The Second Opinion

By: Michael Palmer

Narrated by: Franette Liebow

Dr. Thea Sperelakis has always been an outsider. She has a brilliant medical mind and a remarkable ability to recall details, but her difficulty in dealing with hidden agendas and interpersonal conflicts has led her to leave the complex, money-driven dynamics of a hospital and to embrace working with the poor. Her father, Petros, is one of the most celebrated internal medicine specialists in the world and the founder of the cutting-edge Sperelakis Center for Diagnostic Medicine at Boston's sprawling, powerful Beaumont Clinic.

When Petros is severely injured by a hit-and-run driver, no one thinks he will survive. Two of Petros's other children, both physicians, battle Thea and their eccentric brother, Dimitri, by demanding that treatment for their father be withheld. Meanwhile, Petros lingers in the Beaumont Clinic's intensive care unit, where Thea is his only advocate.

As Thea uncovers the facts surrounding the disaster, it seems more and more to be no accident. Petros himself is the only witness. Who would want him dead? The answers are trapped in his brain...until he looks at Thea and begins to slowly blink a terrifying message.

In The Second Opinion, Michael Palmer has created a cat-and-mouse game where one woman must confront a conspiracy of doctors to uncover an evil practice that touches every single person who ever has a medical test. With unforgettable characters and twists and betrayals that come from the most unlikely places, The Second Opinion will keep you guessing...and looking over your shoulder.

©2009 Michael Palmer (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Loved it

I really enjoyed this book. The reader portrayed the characters superbly. A very exciting experience.

Enjoyable

I thought the plot was interesting and topical. The characters were mostly true to type. I say mostly because the main character - a physician with Asperger's syndrome - was super smart, but in a few places in the plot she acted on some quite unintelligent decisions. It seemed a little like a horror movie where a woman wakes up to a strange sound in the middle of the night and goes into the basement in her nightgown to investigate - you want to scream, "Don't do that!"

But overall I was fully engaged in the story. It had interesting twists and turns, and in the end I was blindsided by who the bad guy really was - didn't see it coming. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in medical murder mysteries.

Franette Liebow was excellent with the delivery of the story

Not his best book

I have heard a lot of Michael Palmer’s books and I found this one hard to follow and I wouldn’t want the same narrator to read.

great story line; unnecessary love affair

I liked the story line and underlying theme. Great suspense and drama, integrated with interesting medical and technical backdrop. But the whole thing was spoiled because of the totally unnecessary, woefully predictable, and wholly gratuitous love affair, between the intellient and wealthy protagonist and bumbling "hunk type" security guard. The "Sappy" love affair sticks out, and distracts from the interest and intrigue otherwise generated by the otherwise intreguing substance underlying the story line.

review of narrator

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The book was so good that the somewhat irritating voice and accents of the narrator failed to dim my enjoyment. I would have much preferred another "voice".

A caricature of a detective novel

Very very very formulaic. But the premise of a detective hero with Aspergers is very interesting. Done much more effectively, however, in "The curious incident of the dog in the night." I kept hoping that the plot twists would be more than the inevitable, but alas they followed the googlemap route to a conclusion: Interstate whenever possible, no interesting diversions as that would add travel time and reduce gas mileage. The idea of the experience of sex from the point of view of Aspergers could have been particularly intriguing, but instead we get a blend of 50's sanitized romance and bodice-buster allegorical descriptions that was cartoonish.

A heroine you are really rooting for

A plot that nudges you out of your world and lets you look into a window on another. I liked the twist on the lead character and thought the book built a steady tension around a truly sinister plot, whose finnish was unexpected and surprising in a good way. The story is a good one and worth listening to.

medical thriller

enjoyed from beginning To end. medical thrillers are my favorites. character development is superb. love the author

Okay story/ very hard to hear

The narrator could have been great. Except her range varied too many octaves. There were times I could not understand what she was saying where she used a very low sound. Perhaps if I where in a sound proof room . . . I tried turning my volume on high, to no avail

Best book of the Year!

I wish Michael Palmer wrote more books! This is a great novel with much to do about life as well as murder. The characters truly come alive. This is my favorite book of the year and I loved the plot twists!