Trauma

A Novel

By: Michael Palmer, Daniel Palmer

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Dr. Carrie Bryant's four years as a neurosurgical resident at White Memorial Hospital have earned her the respect and admiration from peers and staff alike. When given the chance of performing her first unsupervised brain surgery, Carrie jumps at the opportunity. What should have been a routine, hours-long operation turns horribly wrong and jeopardizes her patient's life. Emotionally and physically drained, Carrie is rushed back to the OR to assist in a second surgery. There, she makes a careless and tragic mental error resulting in irreparable brain damage to her second patient. With her confidence shattered, Carrie quits her residency and moves back home, where her younger brother, Adam, a combat vet suffering from debilitating PTSD, also lives. When Carrie learns about an experimental program at the VA Medical Center exploring the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that could forever cure the emotional and memory trauma of PTSD, it seems like a way back into medicine. Carrie is apprehensive, but a chance meeting with David Hoffman, a reporter for the Lowell Observer writing a story on PTSD, helps her overcome any hesitation. Her first surgery appears to be a success until her patient mysteriously vanishes. When a second patient also goes missing, Carrie employees the investigative skills of David, and together they descend into a labyrinth of murder and corruption. And the price Carrie might pay for asking the wrong questions could be her life.

©2015 Michael Palmer (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

Excellent

Great story line, I couldn't put it down. Love, Love, Loved this heart pounding read. Thank You.

Wonderful

This was very exciting. I didn't stop till I was finished, then wished there was more.

Started with a bang

The OR error was done so well but the story became too fantastic - I made it through

Intriguing story!

Great story... Thought provoking... I wonder if this could really be happening!

The author did an authentic job ... In completing his father's work! Impressive! Now I'll look for his own books... Great author!

Thoroughly good story!

Well written and believable characters. Definitely worth the time and a thought provoker! I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the twists.

A wonderful book!

Great book love the palmer book both father may he never be forgotten. And the son. His dad is proud.

Fantastic read (or listen)

Very exciting! Kept me engaged in the story from beginning to end! The story took a very interesting turn towards the end!
If you like medical thrillers you will enjoy this book!

Trauma

Audiobook narrated by Xe Sands, approximately eleven hours of listening, released in 2015 by Macmillan Audio. Trauma is marketed as being written by Michael and Daniel Palmer. Daniel Palmer is Michael’s son and Michael has been dead since 2013; this book was written by Daniel Palmer. Personally, I object to Daniel using his father’s name for promotional purposes. Daniel is talented enough to pursue writing on his own without the use of a familial crutch and should take a page from the playbook of Joe Hill. Joe Hill, author of such terrific stories as Nos4a2, is the son of Stephen King. Message to Daniel Palmer: Stop using Pop’s name to sell your books, not fair to his memory, not fair to your own talent.

That said … Trauma is a medical mystery/thriller and is the story of Carrie Bryant, a neurology resident, who makes a horrendous error in the process of prepping a gentleman for brain surgery. She flips, reverses, an X-Ray, resulting in brain surgery being performed on the wrong side of the brain. Big oops, huh. Hard to believe this sort of stuff actually happens, but it does. Carrie's mistake results in her resignation and a complete lack of confidence moving forward with her medical career. In a short time, through a friend of her father, she is recruited as a neurosurgeon to participate in a new method of treating PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) at a VA Hospital. Problem is the patients keep disappearing. Thus is the thrust of Trauma.

Why I liked? A decent mystery, I’m an easy touch for a good who-done-it … and, in Trauma, we’re not sure who the bad-guy is until the end - I didn’t guess - which is always fun. Narration is fine, Xe Sands does a credible job. Pacing/tempo is good, male/female voices good, basic production good, no trouble with who-is-talking-to-who.

Not so hot? Credibility with regard to the PTSD surgery experiment. Stretch your imagination a bit to swallow the possibilities suggested. The end results is certainly realistic. No spoilers.

Overall, a good story, well read. Enjoy!

Exciting

Found the technical descriptions of procedures very interesting, and the knowledge and skill needed by neurosurgeons takes long years of preparation. For the protagonist to "give up" her career is heartbreaking. The
Bureaucracy within hospitals is dense, not always making decisions that are popular.

The narration was very good.

Just middle of the road

It must be really difficult to finish a book your father started...even if you are an author in your own right.