Dr Anna McBride’s life is starting to unravel. The mother of two boys and a dedicated GP, she is being sued for medical negligence—a case of delayed diagnosis. Deeply ashamed of her mistake, she doubts her abilities at work and retreats into family life, only to find that her husband seems preoccupied with a younger colleague. As the date for mediation draws closer and the lawyers’ demands become ever more pressing, Anna also senses someone else’s cries for attention—someone who wishes her harm.
First published in 2008 to critical acclaim, Dissection remains as relevant as ever. This absorbing novel reveals the uncompromising world of the medical profession, and the psychological toll it inflicts on one woman.
INTERVIEWS and REVIEWS
Inside Story
LitHub
News GP
‘Dissection reads like a moral thriller, a bulletin from the war zone that is modern living. You’ll never think of your GP in the same way again.’
‘A bracing and beautiful novel…I recommend it as an unputdownable and richly rewarding read.’
‘Well paced, spare, concentrated.’
‘Beautifully executed…A thought-provoking novel.’
‘From page one, [Halloran’s] prose has the unmistakable ring of authenticity…A pleasure to read.’
‘Hard to put down…Original and thought-provoking.’
‘A tiny gem of a novel…Deeply empathetic.’
‘This is a thoughtful and revealing portrait of a woman’s mid-life descent into a mire of self-doubt, and her first hesitant steps towards a new equilibrium.’
‘Dissection is a perfectly judged and beautifully written account…A pensive and probing character study, a portrait of quiet despair and stoicism.’
‘Dissects morally complex issues of life and death with a deceptively simple touch, using telling domestic detail to bring its characters and settings vividly to life on the page.’
‘For me the best books are the disruptive ones. They rattle me, but they also gift me glimpses of diamond-like clarity. Dissection is one such book.’