The Antidote for Everything

Martin’s solid sophomore effort (following 2018’s Queen of Hearts) concerns Charleston urologist Georgia Brown, whose best friend and fellow doctor Jonah becomes the center of a controversy. Usually unlucky in love, Georgia has a meet-cute on an airplane when she saves Mark, a handsome businessman, from an excess of Benadryl and nausea patches. Mark and Georgia click immediately, though Georgia’s thoughts often turn to Jonah; his patients have been leaving the clinic and searching out care elsewhere, and though he’s an excellent doctor, the rumor mill claims that there have been issues with his care. Georgia and Jonah soon learn that the church-funded hospital has been pushing out trans and gay patients but spinning it to make it seem as if they’re leaving because Jonah is a bad doctor. Since Georgia has many of the same patients, she’s also a target of the framing and is kicked out of the hospital. The situation escalates as Jonah is fired and the story makes it into the press. Jonah, who’s prone to depression, overdoses on Tylenol, shutting down his organs and putting him in a coma. Mark is there for Georgia through it all, though he discovers something about her that endangers their relationship. The two plotlines—Georgia and Mark’s relationship, and Jonah’s possible transgressions—don’t fully gel into a cohesive whole, but Martin’s medical know-how (she’s an emergency medicine doctor) elevates the setting and provides authenticity. This will mostly appeal to readers who appreciate complex medical dramas. (Feb.)