by Michael Palmer
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Product Description
From the blockbuster, New York Times bestselling author comes a high-concept, high-octane thriller at the crossroads of presidential politics and cutting-edge medicine. . . . Gabe Singleton and Andrew Stoddard were roommates at the Naval Academy in Annapolis years ago. Today, Gabe is a country doctor and his friend Andrew has gone from war hero to governor to President of the United States. One day, while the United States is embroiled in a bitter presidential election campaign, Marine One lands on Gabe’s Wyoming ranch, and President Stoddard delivers a disturbing revelation and a startling request. His personal physician has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, and he desperately needs Gabe to take the man’s place. Despite serious misgivings, Gabe agrees to come to Washington. It is not until he is ensconced in the White House medical office that Gabe realizes there is strong evidence that the President is going insane. Facing a crisis of conscience—as President Stoddard’s physician, he has the power to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment to transfer presidential power to the Vice President—Gabe uncovers increasing evidence that his friend’s condition may not be due to natural causes. Who? Why? And how? The President’s life is at stake. A small-town doctor suddenly finds himself in the most powerful position on earth, and the safety of the world is in jeopardy. Gabe Singleton must find the answers, and the clock is ticking. . . . With Michael Palmer’s trademark medical details, and steeped in meticulous political insider knowledge, The First Patient is an unforgettable story of suspense.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 What a book Palmer does it the best!, 2008-10-25
I really enjoyed this book immensely. It is a book that I could not put down. I like his style of writing kind of like John Grisham but in medical not legal format. I like medical thrillers and this is one of the best by far. Palmer simply does it every time. Enjoy!!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Highly readable yet fundamentally flawed, 2008-10-05
If you're going to write a novel about underdeveloped characters making one flawed decision after another in less than credible circumstances, you'd better be able to tell a great story. Luckily, Michael Palmer is able to do just that, making The First Patient an entertaining thriller that works well despite its rather obvious flaws. This is my first Michael Palmer novel, so I can't compare this one to the author's list of past medical thrillers, but I can say that there was never a single moment in this one that I forgot I was reading a work of fiction; i.e., I was never completely drawn in to the drama. On a number of occasions, all I could do was smirk, shake my head, and keep reading because I knew that characters in such a situation would never do what these just did.
Gabe Singleton is a most unlikely choice for a U.S. President's personal doctor. Haunted by a drunk driving accident that killed an innocent young woman and her unborn child, got him drummed out of the Naval Academy, and bought him a five-year stay in prison, Gabe somehow got in to a medical school and has tried to compensate for his past wrongs by saving lives as a doctor. He's more than happy on his ranch in Wyoming - but he can't turn down his old friend, President Andrew Stoddard, when he flies in out of the blue, explains that his personal physician has disappeared, and asks Gabe to take his place. In and around Washington, there are rumors that the President's mental dinghy has struck a leak - and Gabe soon learns why, after seeing the President in the throes of an obvious mental episode. Suddenly, he finds himself in the difficult position of determining whether or not this man, currently engaged in a spirited reelection campaign - not to mention his own good friend - has the mental capacity to retain his job as the most powerful man in the world.
Gabe can't turn around without running into a dark secret or conspiracy - starting with his still-missing predecessor and his obvious interest in nanotechnology. In order to save the President, Gabe's going to have to save himself first, as he is targeted for murder in his own right. With no one to trust, not even the pretty nurse who may or may not be who she claims to be, Gabe has to somehow find his inner James Bond if he's ever going to get to the bottom of the high-level conspiracy threatening to destroy and very likely assassinate the President of the United States.
As far as the medical part of this medical thriller goes, the whole nanotechnology bit just doesn't take you all that far. My real problem with the novel, though, comes down to the issue of credibility. I obviously can't delineate all of the specific plot points here, but suffice it to say that all of the main characters make decisions I found less than credible. I had "you must be kidding" reactions to many a plot point, especially toward the end. That ending did hold a couple of real surprises, but they felt quite forced to me - I certainly had no regrets over not seeing such things coming because I think Palmer just threw them in there without having lain any sort of foundation for their sudden existence in the book's closing pages. Ultimately, while I did enjoy reading this fast-paced thriller, I can't say I was all that impressed by it.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
The First Patient is First Rate, 2008-10-02
The First Patient is the best of Michael Palmer so far! The characters are fascinating. the plot is complex with many twists and the tie to nanotechnolgy is very timely. This is a fast paced book that is very difficult to put down and is as much a mystry novel as it is a medical thriller.What makes this book really, really good is it's all possible!!! Do not miss reading this one!!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great Political/Medical Thriller, 2008-09-16
I throughly enjoyed this thrill ride of a novel. Medical and political suspense all in one. what more could you ask for. As always, Palmer writes an intelligent fast-paced story. Highly recommended!
www.billclem.com
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
The First Patient, 2008-08-08
This was a page-turner for me. I identified with the writer from the first page to the last, and the twists and turns in the book kept me
interested throughout, inspiring me to look back to the beginning often.
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