The Patient - Softcover

Michael Palmer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099278677 ISBN 13: 9780099278672

Publisher: Random House, 2000

Synopsis

'This is my central philosophy: one starts off with something as an academic study but from it stems a series of important things to say which must be got over to a greater audience in a variety of forms. So to some extent one foxes everyone by simultaneously being scholar and academic, populariser and communicator, and sticking to the belief that these are not incompatible.' - Roy Strong, 1971. For almost forty years, Roy Strong has been in the public spotlight - as the director of the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, as a broadcaster, consultant and lecturer, and as the author of many books on art, history, garden design and food. Published to celebrate Roy Strong's 70th birthday in August 2005, this collection of pieces showcases the wide range of his interests and passions: from a meditation on the nature of beauty and reflections on the English national character to the passionate defence of the importance of history and an assessment of the consequences of devolution. Along the way, we learn about Sir Roy's first years at the National Portrait Gallery as a young assistant keeper, hear his personal recollections of the Queen Mother, and read his poignant and moving thoughts on the nature of grief and happiness. This collection will be cherished by the many people who have followed Sir Roy's long career with admiration and devotion; for others, it will provide the perfect introduction to the life and work of this national treasure.

About this title

Review

The Patient, Michael Palmer's ninth medical suspense novel, is a fast-paced beat-the-clock thriller. Someone is killing off the world's most gifted neurosurgeons, and Alex Bishop, a renegade CIA agent, thinks he knows who it is. Bishop is out to settle his score with Claude Malloche, an international assassin responsible for the death of Bishop's brother. When he learns that Malloche is afflicted with an inoperable brain tumor, Bishop understands why the murdered neurosurgeons died, and where Malloche will strike next. Meanwhile, Jessie Copeland, an MIT-trained mechanical engineer and neurosurgeon, is working to perfect a robotic device that will revolutionize brain surgery.

One of the patients awaiting surgery at Boston's Eastern Massachusetts Medical Center is Malloche--but which one? No one has ever been able to identify the assassin, and Jessie is hardly well known enough to attract his notice. But ARTIE, the robotic device, is--and Malloche will stop at nothing to ensure that it's used to save his own life. He threatens to release a deadly nerve toxin on thousands of innocent people, and Jessie is forced to save him at the cost of her own safety.

Notable for his swift pacing, well-drawn minor as well as major characters, and medical expertise, Palmer delivers the goods with this heart-stopping read. -- Jane Adams

From the Back Cover

"The Patient might be [Michael Palmer's] most riveting book yet, leaving hardly enough time to take a breath. After all, it is brain surgery."
--The Denver Post

Raves for Michael Palmer's...

Miracle Cure:
"A highly entertaining tale of greed and medicine run amok."
--Chicago Tribune

"Packs plenty of heart-stopping action."
--Associated Press

Critical Judgment:
"Manages to scare the socks off the reader."
--The Globe and Mail, Toronto

"Palmer [brings] his fascinating ER procedural knowledge to a fast-paced...narrative."
--San Francisco Chronicle

Silent Treatment:
"Guaranteed to terrify anyone who...has reason to step inside the doors of a hospital."
--The Washington Post

"Palmer owes this reviewer about three hours of sleep spent reading this can't-put-it-downer. You are cautioned...don't start this one at 10 at night."
--The Washington Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0099278677
• ISBN 13: 9780099278672
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368