Fatal

Rating:
Summary: Not his best.
Review: One of the great things about Michael Palmer is that he does not feel he has to pump out a book every year, if it is good or not. So when I learn he is putting out a new book I really look forward to it. This book around I just did not feel the need to read every free second I had, like I did with The Patient. Fatal has likeable characters and brings up some things that will make me think next time I take my kids to the doctor, but it just didn't grab me like his earlier novels. It is worth
reading and I believe most people will find this book enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best yet!
Review: ... Without rehashing plot and characters, my review is based on the research that Michael Palmer had done on the various aspect of the diseases and symptoms of all of the patients. His knowledge of the history of vaccinations and the process a drug undergoes to be made part of a multi or Omni-vaccination (political and monetary with no apparent concern for the side effects in innocent children) is very apparent throughout the book. He has made his characters believable. I loved the way the book started out in one arena (Matt and his vendetta against the mining company) then gave us two more stories that all wove together to form a perfect plot with tons of suspense and plenty of excitement. I could not put this book down until I finished. There is an article in the latest issue of [a magazine] regarding vaccinations. Maybe it's about time someone started rocking the boat like Ellie, the consumer advocate. A must read for anyone!

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating medical thriller
Review: A pregnant woman starts to haemorrhage, a violinist awfully disfigured by an unknown disease is drawn into paranoia, a miner goes berserk causing the death of two co-workers. What is it that links these deaths? Could it be the way the Belinda Coal and Coke Company disposes of its waste near the town of Belinda? But Dr Matt Rutledge needs proof and soon his research campaign becomes very bitterly personal. Meanwhile, two women unknown to each other are drawn inexorably to Belinda and into Matt's life - and into deadly danger. Massachusetts coroner Nikki Solari comes to attend the funeral of her roommate, killed violently on a Boston street. Ellen Kroft, a retired schoolteacher from Maryland, seeks the remorseless killer who has threatened to destroy her and her family. Three strangers - Rutledge, Solari and Kroft - each hold one piece of the puzzle they must solve. If they don't do this in due time, their own life may be put at risk.
As usual, Michael Palmer wrote a breathtaking medical thriller and a fully enjoyable page turner.
Philippe Horak / [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: I enjoy anything that is anti vaccine
Review: As a mother who does not vaccinate her kids, I liked this book. It was a work of fiction, but for so many familes, it was very real.

Rating:
Summary: Not a good end
Review: As always I read a medical book I will think twice before going to a doctor, the story of the super vaccine that is not tested correctly is amazing and it could be true in the basis that everybody works for money and the laboratories will not wait five years or more to test any new drug.
The book will keep you interested in the both stories, the mine and the vaccine, but sometimes it describes some medical procedures that nobody will do them unless the doctors, I think those parts could be written shortly.
The end of the book is like a fairy tale, for me these kind of books have to put some doubt to the reader about the drugs that one take.

Rating:
Summary: don't miss the message in the action....
Review: BOOK REVIEW: "Fatal" by Michael Palmer

This is a well-written, fast-paced, action-packed thriller. (I kept seeing a screen play with Harrison Ford or Michael Douglas as "Dr. Rutlidge" in my mind's-eye!) But the most important issue that is tackled in his book --the potentially harmful effects that vaccines have on our health --is the real message behind the plot.

His concern is accurate and those who have researched and studied the vaccination issue know that his statements are exactly on target. This may be the first time that problems associated with vaccines, including the incestuous relationship between the pharmaceutical industry, government and big money, has been tackled in a fictional arena. Who better to do this than
a NY Times Best Selling author who happens to be a physician?

With the potential of mandatory mass vaccination for smallpox looming on the horizon and the growing vaccine controversies related to autism and other childhood diseases, the story of Ominvax, a 30-in-one vaccine that is to be forcefully injected in all babies and children, is not solely fiction. Neither
are the fears of unknown, long term complications.

Here's a quote from the book by the character (Ellen) that was the consumer advocate on the vaccine approval committee (p.160):
"...My research has shown that not once has a vaccine--any vaccine--been evaluated by a prolonged double blind study. The pharmaceutical houses are powerful, and fund much of the drug research done at our universities and medical centers. They also have polished, highly effective public relations offices that have, on a number of occasions, set out to convince the general public that we cannot afford to deprive the placebo group of the lifesaving benefits of a vaccine while waiting until statistically meaningful double blind study can be
completed.

"Has this shortcut in the scientific process hurt us in any concrete, medical way? That I cannot answer with any certainty. What I can say is that as vaccination rates have climbed, there as been an alarming increase in the incidence of a number of so-called immune-mediated diseases and conditions such as asthma, allergies, and juvenile diabetes, as well as others --autism,
ADD and other learning disablities --whose classification as immune-mediated remains to be established. Is there a connection? Do vaccinations in some instances disrupt the normal development of the body's immune system? Until long-term, double blind studies are performed on vaccines, we may never know."

The deeper message, beyond the "who-dun-it", the complex web of
characters and the love story, is a plot to make us think. He has chosen to use his incredible fiction-writing talents to open the door of this controversial issue to the masses.

This is an entertaining, quick-read that is really enjoyable and does what a thriller is "supposed" to do. But beyond that, the book makes a profound statement about the potential for vaccine-injury when safety is abandoned due to the self-interests of a few.

Rating:
Summary: Fatal Is Not Flawless But It's A Good Read
Review: Dr. Matt Rutledge is convinced that the coal mining company in his hometown of Belinda, West Virginia is responsible for the deaths of his father and his wife. He sets out to prove that there are unsafe conditions and toxic waste at the mine. His efforts do not endear him to the people in the community where many are dependent on the mining company for their livelihood. Okay, this is not an original premise, but Palmer soon takes this story in a different direction. A believable and frightening direction. Omnivax, a vaccine with 30 different components, is about to be approved for use worldwide. One of the components was tested in Belinda 10 years ago and the adverse reactions are just beginning to show up. This is an ambitious plot line that tends to bog down about midway through the book, but Palmer manages to bring it all together in the end. There are likable heroic characters (the Slocumb brothers were my favorite), evildoers that were a little over the top, several good action scenes (involving motorcycle chases) and two very good field surgery scenes. The dialog was, at times, at little hard to take. Too sappy for my taste (does anyone say "pshaw" anymore?). Vaccinations have certainly been a topic of controversy lately and I applaud Palmer for his efforts to stimulate the dialog on this subject.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put the book down....
Review: Excellent book! First Michael Palmer book I've read and definitely not the last! I can see this book becoming a movie...at least that is what I'm hoping.

Rating:
Summary: HIS BEST YET
Review: FATAL is Michael Palmer's best book yet. Not an author to be afraid of strong heroines, Mr. Palmer gives us two. Gutsy and witty and a pleasure to be around. His vulnerable, capable hero is able to jeep up with both women. Two mysteries combined. A great read.

Rating:
Summary: One of his better books.
Review: Fatal is one of Michael Palmer's better books, although I have to say the ending was a bit of a let down. For anyone who enjoys medical dramas, this book is for you. Palmer leads you on a trail believing the problem is one thing, then the plot twists and you realize it's a completely different issue. There were quit a few characters and plot lines yet they all came together quite nicely.