The Healer’s Daughters by Jay Amberg

The Healer’s Daughters is a complex and gripping new novel by author Jay Amberg, bridging mysticism and truth, as well as time and space. Tying together ancient cultural beliefs, insightful flashbacks, mystical practices, and enough treasure hunting to satisfy a Clive Cussler fan, this tangled tale is difficult to put down both for its originality and skillful storytelling.

From the ancient trials of Galen, the second century’s most famous physician, to the terrors of the modern day in Turkey, this book is sweeping and ambitious, but also carefully penned, culturally sensitive, and finely polished. After a terror attack rips through Bergama, a sacred city in Turkey, the intrepid investigator, Tuğçe Iskan and two other deeply faceted women, Özlem Boroğlu and Elif, join forces to find the truth and expose a dark conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of government.

Having the three primary protagonists be women is a refreshing change from so many international thrillers, which makes their rebellious investigation all the more intense, and the risks all the more real. Despite the plot being so convoluted, with a myriad of moving parts, red herrings, and shadowy motivations, the pace and flow of the story are smooth, with few identifiable holes in the narrative. Some scenes drag, as Amberg occasionally overdoes the exposition and scene-setting, but the dialogue feels authentic and heavy with import.

Striking a balance between modern suspense and fantastical fiction, The Healer’s Daughters is unpredictable throughout, as are the core characters, making this book a genuinely innovative pleasure that will appeal to a wide breadth of genre fans.