Overview
"Michael Palmer's latest novel pits a flawed doctor against a ruthless psychopath who has made murder his art form. Surgeon Dr. Nick Garrity, a vet suffering from PTSD - post-traumatic stress disorder - spends his days and nights dispensing medical treatment from a mobile clinic to the homeless in D.C. and Baltimore. In addition, he is constantly on the lookout for his best friend, Umberto Vasquez, who was plucked from the streets four years ago for a secret military mission and has not been seen since." "Psychiatric nurse Jillian Coates wants to find her sister's killer. The police ruled her death a suicide, but Jillian does not believe that Belle Coates, an ICU nurse, took her own life, even though every bit of evidence indicates that she did. Belle has left a subtle clue that connects her with Nick Garrity - a clue that only Jillian can decipher." Together, Nick and Jillian determine that each of those involved in a fatally botched case in an operating room three years ago is dying, one by one. Their discoveries pit them against genius Franz Koller, the highly paid master of the "non-kill" - the art of murder that does not look like murder. As doctor and nurse move closer to finding the terrifying secret behind these killings, Koller has been given a new directive: His mission will not be complete until Jillian Coates and Nick Garrity, the last surgeon, are dead.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author and master of medical suspense delivers another shocker of a thriller filled with insider details and a terrifying psychopath
Four murders.
Three accidents.
Two suicides.
One left…
THE LAST SURGEON
Michael Palmer’s latest novel pits a flawed doctor against a ruthless psychopath, who has made murder his art form. Dr. Nick Garrity, a vet suffering from PTSD—post traumatic stress disorder—spends his days and nights dispensing medical treatment from a mobile clinic to the homeless and disenfranchised in D.C. and Baltimore. In addition, he is constantly on the lookout for his war buddy Umberto Vasquez, who was plucked from the streets by the military four years ago for a secret mission and has not been seen since.
Psych nurse Gillian Coates wants to find her sister’s killer. She does not believe that Belle Coates, an ICU nurse, took her own life, even though every bit of evidence indicates that she did—every bit save one. Belle has left Gillian a subtle clue that connects her with Nick Garrity.
Together, Nick and Gillian determine that one-by-one, each of those in the operating room for a fatally botched case is dying. Their discoveries pit them against genius Franz Koller—the highly-paid master of the “non-kill”—the art of murder that does not look like murder. As Doctor and nurse move closer to finding the terrifying secret behind these killings, Koller has been given a new directive: his mission will not be complete until Gillian Coates and Garrity, the last surgeon, are dead.
Publishers Weekly
In this anemic medical thriller from bestseller Palmer (The Second Opinion), former trauma surgeon Dr. Nick Garrity, who suffers from PTSD as the result of a suicide attack on his field hospital in Afghanistan, is now in charge of the Helping Hands RV, a mobile clinic that plies the streets of Baltimore offering medical aid to the homeless. Meanwhile, a high-priced hit man starts to commit a series of murders, his first victim being Belle Coates, a nurse in Charlotte, N.C. When Belle's sister, Jillian, who lives in Virginia, searches for her sister's killer, she finds a connection to Nick. Several missing homeless men lead everyone to a massive plot involving high-level politicians and a secret CIA program. The action is all fairly predictable, the characters off-the-shelf, and the writing, if not exactly purple, at least mauve: “A guttural, primal scream exploded from Nick's throat as he crouched by the body.” 250,000 first printing. (Feb.)
Editorials
From the Publisher
Praise forTHE LAST SURGEON
“Prepare to burn some serious midnight oil.”—Boston Herald
“Highly suspenseful and compelling.”—Booklist
“Palmer has always been a good writer but he has never crafted a story as suspenseful as this one…This is the kind of book you read with a bright light on and all the doors locked…Franz Koller is one of the most deadly villains to grace the pages of a novel since the introduction of Hannibal Lecter.”—Huffington Post
“Should please…all those who enjoy their suspense mixed with medical characters and settings.”—Library Journal
“The thrill of the non-kill…[is] chilling.”—North Shore Sunday
“More twists and turns than a sociopath’s psyche…inventive and effective, an entertaining and engaging read.”—California Literary Review
THE SECOND OPINION
“A heart-pounding medical thriller…satisfying, expertly paced [with] enough suspense to keep readers happily turning the pages.”—Boston Globe
“The novel is not merely a thriller but also an exploration of its central character’s unique gifts and her determination to communicate with her comatose father despite overwhelming odds. Another winner from a consistently fine writer.”—Booklist
“A splendid novel.”—Globe and Mail (Canada)
THE FIRST PATIENT
“An exciting thriller that is full of surprises and captures the intense atmosphere of the White House, how the medical system works, and how the 25th Amendment could be brought into play. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” —President Bill Clinton
“An incredibly realistic, frightening thriller that is every White House doctor’s nightmare. “ —Dr. E. Connie Mariano, White House Physician 1992 - 2001
“Endlessly entertaining…the roller-coaster ride of a plot builds to an undeniably shocking conclusion.” —Publishers Weekly