Side Effects

by Michael Palmer and Michael Palmer

Book Overview

"Has everything--a terrifying plot . . . breakneck pace . . . vividly drawn characters."--John Saul Kate Bennet. A bright hospital pathologist with a loving husband and a solid future. Until one day her world turns dark. A strange, puzzling illness has killed two women. Now it endangers Kate's closest friend. Soon it will threaten Kate's marriage. Her sanity. Her life. Kate has uncovered a horrifying secret. Important people will stop at nothing to...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553276182
• ISBN13: 9780553276183
• Release Date: April 1991
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Medical thriller at its best!

I am a complete medical thriller junkie. I hardly ever read the more "mainstream" fiction/thrillers that are written, but I will always read a medical thriller. Michael Palmer's Side Effects does not disappoint. This is, in fact, the first novel I've read by Palmer, and I will definitely take the opportunity to do so again. The plot was really interesting, I think the characters were well-developed and real, and the "action" scenes were exciting. Palmer can take real life and make it that much more interesting by throwing in controversy and conflict. The relationship between Kate and her husband was a real relationship, and I was glad to see her husband fight so much in the end to save Kate's life and career.If you're into medical thrillers, then I would recommend this book for sure.

Medical Chiller with great plot and characters!

We thought Michael Palmer's medical thriller ("The Sisterhood") was quite good, especially for a first novel; this one, his second outing, just might be great! An interesting prologue from Nazi Germany sets the stage for a story about illegal (and of course, unethical) testing of unapproved drugs on unaware human subjects. Incredible suspense and tension are generated through a number of faceted story lines:- Leading lady Dr. Kate Bennett, a hospital pathologist, fights the establishment at every turn to uncover the truth;- The wealthy patrician father of Kate's husband is ready to interfere in their lives and marriage at every turn for the political gain of his son;- Women are dieing of uncontrolled bleeding with mysterious uterine problems almost new to medicine found in the autopsies;- A greedy drug firm is in cahoots with a women's medical center to dispense secret drug tests;- Unscrupulous hospital management is ready to lie, cheat, and murder to perpetuate the conspiracy.A gripping story and complex plot is one thing, but Palmer's descriptive writing style and careful revealing of characters and situations really fleshes out this very believable tale. For once, the words "terrifying" and "vivid" on the paperback cover seem justified. We enjoyed this as one of our best reads of the summer -- highly recommend!

I've read all of his books except "Patient"

Yes - his books seem to following the typical formula/recipe for medical mystery thriller - BUT, each of the eight paperbacks of his books I finished in record time and couldn't get enough of them! After reading the first one "Silent Treatment" I ordered the other seven to read too! Yes, I too am fairly good at guessing the next "thing" that will occur in mystery books that I read - but I am pretty good at doing so with mystery movies and TV series too - so this is nothing new to me. I have to say that I have also passed on his books to friends and family to read and they are just as captivated by his writing ability and plots as I have been! They are a good, exciting, fast read and if that is what you are after you won't be disappointed - give his books a shot - I certainly did - and I'm not in the least bit disappointed that I did.

I can't say it enough - Palmer is great at this stuff!!!

After reading my first Palmer book I was hooked. I've been addicted ever since. My paperback goes everywhere I do. Thanks Michael Palmer! Don't ever stop!

Exciting blend of suspense and medical compassion.

Dr. Kate Bennett, a rising-star pathologist at Metropolitan Hospital of Boston, is investigating the unexplained deaths of two women. Her investigation leads her to suspect that someone is intentionally administering untested medication at the Omnicenter, the hospital's health facility for women. With automated drug-dispensing, the Omnicenter system becomes suspect, as does the major pharmaceutical company that provides the standard medications for this system. With powerful enemies and few friends, Dr. Bennett finds her successful life suddenly subject to a series of reverses, engineered by the now-threatened corrupt enterprise. To complicate matters, the illegal drug testing plan is itself infiltrated by a renegade scientist with his own plans for personal glory.Perhaps with less action than previous novels such as Natural Causes and Silent Treatment, Dr. Michael Palmer has compensated in Side Effects with a careening plot that races towards conclusion without a clear resolution in sight until the last moment. A frightening and plausible thesis, Side Effects provides the reader with insight into our changing vulnerability as trends in medical care also change.