The Pain Nurse    by Jon Talton Order:  USA  Can Poisoned Pen, 2009 (2009) Hardcover     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Author Jon Talton uses Cincinnati, Ohio as background for his stand alone mystery, The Pain Nurse. He worked as a journalist in that city and so writes of it the way he saw it. He also has his protagonist, former homicide cop Will Borders, suffer the same health problem he himself did – spinal tumor surgery. The pain nurse, Cheryl Beth Wilson, comes into the story when she discovers a particularly bloody murder in the bowels of a hospital that is slowly going to rack and ruin. Since Cheryl Beth had had an affair with the murdered doctor's husband, she becomes suspect number one. Things escalate as suspense builds. Can Cheryl Beth (never call her just Cheryl) evade the repercussions of being a suspect? Is Will right when he feels the murder is the work of a serial killer? The Pain Nurse has a great plot and characters the reader can believe in. Suspense builds with almost every page. The background of the hospital proves intriguing – especially the work of the pain nurse. Who among us has not suffered pain to the degree that Will does and, I'm sure, the author did? Relief from continuous pain now seems to be available. A good book. Don't miss it. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews