brittanyleigh22's review against another edition
Bad writing, excessive and inappropriate use of footnotes
alisarae's review against another edition
Good research and storytelling! Audiobook was also good. It's crazy to me how Charlie Cullen moved from hospital to hospital, killing an average of 22 patients a month according to one hospital's calculations, and none of those hospitals ever sought to have his license suspended... they all just wanted to sweep it under the rug and crossed their fingers that the deets wouldn't leak so they wouldn't get sued. The book makes a weak suggestion that because Cullen considered his mother's death to be from medical malpractice, he wanted to show how incompetent the medical authorities are. Obviously there was something much more pathological at play here, but if this was some part of his reasoning, he made a good point-- 5 hospitals accused him of gross negligence on the light end of the spectrum to premeditated murder on the other extreme, and yet it took nearly 2 decades, an estimated 300-400 murders, and an inside informant working secrectly against her employer to get him stopped? Yikes.
heyjude1965's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to on audio. So sorry for the people who lost loved ones because of this crazy man. The reason he was able to go on killing for years was because no one wanted to risk law suits, just hush up and pass the buck. PS: Warped childhoods make warped people who can go on and hurt other people. Loving, stable families are so important for a half-way sane adulthood.
littlefoot10's review against another edition
3.0
I'd actually give this novel a 3.5 out of 5 stars. After reading the plot of this book I knew I had to purchase this and read it! My fiancee is actually going to school for nursing because he wants to do work in sports medicine, and I know a lot of friends that have become nurses or are going to nursing school currently. My mind just couldn't wrap about the fact that someone that is supposed to keep you safe and alive could be this evil. After reading this novel, it's just scary to think there was no rhyme or reason to him selecting his victims. The first half of the novel really got me interested in the story, wanting to know how he was going to get caught. And what surprised me was the fact that he worked at so many different hospitals and was fired but they all gave him a good reference ! That was very frustrating to read. The ending of the novel kind of through me off...and I was hoping a bit more from Charlie himself...maybe more of a why than was given. I think Amy was a super strong person...I'm not sure that many people out there could have done what she did. It's strange being younger when this all was happening, I never heard anything about this until much much later in my life. Definitely a fast read, that will leave you with nightmares about the human race
sam_t's review against another edition
3.0
I found it to be an interesting read, however at the start it presented very cold and factual. Being written from several source materials, including interviews with Cullen himself, I would have hoped for a more insightful narrative. Perhaps Cullen didn't provide insight, considering the note at the end said he didn't want to book written.
alywho1093's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
One of the best true crime novels I have listened too. I liked I’ll Be Gone in the Dark as well, but with this one, I could follow along better. I don’t know why that it is, maybe because it was all about one killer and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark the name of the killer changed many times. Both true crimes are great listens though. I really liked the Good Nurse and the way it was written. The facts were straightforward and I found myself getting upset with the hospitals that continued to cover up and hire Cullen. A great true crime novel!
arubadawn's review against another edition
3.0
Not the best true story I've read and I thought it dragged a little. Still not a bad read. Fascinating and scary that people exist like this.
curiouskatreads's review against another edition
4.0
**This is an old review, but I'm reposting it because Netflix has just released a new movie called The Good Nurse starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne based on Charles Graeber's book.**
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A fascinating look into the mind and rationalizations of Charles Cullen, a nurse ultimately responsible for dozens, and possibly hundreds, of patient deaths over almost two decades. It's alarming in both the relative ease with which he got away with it for so long, and the negligence or sheer blindness of so many institutions and individuals who could've stopped him along the way as mysterious patient deaths accumulated.
When medicines went missing, too many patients mysteriously died, and suspicions arose at a workplace, he'd simply move on to another. His prior place of employment - eager to make the problem go away without harming their bottom line - would turn a blind eye to their suspicions and in some cases even give him references for new employment. While it didn't give a black eye to medical institutions as a whole, it did show the unsavory business side of those employers that put profit before patients when scandal was at their door, and how lawyered up and obstructive they were when investigations began. I hope it's the exception, rather than the norm!
Thankfully the book also covers the bravery of those involved in stopping him. It's an excellent read for those who enjoy true crime. The movie only spotlights his final place of employment and how his arrest came about, so for those interested in the fuller picture, I highly recommend the book!
For every truly GOOD nurse, doctor and medical professional out there who faithfully does their job day in and day out to make patients' lives better. THANK YOU!!
★★★★
___________________________________
A fascinating look into the mind and rationalizations of Charles Cullen, a nurse ultimately responsible for dozens, and possibly hundreds, of patient deaths over almost two decades. It's alarming in both the relative ease with which he got away with it for so long, and the negligence or sheer blindness of so many institutions and individuals who could've stopped him along the way as mysterious patient deaths accumulated.
When medicines went missing, too many patients mysteriously died, and suspicions arose at a workplace, he'd simply move on to another. His prior place of employment - eager to make the problem go away without harming their bottom line - would turn a blind eye to their suspicions and in some cases even give him references for new employment. While it didn't give a black eye to medical institutions as a whole, it did show the unsavory business side of those employers that put profit before patients when scandal was at their door, and how lawyered up and obstructive they were when investigations began. I hope it's the exception, rather than the norm!
Thankfully the book also covers the bravery of those involved in stopping him. It's an excellent read for those who enjoy true crime. The movie only spotlights his final place of employment and how his arrest came about, so for those interested in the fuller picture, I highly recommend the book!
For every truly GOOD nurse, doctor and medical professional out there who faithfully does their job day in and day out to make patients' lives better. THANK YOU!!
★★★★