Set in Palm Beach, Florida, this fast paced thriller, Born To Die by George A Bernstein, features two principal characters, Casey Jansson, an obstetrics nurse, and Al Warner, a crack Miami detective on medical leave following a deadly shootout with a killer appropriately named the Angel of Death. Warner endeavours to convince his psychiatrist that he doesn’t have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that he should be certified fit to return to work. Casey, still reeling from her bust up with her last boyfriend, becomes suspicious when too many infant boys die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). At first she enlists the help of a young doctor, Danny O’Brien. He has romantic aspirations for Casey which are not reciprocated, but he agrees to undertake some extra-curricular detective work in an effort to assist her. Soon after, Casey meets Al Warner in a bar, and a spark is ignited in each of them which the other fails to recognise. Al is itching to help out, not only because he is bored on sick leave, but because he would love to impress this beautiful, Swedish lady.

What the hell’s going on? I had to ask myself this question time after time as I read George A Bernstein’s Born To Die. The mystery and intrigue are threaded throughout the whole story and, until you come within sight of the conclusion, it is difficult to grasp exactly what is happening. It is a true mystery, dripping with intrigue, a real page turner. The characters are real, the dialogue believable, and descriptive narrative makes it easy to visualise the scenes. Right from the outset, even in the Prologue, the reader is drawn straight into the action with the kidnapping of a senator’s daughter, an event which will become relevant later in the story. Born to Die is a cracking story, a riveting read, and will keep the reader hooked through to its dramatic denouement.

Born to Die by George A Bernstein is a Detective Al Warner Suspense story. Children are dying. There have been too many infant deaths in Palm Beach; all boys, all dying of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. And only one person is wondering what is going on – Casey Jansson, a nurse in obstetrics. Detective Al Warner is the best Miami has, but he is on medical leave after being shot in the line of duty. He feels fantastic, fit, and ready to go back to work, but he can’t convince the department psychiatrist who believes that he is suffering from PTSD. The detective meets Casey in a bar and they are instantly attracted to each other, but neither makes a real move in that direction. Instead, they get talking and when Warner hears about the deaths, he agrees that there is something not quite right and decides to get involved. One of the resident doctors, Danny O’Brien, has been doing his own research into the odd deaths and has come to a conclusion that will shock Palm Beach to the core. Unfortunately, he never gets to tell anyone. Casey pushes on and, with Warner hot on her heels, she heads deep into the Everglades and deeper into trouble. Can they find out who is behind the deaths and, more importantly, why? Or will Warner be too late to save Casey?

Born to Die: A Detective Al Warner Suspense by George A Bernstein is a thrilling read. This is a real thriller, full of suspense, mystery, murder, and a little romance thrown in to sweeten the deal. This is one of the most masterful plots I have read in a long while with plenty going on to keep me interested. It is full of twists and turns and is quite fast paced, with plenty of action. Mr. Bernstein has a way of grabbing your hand on the first page and taking off running, dragging you with him right to the epic ending, leaving you somewhat breathless. The character development was second to none – I didn’t read the first in the series, but I learnt enough in this one not to feel that I had missed anything. Excellent book, I'm looking forward to reading more.