Michael Palmer’s THE FIFTH VIAL is one of the most exciting and memorable thrillers I’ve ever read. Even though it’s been at least 3 years since I finished, I still have the plot and characters burned into my brain. Why? Palmer excels at creating scarily plausible medical nightmare premises that are part conspiracy theory, part engaging human drama. And he’s done it again with his latest, THE LAST SURGEON.The drama here revolves around war hero Dr. Nick Garrity who suffers from severe PTSD. As he tries to figure out what happened to an old war buddy, his path crosses that of psych nurse Jillian Coates who is investigating her sister’s murder (an apparent suicide). At the same time, we meet diabolical hitman Franz Koller, the self-proclaimed master of the “non-kill”, who is hired by a mysterious client to stage suicides and accidents.
Both Nick and Jillian are appealing characters to follow as they get closer to uncovering a secret that someone is determined to keep buried. The scenes which feature Franz are some of the most chilling I’ve ever read (and not for the squeamish).
If you're a fan of Michael Palmer, you'll no doubt enjoy this one too. If you're new to him, I might suggest trying THE FIFTH VIAL first as that is still my favorite of his. Or if you prefer this premise, you can read the prologue to see if it really is your type of novel. If it turns out you really like his style, he has a slew of other novels you can pick up. My next one will be THE FIRST PATIENT.
THE LAST SURGEON comes out on February 16th. Until then, check out the interactive content on the author's Facebook page and on his website. I also have a signed copy of the book to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment telling me which Michael Palmer thriller premise appeals to you the most (see the list of book summaries). Since it is sponsored by the author, this contest is US and Canada only. I'll keep it open for 2 weeks - until January 25th at 11:59 pm CST.
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