Do No Harm

by Gregg Hurwitz, Scott Brick (Narrator)

Division chief of emergency services at UCLA hospital, David Spier is just as horrified as his colleagues when a madman wielding a beaker of drain cleaner attacks an ER nurse who happens to be the sister of an LAPD cop. But when he uncovers the abuse the assailant suffered as a child in a psychological experiment Spier's own mother signed off on decades ago, David puts his career in jeopardy to keep Clyde Slade safe from a policeman bent on vengeance, even after Slade attacks the woman David loves and threatens his life. Gregg Andrew Hurwitz packs the pages with enough medical details and procedures to keep ER fans satisfied until summer reruns are over with this foray into Jonathan Kellerman territory. Spier's no Alex Delaware, at least not yet, but while Hurwitz has a way to go before he approaches Delaware's creator in plotting and pacing, he's on the right track. --Jane Adams

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery, Medical, Suspense, Crime

Audible Audio

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Gregg Hurwitz is the critically acclaimed, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 20 novels, including OUT OF THE DARK (2019). His novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 30 languages.

He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt much longer than its 388 pages.

Do No Harm was pure melodrama, so packed with medical jargon that I could barely understand it. Dr. David Speer is the head of UCLA Medical Center's ER department, and the book opens with several different trauma cases he handles before the OR teams finally meander over from wherever they're woolgathering. One of the worst is when a woman is rushed in with severe burns to her eyes, face, mouth and throat. A madman has thrown liquid lye on her, and the ER staff has to figure it all out before the caustic nature of the chemical liquefies her soft tissues - including her lungs.

I mean, wow - how horrifying and gross. Besides having zero understanding of technical medical lingo, most of the first half was about a jurisdictional beef between LAPD and the campus cops (one of the LAPD guys is the brother of the victim). Unfortunately for Dr. Speer, everybody develops an intense dislike for him based on his adherence to the Hippocratic Oath when a prime suspect is brought in for treatment...

The second half of the book did a good job of getting me invested as the search for the nutjob heats up. Dr. Speer inserts himself in the investigation, rattling the already-short-fused detectives and making a target of himself and the people he cares about most. So much of this book requires huge leaps of believability, especially in this section, but at least I was entertained.

I'm guessing readers with more medical familiarity would enjoy this novel most (I don't know how accurate it is, but at least those folks are likely to understand it). For me, this was okay and now that I've read several of Gregg Hurwitz's other non-Orphan X novels, I'm 99% sure he should just stick to his popular vigilante series.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do No Harm is an utterly captivating thriller that is certainly going on my favorite reads for 2015 list. A vengeful sadist is attacking the E.R. of the UCLA Medical Center. David Spier, chief of the E.R., must keep his head and his humanity to deal with the problem.

A good novel must start with a hook and this book certainly does. After this gripping beginning, the story simply doesn't let go of the reader until the very last sentence. From the busy life in the E.R. to police politics and procedure as well as the twisted lifestyle and mind of the villain, the reader gets to experience it all in vivid detail.

Dr. David Spier, is a likable, well fleshed out main character. The difficult decisions and choices he must make shows him as an ethical and compassionate man.

Although the villain is portrayed as a really sick and twisted individual, I couldn't help feeling a touch of sympathy for him. The back stories of all the key characters are given in detail thus giving the story body and credibility.

This book, filled with medical drama, suspense, some romance and some truly heartwarming scenes is an absolute must-read. Set against a realistic background, Do No Harm is the kind of page-turner you do not want to miss. (Ellen Fritz)

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love my new library -- they have books I've not been able to acquire from my old library so I'm going back to Hurwitz' early writings and was not disappointed in Do No Harm. This is a medical thriller in which a man is targeting the medical personnel of a large hospital in a vicious way and no one knows why. Very descriptive so if you have a queasy stomach, beware!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A killer is stalking an emergency room. When caught, the killer has to go to the emergency room himself! Then someone tries to be nice...

Gory and gruesome.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Hurwitz novel but it was still entertaining and action-packed. I just kept wondering how the story could keep going, it felt like several times it could have been wrapped up but then Clyde would once again escape capture - but I didn't have that excitement that I should have that the story was carrying on.

Clyde, a severally mentally ill individual, understandably, is attacking hospital staff by throwing alkaloid (not acid, which the book notes repeatedly) in his victims faces - which acts like acid. Dr. David Spier, the ER chief, has to treat his own staff after these brutal attacks and eventually Clyde himself after the police nab him and he accidently pours alkaloid on himself. The police are eager to get him out of the hospital after which it's questionable if in police custody he'll make it to jail alive. Dr. Spier does his best to protect Clyde despite his heinous crimes to insure that he stands trial for his crimes. However, in his care, Clyde manages to escape which the police believe was with Dr. Spier's assistance turning both the police and the hospital staff against him. Dr. Spier tries to find Clyde on his own and get him to go with him to surrender to the police. Along the way Spier gets help from, "Ed", a shadow character with a lot of connections and knowledge that he does not want the police knowing about.

Ed was my favorite character. He felt like an early prototype to Hurwitz's Orphan X series which is one of my absolute favorite series about a government-trained black-ops assassin who escapes the life and turns his skills to helping those that no one will help.

Scott Brick, the narrator, can do no wrong and makes every book better just with his beautiful reading.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started right into the serial killer throwing alkali on a nurse right outside the ER where she worked. UCLA nurses are being targeted by Clyde, an evil psychologically impaired individual who has a dreadful past. At one time he did this he was caught by the police and admitted to the ER because his container of Drain-Eze spilled all over him. The Chief of the ER, Dr. David Spier, treated him and then kept prolonging his release. Police, hospital employees, everyone was angry with him - I really had a hard time with this too. He just kept prolonging his stay because he was "sick" and needed a psych eval and treatment. This is true but it wasn't his call to keep him in the hospital, he should have turned him over to the police.

Clyde escaped and the horror that followed touched everyone including Dr. Spier personally.

This was a good book that kept you turning the pages. There was never a slow point in the story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Nickvlad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story moves along well and the depiction of the antagonist is done very well with some very disturbing details of his life and lifestyle.

However, the protagonist is an annoying, self-righteous fool for most of the book. A lot of the other characters are common cliches. The violent, vengeful cop who's willing to break any law to get the villain, the incredibly well-dressed detective with a frightful slob for a partner, a young doctor who makes an error in the ER and then has to be coaxed back to work, and, of course, the jerk doctor who's always off screwing around or eating instead of covering the ER.

Overall, I would say this is not a bad book, but it could have been much, much better.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the hospital drama. Pace built up towards the end, but overall it just felt a little too long. Everything it needed technically was there, but just didn't quite hit the mark like his Orpham X novels do. Interesting interview at the end about how the author likes to have ethical issues included in his books.

[Sabrina S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2....... Gregg Hurwitz & Scott Brick - a winning combination! Hurwitz never disappoints!

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this one and it was a mixed bag for me. The opening was fantastic. Completely engrossing but the rest of the story, up until the last 100 pages or so, was just okay. I didn't feel any attachment to the characters and kept wondering why the heck no one could capture a guy that was in plain sight. I don't know, I guess I had hoped for more? Needed more? Don't get me wrong, I liked the characters, and I hope we get to see these characters again, but something just seemed missing. Too many loose ends.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably my all-time favorite. Or close, if it isn't. It's not literary in the least but it is such an awesome story. It makes you really think about medical ethics. Is it still right to heal someone who has caused others so much pain and suffering? And the characters are very likable... except the bad guy. This book got me started on the whole medical thing. Gregg Hurwitz is a talented author and I would definitely recommend his other books.

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF after 160 pages. I have read most of Hurwitz’s novels and enjoyed most, but I’m afraid that DoNo Harm will join The Tower - stories where the author seems more intent with grossing the reader out than in writing a good thriller. Overly graphic disturbing details of the sociopaths lifestyle, events in the ER and Morgue, stereotype characters and improbable circumstances put it over the top for me.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-righteous ER doctor does not trust that the police will do the right thing with a psychotic criminal that is brought to the hospital. Doc breaks many laws trying to help the criminal and ends up getting himself and everyone else into lots of trouble. In his arrogance, he tries to fix everything himself often just making things worse. The main character is pretty annoying, but the book is otherwise well written and interesting.

[Meredith C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those 99 cent used books you pick up for a road trip. Entertaining, keeps you turning pages, but at the same time you know it's the silliest thing ever. Gruesome villain, perfect hero, graphic crime on the first page... yeah, pretty much a suspense for Law and Order SVU watchers. But I finished it and was pleased with the ending. So there.

[Polly John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was tough to get through. Way too much "medical jargon" for the average reader......the story line was different and interesting, but it just got bogged down too often for my taste. Took me a long time to get through this one.

[Allan McLeod · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting medical-steeped psychological thriller, although, for me, a tad too long with improbable scenarios.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story overall, but there are lots of plot strings left open and the ending was awful.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hadn't realized that this was a :medical Thriller" until Dr. Spier began his incompetent sleuthing. I'm an emergency physician, and the story may be realistic and plausible but the role that the good doctor plays in the search for bad/crazy guy Clyde is simply not believable nor possible in a city the size of Los Angeles.
Dr. Spier, portrayed as a tragic figure because of the sudden death of his wife two years earlier, has a host of other psych problems. He is in firm possession of the doctors' "God Complex." He cruises arounf the university medical center area in his spiffy Mercedes as he purports to treat the rich an the poor alike. He can't help himself from condescending comments to his colleagues and residents, His arrogance leads him to make selfish and stupid decisions about the assailant, a schizophrenic who derives power from tossing "Drain-Eze" on attractive women's faces. Not unexpectedly, he is ostracized after he facilitates the bad guy's escape from his care and the hospital. He then assaults a colleague who was eating a hot dog while delivering death news to a family member. He loses his job as the ED chief and, incredibly, is sanctioned by a police detective to continue his pursuit of Crazy Clyde. All the while he is romantically pursued by one of his residents but, in the name keeping work out of the bedroom, he denies his feelings for Diane, relenting only after Clyde doses her with a mini splash of lye. The book ends with Clyde dying in David's arms in the morgue with Diane lovingly watching just as the detectives arrive with their M-16's at the ready. I suppose the story lends support to the need for better mental health services, but that cause is certainly not supported by an egomaniacal doctor who needs some serious counselling of his own. Give me a break...

[James Wirrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gregg Hurwitz knows how to write a good suspense story and the action does keep moving in this book. What makes this book less enjoyable is that there seemed to be a (what I thought of) "baton of gross incompetence" that was passed between the police and protagonist. It seemed to me that throughout the story, someone or some group was constantly making an unbelievably and uncharacteristically stupid decision. I get that one always needs to suspend a certain level of disbelief when reading good thrillers, but this book really took it up a notch. Think of it as the opposite of a deus ex machina that sweeps in to "save the day" with an unbelievable thing (e.g., in the new Magnum PI, the Juliet Higgins character seems to be able to access real-time satellite images at moments notice along with facial recognition software such that whenever they lose a suspect, they call Higgins and she finds the person within 5 minutes). Well, in this book, its the opposite - things seem settled, before someone makes an unbelievably stupid move and the suspect gets away again. The protagonist, Dr. David Spier is likeable enough, but his utter incompetence and idiocy is incredibly costly. Aside from that, I found that some threads were raised to give color to the story at one point, then completely dropped and never followed up on subsequently. This was one of Hurwitz's earliest books, and while one can see the story telling skill strongly, it is clear that Hurwitz still needed to work out some plotting issues. This is a good book for Hurwitz fans to read. If you haven't read Hurwitz yet, my suggestion is to start with one of his later books.

[Miłośniczka Książek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Najbardziej newralgicznym oddziałem każdego szpitala jest ostry dyżur. To tu podejmowane są decyzje, od których zależy życie trafiających nań pacjentów. Pracujący na nim lekarze mają zawsze ręce pełne roboty i ani chwili na odpoczynek. Złożona przez nich przysięga Hipokratesa zobowiązuje do niesienia pomocy każdemu, kto tego potrzebuje, bez względu na okoliczności i wyznawane przez siebie wartości. A przynajmniej tak być powinno...

Kiedy jednak na oddział ratunkowy Centrum Medycznego w Los Angeles trafia jedna z jego pracownic, której twarz ktoś oblał ługiem, silnie żrącym środkiem stosowanym m.in przez hydraulików do udrażniania rur, na bok idzie etyka lekarska, a górę biorą emocje. Nikogo nie powinno więc dziwić, że kiedy po trzecim, na szczęście udaremnionym ataku, na oddział trafia ciężko ranny sprawca tych brutalnych napadów, prawie nikt nie rusza się z miejsca, aby udzielić mu pomocy. Patrzą jedynie z pogardą i nienawiścią na cierpiącego, wijącego się z bólu na ziemi człowieka, i tylko ordynator oddziału - dr David Spier jako jedyny z personelu widzi w nim pacjenta, który wymaga natychmiastowej pomocy lekarskiej. Nie podejrzewa jednak, że jego próba dochowania wierności przysiędze złożonej przed laty da początek prawdziwemu koszmarowi, który zagrozi nie tylko jego przyszłości jako lekarza, ale również życiu jego samego oraz najbliższych mu osób. Gdy z oddziału ucieka groźny pacjent, David na własną rękę stara się go wytropić. Pomocą służy mu Ed Pinkerton, człowiek zagadka, o stu twarzach i przeróżnych umiejętnościach oraz zainteresowaniach, który dzięki temu, że działa na granicy prawa (a często i poza nią) jest niesamowicie skuteczny w tym, co robi. Rozpoczyna się wyścig z czasem i przepychanki z policją, walka z naciskami ze strony zarządu szpitala oraz bezwzględnymi mediami, które niczym hieny zwietrzyły trop sensacji na pierwsze strony gazet.

"Ostry dyżur" to dzieło Gregga Hurwitza, amerykańskiego pisarza i scenarzysty, absolwenta Harvardu i Oksfordu, który w swym dorobku literackim ma kilkanaście wysoko ocenionych thrillerów oraz kilkadziesiąt komiksów napisanych dla Marvela. To wielokrotnie nominowany przez International Thriller Writers i Crime Writers Association w kategorii "najlepszej powieści kryminalnej" autor, który współpracuje z największymi amerykańskimi studiami filmowymi jak Paramount, MGM czy Warner Bros. A ja zadaję sobie teraz pytania: jakim cudem dotąd o nim nie słyszałam? ; jak to się stało, że żadna z jego powieści nie trafiła prędzej w moje ręce?. Dlatego też cieszę się, że miałam okazję przeczytać "Ostry dyżur", bo teraz jestem przynajmniej świadoma tego, jak wiele traciłam nie obcując z jego twórczością. Już teraz, po lekturze zaledwie tej jednej książki, która wyszła spod pióra Hurwitza, z pełnym przekonaniem rzec mogę, iż jest to autor, po którego dzieła sięgać będę odtąd dosłownie w ciemno. Świetnie pisze. Posiada niebywały talent wciągania czytelnika w wir wydarzeń rozgrywających się w jego powieści już od pierwszych jej stron. Doskonale dawkuje i stopniuje napięcie, dzięki czemu nie opuszczało mnie ono ani przez chwilę podczas czytania książki. Jego bohaterowie są pełnokrwiści, wyraziści, namacalni. Na pierwszym planie mamy Davida oraz sprawcę brutalnych napadów na pracownice szpitala i to historie tej dwójki dane jest nam poznać najlepiej. Co w żadnym wypadku nie oznacza, że bohaterowie drugoplanowi zostali w jakiś sposób pominięci czy potraktowani w sposób powierzchowny. Mamy tu do czynienia z całą paletą różnobarwnych postaci, z których każda odgrywa mniejszą bądź większą rolę w całej historii i bez których nie byłaby ona już taka sama.

Podczas lektury najbardziej podziwiałam Davida, jego oddanie pracy i wierność przysiędze Hipokratesa. To prawdziwy lekarz z powołania, dla którego życie pacjentów stanowi największą wartość, niezależnie od tego, kim są czy co takiego zrobili. Jest wymagający i sumienny. Przez całe życie stara się sprostać pokładanym w nim nadziejom oraz wymaganiom wynikającym z jego pochodzenia. Oboje jego rodzice byli wysoko wykwalifikowanymi lekarzami, dlatego też tak bardzo Davidowi zależy na tym, aby i jego opinia była nieposzlakowana. Jednak podczas prowadzonego przez siebie prywatnego śledztwa odkrywa, że jego matka wcale nie była taka święta, za jaką pragnęła uchodzić. Przed laty wydarzyło się coś przerażającego, co bezczelnie zostało zatuszowane i zamiecione pod dywan. Teraz jednak David będzie musiał wyciągnąć niewygodne fakty na światło dzienne, jeśli chce, aby jego śledztwo posunęło się do przodu.

Z drugiej strony mamy człowieka napadającego na niewinne kobiety, oszpecającego ich twarze za pomocą silnie żrącej substancji. W oczach społeczeństwa jest bestią, która nie ma prawa stąpać po tej ziemi, której należy się najsroższa z możliwych kar. Nikt nie zastanawia się, dlaczego to robi. Nie interesuje, co nim kieruje, jaki ma motyw. Zauważają jedynie przerażające akty przemocy i brutalność jego ataków. Jedynie doktor Spier pragnie dociec prawdy, doszukać się sensu w tych napadach i w miarę możliwości pomóc człowiekowi, który się ich dopuszcza. A nie jest to łatwe, kiedy zewsząd czuć jedynie wszechobecną nienawiść i pragnienie zemsty. Przyznać muszę, że kiedy w końcu w pełni poznałam historię tego osobnika, nie czułam do niego nienawiści, a głębokie współczucie i żal do całego społeczeństwa, że z góry go osądziło i postanowiło zlinczować. Bo prawda jest taka, że jest on "zdruzgotanym mężczyzną brnącym przez życie, prawie niezdolnym spojrzeć ludziom w oczy" i tylko David potrafił dostrzec w nim coś więcej, niż jedynie zwierzę, które trzeba wyeliminować.

"Cała ta przemoc jest swego rodzaju próbą dochodzenia sprawiedliwości. Brutalność to po prostu samoobrona. Większość przestępstw ma zastąpić wstyd dumą (...) Brutalne przestępstwo i kara są zadziwiająco do siebie podobne. Jedno i drugie ma na celu pomszczenie niesprawiedliwości."

Lekturę "Ostrego dyżuru" polecam osobom łaknącym mocnej historii, z drugim dnem, trzymającej w napięciu od początku do samego końca. Wszystkim miłośnikom powieści sensacyjnych, kryminałów i thrillerów. Mówiąc krótko - osobom pragnącym poczuć podczas lektury skoki adrenaliny i gęsią skórkę na ciele. Doskonała książka. Cytując Harlana Cobena "Gregg Hurwitz wymiata!" i ja się z tym w pełni zgadzam.

Moja ocena: 5/6
http://magicznyswiatksiazki.pl/?p=14750

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me and took me on an adrenaline ride, I felt much like I did when introduced to the Orphan X series. Dr. David Spier is comfortable in his place in the world, his pedigree and his own body of work as a physician and head of the UCLA Medical Center are his life. Yes, he is grieving the loss of his wife, but he carries on. Making the decision to protect his patient even though he has committed a horrible crime, starts David on a path of growth. Along the way he has to confront the death of his wife, his relationship with his mother, and many of the beliefs he had about his personality and his life. The man who we met at the beginning of the novel is totally changed by the end.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I liked this more because I work in an ER. It was too long. David made some deplorable and not-so-bright decisions about pursuing Clyde. The part about Ed didn't get tied up: if he revealed himself to the police or stayed hidden behind the scenes. The 2 women who were scalded were also at loose ends, did Nancy die of infection? What happened to the other victim? The Diane/David romance was OK, but didn't really add a lot to moving the story forward. I really like the Orphan X series by Hurwitz, and it is clear that he has really grown as a writer.

[Sue T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is not about the story but about my copy of this book. I purchased this book at a library sale. As I began reading I saw a word scratched out in black marker. I looked through the book and found the same thing several times. I realized the word was “goddam” and it was blacked out every time it appeared in the story. If you do not like a word in a book DO NOT READ THE BOOK. Do not take it upon yourself to censure what I READ.

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently reading this author's "Orphan X" series. Came across this earlier work of Mr. Hurwitz and after reading the first line of the first paragraph of the first chapter I was hooked; WOW. Can't say much more than that. It's a great hook. Mr. Hurwitz's attention to detailed enrichment may have contributed to some degree to the length of this novel but well worth it in my personal opinion. All said and done - a good read. Recommend to all; especially "Orphan X" fans.

[Hensley Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book in so many ways.

1. ©️2002 - Pre all the technology that we have today. I found that refreshing.
2. Scott Brick is the Audible narrator. I could listen to him read the phone book.
(If we still had phone books)
3. Fast-moving, hard-to-put-down plot filled with WTF’s.
4. Complex and memorable characters - you’ll never forget Clyde or Stanley.

OK, say, “Three, two, one. Stand back from the door” and start reading this one NOW.

[njpolizzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una novela policial excelente y distinta, que transcurre en un entorno no habitual, por lo que no solo es interesante, sino tambien instructiva.

Hurwitz logra que la tensión no decaiga en ningún momento, con una trama compleja pero que puede seguirse sin dificultad.

Un libro muy recomendable, especialmente para los amantes del genero policial. Nestor

[Gerald Heath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early Hurwitz, and not up to his later standards. I will give him credit for making his protagonist a smart guy, rather than a tough guy, just to do something different. However, for a smart guy, he made a lot of really dumb decisions. The book shows flashes of the excellent writer Hurwitz would become, but….I can’t recommend it.

[Adam Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars in actuality. Hurwitz, when outside is very good signature Orphan X series, never fails to conjure unique plots, characters and situations. This one ran a little too long, but certainly had it's thrills and chills even when some parts and motivations were not real clear.
The antagonist was all over the place, sometimes mid sentence. But maybe that was the drugs.

[Steve M.g · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to Gregg Hurwitz through his Orphan X books. It's interesting going through the back catalog and seeing the future echoes of Evan Smoak. Enjoyed the book and the evolution of the main character and devolution of the antagonist. A solid thriller.

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though there was some fluff and some long filler sections of the book there were one or two exceptionally well written scenes. And the characters, although quirky and not relatable, actually grew on me.