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Extreme Measures: A Novel
Dr. Eric Najarian. He's young, talented, and ambitious. He has all the qualities they're looking for at White Memorial Hospital. He doesn't know he's being watched. Judged. An elite clique of medical professionals thinks he has what it takes to join their secret club. All the young doctor has to do is agree to play by their rules.
But Eric has already seen too much. A missing corpse. An unspeakable mutilation. A brutal abduction. It's only the beginning of a plot of terrifying evil. A sinister plan the group will stop at nothing to hide. And if Eric refuses to become their colleague--he will be their next victim.
But Eric has already seen too much. A missing corpse. An unspeakable mutilation. A brutal abduction. It's only the beginning of a plot of terrifying evil. A sinister plan the group will stop at nothing to hide. And if Eric refuses to become their colleague--he will be their next victim.
420 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
179 people are currently reading
1550 people want to read
About the author
Michael Palmer
68 books242 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 134 reviews
May 11, 2024
First rate medical suspense!
In one sense, a jaded reader might accuse Michael Palmer of repeating the oft-used medical thriller plot framework of the single heroic physician standing up against some sort of nefarious conspiracy based on power, money, greed and self-interest. And, while that's true, Michael Palmer has done a bang up job of twisting the details around such that EXTREME MEASURES is turned into a bona fide nail-biting cliff-hanging thriller of the first order.
Eric Najarian, an ambitious young doctor at a Boston hospital, got lucky. In the frantic hustle and bustle of the emergency room, he stepped well over the line and reached the decision to use a bold but entirely unproven, experimental technique on a man dying the emergency room. After the treatment proves successful, he is contacted by a shady group who press him to continue to administer unorthodox treatments to certain specified patients and promise the reward of promotion to a prestigious post in the hospital. If he refuses, he is assured that his career as a physician in Boston is finished.
EXTREME MEASURES has got much more than the proverbial "everything but the kitchen sink". In fact, it's got the counter top and several kitchen sinks - voodoo, corrupt funeral parlours, unorthodox drug testing, secret clinics and much, much more.
It's way, way over the top but it sure is fun. This is medical suspense at its finest and it's delivered with a slam-bang authenticity that will have Michael Palmer's fans begging for more. I can tell you this for sure. The next time you buy a new drug, you'll look at it and wonder with considerable fear and trepidation about the protocols that were followed to put it onto the shelf! Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
In one sense, a jaded reader might accuse Michael Palmer of repeating the oft-used medical thriller plot framework of the single heroic physician standing up against some sort of nefarious conspiracy based on power, money, greed and self-interest. And, while that's true, Michael Palmer has done a bang up job of twisting the details around such that EXTREME MEASURES is turned into a bona fide nail-biting cliff-hanging thriller of the first order.
Eric Najarian, an ambitious young doctor at a Boston hospital, got lucky. In the frantic hustle and bustle of the emergency room, he stepped well over the line and reached the decision to use a bold but entirely unproven, experimental technique on a man dying the emergency room. After the treatment proves successful, he is contacted by a shady group who press him to continue to administer unorthodox treatments to certain specified patients and promise the reward of promotion to a prestigious post in the hospital. If he refuses, he is assured that his career as a physician in Boston is finished.
EXTREME MEASURES has got much more than the proverbial "everything but the kitchen sink". In fact, it's got the counter top and several kitchen sinks - voodoo, corrupt funeral parlours, unorthodox drug testing, secret clinics and much, much more.
It's way, way over the top but it sure is fun. This is medical suspense at its finest and it's delivered with a slam-bang authenticity that will have Michael Palmer's fans begging for more. I can tell you this for sure. The next time you buy a new drug, you'll look at it and wonder with considerable fear and trepidation about the protocols that were followed to put it onto the shelf! Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
August 28, 2012
A few spoilers herein.
How frustrating. There were times when I almost liked this book. The author tentatively dances about some serious and sensitive issues around medical ethics, but ultimately they're all rather meaningless, since the principal antagonist is never anyone we give a damn about (even though he seems likable enough in his two or three scenes on the page before his true villainy is revealed), and the author's decision to have him down on the level of drug pushers, mobsters and gun runners despite the fact that he's a brilliant scientist ultimately means whatever points might be raised in his favour are rendered completely moot. Palmer doesn't even raise these points, though. He has his doctor protagonist, Eric najarian, muse some on temptation in the early chapters, but these thoughts are quickly put away once he meets the lovely Laura Enders. Such a waste.
I'm not one to value character development over plot, especially in these types of books, but, well, here it was sorely needed. Eric's the strongest card in the pack, naturally, but he comes across as a pretty boring guy; even an unlikable one in the book's early pages, when we can see how ambitious and single-minded he is. It's amazing how quickly romance can crush a man's ambition, and while it might have been interesting to see Najarian go from brash risk-taker and medical maverick to moral conscience with a true heart, we never get much of anything except the knowledge that Najarian apparently really loves this Laura lady. Laura herself is pretty much a non-entity. A diving instructor who loves her perfect brother, even though, as it turns out, she doesn't know a thing about him!
Some of the conversations and interactions in the book are well handled and even a bit subtle, and Palmer clearly knows his way around an emergency room. The book's replete with very convincing medical jargon and so on. There are about two very memorable scenes: One being an autopsy of an apparently-dead-but-actually-living woman, which reminded me of one of my favourite movies, Short Night of the Glass Dolls, and is suitably harrowing; the other being the "voodoo curse" ceremony, which is creepy and atmospheric, if a bit cliché. There are even a couple of reasonably handled red herrings that keep you guessing a bit around the middle pages, but they, I'm afraid, ultimately feel wasted.
Wasted, I must say, because the denouement of this story is absolutely terrible. Often I'm one to quip that the journey is more important than the destination, in literature, at least, but this kind of thriller really needs a satisfying climax to wrap everything up and make the reader feel that he's experienced something heart-pumpingly good. This, though...this is pathetic! The demise of what seems the most loathsome character in the entire story, the oily Dr. Barber, happens off-stage, for f*ck's sake! The "main baddie", who was apparently Najarian's best friend at the hospital, is ultimately thwarted by a booby-trap we learn about a second before it happens, and Najarian never seems to feel a damn thing. Worst though is the apparent "femme fatale" character, who turns out to be just a bad little girl and "too beautiful for her own good" (her father's own words!), gets a talking to from her daddy and just spills the beans, again, off-stage! The corrupt policeman shoots himself for no reason! Yes, I've just revealed the entire denouement, and the hilarious epilogue, which can foreshadow Laura and NEic's future domestic peril as she wants to live in Nowhere Desert, Utah, while he's perfectly happy to stay in Boston! I wish them years of intense marital pain!
This book might have been something special if palmer had made more of an effort to get into the heads of its populace, especially the antagonists. It's very difficult to tell a convincing story on ethical grounds without examining the issues properly, and it might go a long way to understanding why a first-class biochemist might get so frustrated with the establishment that he'd readily mix with the lowest scum of society just to fund his work. We might have been able to see what made Anna/Rebecca tick, rather than have her feature in just a couple of scenes and then be told by her parent that she "got boys to do what she wanted by giving them favours". We might be able to excuse or even marvel at how Eric, and even the reader, built up a picture in the mind of Caduceus as a large, shadowy organisation with friends in high places, when really they were just a bunch of pathetic underhand schemers. We get none of that stuff. This is a depressingly empty-headed book.
How frustrating. There were times when I almost liked this book. The author tentatively dances about some serious and sensitive issues around medical ethics, but ultimately they're all rather meaningless, since the principal antagonist is never anyone we give a damn about (even though he seems likable enough in his two or three scenes on the page before his true villainy is revealed), and the author's decision to have him down on the level of drug pushers, mobsters and gun runners despite the fact that he's a brilliant scientist ultimately means whatever points might be raised in his favour are rendered completely moot. Palmer doesn't even raise these points, though. He has his doctor protagonist, Eric najarian, muse some on temptation in the early chapters, but these thoughts are quickly put away once he meets the lovely Laura Enders. Such a waste.
I'm not one to value character development over plot, especially in these types of books, but, well, here it was sorely needed. Eric's the strongest card in the pack, naturally, but he comes across as a pretty boring guy; even an unlikable one in the book's early pages, when we can see how ambitious and single-minded he is. It's amazing how quickly romance can crush a man's ambition, and while it might have been interesting to see Najarian go from brash risk-taker and medical maverick to moral conscience with a true heart, we never get much of anything except the knowledge that Najarian apparently really loves this Laura lady. Laura herself is pretty much a non-entity. A diving instructor who loves her perfect brother, even though, as it turns out, she doesn't know a thing about him!
Some of the conversations and interactions in the book are well handled and even a bit subtle, and Palmer clearly knows his way around an emergency room. The book's replete with very convincing medical jargon and so on. There are about two very memorable scenes: One being an autopsy of an apparently-dead-but-actually-living woman, which reminded me of one of my favourite movies, Short Night of the Glass Dolls, and is suitably harrowing; the other being the "voodoo curse" ceremony, which is creepy and atmospheric, if a bit cliché. There are even a couple of reasonably handled red herrings that keep you guessing a bit around the middle pages, but they, I'm afraid, ultimately feel wasted.
Wasted, I must say, because the denouement of this story is absolutely terrible. Often I'm one to quip that the journey is more important than the destination, in literature, at least, but this kind of thriller really needs a satisfying climax to wrap everything up and make the reader feel that he's experienced something heart-pumpingly good. This, though...this is pathetic! The demise of what seems the most loathsome character in the entire story, the oily Dr. Barber, happens off-stage, for f*ck's sake! The "main baddie", who was apparently Najarian's best friend at the hospital, is ultimately thwarted by a booby-trap we learn about a second before it happens, and Najarian never seems to feel a damn thing. Worst though is the apparent "femme fatale" character, who turns out to be just a bad little girl and "too beautiful for her own good" (her father's own words!), gets a talking to from her daddy and just spills the beans, again, off-stage! The corrupt policeman shoots himself for no reason! Yes, I've just revealed the entire denouement, and the hilarious epilogue, which can foreshadow Laura and NEic's future domestic peril as she wants to live in Nowhere Desert, Utah, while he's perfectly happy to stay in Boston! I wish them years of intense marital pain!
This book might have been something special if palmer had made more of an effort to get into the heads of its populace, especially the antagonists. It's very difficult to tell a convincing story on ethical grounds without examining the issues properly, and it might go a long way to understanding why a first-class biochemist might get so frustrated with the establishment that he'd readily mix with the lowest scum of society just to fund his work. We might have been able to see what made Anna/Rebecca tick, rather than have her feature in just a couple of scenes and then be told by her parent that she "got boys to do what she wanted by giving them favours". We might be able to excuse or even marvel at how Eric, and even the reader, built up a picture in the mind of Caduceus as a large, shadowy organisation with friends in high places, when really they were just a bunch of pathetic underhand schemers. We get none of that stuff. This is a depressingly empty-headed book.
July 22, 2010
Another excellent, suspenseful page-turner !
Eric Najarian is a rising star at White Memorial Hospital. He and a colleague are vying for a big promotion, when suddenly Eric is approached to join a secret society ("Caduceus") as long as he is willing to perform an "unusual" treatment when asked. Pressures of the job and life in general weigh on Eric as he debates what to do. Soon, some missing bodies and other unexplained phenomenon at the hospital shake his trust in everything and send him on a hunt for what is going on. We readers get to know more than he does for quite a while, but we dare say few will guess who the ultimate bad guys wind up being.
This is our fourth novel by Palmer and we have enjoyed them all immensely. Sort of a "thinking man's Robin Cook", Palmer happens to be both a medical and publishing contemporary of Cook -- but to our mind, one with less "fantastic" plots. Palmer's ability to endear his characters to us, to draw out the suspense without getting boring, and to craft a twisty plot lead to hours of entertainment. Enjoy! [p.s., the movie based on this book is also entertaining, but in actuality bears little resemblance to the Palmer story per se...:]
Eric Najarian is a rising star at White Memorial Hospital. He and a colleague are vying for a big promotion, when suddenly Eric is approached to join a secret society ("Caduceus") as long as he is willing to perform an "unusual" treatment when asked. Pressures of the job and life in general weigh on Eric as he debates what to do. Soon, some missing bodies and other unexplained phenomenon at the hospital shake his trust in everything and send him on a hunt for what is going on. We readers get to know more than he does for quite a while, but we dare say few will guess who the ultimate bad guys wind up being.
This is our fourth novel by Palmer and we have enjoyed them all immensely. Sort of a "thinking man's Robin Cook", Palmer happens to be both a medical and publishing contemporary of Cook -- but to our mind, one with less "fantastic" plots. Palmer's ability to endear his characters to us, to draw out the suspense without getting boring, and to craft a twisty plot lead to hours of entertainment. Enjoy! [p.s., the movie based on this book is also entertaining, but in actuality bears little resemblance to the Palmer story per se...:]
August 25, 2018
A sinister thrilling novel about a deadly scheme taking place at Boston's prominent White Memorial Hospital.
Laura, who has come to the city to look for her lost brother has a chance meeting with a dedicated doctor.
Together they become victims of the mysterious disappearance, of her brother, and of several bodies from the hospital mortuary.
As their relationship develops it appears the two problems might be related and it becomes obvious it is hard to trust anyone.
A medical suspense that is so vividly portrayed, full of intrigue, and one that keeps you guessing.
Laura, who has come to the city to look for her lost brother has a chance meeting with a dedicated doctor.
Together they become victims of the mysterious disappearance, of her brother, and of several bodies from the hospital mortuary.
As their relationship develops it appears the two problems might be related and it becomes obvious it is hard to trust anyone.
A medical suspense that is so vividly portrayed, full of intrigue, and one that keeps you guessing.
April 3, 2022
I was not expecting the book to turn out to be this interesting. Loved it. I am definitely recommending it to people who like thrillers especially medical thrillers. The thrill starts right from the prologue and continues till the epilogue.
I loved the fact that the chapters were short and each one ended with some sort of twist or surprise, making you want to read more. There is just the right amount of suspense, the right amount of death, anger. I didn’t mind the romance as well, although I felt that it was unnecessary but it didn’t overshadow any other aspect of the story.
A very impressive one for me.
I loved the fact that the chapters were short and each one ended with some sort of twist or surprise, making you want to read more. There is just the right amount of suspense, the right amount of death, anger. I didn’t mind the romance as well, although I felt that it was unnecessary but it didn’t overshadow any other aspect of the story.
A very impressive one for me.
November 25, 2012
I remember seeing the preview for the movie with Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman when I was a young boy and E! had shows that didn't feature drunk media whores. My vague memory of that preview on my fave show, Coming Attractions, doesn't really jibe with what I read and finished today.
Dr. Eric Najarian is a young man who is being considered for a top position at White Memorial Hospital. One day he receives a call from a person claiming to be from a secret society that tells him that they can guarantee him getting that position if they do what they say. But what exactly does this society want, and what do they have to do with a young woman and her missing brother? And of course there is that mysterious ghost town of Charity Utah.
From the outset this book really sets up a sinister mood and that mood permeates through the very end. There is a sense of a slow burn in this novel that ends with a nice little slam bang of an ending.
I haven't seen the movie but I can already tell it is garbage(Hugh Grant is British and the main character is of Armenian descent)but that is the way with most book to film adaptations.
So if you're looking for a spooky and tense "Medical Thriller" pick this one up, and remember "Not all surgery is intended to cure"
Dr. Eric Najarian is a young man who is being considered for a top position at White Memorial Hospital. One day he receives a call from a person claiming to be from a secret society that tells him that they can guarantee him getting that position if they do what they say. But what exactly does this society want, and what do they have to do with a young woman and her missing brother? And of course there is that mysterious ghost town of Charity Utah.
From the outset this book really sets up a sinister mood and that mood permeates through the very end. There is a sense of a slow burn in this novel that ends with a nice little slam bang of an ending.
I haven't seen the movie but I can already tell it is garbage(Hugh Grant is British and the main character is of Armenian descent)but that is the way with most book to film adaptations.
So if you're looking for a spooky and tense "Medical Thriller" pick this one up, and remember "Not all surgery is intended to cure"
May 24, 2020
A very very exciting book. I was so incredibly hooked especially when it came to the complex characters. But the strangest thing happened while reading this medical thriller, it fell off on the last quarter. I don’t know if for me the story started to get disjointed; or I just personally didn’t like the way it was wrapped up. I also wish that certain relationships weren’t so concentrated on and we learned more about the hidden hospital. Something so pivotal and important in this story almost seemed like it was purposely ignored. Like I said I absolutely loved every part of this book until I hit the very last quarter. Introducing voodoo, blackmail, and a drug bust just really seemed very forced and contrived. The wandering focus of this thriller is what I think really turned me off in the end. With all of this being said; I’m still very excited and willing to read more books by Michael Palmer, I just don’t think this one was right for me.
June 14, 2018
enjoyed it. Lots of suspense about a doctor who is threatened to not get a big promotion unless he follows special instructions to do something he is sure will be illegal or life threatening to a patient. He refuses but continues trying to solve what is happening and who is behind it in the hospital. Meanwhile he connects with a woman who is searching for her brother who disappeared. The gist of it is that patients are being poisoned to look like they have died, then they are transferred to a remote abandoned ghost town where they are experienced on to to discover a cure-all for any world threatening virus that may come up.
February 24, 2016
Medical crimes have always been my number one genre. Talking about the methodological descriptions, the suspense, the romance and the educative informations about medicine.
This story is about medicine, power and cabals, although it was boring at first with two many characters in the beginning, that are not related to the story and not linked to the story later on apart from the cause of death.
Silent Treatment is still the best of his books I ever read.
This is an interesting story for medical lovers like me.
This story is about medicine, power and cabals, although it was boring at first with two many characters in the beginning, that are not related to the story and not linked to the story later on apart from the cause of death.
Silent Treatment is still the best of his books I ever read.
This is an interesting story for medical lovers like me.
August 31, 2018
Kind of doing a marathon of Michael Palmer books right now since I found several I didn't have. I loved the characters and the complicated plot, was sad that the "evil place" was in my state of Utah, always enjoy the medical terminology. So the only thing I hated was the very offensive language! I didn't recall that much of it in previous books I've read. Granted, it did make some of the scenes feel more realistic, but I'd rather not have to read it.
Michael Palmer must have been an extraordinary physician!
Michael Palmer must have been an extraordinary physician!
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December 6, 2014This story was OK. The opening and middle was fine. Felt the ending was way over the top. But, the book was interesting, good for as summer afternoon. This is not palmer's best work.
July 17, 2018
Will I ever encounter GOOD crime story WITHOUT romance?
May 16, 2011
This book was very entertaining, the characters were funny and man did they go through a lot it was like back to back horrible, weird things happened to them and that was what made the book interesting.
What got me angry the most was that the girl went through so much trying to find her sibling and it just went in vain. But it was still good and I'll definitely read it again. Michale Palmer is a genius.
What got me angry the most was that the girl went through so much trying to find her sibling and it just went in vain. But it was still good and I'll definitely read it again. Michale Palmer is a genius.
September 13, 2018
Fast-paced medical thriller does not disappoint.
Michael Palmer had me from the prologue in this twisted tale. From a mysterious powder that causes people to appear dead even to experienced doctors to a secret society pulling strings in one of the most respected hospitals in the country, Palmer weaves this story together flawlessly. Do not hesitate to join Dr. Eric Najarian, sister of a missing man Laura Enders, and P.I. Bernard Nelson in their race to find answers.
Michael Palmer had me from the prologue in this twisted tale. From a mysterious powder that causes people to appear dead even to experienced doctors to a secret society pulling strings in one of the most respected hospitals in the country, Palmer weaves this story together flawlessly. Do not hesitate to join Dr. Eric Najarian, sister of a missing man Laura Enders, and P.I. Bernard Nelson in their race to find answers.
October 28, 2013
Laura went to Boston to find her brother who hadn't been in contact with her for a couple of months. She didn't know what he did for a living. She thought he was in computers, but he was actually a government agent, He'd been treated at a hospital there in Boston, and a doctor recognized his tattoo and tried to help her find out what had happened to him.
September 16, 2015
This book is amazing. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading. It's a fantastic thriller/mystery with one heck of a twist at the end. You'll NEVER guess who did it.
It's also a little scary because I can certainly see how this could happen - or already be happening in some secretive location. Gave me chills...
It's also a little scary because I can certainly see how this could happen - or already be happening in some secretive location. Gave me chills...
January 9, 2011
Extreme Measures is an excellent medical thriller by Michael Palmer, who puts hack Robin Cook completely to shame. This book starts with an absolutely ghastly, unnerving scene, and then goes headlong into a thrilling plot. Each of his books raises a question about medical ethics.
February 15, 2013
This book, though one of his first, follows traditional Michael Palmer style, but I still loved it. I only wish that I hadn't had exams to study for and could have read this through in a day or two as opposed to the weeks it took to finally finish.
November 11, 2014
Wow...that's all I can say...wow. I did not see this ending coming. What a fabulous book. It has just the right amount of scariness, intrigue and mystery. This might be my all time favorite Michael Palmer novel!
December 5, 2007
Book is much better than the movie that was made from it. Non-stop action and difficult to put down! My favorite book from this author.
June 1, 2009
great
March 5, 2010
Excellent book!!!
July 4, 2012
excellent book
July 21, 2012
Page turner
October 6, 2014
One of the best & most amazing medical thriller with spellbinding suspense & chilling climax... Dynamic entertainer..!!!
April 16, 2015
I've got to stop confusing Palmer with Cook. I wouldn't read another Cook book (no pun intended ) & Palmer really surprised me, he's this good. Must try more !
November 25, 2017
Great story
I've read quite a few of Palmer's books and he never disappoints. Finding out who the bad guy was nearly knocked me off the chair. Loved the book
I've read quite a few of Palmer's books and he never disappoints. Finding out who the bad guy was nearly knocked me off the chair. Loved the book
September 23, 2021
Liked it a lot. A couple of unexpected twists threw me for a bit but I didn't find it difficult to follow at all. I recommend.
January 29, 2022
Wow!
Great book! A real page turner! I couldn't put it down til it was finished. Can't wait to read Palmer's next book.
Great book! A real page turner! I couldn't put it down til it was finished. Can't wait to read Palmer's next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews