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The Patient
His name is ARTIE, a miracle of bio-engineering that is about to transform the field of neurosurgery. Dr. Jessie Copeland knows him better than anyone else at Eastern Mass Medical Center- and knows it's too soon to be using the tiny robot on a living patient's brain. But, Jessie's department chief is too busy to worry about such ethics. And neither of them has any idea that ARTIE will attract a patient from their worst nightmares.
Claude Malloche is a master assassin, more rumor than man, for whom murder is an art. No one can identity his face. Now Malloche has a deadly brain tumor, and he intends to have the best neurosurgeon in the world operate on it.
To ensure Jessie's cooperation, Malloche has devised a plan of intimidation that puts at risk her life and the lives of hundreds of innocent people. Neurosurgery requires nerves of steel, but in coming up with a scheme to fulfill her oath as a doctor while thwarting a diabolical killer, Jessie will be performing the most complex surgery of her career- on a knife-edge of terror.
Claude Malloche is a master assassin, more rumor than man, for whom murder is an art. No one can identity his face. Now Malloche has a deadly brain tumor, and he intends to have the best neurosurgeon in the world operate on it.
To ensure Jessie's cooperation, Malloche has devised a plan of intimidation that puts at risk her life and the lives of hundreds of innocent people. Neurosurgery requires nerves of steel, but in coming up with a scheme to fulfill her oath as a doctor while thwarting a diabolical killer, Jessie will be performing the most complex surgery of her career- on a knife-edge of terror.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
282 people are currently reading
1774 people want to read
About the author
Michael Palmer
67 books246 followersMichael Stephen Palmer, M.D., was an American physician and author. His novels are often referred to as medical thrillers. Some of his novels have made The New York Times Best Seller list and have been translated into 35 languages. One, Extreme Measures (1991), was adopted into a 1996 film of the same name starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Gene Hackman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
September 6, 2025
Terrorism in the operating room!
In THE PATIENT, Palmer has hypothesized ARTIE (Assisted Robotic Tissue Incision and Extraction), a technology that will assist surgeons in the removal of previously inoperable tumors and crafted a high voltage suspense thriller set in the arena of the neurosurgery operating rooms of EMMC, Eastern Massachusetts Medical Center. When Carl Gilbride, the tyrannical head of the department overrules the decision of Jessie Copeland, his finest surgeon, and successfully uses ARTIE to save the life of a world class Olympic gymnast, a veritable firestorm of publicity results attracting the attention of other surgeons, scientists, foundations, grant-giving authorities and dying patients desperate to get in line for a life-saving operation with this new technology.
It also comes to the ears of Claude Malloch, a shadowy, ruthless, mercenary assassin known to the CIA and the FBI as responsible for the deaths of over 500 people. Malloch has decided that, whatever it takes, nobody will stand in the way of his getting to the front of the line for the removal of a growing brain tumour that will certainly be his own call to the grim reaper. Alex Bishop, the relentless and obsessed CIA agent who has spent five years on the heels of Malloch after his brother's murder, tracks him to the hospital and tricks Jessie Copeland into helping him with his plans to capture Malloch.
Standing tall beside other tales such as Tess Gerritsen's HARVEST or Robin Cook's COMA, Palmer has given us a breathtaking look at the operation of a large metropolitan hospital - the controlled chaos and compelling urgency of a "Code 99"; the exhilaration of success or the shattering heartbreak of failure when the hospital's "product" is the life or death of its patients; the ethical dilemmas confronted by the desire to bring cutting edge technology into use on live human patients as quickly as possible; the unforgiving and demanding long hours; the compassionate involvement, caring and humanity that must often be held in check in order for medical staff to perform as competent, objective professionals; and, of course, the political tension between administrators, department heads, doctors, residents, and nurses as employees of the hospital as an extraordinarily complex and multi-faceted corporation.
The first two thirds of the novel is a workmanlike but very compelling and fascinating description of life in the hospital. Frankly, with the plot all but in the sack, I was wondering how Palmer was planning on spinning out a further 100 pages. But, at that point, Palmer blindsides his readers with a completely unpredictable twist, ratchets the action into high gear and packs the finale with all the intensity of the finest page-turning thriller.
But, sadly, the novel ultimately failed to satisfy and what might have been great ended as merely good. Palmer brought us to the climax and ended his novel with the intensity, speed and suddenness of a NASCAR driver hitting a wall at 200 mph and disintegrating into a ball of flames. In the course of developing his main plot and fleshing out his characters, Palmer started a number of sub-plots and every dad-blasted one of them is left hanging unfinished in mid-air. When I got to the final paragraph, I actually flipped back three or four pages and re-read them suspecting that perhaps I had actually missed something. How disappointing is that?
Paul Weiss
In THE PATIENT, Palmer has hypothesized ARTIE (Assisted Robotic Tissue Incision and Extraction), a technology that will assist surgeons in the removal of previously inoperable tumors and crafted a high voltage suspense thriller set in the arena of the neurosurgery operating rooms of EMMC, Eastern Massachusetts Medical Center. When Carl Gilbride, the tyrannical head of the department overrules the decision of Jessie Copeland, his finest surgeon, and successfully uses ARTIE to save the life of a world class Olympic gymnast, a veritable firestorm of publicity results attracting the attention of other surgeons, scientists, foundations, grant-giving authorities and dying patients desperate to get in line for a life-saving operation with this new technology.
It also comes to the ears of Claude Malloch, a shadowy, ruthless, mercenary assassin known to the CIA and the FBI as responsible for the deaths of over 500 people. Malloch has decided that, whatever it takes, nobody will stand in the way of his getting to the front of the line for the removal of a growing brain tumour that will certainly be his own call to the grim reaper. Alex Bishop, the relentless and obsessed CIA agent who has spent five years on the heels of Malloch after his brother's murder, tracks him to the hospital and tricks Jessie Copeland into helping him with his plans to capture Malloch.
Standing tall beside other tales such as Tess Gerritsen's HARVEST or Robin Cook's COMA, Palmer has given us a breathtaking look at the operation of a large metropolitan hospital - the controlled chaos and compelling urgency of a "Code 99"; the exhilaration of success or the shattering heartbreak of failure when the hospital's "product" is the life or death of its patients; the ethical dilemmas confronted by the desire to bring cutting edge technology into use on live human patients as quickly as possible; the unforgiving and demanding long hours; the compassionate involvement, caring and humanity that must often be held in check in order for medical staff to perform as competent, objective professionals; and, of course, the political tension between administrators, department heads, doctors, residents, and nurses as employees of the hospital as an extraordinarily complex and multi-faceted corporation.
The first two thirds of the novel is a workmanlike but very compelling and fascinating description of life in the hospital. Frankly, with the plot all but in the sack, I was wondering how Palmer was planning on spinning out a further 100 pages. But, at that point, Palmer blindsides his readers with a completely unpredictable twist, ratchets the action into high gear and packs the finale with all the intensity of the finest page-turning thriller.
But, sadly, the novel ultimately failed to satisfy and what might have been great ended as merely good. Palmer brought us to the climax and ended his novel with the intensity, speed and suddenness of a NASCAR driver hitting a wall at 200 mph and disintegrating into a ball of flames. In the course of developing his main plot and fleshing out his characters, Palmer started a number of sub-plots and every dad-blasted one of them is left hanging unfinished in mid-air. When I got to the final paragraph, I actually flipped back three or four pages and re-read them suspecting that perhaps I had actually missed something. How disappointing is that?
Paul Weiss
April 21, 2018
This was the first novel by Michael Palmer that I had read. I wasn't familiar with him until my father had mentioned him. I have read Robin Cook and Michael Crichton and enjoyed their books so I decided to check him out. The book started out being so-so. You have a heroine neurosurgeon, a rogue CIA agent, stereotypical terrorists, and of course a budding romance between the neurosurgeon and the CIA agent. The medical portion of the story; hospital and operating room; seemed realistic, the technology riveting, and the ending of the story was fast paced. There were several twists and turns that kept the reader guessing and turning the page.
Dr. Jessie Copeland is working in the frontier of neurosurgery at Eastern Mass Medical Center in Boston. ARTIE is a tiny robot, a miracle of bio-engineering, that is poised to transform the treatment of brain tumors. She knows it is too soon to use the technology on a patient. Her department chief at EMMC does not share her reservations. He can only see the glory and prestige, and funding, that ARTIE will bring.
Claude Malloche is a remorseless terrorist without regard for human life. He is known as "the Mist" because no one knows what he looks like. He also has a brain tumor and wants it removed. 100%. No complications. There are no guarantees in brain surgery but that is what Malloche demands. He wants the best and he decides this is Jessie and ARTIE. To ensure he gets what he wants he devises a plan that includes hostages and threats of mass murder.
Alex Bishop is a rogue CIA agent who has been after Malloche for 5 years without success ... until now. An informant has told him about Malloche's tumor and Alex figures out that Malloche will choose EMMC for his treatment for the same reason Malloche does. Jessie and ARTIE. Of course Alex happens to fall in love with Jessie.
The ending is fast paced and keeps the reader turning the page to find out what happens. Several twists and turns. Jessie is smart and resourceful, Alex is on a mission, Malloche is a bad guy but he is also smart and on a mission. A predictable, but enjoyable, story and I will be reading more from Michael Palmer.
Dr. Jessie Copeland is working in the frontier of neurosurgery at Eastern Mass Medical Center in Boston. ARTIE is a tiny robot, a miracle of bio-engineering, that is poised to transform the treatment of brain tumors. She knows it is too soon to use the technology on a patient. Her department chief at EMMC does not share her reservations. He can only see the glory and prestige, and funding, that ARTIE will bring.
Claude Malloche is a remorseless terrorist without regard for human life. He is known as "the Mist" because no one knows what he looks like. He also has a brain tumor and wants it removed. 100%. No complications. There are no guarantees in brain surgery but that is what Malloche demands. He wants the best and he decides this is Jessie and ARTIE. To ensure he gets what he wants he devises a plan that includes hostages and threats of mass murder.
Alex Bishop is a rogue CIA agent who has been after Malloche for 5 years without success ... until now. An informant has told him about Malloche's tumor and Alex figures out that Malloche will choose EMMC for his treatment for the same reason Malloche does. Jessie and ARTIE. Of course Alex happens to fall in love with Jessie.
The ending is fast paced and keeps the reader turning the page to find out what happens. Several twists and turns. Jessie is smart and resourceful, Alex is on a mission, Malloche is a bad guy but he is also smart and on a mission. A predictable, but enjoyable, story and I will be reading more from Michael Palmer.
November 19, 2011
I am a sucker for medical thrillers, and this satisfied my expectations in that it had elements I liked - a busy hospital, sick patients and doctors always in a game of chess with King Death. Very busy, committed group of doctors, their leisure free lives...
The theme revolves around a busy neurosurgery department which is also doing research in using robotic neurosurgery and is so advanced that they have started trying their robot, Artie on patients. As a side-track we have a killer who is chased by a CIA agent, and finally doctors, patients, CIA and killers are entangled in a confused, horrible mess.
I love leading lady doctors who are highly accomplished, and who have nasty less intelligent bosses to boot! The first three quarters was definitely a four star read, but then the end wasn't as good..it never is...
The theme revolves around a busy neurosurgery department which is also doing research in using robotic neurosurgery and is so advanced that they have started trying their robot, Artie on patients. As a side-track we have a killer who is chased by a CIA agent, and finally doctors, patients, CIA and killers are entangled in a confused, horrible mess.
I love leading lady doctors who are highly accomplished, and who have nasty less intelligent bosses to boot! The first three quarters was definitely a four star read, but then the end wasn't as good..it never is...
June 13, 2022
This was my second time reading this book. The first time, over 20 years ago, I rated it A+. This time I would give it a B+/A-. It is a medical thriller involving terrorism, heroism, brain tumors. It has it all!!!
June 26, 2020
3.5 stars. Enjoyable escapism. Although I have been out of the clinical arena for 15 years, I spent over 30 years in; so when I read a book with a medical theme I feel like I am coming home. And that is just what reading The Patient was like as I roamed the halls & in and out of patients' rooms in the hospital with these characters. Palmer is a physician, so all of his books have an authentic ring when it comes to the medical aspects of the story. One does have to suspend belief at times with a few of the "action" scenes. There is quite an elaborate set up by the villainous cast and the ending sequence was a little hard to swallow even with such a plucky and smart heroine. There are some stock characters that populate the story but I could easily overlook that as I was drawn into the events.
The gist of the story is that a mercenary has a brain tumor and is searching for the most gifted neurosurgeon to remove the tumor and who can guarantee no neurological deficits. He drives a hard bargain and many are left dead in the wake of his search. He and his crew scope out the neurosurgeons at EMMC and the medical team, patients and city are soon to be in a life and death struggle, while a CIA operative who has been hunting this assassin for 5 years closes in.
The gist of the story is that a mercenary has a brain tumor and is searching for the most gifted neurosurgeon to remove the tumor and who can guarantee no neurological deficits. He drives a hard bargain and many are left dead in the wake of his search. He and his crew scope out the neurosurgeons at EMMC and the medical team, patients and city are soon to be in a life and death struggle, while a CIA operative who has been hunting this assassin for 5 years closes in.
February 13, 2010
To be honest, although this is an exciting read, I don't think it's superb literature; however, I so thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this particular story--the action/mystery, the high emotion, the occasional twist, and a little neuroscience (which I especially enjoyed)--that it has become one of my favorite books. It was the first Michael Palmer book I've read, and in my eyes no other book I've read by this author since has equalled it.
November 8, 2021
A good fast read. Takes place in the Boston area, in a unit for people with brain tumors. Very quick to read and the story is told well.
January 19, 2020
Riveting! I read this book while sick and almost shit myself every time I got a migraine. Now everytime my head hurts my first thought is “deadly subfrontal meningioma”, so thanks Michael Palmer for scaring the living daylights out of me, job well done.
March 23, 2015
Here's what I think. I think Michael Palmer was a good writer.That said I think every single Muslim on the face of this earth should be demanding a Royalty fee for every single American novelist who has portrayed Bad guys as Terrorist- Muslims. I also think that every single Muslim should demand a huge royalty fee for every American Novelist who has USED 9/11 as the centre of their plot.WHAT the Hell??
In this book the bad guy who is a heartless murderer- who kills for money- starts off with a very vague description from the author. BUT curiously as the book progresses his skin seems to be getting darker and darker- his features more angular and look at this all his assistants seem to be getting more and more vowels in their names.Like Faroud, and Mamoud and God knows what else. And all of a sudden they're aren't just blue meanie guns for hire- NOW they are all called Terrorists. and what d'ya think? Their weapon of choice is CHEMICAL WARFARE. What kind of stereotyping bullshit is this???God knows I am no bleeding heart but lemme tell you this guy is pulling some very chintzy heart strings to pull this plot together.Now we have heartless Muslim Terrorists threatening this lovely well meaning American Hospital.
And wait, wait- it gets better. The lead doctor - the good guy - is a WOMAN who you guessed it is Chestnut blonde with pale skin and blue eyes and LOVES, LOVES,LOVES all her patients and "like really , I mean REALLY cares about all of them" Listen - let's get this straight-this hospital is an HMO..?In an HMO anything more complicated or COSTLY than cutting the patient's toe nails gets him thrown out on his ass. With a big fat kiss goodbye.
This book is so overloaded with bullshit stereotypes that it was almost unreadable - which is a real shame because this guy was like I said a good writer.That's why I gave him the second star- because he can write. Stupid silly and even stupider. That's what this book was. JM
In this book the bad guy who is a heartless murderer- who kills for money- starts off with a very vague description from the author. BUT curiously as the book progresses his skin seems to be getting darker and darker- his features more angular and look at this all his assistants seem to be getting more and more vowels in their names.Like Faroud, and Mamoud and God knows what else. And all of a sudden they're aren't just blue meanie guns for hire- NOW they are all called Terrorists. and what d'ya think? Their weapon of choice is CHEMICAL WARFARE. What kind of stereotyping bullshit is this???God knows I am no bleeding heart but lemme tell you this guy is pulling some very chintzy heart strings to pull this plot together.Now we have heartless Muslim Terrorists threatening this lovely well meaning American Hospital.
And wait, wait- it gets better. The lead doctor - the good guy - is a WOMAN who you guessed it is Chestnut blonde with pale skin and blue eyes and LOVES, LOVES,LOVES all her patients and "like really , I mean REALLY cares about all of them" Listen - let's get this straight-this hospital is an HMO..?In an HMO anything more complicated or COSTLY than cutting the patient's toe nails gets him thrown out on his ass. With a big fat kiss goodbye.
This book is so overloaded with bullshit stereotypes that it was almost unreadable - which is a real shame because this guy was like I said a good writer.That's why I gave him the second star- because he can write. Stupid silly and even stupider. That's what this book was. JM
December 3, 2019
Ay, este ha sido un libro para olvidar... de esos thriller típicos pero que de tan típicos no sorprenden absolutamente para nada, con personajes tan pero tan clishé que se resumen en el bueno, la perfecta, el malo y la más mala y todo eso acompañado de amenazas, muertes secundarias, más estereotipos y más amenazas. En general la trama hubiera sido buena y bien llevada si no se exacerbaba la astucia y la inteligencia de Jessie al mejor estilo Robert Langdon, quien vence por si misma al maligno engendro de los malos.
March 6, 2019
This is a light read about a bad guy who bullies his way into a hospital to get what he wants. It’s less medical jargon than some of the other med thrillers, which is fine by me. For a page-turner that won’t assault you with profanity and sex, and tells a good story, this book satisfies. 3.5 stars.
December 2, 2019
it was ok but it took forever for it to get to the good stuff it was a little boring at first then got better
March 16, 2021
Tengo que dar mis aplausos a Michael Palmer porque a pesar de no haber creado una novela memorable o de grandes alturas, ha conseguido engañarme dos veces y que disfrutara leyendo. Fueron varias las veces en las que pensé "aquí la caga", pero el señor Palmer consiguió salir de forma medianamente digna de cada uno de sus propios enredos. Es bueno recordar de vez en cuando que una de las funciones de la novela es entretener y este libro ha sido una completa sorpresa en este aspecto. No consigue escapar de los clichés yankis, pero lo compensa en parte con buenos personajes femeninos y un cuidado de la materia médica adecuado, huyendo de los excesivos tecnicismos que saturan al público general, pero sin entrar en explicaciones redundantes que cansarían al lector con un mínimo de conocimientos en el campo. Definitivamente es un libro para todo aquel que desee distraerse con algo que no exija demasiado esfuerzo neuronal ni emocional.
March 24, 2025
Absolutná bomba, kniha ma veľmi bavila..
dychberúce peripetie, naozaj ostala som bez slov občas.. trošku inak napísaná ako trilery od Robina Cooka, podľa mňa o dosť viac šokujúco napísané.
“Nič, čo stojí za to, nie je jednoduché.”
“Mala pocit, akoby odovzdávala štafetový kolík v behu bosými nohami po žeravom uhlí.”
“Drž svoje očakávania na uzde, staraj sa o svoju prácu a všetko bude dobré.”
“Ale choroby a zranenia stierajú rozdiely, a či už bol gróf alebo vrah, teraz tam bezvládne ležal.”
“Pestovanie nenávisti je podobné, ako keď človek vypije jed a čaká, že umrie ten druhý.”
dychberúce peripetie, naozaj ostala som bez slov občas.. trošku inak napísaná ako trilery od Robina Cooka, podľa mňa o dosť viac šokujúco napísané.
“Nič, čo stojí za to, nie je jednoduché.”
“Mala pocit, akoby odovzdávala štafetový kolík v behu bosými nohami po žeravom uhlí.”
“Drž svoje očakávania na uzde, staraj sa o svoju prácu a všetko bude dobré.”
“Ale choroby a zranenia stierajú rozdiely, a či už bol gróf alebo vrah, teraz tam bezvládne ležal.”
“Pestovanie nenávisti je podobné, ako keď človek vypije jed a čaká, že umrie ten druhý.”
July 22, 2019
I read this book like 2years back, and I actually loved it. Although the end was kinda predictable, it still had all those twists, high tensions, emotions and mysteries. The onky Micheal Palmer book I've read so far and it was fun!
February 2, 2023
Very, very good!
July 21, 2024
The Patient was an absolute thrill. When one of the world's most wanted assassins chooses neurosurgeon's Jessie Copeland's hospital for his brain tumor removal, mass chaos ensues. Very detailed medical details and surgeries and undercover CIA agents, I was just so enchanted by this book! Outstanding
September 1, 2025
I thought this was a fast paced read about a competent neurosurgeon who is targeted by a terrorist who needs his brain tumour removed. I enjoyed it.
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August 8, 2024I can’t rate this book as after a couple of pages I just decided not to continue with it. I like to be drawn in from the first couple of pages and this wasn’t doing that, but unfair to rate … plus I have a pile of books just waiting to be read
March 20, 2023
Not my favorite by Michael Palmer. This is one of those instances where a man writes a female character and you kind of cringe. Jessie seems to lack confidence but more importantly he writes about her frantically needing a bath to soak away her troubles multiple times. I think Michael Palmer has written wonderful female characters in the past but this isn't one I would recommend. Not overly impressed by this one.
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February 25, 2017Claude Malloche was wanted by the CIA and they had found out that he had a brain tumor. He had gone to see a surgeon in Iowa. Payment was arranged to the doctor and everything was set until the doctor found out that his family was to be held hostage until the surgery was over. Malloche wanted a guarantee that it would be successful. The doctor told him that he couldn't guarantee success, it was brain surgery after all. He was then shot in the head. The patient appeared to the doctor to have both an accent and a limp. Neither were present as he walked out of the doctor's office until after he had shot and killed his secretary, whom the doctor was having an affair with.
There were neurosurgeons in Boston who were testing robots to be used in brain surgery. The CIA felt that this would be the next target for Malloche and were determined to locate him there before anyone else was harmed. One of those doctors was Jessie Copeland. They sent in an agent posing as a candy striper.
Jessie was testing a surgical robot, ARTIE, on a cadaver when something went wrong. She called in the programer after he got back from the dentist and he agreed to take a look at it. In the meantime, she went to see one of her patients. Sara Devereau was a teacher and mother of three. She was back for a third try at removing a brain tumor. Jessie knew that her last surgery, performed by her boss, Carl Gilbride, hadn't been deep enough to remove enough cells to call the surgery a success. It was just 22 months before she returned. She asked for Jessie this time. Jessie performed the surgery as best she could and was waiting for her to wake up so that she would know how the surgery went.
Gymnast Marcie Sheprow collapsed during an exhibition. It was discovered that she had a rather uncomplicated brain tumor. Her mother wasn't comfortable with a female surgeon so she went right to Carl when he entered the picture. Jessie was furious but kept her mouth shut. Dr. Gilbride sent Jessie to take his place for a lecture in Chicago without telling her what he was planning. Dr. Gilbride operated on Marci Sheprow while she was giving the lecture, using the robot to assist after telling Jessie that ARTIE hadn't yet been approved for use on live patients. Jessie returned to the hospital intending to quit her job. She was offered a promotion instead and decided that it would be best for her patients that she stay and discretely look for employment elsewhere.
Jessie's high point of that week was when she headed home after Sara's surgery, her car wouldn't start. She received assistance from a security guard, Alex Bishop. He told her that he was a former Marine medic who was in the process of applying to Northeastern's physician's assistant program. He was really an agent with the FBI. He was trying to catch Claude Malloche, a mass murderer. He was trying to get close to Jessie to get information from her on her boss, Dr. Gilbride. He had learned that they weren't close. Alex knew that Jessie was attracted to him and he was okay with that. He told himself that he wasn't attracted to her and that after he caught Malloche, he would straighten things out with her. He soon learned that he had come to care for her more than anyone he had ever met.
Jessie was loaded down with more work than ever after Dr. Gilbride's surgery using the robot. He even assigned a secretary to her to assist her with taking over a large portion of his calls. He was too busy doing talk shows and radio interviews to answer his own phone calls. No one noticed when Malloche came in to the hospital dressed as a janitor and broke into Dr. Gilbride's office.
Malloche came to the hospital disguised as the custodian of a large grant. He talked extensively with Jessie and she was surprised by the questions he asked and his perception of the personality of Dr. Gilbride. Jessie and Alex had grown closer and they began to date. Jessie came to work late one night and discovered who Alex was after he broke into her office. Alex explained about Malloche and Jessie had a hard time accepting the truth but agreed to do what she could to help.
A patient came in who had a brain tumor that insisted the use of Gilbride's robot. It was obvious that there were problems mostly because of the lack of experience by Dr. Gilbride with the robot. The patient, who was a count, died. Alex thought it was Malloche and took the body from the hospital to see if an informant could identify the body. It wasn't him. Alex thought his job was done and that he had lost Malloche again.
Meanwhile; back at the hospital, Malloche had collapsed. Since he had posed as someone else, no one knew it was him yet. He then upset Dr. Gilbride by choosing Jessie to use the robot and operate on him. The FBI agent was identified and she was killed. Arlette Malloche told everyone who was currently on duty that they would remain at the hospital until her husband's surgery was completed. He had kidnapped Emily and Jessie told him that she wanted her to assist on the surgery and he promised that he would make that happen. He took Dr. Gilbride and the hospital director into another portion of the hospital and poisoned the 4 people working in the lab. The director shut down the hospital and agreed to keep others away by stating that there had been a hazardous chemical leak.
Alex was in a bar drowning his loss of Malloche's capture when he heard about the hospital on the news. One of the patients at the hospital was pretending to remain mute and paralyzed. Jessie used her cover and had her send an email to a friend who contacted the FBI and told Alex what was going on. He received a phone call after hearing the news on TV. He began making plans to enter the hospital.
Jessie was made to go to sleep and she had a last minute text sent asking for a special mix of drugs to be administered by a certain anesthesiologist. Immediately afterward, the connection to the computer was found and the computer was destroyed. Emily showed up early in the morning and woke Jessie up. Jessie went to check on Sara and found out that she was having problems. She had to drill into her head to release some of the pressure building up and left Dr. Gilbride with her while she went into surgery.
The surgery began and Alex showed up in place of the anesthesiologist. He administered the drugs that Jessie requested that was actually truth serum. They asked Malloche the location of the drugs that were hidden throughout the city and they were given three locations. Alex was leaving when one of Malloche's men recognized him and started chasing him around the hospital. Alex got the jump on him and got away. Alex got shot but got a good hit in on Malloche's man and wounded him. He went into the room where Malloche had poisoned the lab personnel. He found some acid and when the guy got into the room, Alex threw the acid in his face. It destroyed his face and Alex also shot him in the head to make sure he was dead. He got out of the hospital and they set in motion plans to locate the drug, soman. They found and disarmed the three drug bombs. Emily had slipped a note to Alex that gave a description of Malloche's man outside the hospital and now they were looking for him.
The power went out in the hospital now and Jessie finished the surgery. It seemed to go well. Now they had to wait and see how the recovery would go. Jessie was told that they were taking her with them when the left the hospital. Sara seemed to be getting better once again. Carl was staying with her and keeping an eye out for her. All fight seemed to have gone out of him.
Jessie packed things to take with her and decided to set Malloche back a bit and delay their departure from the hospital. She took some vials of Valium to use on him. Jessie did her best to keep him tranquilized until it became life threatening. Arlette then called in a helicopter and told Jessie it was time to leave.
Alex had help and found the frequency for the transmitter and they caught Stefan when he tried and failed to detonate the three bombs. He did set off a fourth one at the capital building. Alex had been helped in finding the soman by Harry Laughlin. Harry followed Alex while he chased Stefan into the capital building and he had gotten the majority of the people out. He himself was holding his breath and Alex went in and drug him out. He thought that Harry was dead but he was just holding his breath.
One of the other agents told Alex that a helicopter was taking off at the hospital and Alex requested help in chasing down the helicopter. Grace, one of Malloche's killers, was holding a gun to the pilot's head. They forced a landing but only Emily and Dr. Gilbride were in the plane.
Jessie left with the Malloche's in an ambulance amidst all the disturbance going on around them. Jessie decided to take things into her own hands. She loaded a syringe with a paralyzing solution and while checking on Claude, injected Arlette. She forced the driver to stop and with the gun that Arlette was unable to use, ended up having to shoot both the driver and the other passenger. She tied up Arlette and then inserted a tube in her throat to prevent her from dying. Claude Malloche was still unable to move after his surgery. She used the ambulance radio to call for help. Alex and his team arrived approximately ten minutes later.
There were neurosurgeons in Boston who were testing robots to be used in brain surgery. The CIA felt that this would be the next target for Malloche and were determined to locate him there before anyone else was harmed. One of those doctors was Jessie Copeland. They sent in an agent posing as a candy striper.
Jessie was testing a surgical robot, ARTIE, on a cadaver when something went wrong. She called in the programer after he got back from the dentist and he agreed to take a look at it. In the meantime, she went to see one of her patients. Sara Devereau was a teacher and mother of three. She was back for a third try at removing a brain tumor. Jessie knew that her last surgery, performed by her boss, Carl Gilbride, hadn't been deep enough to remove enough cells to call the surgery a success. It was just 22 months before she returned. She asked for Jessie this time. Jessie performed the surgery as best she could and was waiting for her to wake up so that she would know how the surgery went.
Gymnast Marcie Sheprow collapsed during an exhibition. It was discovered that she had a rather uncomplicated brain tumor. Her mother wasn't comfortable with a female surgeon so she went right to Carl when he entered the picture. Jessie was furious but kept her mouth shut. Dr. Gilbride sent Jessie to take his place for a lecture in Chicago without telling her what he was planning. Dr. Gilbride operated on Marci Sheprow while she was giving the lecture, using the robot to assist after telling Jessie that ARTIE hadn't yet been approved for use on live patients. Jessie returned to the hospital intending to quit her job. She was offered a promotion instead and decided that it would be best for her patients that she stay and discretely look for employment elsewhere.
Jessie's high point of that week was when she headed home after Sara's surgery, her car wouldn't start. She received assistance from a security guard, Alex Bishop. He told her that he was a former Marine medic who was in the process of applying to Northeastern's physician's assistant program. He was really an agent with the FBI. He was trying to catch Claude Malloche, a mass murderer. He was trying to get close to Jessie to get information from her on her boss, Dr. Gilbride. He had learned that they weren't close. Alex knew that Jessie was attracted to him and he was okay with that. He told himself that he wasn't attracted to her and that after he caught Malloche, he would straighten things out with her. He soon learned that he had come to care for her more than anyone he had ever met.
Jessie was loaded down with more work than ever after Dr. Gilbride's surgery using the robot. He even assigned a secretary to her to assist her with taking over a large portion of his calls. He was too busy doing talk shows and radio interviews to answer his own phone calls. No one noticed when Malloche came in to the hospital dressed as a janitor and broke into Dr. Gilbride's office.
Malloche came to the hospital disguised as the custodian of a large grant. He talked extensively with Jessie and she was surprised by the questions he asked and his perception of the personality of Dr. Gilbride. Jessie and Alex had grown closer and they began to date. Jessie came to work late one night and discovered who Alex was after he broke into her office. Alex explained about Malloche and Jessie had a hard time accepting the truth but agreed to do what she could to help.
A patient came in who had a brain tumor that insisted the use of Gilbride's robot. It was obvious that there were problems mostly because of the lack of experience by Dr. Gilbride with the robot. The patient, who was a count, died. Alex thought it was Malloche and took the body from the hospital to see if an informant could identify the body. It wasn't him. Alex thought his job was done and that he had lost Malloche again.
Meanwhile; back at the hospital, Malloche had collapsed. Since he had posed as someone else, no one knew it was him yet. He then upset Dr. Gilbride by choosing Jessie to use the robot and operate on him. The FBI agent was identified and she was killed. Arlette Malloche told everyone who was currently on duty that they would remain at the hospital until her husband's surgery was completed. He had kidnapped Emily and Jessie told him that she wanted her to assist on the surgery and he promised that he would make that happen. He took Dr. Gilbride and the hospital director into another portion of the hospital and poisoned the 4 people working in the lab. The director shut down the hospital and agreed to keep others away by stating that there had been a hazardous chemical leak.
Alex was in a bar drowning his loss of Malloche's capture when he heard about the hospital on the news. One of the patients at the hospital was pretending to remain mute and paralyzed. Jessie used her cover and had her send an email to a friend who contacted the FBI and told Alex what was going on. He received a phone call after hearing the news on TV. He began making plans to enter the hospital.
Jessie was made to go to sleep and she had a last minute text sent asking for a special mix of drugs to be administered by a certain anesthesiologist. Immediately afterward, the connection to the computer was found and the computer was destroyed. Emily showed up early in the morning and woke Jessie up. Jessie went to check on Sara and found out that she was having problems. She had to drill into her head to release some of the pressure building up and left Dr. Gilbride with her while she went into surgery.
The surgery began and Alex showed up in place of the anesthesiologist. He administered the drugs that Jessie requested that was actually truth serum. They asked Malloche the location of the drugs that were hidden throughout the city and they were given three locations. Alex was leaving when one of Malloche's men recognized him and started chasing him around the hospital. Alex got the jump on him and got away. Alex got shot but got a good hit in on Malloche's man and wounded him. He went into the room where Malloche had poisoned the lab personnel. He found some acid and when the guy got into the room, Alex threw the acid in his face. It destroyed his face and Alex also shot him in the head to make sure he was dead. He got out of the hospital and they set in motion plans to locate the drug, soman. They found and disarmed the three drug bombs. Emily had slipped a note to Alex that gave a description of Malloche's man outside the hospital and now they were looking for him.
The power went out in the hospital now and Jessie finished the surgery. It seemed to go well. Now they had to wait and see how the recovery would go. Jessie was told that they were taking her with them when the left the hospital. Sara seemed to be getting better once again. Carl was staying with her and keeping an eye out for her. All fight seemed to have gone out of him.
Jessie packed things to take with her and decided to set Malloche back a bit and delay their departure from the hospital. She took some vials of Valium to use on him. Jessie did her best to keep him tranquilized until it became life threatening. Arlette then called in a helicopter and told Jessie it was time to leave.
Alex had help and found the frequency for the transmitter and they caught Stefan when he tried and failed to detonate the three bombs. He did set off a fourth one at the capital building. Alex had been helped in finding the soman by Harry Laughlin. Harry followed Alex while he chased Stefan into the capital building and he had gotten the majority of the people out. He himself was holding his breath and Alex went in and drug him out. He thought that Harry was dead but he was just holding his breath.
One of the other agents told Alex that a helicopter was taking off at the hospital and Alex requested help in chasing down the helicopter. Grace, one of Malloche's killers, was holding a gun to the pilot's head. They forced a landing but only Emily and Dr. Gilbride were in the plane.
Jessie left with the Malloche's in an ambulance amidst all the disturbance going on around them. Jessie decided to take things into her own hands. She loaded a syringe with a paralyzing solution and while checking on Claude, injected Arlette. She forced the driver to stop and with the gun that Arlette was unable to use, ended up having to shoot both the driver and the other passenger. She tied up Arlette and then inserted a tube in her throat to prevent her from dying. Claude Malloche was still unable to move after his surgery. She used the ambulance radio to call for help. Alex and his team arrived approximately ten minutes later.
January 22, 2013
Terrorists, brain tumours, crazy people, determined doctors, spunky heroine... what else could I ask for? It was short!
Admittedly, I had a hard time putting this one down. So, I didn't. I'm pretty sure that if I were to have read the full book, I would have had the same reaction to it as well. As it stands, the Reader's Digest version made it so I could finish the book in two days.
Why not five stars? Well, I really liked it. I didn't like it enough to say it was my favourite book EVER. Honestly terrorists books can go one way or another. Read enough of them and they become predictable. This one would be like any other action-adventure/terrorist feature film. I'm fairly sure Hollywood would add more sex scene, a few more poorly portrayed explosions, and inaccurate gun bursts though.
Admittedly, I had a hard time putting this one down. So, I didn't. I'm pretty sure that if I were to have read the full book, I would have had the same reaction to it as well. As it stands, the Reader's Digest version made it so I could finish the book in two days.
Why not five stars? Well, I really liked it. I didn't like it enough to say it was my favourite book EVER. Honestly terrorists books can go one way or another. Read enough of them and they become predictable. This one would be like any other action-adventure/terrorist feature film. I'm fairly sure Hollywood would add more sex scene, a few more poorly portrayed explosions, and inaccurate gun bursts though.
August 16, 2011
Fanastic story about a ruthless serial killer who ends up with a brain tumor that he moves heaven and earth to have removed. He kills many people and would have killed many more if not for the brave doctor and a CIA agent who work together to bring him to justice.
I listened to the book on CD and there is an author interview at the end that is really good. The author is a practicing doctor and everything he writes about in the book is now being done except the robotic cutting tool. But he says that is around the corner.
I listened to the book on CD and there is an author interview at the end that is really good. The author is a practicing doctor and everything he writes about in the book is now being done except the robotic cutting tool. But he says that is around the corner.
November 16, 2012
This was a standard suspense/thriller with a hint of romance. It was pretty entertaining, but uninspiring. The neurosurgery stuff was interesting and seemed well-researched. The characters were kinda flat and stereotypical -- brainy yet winsome and feminine neurosurgeon, hardass spy with a personal interest in his mission.
April 19, 2013
The book was a bit tedious but I stuck with it for the first third of the book. At that point, Jessie takes her recently met crush into the OR with her and an eight year old gunshot victim. At that point, it moved from "Seriously???" to "Give me a break." Turned off the narration and deleted the book.
April 22, 2010
I couldn't put it down -- fast-paced, fascinating story, well written -- and I learned a bit about brain surgery for cancer (not enough to do it myself, tho ). If you like murder mysteries, this one will appeal.
August 1, 2012
Palmer is a good author, but use of so many medical terms so frequently in the book make it a little hard to keep your attention at times. I found myself wandering off when he hits you with a full paragraph or two of nothing but medical terms. Otherwise, not bad.
April 22, 2014
I don't usually like thrillers or suspense novels, but this book held my attention because it takes place in a hospital. I happen to work in a hospital, so perhaps that gave the story a bit of an edge with me. The author knows his stuff, and the operating room scenes are fascinating.
July 13, 2010
This was worlds better than the last Michael Palmer book I read. I actually stayed up half the night trying to finish it - it was pretty exciting and very interesting.
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