The First Patient
Michael Palmer
Reviewed by Dianne Drake
What would you do if a helicopter landed in your yard and the President of the United States got out? First, suspend your disbelief, then jump on board because, once again, Michael Palmer is about to take you on a fast ride into a story that seems like it could jump right out of today’s headlines. Well, almost. Only this time, Palmer goes beyond his usual medical drama and joins it to the world of political intrigue. The result of this fusion is THE FIRST PATIENT, a story about President Andrew Stoddard, who seems to be losing his mind in large degrees, and his old college buddy, Doctor Gabe Singleton. It seems the president’s personal physician has disappeared and the only one he trusts to take care of him in his mental crisis is his old friend, Gabe.
Reluctantly, Gabe rises to the call, and goes to Washington, D.C., only to find that the medical mystery surrounding what’s happening to the president’s sanity may have more to do with his enemies than mere medical issues. Lives are at stake, including Gabe’s, the more he gets involved in the president’s peculiar problems. Lucky for Gabe, Allison Cromartie, the White House nurse, just happens to be with the secret service and she’s looking out for more than the president. Good thing for Gabe, when the bullets start to fly. But could Allison actually be behind the attempts on Gabe’s life? Does the president need protected from her? Maybe the most important question of all is, is the president really going insane?
Palmer treats us to a runaway train ride through a medical-political intrigue minefield, with a detour into the world of secret labs, nanotechnology, conspiracies, presidential politics, greed and ambition, stopping long enough for only a quick breath every here and there. And if you love a book with the ending you probably won’t anticipate, this is it! Kudos to Palmer for keeping us guessing. THE FIRST PATIENT may be a little over the top, but sometimes there’s nothing wrong with taking that route, especially when the tour guide is Michael Palmer.
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About the Reviewer:
Best-selling, award-winning author, Dianne Drake, came to the world of fiction by way of a non-fiction detour, having written seven books and hundreds of magazine articles for the leading women’s magazines, including Ladies’ Home Journal, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Better Homes & Gardens and a whole host of others. As a consumer writer, her main areas of interest included consumerism, health and family issues, with a huge emphasis on health, owing to the fact that Dianne is a former intensive care nurse. Eventually she found fiction, embarking on a journey of romantic comedy first, and more recently medical romance. Her twentieth, and latest release from Harlequin Mills & Boon is THEIR VERY SPECIAL CHILD and her next will be ITALIAN DOCTOR, FULL-TIME FATHER in July, 2008.
When she’s not writing, Dianne likes to travel, loves to go antique shopping, is a fiercely loyal fan and season ticket holder to her local NFL team (which she won’t mention by name because she learned early on that you should never talk religion, politics and football), and she is absolutely passionate about animals, including the three adopted dogs, and two adopted cats who allow empty-nester Dianne, and her husband Joel, to share their house.
Visit Dianne at her website: www.DianneDrake.com.
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