Robert Petkoff proves to be the perfect choice to narrate Palmer's latest medical thriller. During the president's State of the Union address, the terrorist group Genesis exposes him and the 700 congressmen, senators, and spectators inside the capitol building, to WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus with no known cure. Their only hope is disgraced virologist Griffin Rhodes, who worked on the development of WRX3883 until he was arrested for supposedly stealing samples of the virus and plotting a terrorist act. Now, the president offers this presumed criminal his freedom in exchange for finding a cure for the virus. Although reluctant to help those who imprisoned him, Rhodes eventually agrees and soon it's a race against time and an omnipotent enemy, as he works round the clock to save the president, the other exposed victims, and the nation itself. Petkoff never misses a beat in his reading of this high-octane medical thriller, fully realizing each scene and character with ease. His energetic and skillful performance will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. A St. Martin's hardcover. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Palmer's early novels were smoothly written, tightly plotted, and memorable. Lately he's had his ups and downs more downs than ups, unfortunately and his latest medical thriller sort of straddles the two. On the upside, it's got a wicked cool story. Terrorists have let loose a highly virulent virus in the Capitol building on the night of the State of the Union address, forcing the president to lock down the building, trapping inside most of the hierarchy of the American government. Only Griffin Rhodes, a virologist who's been in prison for allegedly trying to steal the same virus from a research lab, can save the day. On the downside, the writing is, at best, mediocre. The characters are thinly drawn, and the dialogue is wooden and clumsy. This could have been a first-rate thriller; instead, it's a novel that depends on our loyalty to the author and our interest in its plot, not its characters, to keep us reading. Palmer continues to command an audience, but this is not his best work. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Palmer's track record (15 medical thrillers, 15 international best-sellers) assures a full-court press on the promotional front, and his latest, though disappointing, will get it, from national print and radio ads to an electronic avalanche.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Palmer's follow-up to The Last Surgeon (2010); simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hc (200,000-copy first printing); Robert Petkoff reads. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.