If A Tree Falls by Robert I. Katz is a medical mystery-thriller featuring general surgeon and amateur sleuth, Richard Kurtz, who takes a leave of absence from his busy big-city practice to spend time in his old home town in rural West Virginia. But this is not a vacation for the good doctor. No, he will be working at the local hospital, filling in for a surgeon who unexpectedly passed away. Richard and his artist wife, Lenore, will stay at the family farm, visiting with Richard’s father and his step-mother. However, not long after they arrive, things begin to get complicated. The skull of a young woman surfaces in a nearby trout stream, exposing the existence of a possible serial killer living somewhere close by. This sets Richard’s antenna for crime on high alert and he can’t help but join in the investigation. Toss in a little political intrigue and the result is an addictive read that’s hard to put down.

This is a fun mystery novel with numerous threads weaving their way throughout the work, giving the reader an intense and intriguing puzzle to try to solve. While this book represents the sixth novel in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. 

If A Tree Falls is highly recommended for fans of mystery and crime novels that have a medical twist. Five Stars.