Trauma

In the less than successful final medical thriller from Michael Palmer (1942–2013), completed by his son Daniel Palmer (Desperate), an error by neurosurgeon Carrie Bryant harms a patient and leads to her resignation from Boston Community Hospital and her return to her parents’ home in Hopkinton, Mass. Bryant gets an unusual second chance when Dr. Alistair Finley hires her with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) funds for an experimental program using DBS (deep brain stimulation) to treat vets with PTSD. Bryant performs two successful operations, but both patients develop serious and unusual complications. When Bryant discovers that the two have been discharged from the hospital against medical advice, she and investigative reporter David Hoffman begin a search for them. Bryant’s conviction that something is wrong is strengthened when attempts are made on her life, and she and Hoffman take a desperate chance to gain evidence. Fairly wooden characters and a plot that never develops much steam may disappoint fans of both authors. [em]Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May) [/em]