A Cure For Madness By Jodi Mc Issac

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After a whirlwind tour of Europe, moving to Seattle, Washington, is writer Clare Campbell's only escape from a family torn apart by mental illness. Her brother Wes has Schizophrenia and his disease has led to multiple arrests and drug abuse much to her humiliation. To Clare, her only means of living a so called normal life is to escape. When Clare's uncle Rob phones her in Seattle to let her know her parents have been murdered by a friend, the last place on Earth Clare wants to be is Clarkeston, Maine, the day before her brother is set to be released from a psychiatric hospital.

Uncle Rob is to pick her up at the airport and while she's waiting she runs into an old teacher, Mr. Sweeny. He is obviously sick and Clare is disgusted when flecks of spittle wind up in her face after a severe coughing bout. Uncle Rob arrives just in time to whisk her away from the airport. He is ready to discuss the funeral details while Clare cannot stop thinking about her brother.

Most of what Clare feels is rooted in guilt. During her teenage years she was raped on a first date. Her parents didn't have the time or the energy needed to care for her so Wes stepped up and beat the kid within an inch of his life. She recognizes Wes was only trying to help her but she's not only embarrassed by his actions, she is scared of her brother.

This sets up a novel which will go on to explore experimental bio warfare, genetics, and human drama. The novel is well edited with few errors and the writer Jodi McIsaac has done a wonderful job of making this an easy and quick read perfect for an afternoon or evening home with nothing to do. The ending took me by surprise and as much as I would like to add it to this review, I won't. Spoilers are never good.

The Cure For Madness is not filled with medical jargon and while I generally love books that are, I did find TCFM delightfully simple yet genuine. This is a hard trick to pull off, but the author did it well.