On Call

By Anita Burgh

Revised

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0752816950
• ISBN13: 9780752816951
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Orion Books Limited
• Length: 496 Pages

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable read - and not too taxing on the brain!

This is the second book that I have read by Anita Burgh, the first being "Breeders" - and although about different topics they are both very similar in style. "On Call" focuses around the nurse Chrissy Galloway, coming to terms with life as a widow and just moving back to her hometown Fellcar to take up a new nursing position. As with "Breeders" Anita Burgh adds a large cast of characters and we follow the stories from their different perspectives. Initially I found there were rather too many characters and got a little confused but things settled down halfway through the book once it became clear who were the important people. Although enjoyable with a gentle romance and a small whodunit I felt that the characterisation in this book was poor. What characters there were all seemed rather cardboard - the fat nurse with BO is obviously a baddie, the strong silent type doctor is obviously a goodie, the cheesy hospital manager is a baddie etc etc. Our heroine is appealing but seems to say the most incredibly trite things the whole time - as a nurse she should know better, especially a nurse on a cancer ward. The book highlights the different stages of relationships - breakups, death of a partner, infidelities, new romances etc and made me rather glum about the prospects of lasting happiness with one person in Burgh's worldview. Still it was a good lightweight read, perfect for the beach on holiday or something, just don't expect too much.