Implant

by F. Paul Wilson

The New York Times–bestselling author of The Select is “one of the masters of the medical thriller and this one will keep you page-turning” (Larry King, USA Today).
 
Dr. Duncan Lathram is a brilliant plastic surgeon who recently invented a dissolving implant that allows incisions to heal without scarring. His unparalleled artistry in the operating room is the salvation of all the biggest power players in Washington, DC, whenever they need to be TV ready. Lathram appears to have it all, but something isn’t right . . .
 
When young Gina Panzella isn’t hustling as a house doctor at a local community hospital, she assists Dr. Lathram with surgery. She’s known him almost her entire life and respects him deeply, yet there are a few things about him she can’t quite figure out—like why so many of his patients are mysteriously dying.
 
Overcome with suspicion and fear, Panzella enlists the help of Gerry Canney, a high school classmate now working with the FBI, to dig deep into the doctor’s past. Soon they will discover what Lathram is truly capable of . . .

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Medical, Detective

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Francis Paul Wilson is an author, born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He writes novels and short stories primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel from 1992-1996.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...

Reviews

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways the story worked well. The beginning makes sure the reader knows who and why, but because of telling through the antagonist’s eyes from the start, there’s not much mystery. The reader is left wondering a few things, such as the full back story, but not much else. Otherwise, though, it was fun to read to see what Gina would discover, when she’d put it together, what she’d do about it, and how Lathram would react when he found out. The story isn’t unpredictable by any means, but it’s still a fun little thriller. The plot itself isn’t complicated in the least, it’s a simple straight forward ride, but there’s a certain comfort zone in these types. Wilson does an admirable job making sure the scenes work together well, keeping action alive, although it can be said that the beginning focuses strongly on other action pieces, and not the major one.

As a fault, the romance relationship between Gerry and Gina reads like a stereotypical romance. Their relationship is one of those ‘good natured’ kinds that you expect from Avon or Historical types. When they’re together it’s hunky dory, and, despite any problems unraveling later on, the way they respond to each other is a bit formulaic. I also found her internal dismissal of the past love unrealistic and convenient. That aside, I did enjoy their characters individually, and can’t fault Wilson too much on this.

Some of the scenes, particularly in the end, are full of suspense and written in a tight pace that kept my heart thumping.

Gina is hard-working and determined, and, even though a bit wooden, turned out to be an entertaining protagonist. Gerry, also wooden, came across as a nice guy, the perfect doting father with a traumatic background to his wife. Strangely enough, the most fun person to read through was the antagonist, Lathram. Wilson made sure the reader understood his reasoning; he definitely wasn’t a bad guy all the way through, just a confused one, and a lot of sympathy/empathy was on his side.

The main story long wasn’t strong in the beginning chapters, but it was still entertaining because something was always happening in the scenes. The pacing was consistent and didn’t feel rushed, nor too slow. Plot kept traveling uphill on a steady path, picking up frequency at the top, unraveling well at the resolution.

Wilsons style is direct, uncomplicated, and unhurried. He injects enough detail, and changes the wording when in a point of view of another character. As an example, the character of Lathram uses large, rare words…because of this, most of the scenes he’s involved in uses more complex descriptive vocabulary. When Wilson uses medical jargon, he makes sure it’s spelled out for the reader as to what it is. One of the first chapters speaks of a pulmonary embolism, and the definition is given through Gina’s eyes via internal dialogue. While sometimes this technique is frowned upon because it can take the reader out of the story and remind him/her they’re reading, it works here and isn’t used too often. Dialogue is convincing and used when needed, description isn’t relied on too heavily, and all things come out nicely trimmed and well edited.

The medical thriller turns out to be a story with an easy to follow plot, predictable twists and turns, but still is light and enjoyable reading. I wasn’t disappointed reading through this, but I suspect Wilson offers better stuff. I remember reading ‘The Touch’ years back, and remember enjoying it more than this. Don’t pass this one up if you own it or see it somewhere cheaply, but don’t go in expected a literary orgasm either. Wilson does his stuff well enough, but you don’t get fireworks.

[Jon Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The medical thriller meets DEATHWISH in this fast paced offering from F. Paul Wilson, as a plastic surgeon wages a personal vendetta against politicians determined to change healthcare in this country, potentially for the worst. But are his motives really that crystal clear?

Originally published in 1995, this prescient novel foresaw the coming of government interference in healthcare, and remains timely to this day.

A must-read for anyone who enjoys a solid, intelligent thriller by one of the best in the business.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The references to "the car phone" and "the payphone" were so odd. I kept thinking, "When was this written??" After I finished it I looked and it was 1995. Didn't we have cell phones by then?! Maybe not but it is hard to believe there was a time when emergencies just had to wait until someone came by or you had to walk to a phone (how sad HAHA).

The story itself seemed forced. I don't like to be given "clues" as to how the story is going to progress. I'm an adult, you can just let it evolve naturally (or organically as people like to say - you know, without all those harmful pesticides and fertilizers).

I like a good medical thriller where some crazy doctor feels it is her/his right to kill off whoever she/he sees fit. I mean they went to school for 8-12 years so they are entitled, right? What is really scary is when you find a doc who really believes this because who is to say there are not medical "professionals" out there who are employing this philosophy right now? I'm talking about pre-clinical drug science folks: the toxicologists and veterinary pathologists, radio chemists, regulatory affairs folks....etc etc,...people you don't really think about because you never see them.

It could be happening right now.....scary.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dr. F. Paul Wilson may know his way around a hospital and how to use a thesaurus but his ideas about smart young women are so off it is ridiculous. Gina Panzella...the heroine in this story idolizes Dr. Duncan Lathram. Granted, he had performed surgery on her when she was a young girl, then she worked part-time in his office when she was a pudgy and of course, pimply, teenager but apparently that's not enough adoration for Dr. F's female character. Now as an adult and a busy doctor in her own right, she is still assisting him in his new field, cosmetic surgery and still trying to win his approval.
Gina, who has left behind the man she loves, to go forth and make a difference in the world, falls madly in love with FBI agent Gerald (Gerry) Canney. When Gerry, a former highschool classmate recognizes her and waits around to speak with her, he refers to her by an old, unflattering nickname - Pasta Panzella. Really? I have to ask myself right here, what kind of an idiot would do that & expect any woman to respond positively to that remark? But Dr. F. apparently thinks that this is the stuff of romance. Gina had a school-girl crush on Gerry all those years ago when he was of course, captain of the swim team, co-captain and quarterback of the football team and an honor student. But all he can remember about her is that her nickname was Pasta Panzella.
If this isn't enough to make you want to fling the book at Dr. F for creating such an unflattering image of a "smart, young woman", it gets even more ridiculous with the ending. What do I think? I think that publishers who consider this worthy material should have their eyes plucked out and doctors who write like this should stick to prescriptions.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another medical thriller by Wilson and another good read. This is a bit of a slow burn, especially for a thriller, but Wilson decided to take the time an really develop a complex set of main characters before the final showdown at the end. Our lead is Gina Panzella, a young doctor returning to D.C. after her internship in New Orleans. Gina moved to D.C. in hopes of being a special advisor on a government task force exploring ethics and the medical profession. When she returned to D.C., she found a job with her idol from childhood. It seems Gina was hit badly by a car and Dr. Duncan Lathram, a very skilled surgeon, saved her life. From then on, she wanted to be a doctor. Dr. Duncan now runs a plastic surgery for exclusive clients, including government big-wigs. Gina does not know why Duncan gave up his vascular practice, but he says that the plastic surgery is hassle free, etc.

I will not go on with the plot, because with a thriller, that is half the fun. Gina is an interesting character-- a strong woman who changed her life after a traumatic childhood. She comes from a loving home, but she had severe weight problems as a teen, earning her the nickname 'pasta'. Now she is a beauty (of course) and wants to help out with the drafting of new regulations on medical practice via the federal government. Her emerging love interest is a little cheesy-- the former high school stud quarterback/dean's list hunk, who now works for the FBI. Wilson does not seem to be able to produce romantic interests without a lot of cheese involved, but so it goes.

Dr. Duncan is also a complex character. Usually, thrillers divide evenly into good/guys, but Duncan, while the villain, also helps out (covertly) at a free clinic in D.C., working on kids with disfigurements for free. What happened to Duncan that turned his life around enough to start basically turning various senators and congress critters into raving basket cases and/or kill them? It is a sad, but plausible story.

Wilson does a great job with the corruption in D.C., and is fairly scathing at times-- its all about the Benjamins and influence. The side digressions on politics come through loud and clear, and made me add half a star to the rating, still not enough to round up to 4 stars, however. While complex characters are fine, this was a little slow and the ending dragged on to where we pretty much new it would end up.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I last read a straight-forward medical thriller in the vein of Robin Cook... IMPLANT is a solid, though unremarkable, novel--entertaining enough, but overly long and predictable. As a fan of F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack series, I was expecting more.
That being said, two aspects of this novel do manage to stand out. First, Wilson does a first-rate job with all the medical stuff, putting his real-life experience as a General Practitioner to good literary use. Second, at the heart of this book is a fascinating discussion of the pitfalls of government-run health care. To a large extent, it seems IMPLANT was written in response to Hillary Clinton's proposed health care plan back in the early 90's, though it remains just as relevant today in light of the national fiasco known as Obamacare. It is this aspect of the novel that really makes IMPLANT pop, providing the story's villain with a highly intriguing--not to mention surprisingly relatable--motive behind his deplorable actions.

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 3.5 that I rounded up because it was very fast paced an the pages turned quickly. A top notch plastic surgeon becomes the ultimate vigilante against corrupt politicians. The novel was quirky because the reader can empathize with the antagonist. Our heroine is extremely likeable and I cared what happened to her which defines a good novel for me. Good read.

[Osman Junior · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Patrick McMullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had me right until the end. Wasn't sure who was the bad guy.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I think that rating books is unfair. One isn't saying how the book is, but how they viewed it at the time. There are too many things that can be going on in my life that can make me less receptive to a book from one week to the next. My 2 stars ("it was ok") rating reflects how I felt this week and this year reading this. Why do I ramble about this point? It's because 10-12 years ago, a little closer to the time this was written, I would have happily given this 4 stars. This would be before I'd exhausted the thriller genre of gems and started realizing how much formula there is. It's a fine example of a formulaic thriller. 5 years ago, I would have given this 3 stars. This is when I was finishing my tour of F. Paul Wilson's grand Secret History of the World series. I loved virtually every book, but this one lacked a lot of what I enjoyed about those - namely, the supernatural elements. I think F. Paul Wilson is better at horror than plain thrillers.

Today, this is 2 stars, because:
- I think I'm just done with the thriller genre. Unless it's a fusion with horror or science fiction, I haven't found anything I genuinely enjoyed in probably 2 years or more.
- ...especially medical thrillers. There are about 3 you can read (pick one from Michael Palmer, Robin Cook, and Tess Gerritsen), and you've read them all.
- In this case, I think Wilson weakened the book by including narratives from the villainous doctor. The back cover synopsis made it sound more intriguing from the protagonist's point of view: "What is this doctor up to?" Having every 3rd chapter be from his perspective only weakened the flow.

To be fair, this was a relatively early work for the author, especially among stand-alone non-sci-fi thrillers.

[Mike Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a medical thriller, Implant, for this reader comes up a bit short. Set in Washington, DC, in the midst of congressional hearings on upcoming guidelines for medical practitioners, a young, beautiful (of course) physician decides she should leave her medical work for a position on the congressional committee. Her aim is vaguely "to make a difference," but specifics on how she hopes to accomplish this are few. Her current boss, a cosmetic surgeon, formerly vascular surgeon of note, is out to make a difference too. He performs limited cosmetic surgical procedures on several members of the committee. While he's at it, he implants a tiny device that is activated by ultrasound, which he controls. When the implant is activated, the subject goes berserk. The first couple of attempts don't turn out well. The surgeon, whose vascular surgery practice was ruined by these same congressmen, only aims to ruin reputations, as his was ruined. But one victim leaps out of a window, another crashes his car. His final aim is, of course, the president.
The plot is thin at best. Besides the surgeon, the other two characters, beautiful doctor lady and the rugged FBI agent she reconnects with are flat and predictable. Of course they thwart the attempt on the president, of course they become a romantic item. There are a few twists and turns in the last third of the book, but the outcome is never really in doubt.

[Dollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay medical thriller. When Gina was a child, a surgeon, Dr. Duncan Lathram, saved her life. Now Gina’s grown up, and has become a doctor herself. Duncan hires her to work in his practice. His brother, Oliver, also works there and is friends with Gina and tells her about some new implants he’s developed to distribute medication. Unfortunately, that starts Gina suspecting that Duncan used the implants, filled with a chemical that can make one psychotic (which she found a bottle of in Duncan's office), to exact revenge against some politicians he recently performed cosmetic surgery on. They all ended up either dead or insane. Gina then discovers that Duncan is going to perform cosmetic surgery on the President. She has to stop him. Good thing she has a boyfriend in the FBI. I liked the characters, but the story was just okay. I bought the book for a dollar at Goodwill because I hadn’t read anything by F. Paul Wilson in a very long time and remember I liked some of his stories.

[NicholeReadsWithCats · Rating 2 out of 5]

Implant had an interesting premise but fell a bit short. Duncan, a prominent vascular surgeon turned plastic surgeon has a vendetta against policy makers in Washington who ruined his vascular practice. He also happens to be the go to surgeon for them. He is intent on revenge.

Gina is a doctor who works for Duncan, he saved her life after an accident as a teen and she adores him.

The problems start when Gina meets Gerry an old classmate from high school. They weren't friends in high school, he doesn't even remember her real name, instead he refers to her as "Pasta". They instantly fall in love. Their relationship is a large part of the plot, it's boring and feels forced.

The main problem with Implant is it was incredibly predictable. I did enjoy reading it and with a few plot tweaks it could have been much better.

[Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young doctor takes a new career turn - putting her in Washington DC with hopes of getting on medical oversight committee, etc. Her idol, and reason for practicing medicine, is beginning to act strange after local politicians seem to be dropping like flies. Dr. Panzella tries to uncover what is really going on and if it's too late.
Implant is a mediocre Medical thriller that doesn't really thrill at all. The story is quick and to the point, but there's much that's left unsaid (it's in the past...). The story seemed to be writing itself- unfolding in such a predictable manner. I suppose it's good for a quick read, but it didn't leave me craving for more F. Paul Wilson.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

A wonderful read, an appealing fleshed out lead character and a bad guy with a good side.
I really enjoy books written before laptops, smartphones and google have made things easy to look up..when the good guys had to dig for information.
Thoroughly enjoyable and a great Ning!

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read anything from this author up to a year ago. Since then I have read three of his book and each time was quite impressed. This one as a medical thriller was very taut throughout and it was hard to imagine how he was going to keep up the pace. Simple answer is that he did pull it off.

[Ellen Runge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robin Cook is SO much better at writing medical thrillers.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Can a Dr. learn to be a writer better than a writer can learn to write about medicine? Not in this case.

[Jenn Iannaconi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much toxic masculinity and fat shaming for my taste.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has numerous problems. The first being how dated it is, the concept of a sympathetic villain who is concerned about Government oversite in health care when we now live in an age of GoFundMe's for basic care seems quaint at best.
Then there's the ending which seems slapped together like the author was just riffing, including one major plot hole I'll avoid because of spoilers.
There is one specific very crucial important "twist near the end that I swear will make you release an exasperated, "Really?"
It isn't all bad, the character development is solid, which is the book's saving grace

[Julie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid thriller with some nice intense moments (especially the sequence with Duncan chasing Gina). I didn't love the political moments simply because I find politics so depressing in real life, but that was a me problem. The narrative forgot about a certain characters locked somewhere which I wish had been resolved. I always find the theme of "who will believe you?" hard to read, and it was well done here. If someone asked for a book where the main character endures gaslighting and manipulation by the antagonist I'd point them towards this book. The book dragged at times and I didn't find the side characters compelling or memorable, but overall a decent read.

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young female internist works for a renowned surgeon and finds out he's using a discontinued serum to mentally incapacitate certain politicians.
Wilson is a suspense writer and most well-known for penning the Repairman Jack series. Having read the entire series, it's hard to not draw comparisons (Gerry for Jack, Gina for Gia). I can't say it's nearly as successful, but becomes better as the story escalates.

[Mam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though (or, perhaps because) this book was written in 1995, it is a great read. WAY before government/medicine became completely welded together, this story addresses some of the realities faced today. It's a fast read. Think about the world before everyone over the age of 10 (and some younger) had a smart phone able to do much more than the mainframe computers of the day.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

very exciting, full of the milieu of the medic of course but with an almost enchantingly whimsical look back at the time it was published (mobile phones were new! imagine!). I utterly enjoyed the twists and turns, and of course, how can anyone be unhappy with the last sentence? Bravo.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book

This is the first book I've read by F. Paul Wilson. I must say that I'm impressed. The book is fast paced with well rounded characters and a great plot. I'm glad I learned about the book and decided to read it.

[Mike Giess · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel approach

Lots of twists and turns, but predictable. I liked the premise of the book, but the implementation was formulaic. I also disliked the many errors in grammar and spelling in the ebook format.

[J.C. Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy and fun read that devotes similar time to the protagonist and the antagonist. The romance is two-dimensional, but the relationships between the doctors is interesting. There are a few twists, but they don't change the direction of the plot. It kept me interested to the end.

[Tomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story written in 1995, a time before smart phones, tablets, laptops and google let us find answers easily.

Well fleshed out characters, a good story and a great ending.

[Andy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good.