Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publish Date: December 11, 2012
Hardcover, 384 pages
Fiction, Suspense
ISBN: 9780312587550
Lou Welcome #2 (but reads as a stand-alone)
Fiction, Suspense
ISBN: 9780312587550
Lou Welcome #2 (but reads as a stand-alone)
I have enjoyed Michael Palmer books in the past so I was thrilled to accept Political Suicide for review. One of my first loves is adult suspense reads and while I believe Michael started with medical thrillers, he has branched out into more political-type suspense thrillers. This is military centered and is a definite thriller. While it is the second book to feature main character Dr. Lou Welcome, it does not have to be read in order, I have not read in Oath of Office (I did get it from the library to read next) but I did not feel the least bit lost reading Political Suicide.
The characters are fascinating in Political Suicide. Dr. Lou Welcome is the center of the book. He is brought in to help his friend and the doctor that he is helping in the program he is involved in, Dr. Gary McHugh who is accused of murder of a Congressman who's wife he was sleeping with. But there is more to the story than meets the eye. Along with Lou there is also Sarah, Gary's attorney who I really enjoyed getting to know. Both characters were really great and interesting and well-developed and worked really well in the story. I liked how well they fit in the story and how they never felt forced.
The plot is captivating. It starts with a bang and never quits. It keeps delivering new twists and turns with each turn of the page. I could not put it down. I loved that this one was slightly different. No serial killers, I liked the elite military angle. A little scary but definitely interesting and mind-blowing at the same time. Mr. Palmer paces this one perfectly to keep your interest and not give too much away too soon. You know what is going on, but you really can't guess what is coming next, or at least I couldn't. I really like how this book is done and how it all turns out.
I love Dr. Lou Welcome, he has a great moral compass, he's a good friend, and he has a sense of humor. He really makes the book. This is definitely one of my favorite suspense books of the year just based on the great characters and the interesting premise. Pick it up, it's a new release from last week (don't let goodreads throw you, it's out now) and it would make a great Christmas present for the suspense lover in your life or for yourself. Hey we all deserve a great book!
My Rating: 5.0/5.0
About the Book:
From The New York Times bestselling author of Oath of Office comes a gripping thriller at the crossroads of politics and medicine
Dr. Lou Welcome, from Palmer's bestselling Oath of Office, is back in this heart stopping medical thriller. A desperate phone call embroils Lou in scandal and murder involving Dr. Gary McHugh, known around the Capital as the “society doc.” Lou has been supervising McHugh, formerly a black-out drinker, through his work with the Physician Wellness Office. McHugh has been very cavalier about his recovery, barely attending AA and refusing a sponsor. But Lou sees progress, and the two men are becoming friends. Now, McHugh has been found unconscious in his wrecked car after visiting a patient of his, the powerful Congressman Elias Colston, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Soon after McHugh awakens in the hospital ER, Colston's wife returns home to find her husband shot dead in their garage. She then admits to the police that she had just broken off a long-standing affair with McHugh.
Something about McHugh's story has Lou believing he is telling the truth, that the Congressman was dead when he arrived and before he blacked out. Lou agrees to look into matters, but when he encounters motive, method and opportunity he is hard pressed to believe in his friend—that is until a deadly high-level conspiracy begins to unravel, and Lou acquires information that makes him the next target.
About the Author (from Goodreads.com):
Michael Palmer, M.D., is the author of the forthcoming A Heartbeat Away (2011), The Last Surgeon, The First Patient, The Fifth Vial, The Society, Fatal, The Patient, Miracle Cure, Critical Judgment, Silent Treatment, Natural Causes, Extreme Measures, Flashback, Side Effects, and The Sisterhood. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages. He trained in internal medicine at Boston City and Massachusetts General Hospitals, spent twenty years as a full-time practitioner of internal and emergency medicine, and is now an associate director of the Massachusetts Medical Society's physician health program.
Website
FTC Information: I received this book from Lizzie McQuillan at Scratch Marketing + Media for an honest review. I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.
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