenge. She's desperately trying to prevent a tragedy . . .

A riveting, provocative novel about women's fury, traumatic grief, new love, deep friendship, and the preciousness of life, The Family Doctor asks the questions: Should you cling to faith in a flawed system, or take control the only way you can? Can a good person justify taking a life to save a life?

My Review of The Family Doctor by Debra Oswald

For all those who feel at a complete loss when watching the nightly news and hearing about yet another case of domestic violence that has ended in tragedy, The Family Doctor might be just what you’re looking for.

This is a thriller that has you seriously considering moral dilemmas you once thought were pretty cut and dried.

The story opens with the confronting scene of a murder/suicide of a mother and her two children at the hands of their father. Witnessing the whole thing was Paula, best friend of Stacy, the dead woman. Paula is a GP and finds herself profoundly and undeniably changed by the event.

Although she tries to get on with her life, she is perpetually wracked with the thoughts that she could have done more to protect and save her friend and the children.

Her work as a general practitioner means that she comes in contact with people from all walks of life. When a woman comes into the practice with her small boy it is clearly apparent she is the victim of domestic violence abuse. It brings all of Paula’s dark thoughts to the surface and she can think of nothing more than how she must be able to do something to protect this woman from further abuse. Her fear is that the same thing that happened to her friend might happen to this woman.

“She was contemplating committing a crime in order to prevent one”

It is this kicking off point where Paula follows through on her thoughts under the guise that she’s protecting the woman and her son. The moral dilemma has been served and the line between right and wrong has been seriously challenged.

Paula is a strong lead character. She has dealt with personal tragedy in the past and has clearly been able to overcome loss and setbacks to become a stronger, more capable woman. But she now finds herself perched precariously on the horns of a diabolical dilemma. Oswald does a superb job of taking us deeply inside her mind to understand her reasoning for each and every decision she makes.

Another important player in the story is Anita, the third of the childhood friends who have remained close from school through to adulthood. Anita acts as the voice of reason as she attempts to point out just how wrong - legally, morally and socially - taking matters into her own hands would be.

Each of the main characters are flawed but in a believable, relatable way. Their reactions are entirely credible and their dialogue flows naturally. At times, there is an element of black humour to their relationships.

Tension and drama builds slowly from the devastation of losing a lifelong friend to resolve to take action to avoid it happening again. In some ways, there is some catharsis to Paula’s development from caring doctor to angel of vengeance. 

The Family Doctor is an important book because of the serious issues that are discussed throughout. It shines a light on the failings of the legal system and the glaring lack of protection of the vulnerable from those who should be protecting them.

This book should appeal to all manner of crime and thriller readers, particularly those who go in for a little domestic noir. The issues are real, the characters are believable and the story is well told. It does what all good books should do, it leaves you thinking.

The book was shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction (deservedly so).