Book Review - The First Patient by Michael Palmer
Category Book Review Michael Palmer The First Patient
Couple a medical mystery with political intrigue at the highest level of government, and you have The First Patient by Michael Palmer. This book grabbed me pretty quick, and had me reading far past my bedtime to see how it all turned out. If not for a slightly quirky ending, it would have been perfect.
Gabe Singleton, a rancher and physician out in Wyoming, is paid a visit by Andrew Stoddard, his former college roommate and now the President of the United States. The President's personal physician has gone missing, and Drew wants Gabe to take over the job. With some level of reluctance due to an unpleasant event earlier in his life, he signs on for the job. But he quickly finds out that a few facts were left out during the "job interview", such as the President is showing signs of mental illness. This means that Gabe might have to pull the trigger on the 25th amendment, handing over power to the Vice President. He doesn't want to do this until he can determine exactly why the President is having these psychotic episodes. But there are apparently some people close to the President who are determined that a change in leadership *will* occur. And they'll stop at nothing to make sure the psychotic episodes continue and play out to their intended conclusion.
By and large, I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to figure out who might be (or might not be) a friend or enemy at the start, and there were a fair number of twists to keep me wondering. I thought the ending was a bit over-the-top when Gabe and the President made their way to the hideaway. And the final twist as to who was behind it all (and why) seemed totally out of left field. While it wasn't nearly as bad as some books that just decide to wrap up everything in five pages or less, it seemed as if it could have done better at the end.
Still, an enjoyable read, and one that I would recommend to someone who is into medical or political mysteries.
Couple a medical mystery with political intrigue at the highest level of government, and you have The First Patient by Michael Palmer. This book grabbed me pretty quick, and had me reading far past my bedtime to see how it all turned out. If not for a slightly quirky ending, it would have been perfect.
Gabe Singleton, a rancher and physician out in Wyoming, is paid a visit by Andrew Stoddard, his former college roommate and now the President of the United States. The President's personal physician has gone missing, and Drew wants Gabe to take over the job. With some level of reluctance due to an unpleasant event earlier in his life, he signs on for the job. But he quickly finds out that a few facts were left out during the "job interview", such as the President is showing signs of mental illness. This means that Gabe might have to pull the trigger on the 25th amendment, handing over power to the Vice President. He doesn't want to do this until he can determine exactly why the President is having these psychotic episodes. But there are apparently some people close to the President who are determined that a change in leadership *will* occur. And they'll stop at nothing to make sure the psychotic episodes continue and play out to their intended conclusion.
By and large, I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to figure out who might be (or might not be) a friend or enemy at the start, and there were a fair number of twists to keep me wondering. I thought the ending was a bit over-the-top when Gabe and the President made their way to the hideaway. And the final twist as to who was behind it all (and why) seemed totally out of left field. While it wasn't nearly as bad as some books that just decide to wrap up everything in five pages or less, it seemed as if it could have done better at the end.
Still, an enjoyable read, and one that I would recommend to someone who is into medical or political mysteries.
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