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Book Review of The First Patient

The First Patient
The First Patient
Author: Michael Palmer
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
esjro avatar reviewed on + 909 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9


Gabe Singleton is a troubled doctor struggling to atone for the sins of his past. When his college friend and now president of the US Andrew Stoddard requests that Gabe become his personal physician, Gabe feels obliged to comply. What President Stoddard did not tell Gabe before making his request was that he has been having health problems which threaten his ability to lead. Gabe tries to discover what ails the president but also struggles with the moral implications of hiding his illness from the public. He ultimately unravels a conspiracy that threatens the life of the president and his own.

This was the first Michael Palmer book I read, and I almost did not make it through it - the first 100 pages were so slow and boring that I considered giving up on The First Patient. However, based on the blurb from Bill Clinton on the book's cover I decided to muddle through. I am glad I did - the pace picks up considerably throughout the duration of the book, and it was difficult to put down after the first half or so. Although the medical technology described in the book ultimately seems far-fetched, the pacing of the story makes it forgivable... assuming you make it past the first 100 pages.