The Last Surgeon

Dr. Nick Garrity, a trauma surgeon and veteran suffering from PTSD, divides his time between a mobile clinic serving the homeless and his search for his missing friend and fellow veteran. Meanwhile, psychiatric nurse Jillian Coates investigates her sister's death, which was ruled a suicide but leaves her with unanswered questions. Their separate investigations begin to converge as they uncover connections to a shadowy assassin known as the Raptor. The chase leads them through medical facilities and psychiatric hospitals while they piece together a conspiracy involving medical ethics and corporate greed. Against the backdrop of America's healthcare system, this medical thriller explores trauma, trust, and the bonds formed through military service. The novel examines how past experiences shape present actions and what drives people to seek truth at any cost.

Readers consider this a fast-paced medical thriller with a predictable plot. The combination of military PTSD themes with medical suspense kept many engaged, though several found the story too formulaic. Liked: - Quick, easy reading pace - Strong female protagonist Belle Coates - Accurate medical details - Military/PTSD storyline adds depth Disliked: - Plot twists seen as obvious - Characters feel underdeveloped - Romance subplot seems forced - Villains lack complexity One reader noted: "The action moves swiftly but you'll guess the ending halfway through." Another mentioned: "Palmer's medical expertise shows, but the characters never quite come alive." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (280+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 3.8/5 (40+ ratings) Many Palmer fans rank this below his other works, with readers often comparing it unfavorably to his earlier novel "The Patient."

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🔬 Author Michael Palmer was a practicing physician for over 20 years before becoming a full-time writer, bringing authentic medical knowledge to his thriller novels. 🏥 The book explores PTSD in military veterans, specifically focusing on a Navy SEAL surgeon, reflecting real challenges faced by returning military medical personnel. 💉 The villain in "The Last Surgeon" is a professional killer who makes deaths appear natural - a method actually used by some real-life assassins throughout history. 📚 This was Palmer's 15th medical thriller, continuing his tradition of combining cutting-edge medical scenarios with suspense, a genre he helped pioneer in the 1980s. 🏗️ The novel's setting at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore was inspired by Palmer's own experiences working at various medical facilities in Massachusetts, where he practiced internal medicine.