The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer. Published by St. Martin's Press, Feb. 16, 2010.
A good plot, fast paced action through quick dialogue, and an entertaining and suspenseful read throughout.A doctor with a heart of gold is pitted against a ruthless psychopath who has been hired as a contract killer by an unknown group. The killer thinks he is being humane by using bloodless and painless methods of dispatching his victims, but uses psychological terror nonetheless. Dr. Nick Garrity, in contrast, uses his talents to give medical care to the homeless and to war veterans. How their paths will cross, what far-reaching plot is behind the contract killings, and who will come out the winner are questions that kept me reading. Definitely an adults-only thriller, which builds suspense through psychological threats. Certainly not for the squeamish.
Publisher's description: "Everyone told Gillian Coates that her sister's suicide was just that: a suicide.
Everyone told Dr. Nick Garrity that his best friend, Lt. Umberto Vasquez, had simply disappeared, battling the demons of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gillian doesn't believe it. Nick doesn't believe it. And soon, they discover a chilling connection between these two seemingly random events...a common denominator that will lead a killer to the next victim...and the last surgeon.
Thanks to author Michael Palmer for providing an ARC for an objective review.
Challenges: 100+, Thriller and Suspense, Chill Baby, Chill!