Political Suicide is a medical/political thriller by Michael Palmer that launches Tuesday 12-11-12. I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy, and it looks like I have more Michael Palmer novels to catch up on!
As a psychologist, I have treated physicians and other professionals who are recovering from addictions, so I found this novel intriguing from the start.
Political Suicide by Michael Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wonderful Suspense!
What would you do if a friend gets accused of murder, but you don’t think he did it?
When the hero of the military/political thriller Political Suicide faces that exact dilemma, he proves that he is not one to back down from a challenge. Dr. Lou Welcome has battled through many challenges in his life — the biggest being the daily struggle to stay clean and sober. He helps other physicians through drug rehab and re-entry into medical practice.
Gary McHugh is one such physician who calls Lou after falling off the wagon. Unfortunately, Gary’s alcohol blackout may or may not have included killing a U.S. senator.
When Lou seeks justice for his friend, it’s tough to see clearly through the miasma covering an elite Special Forces unit called Mantis Company. There just might be a deadly conspiracy with this military unit, waiting to be uncovered. And when Lou tries to find the truth, he becomes the target.
The suspense in this novel is top-notch. One scene involving a frothing-at-the-mouth guard dog had me quite on edge, nervous for Lou. I like the realism of Lou’s character. He’s tough, caring, and clever, yet he’s definitely not perfect. Lou makes a major mistake at one point, enraging Gary’s attorney Sarah. Will he redeem himself?
There’s also a cast of well-drawn supporting characters, including Lou’s daughter Emily, his AA sponsor and trainer Cap, and his cat Diversity. Lou and attorney Sarah team up and track down Edith, who’s already suffered the consequences of the deadly conspiracy. Edith is feisty and competent.
Unfortunately I didn’t feel very emotionally connected to Lou. He’s a good guy, but there just seemed to be something missing. The romance that sparks up between Lou and Sarah didn’t feel compelling to me, but this is more of a thriller than a romance (and I typically read romance novels).
I enjoyed the twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.
St. Martin’s Press provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
***St. Martin’s Press is GIVING AWAY a signed print copy of Political Suicide to a lucky winner!
To enter, simply leave a comment with your email address. If you like, you can answer this question:
Do you believe alcohol/drug addiction is a biological illness?
And did you know that my publisher Omnific is giving away THREE kindles loaded with our books? Enter HERE.
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