The Last Surgeon

Do you have a favorite author? Or, perhaps more than one? One of my favorite authors is Michael Palmer. I started reading his books by chance, and continue to read them and share them with friends. It all started a few years ago. Every year, after graduation, there was a trip coordinated from the University of Dayton to Daytona, where I went to college, called Dayton to Daytona. Some of my friends and I decided to join the trip the year we graduated. It was a great time, we all shared a ride down in someone's van and then shared a few rooms in Daytona. It was great to hang out with friends and enjoy the beach before we all headed our separate ways to start our careers.

As with any vacation, I had taken along some books, but I found that I read more than expected and soon had read all of the books I had brought along. So, since vacation wasn't yet over and I knew I had a car ride home after vacation, I headed to the store in the hotel lobby to check out the books. I thumbed through a few options, settling on a copy of Natural Causes. The idea of a medical thriller intrigued me. I had read other thrillers, mostly by Dean Koontz. This was the first Michael Palmer book I had read and after the first few chapters, I was hooked. After reading that first book, I went back and read my way through his other books. I continue to read his books, trying to read each new book as it is released (I fell behind during the baby years...I didn't read much of anything during those years). Including the newest book scheduled for release next month, he has written 15 medical thrillers.

As I indicated above, Michael Palmer writes medical thrillers and he has the background for it. You see, he's a doctor. He went to med school at Case Western Reserve and worked at a private internal medicine practice in Cape Cod. His education and experience give him an advantage in writing a medical thriller. He has the insider details on being a doctor, med school, working at a hospital and such, that really is reflected in the story. Once he started to write, he went to work in the ER. His bio says that it was so he would have more time to write, but I also have to believe that there is more inspiration and ideas to incorporate in a book in an ER job than in a private practice.

All of his books have a way of pulling you in. Sure, you can put down the book easily in the first few chapters, but by about chapter 3 it becomes increasingly difficult. A bad thing happens when I am reading one of his books - I lose a lot of sleep. I'm very guilty of "I'll just read one more chapter" and then 100 pages later, I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open and decide I really do need to put down the book and come back to it tomorrow. Needless to say, it is best for me to read his books on the weekend, when I can read the whole book in just two days. Reading during the week gets to be too hard, there just aren't as many hours to read and I just want to keep reading.

I'm drawn by two things in Michael Palmer's books. The characters and the scary thought that this could be real. I'm generally an optimist and believe in the greater good of people, but the stories that he writes really leave me questioning: Could this actually happen? Has this actually happened? His characters are great too. You have those that you love and those that you love to hate. I feel like I can relate to the characters, no matter how different they are than me, because he does a good job developing the characters in his stories - helping you understand who they are and a bit about what makes them tick. As I read, I find myself wanting to continue reading to know more about them and what happens next in their story. There is frequently even an element of a love story coursing through the storyline.

All of that being said, you can imagine my excitement when I was contacted, by Michael Palmer, to read an advanced copy of The Last Surgeon, his newest novel which is scheduled for release on February 16, and to write about it on my blog.

When the book arrived, I couldn't wait to start reading it. The book follows two main characters, Jillian Coates, a psych nurse, and Dr. Nick Garrity, a veteran suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and features, Franz Koller, a psychopath who prides himself on being the master of the "non-kill".

Jillian's sister recently was found dead and the death deemed to be a suicide. Jillian, knowing her sister like she did, doesn't believe that it was a suicide, but suspects it was a murder and sets off to figure out what's going on. Her sister left a clue for her in the form of some comic books, that eventually leads her to Dr. Nick Garrity. Nick Garrity is working as a doctor on a mobile clinic and has been in search of his friend, who saved his life during the war, that had simply disappeared a few years ago. Together, as they look for answers, they start to uncover things. When they learn of a series of recent deaths that tie back to a fatally botched operation a few years ago, they come dangerously close to being the next "non-kill". Will they discover the truth before it's too late?

As expected, I was up much too late reading this book a few nights in a row. It was a great story and I found myself cheering for Jillian and Nick and hoping that Franz Koller would be tripped up and found out.

You can read more about the book here. In addition, you can even read a prequel to the book here, where you can learn more about the back story of Franz Koller.

Intrigued? Would you like a chance to enter to win your own autographed copy of The Last Surgeon? You are in luck, thanks to Michael Palmer, I have the opportunity to have one reader win an autographed copy of this new book.

Primary Entry:
Leave a comment answering the following questions: Who is your favorite author? What is your favorite book?

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Giveaway will remain open until January 21st at 6 pm. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I received no compensation for this post. I received an autographed advanced readers' copy of The Last Surgeon from Michael Palmer to read and review. In addition, he is providing an autographed copy of the book to one reader through the giveaway.