The Second Opinion (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this routine medical thriller from bestseller Palmer (The First Patient), Dr. Thea Sperelakis, an idealist who's been working for Doctors Without Borders in the Congo, rushes back to Boston after learning her physician father, Petros, an intimidating figure known as the Lion, is close to death, the victim of a hit-and-run. Thea faces one challenge after another, including having to resuscitate Petros when his heart stops beating. Her brilliant if socially challenged older brother, Dimitri, adds to her anxiety with his computer reconstruction of the accident, which indicates the driver struck Petros deliberately. When Thea manages to communicate haltingly with her father, she suspects he's stumbled on some medical fraud that's made him the target of those behind the fraud. Aided by the requisite hunky ex-cop turned hospital security guard, Thea doggedly seeks out the truth. Robin Cook fans have seen all this before and in more engaging form. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

Palmer, a medical-thriller writer who has been producing A-list-quality novels for years, turns in another excellent performance with this story of a physician who uncovers a deadly conspiracy. Dr. Thea Sperelakis’ father is the victim of a hit-and-run; now in a coma, he communicates only with his daughter and only by moving one of his eyes. Slowly, Thea pieces together the truth behind her father’s accident, and behind a series of suspicious deaths, but exposing the villains could mean exposing her to certain death. As usual, the novel is fluidly written—as a stylist, Palmer is head and shoulders above his more famous competitor, Robin Cook—and very suspenseful. Thea, in particular, is a most intriguing character: she suffers from Asperger syndrome, which gives her an obsession with details, a near-encyclopedic memory, and a rather charming awkwardness in social settings. The novel is not merely a thriller but also an exploration of its central character’s unique gifts and her determination to communicate with her comatose father despite overwhelming odds. Another winner from a consistently fine writer. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (February 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312343558
• ISBN-13: 978-0312343552
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,482 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compulsive page turner, February 24, 2009

By	Jeri Nevermind "loves to read" (Idaho) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Palmer has created some quirky, wonderfully likable characters who are sure you draw you into the story. Most of all, however, this is a mystery on overdrive. Fast, furious, and fun.

Dr Thea leaves the hospital in the Congo where she has been working upon hearing that her famous father has been nearly killed in a hit and run car accident.

Her father lies in a deep coma, seemingly beyond help. Thea's older bother and sister insist he should be allowed to die. The coma appears irreversible.

To complicate matters Thea's brother Dimitri has recreated the accident, by using a computer simulation, that landed her father in a coma. The simulation shows that the car that hit her father aimed at him deliberately. Who wanted to kill him?

Moreover, as she watches her father, Thea thinks she can see him respond to her questions. It's only a faint flutter of his eyelid. But when she calls in a nurse her father shows no movement. Why would he only want to contact her? Or could it be that she only wants him to respond?

Thea has Asperger's syndrome. It has made her a superb doctor, with a near encyclopedic memory of medical papers she has read, but it has left her with a dismaying inability to judge the emotions of other people. Who can she trust as she realizes there has been a deadly conspiracy, one involving many wealthy people?

Palmer does a fantastic job of juggling romance and mystery, and there are some twists and turns--and some thrilling scenes--that are bound to surprise the most experienced thriller reader. This is one you will really enjoy.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Book, February 27, 2009

By	Gail Rodgers "moonwishes" (North East, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a powerful book! With some medical mystery/thriller books, it is impossible for the normal person to know if the writer truly knows what they are talking about when it comes to the medical aspects of the book. As a retired RN I can usually judge that at least the basics are true. This book went past it in dealing with a main character that has Aspergers Syndrome, usually thought of as part of the autism spectrum. As a mother of an high functioning autistic son, it was fabulous that not only was this aspect in the book true to life but something I could personally relate to.

In writing this powerful book, Michael Palmer, is helping to bring to life the very details of the day to day life of the people and families that struggle to cope with this problem and the wonderful lives that can result. Many people's only context about autism are movies like Rainman showing low functioning autistic people. Rarely are these people shown as truly functioning adults in society, yet for many it is possible.

This is truly a terrific book that can not only entertain you, but also educate you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The confusions in life are there to give us strength and teach us lessons.", February 26, 2009

By	E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In Michael Palmer's "The Second Opinion," Dr. Petros Sperelakis, medical director of the Sperelakis Institute for Diagnostic Medicine, has been gravely injured in a hit and run accident. He is in the intensive care unit in the prestigious Beaumont Clinic in Boston and appears to be in an irreversible coma. Three out his four grown children believe that it would be better to let him die rather than prolong his suffering, but his younger daughter, Dr. Alethea Sperelakis, refuses to give up on him. Thea has a form of autism called Asperger Syndrome, a condition that is often characterized by alienation and an inability to relate normally to others. However, thanks to "early diagnosis, intervention, and extensive behavior modification therapy," Thea has learned to behave much like a "neurotypical" (a so-called normal person), except for her tendency to be too trusting, to blurt out whatever is on her mind, and to lecture people "like a professor addressing a class."

Soon Thea has reason to suspect that an unknown perpetrator made a deliberate attempt on her father's life, but why would anyone want to kill this highly regarded physician? Thea is also worried that whoever tried to murder Petros will try again. She decides to take a position on the clinic's staff so that she can investigate the hospital's inner workings without arousing the suspicions of her colleagues. She fears that someone in the hospital may be involved in criminal activity, but she has no idea who the perpetrator is or exactly what he or she has done. With the help of a handsome former cop named Dan Cotton, Thea risks her life not only to save her father but also to apprehend a villain before he does further harm.

"The Second Opinion" is one of Palmer's most engrossing and well-written novels in years. Thea is particularly appealing, with her brilliant mind, photographic memory, deep empathy, determination, and refreshing candor. Other noteworthy characters are the aforementioned Dan, who helps Thea with her sleuthing while he wrestles with his own demons. Thea's twin siblings, Niko and Selene, are arrogant and aloof and seem to have a callous disregard for their father's welfare. Their brother Dimitri is a recluse who is obsessed with complex computer games. Hayley Long is a wealthy cancer patient at the clinic whom Thea befriends. Palmer's well-researched medical details, especially about a condition called "locked in syndrome, possibly the most nightmarish medical condition imaginable," and one that was made famous in Jean-Dominique Bauby's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," lend realism and poignancy to this involving story.

Although it is unlikely that Thea would have the presence of mind and flexibility to endure so much stress with such aplomb, most readers will gladly suspend their disbelief. This is an exciting and suspenseful thriller, a touching love story, and a sensitive exploration of the dynamics of an extremely dysfunctional family. In "The Second Opinion," Michael Palmer succeeds not only in highlighting the gifts of someone with AS, but also in writing a gripping medical thriller with some extremely clever twists and turns.