The First Family

Paper-thin characters and a hard-to-swallow plot mar bestseller Palmer’s self-described homage to his late father Michael’s The First Patient. Karen Ray, the Secret Service agent primarily responsible for the safety of Cam Hilliard, the U.S. president’s teenage son, consults her ex-husband, Washington, D.C., family practitioner Lee Blackwood, after Frederick Gleason, the head White House physician, suggests that Cam be treated for a mental health problem. Lee is brought in for a second opinion, and, after his exam, clashes with Gleason over Cam’s treatment. Lee’s suspicions that there’s a physical basis for Cam’s symptoms are eventually validated and lead him and Karen to look into the True Potential Institute, “a unique educational center dedicated to helping D.C.’s most gifted children develop mastery in a variety of disciplines,” where Cam, a chess master, studies chess and where he routinely receives medications intended to boost mental acuity. The plot never generates much suspense. Readers can only hope that Palmer (Mercy) will return to form next time. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Apr.)