Malcolm X Hobbs leads an Atlanta homicide unit referred to as the X Men. They are called to action when a body is found in an affluent suburb of the city they call home. The autopsy of the body shows his death to be more than a little suspicious. After a second victim is found under similar circumstances, the entire team realizes that they are after a serial killer. What transpires is a dramatic confrontation between the X Men and their adversary.
The overall arc of the story is a good one, beginning like an episode of CSI and ending like a scene from an Alex Cross novel. However, the writing itself leaves a bit to be desired. I have literally never read a book with a more thorough description of the characters: Each of their heights, weights, clothing preferences and exact skin tones are listed like statistics on the back of a baseball card. Additionally, the writing style is casual to the point of being difficult to understand at times. The comradery and banter between the members of the X Men is well dialogued, and the motivation driving the criminal to perform his evil deeds is both plausible and interesting. Shadow Doctors is a well-paced novella that builds to an exciting finale.
