The First Patient
Large Print Edition
By Michael Palmer Wheeler - Windsor - Paragon (2008)
ISBN 10: 1-59722-672-6
ISBN 13: 978-1-59722-672-1
Genre: Medical Thriller
Reviewed by Auggie Moore - April 21, 2008
What would happen if the President of the United States was incapacitated, but a conspiracy was afoot to make it appear that the President was still in charge? This is the premise of Michael Palmer's newest medical thriller. In The First Patient, Dr. Gabe Singleton is faced with a political and moral dilemma. His friend, President Andrew Stoddard, summons him to Washington when the President's personal physician mysteriously disappears. Shortly after his arrival, Singleton becomes aware that the President is suffering from debilitating episodes in which he becomes incoherent and demented, verging upon insanity. Legally, Singleton should declare the president incompetent, and have the Presidential powers transferred to the Vice President.
However, things are not as they appear and Singleton soon comes to suspect that the President's condition is being induced by an outside force. Singleton is sure that he is on to something when a sniper takes a shot at him. From this benign beginning, Palmer takes the reader on a thrilling adventure that is part medical mystery and part political thriller. For good measure, Palmer throws in a sexy nurse to get Singleton's juices flowing.
In The First Patient, Palmer has crafted an intricate story full of political intrigue and cutting edge medical science. From beginning to end I found this story believable, and I found it to be a real page turner. In short, The First Patient is a complex, fast-paced story that will have you turning off your cell phone and settling down to read this story in one sitting. I'm a big fan of Palmer's novels, and this one is tops on my list of favorites!
Related Reviews:
The Patient, by Michael Palmer.
In this action-packed thriller, a terrorist holds a hospital, and a city, hostage. His demand is simple. He wants Dr. Copeland to use her newly invented robotic device to remove an inoperable brain tumor from his head. If she fails, the hostages die, and there are thousands of them! (Large Print)
The Society, by Michael Palmer.
When someone starts killing managed-care executives, the blame falls on Dr. Will Grant, a hard-working surgeon who thinks that HMO's are subverting the health care system. To clear his name, Grant is going to have to catch the killer - before he catches him. (Large Print)
