Fixation
Dr. Steve Smart is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who started writing Fixation (Page Publishing, Inc) 20 years ago as a historical fiction account of the postsurgical death of a patient he treated while serving in the U.S. Army. As I read this marvelous, well-constructed, fast-paced thriller, I couldn’t help but wonder where fact left off and fiction took over.
The story, set in Fort Riley, KS, in 1990, revolves around a Korean girl, Jin Cho Elliott, found dead shortly after returning home from the military hospital where she had undergone a functional/cosmetic surgical procedure to correct a horrible bite condition between her upper and lower jaws.
Two primary theories take hold:
- Was the death a result of malpractice on the part of the surgeon, Dr. Jake Starnes?
- Did Jin’s military husband, Rick Elliott, have anything to do with his wife’s death? Rick’s overall calm demeanor and decision to take out a $100,000 life insurance policy on his wife 10 days before her death certainly arouses suspicion.
The latter seems to prevail, and the first half of the book is devoted to a nail-biting court case with Rick on trial for the murder of his wife. Smart holds readers’ attention with one fascinating witness after another, elaborating on their backstories to give full flavor to their testimonies.
The book jumps into the trial very quickly and conveniently, making readers suspect there’s more going on here than just the court case.
Smart doesn’t disappoint. In fact, he offers readers much to unpack:
- The relationship between Rick and Jin. At the time, it was not uncommon for prostitutes in Korea to lure American soldiers into marriage and then escape with them back to the States to seek the American Dream. How did this dynamic play into their marriage?
- And what of the book’s opening passage, six years earlier in Korea, when jogging soldiers stumble upon a dead prostitute lying in a ditch near camp? How does that relate?
- Rick’s good old boys in Korea – how they bonded around sex and booze, and kept their connection together, for better or worse.
- The sidebar friendship of Starnes and his boss, Gus Jennings
- The cutthroat competition between the doctors responsible for Jin’s autopsy
- The battle between a clumsy prosecuting attorney and slick defense lawyer
The author has created a compelling storyline and supplemented it with real, entertaining characters at every turn. His ability to fill readers in on each of those characters’ personalities and quirks adds much color and thoroughness to the plot.
While some might suspect where Smart is heading with his narrative, it’s hard to imagine that many will be able to guess the incredible twist that the story takes at the very end.
In my first conversation with the author, he mentioned the 20 years he had spent hoping to perfect his story and get it right. People write from experience. Smart’s military background, professional acumen, and gift for storytelling all shine through. Whatever deliberations and decisions he must have made over the years to get comfortable and confident with his final version, give him credit – he has produced an intriguing story with enough tentacles and surprises to delight a wide audience of readers.
