Rating: 
Summary: EXCITING, HEART RACING ACTION
Review: AT FIRST I WAS NOT SURE IF THIS BOOK WOULD BE ENTERTANING. HURWITZ IS ABLE TO INTERMINGLE TWO VERY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES INTO A NOVEL THAT TURNS OUT TO BE EXCEPTIONAL. IT IS FILLED WITH ACTION AND SUSPENSE. DO NOT HARM OFFERS THE READER THE CHANCE TO VIEW LIFE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY HAD NO CHANCE AT LIFE TO BEGIN WITH. TRULY A GREAT READ!
Rating: 
Summary: Superb Characterization In This Med Thriller
Review: Chief E.R. Doctor David Spier is a recently widowed, grieving man, still trying to restart his romantic life in L.A. To complicate matters he is faced with alkali attacks against his staff. The police apprehend the "perp", case closed right, Wrong! Clyde the psychatiatrically imbalanced man responsible for the attacks escapes police custody, due partly to the responsibility of Dr. Spier, and the real hunt has begun.Hurwitz( this is my first novel I've read by him) is an extremely accomplished author. I admit I was almost daunted in the early pages when he graphically descibes medical proceedures in a buey E.R. However he toned down the jargon in later chapters and instead painted vivid characterizations of both antangonist and protangonist. His novel is also intelectually stimulating as well as imgaginatively stimulating, due to some key issues that arise from his plot such as how adherant to hippocratic oath doctors should be, and revenge versus justice. A great read that I feel picks up pace nicely as it goes along.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect read for thriller fans!
Review: Compelling from the first page to the last, this entertaining thriller will please genre fans immensely. Make sure you set aside time, because you'll want to read it in a single sitting. While the extensive references to the Westwood area of Los Angeles may be lost on out-of-town'ers, the well drawn characters and original plot will keep readers engrossed. This is the second work I've read by author Hurwitz and I look forward to enjoying his other titles.
Rating: 
Summary: A truly fun read
Review: David Spier is an ER physician at the UCLA Emergency Room. He is on duty when nurses are brought in with severe facial burns due to an attack with lye. It appears a man has targeted nurses for these brutal assaults. When the assailant, named Clyde, is actually apprehended, he is wounded and under David's care. The police want him in custody. However,David hesitates in releasing Clyde because he fears for Clyde's safety. One of the detectives on the case has a sister who was severely injured by Clyde. David wants Clyde brought in under his terms. Unfortunately, Clyde escapes and David is the scapegoat. David feels especially guilty when the attacks continue. He feels personally responsible and wants to do all he can to stop Clyde. This leads to a very dangerous cat and mouse game.
Gregg Hurwitz has written a very clever thriller albeit on the lengthy side. David Spier is a man of great principles and it can be quite a bit irritating to see him fear for Clyde's safety which, predictably, leads to his escape. It is an unrealistic character flaw in David and, as such, makes him almost a comic book hero. Other characters are stereotypic. However, the pacing of the plot makes up for any character flaws. The bottom line is the author tells a great story-- perfect for pure entertainment. A truly fun read.
Rating:
Summary: chilling medical thriller
Review: Dr. David Spier is in charge of the UCLA Medical Center emergency Room and he takes his responsibilities very seriously. When someone sprays lye on the face of one of the nurses standing in the outdoor vestibule, the E.R. is shocked. The victim's brother is a cop who vows revenge on the person who blinded and disfigured his sister. When a second nurse is also victimized, the police conclude that the perpetrator has something against nurses. When the police find and arrest him near the hospital, the perp is covered in lye. The police take him to the emergency room where David treats him and prevents the officers from doing him bodily injury. Fearful that if the police take him out of the hospital he will never arrive at the prison alive, David delays his release and in doing so inadvertently gives him a means to escape. When the perpetrator hurts a third nurse, David vows to track him down and bring him in because he feels guilty that his actions enabled the nasty deed to occur and the woman attacked means a lot to the idealistic doctor. Gregg Andrew Hurwitz is the heir apparent to Robin Cook if this medical thriller is an indicator of the chill level that leaves readers reconsidering any visit to an emergency room. The protagonist is a heroic figure with strong ethics, but is vilified by the press and his peer's for his role in the antagonist's escape. This makes him endearing, empathetic as well as sympathetic to the audience who will hope he triumphs. DO NO HARM is a compelling read. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A gripping psychological horror story and medical thriller.
Review: Greg Andrew Hurwitz's new book, "Do No Harm" deals with a troubled individual who wreaks havoc in the UCLA Medical Center by throwing lye in the faces of two nurses. One nurse is blinded and horribly disfigured for life, and her brother, a police officer, wants to kill the perpetrator when he is caught and hospitalized. David Spier, chief of the Emergency Room, is a compassionate doctor, and he prevents the police from carrying out their brand of vigilante justice. Unfortunately, the felon, whose name is Clyde, escapes and he continues to spread mayhem and threaten those whom he perceives as his enemies. There are aspects of "Do No Harm" that are very strong. Hurwitz does a wonderful job of developing character. He makes the criminal in this book so vivid that the reader feels as if he has met this individual, a truly horrifying prospect. The author also effectively explores some of the ethical dilemmas that confront doctors. How far should physicians go to protect the patients in their care? Does a person's psychiatric history excuse him when he turns violent? Because Clyde escaped while under David's care, the police and his colleagues in the hospital ostracize the doctor. Therefore, partially to redeem himself and to assuage his guilt, David decides to track down Clyde by himself. David is helped by a shady character who is an expert at private investigations that are not sanctioned by law. David eventually finds out that Clyde's behavior has roots that go back many years, and the doctor uses his medical knowledge to diagnose what is troubling Clyde now. Some of his findings are extremely shocking, and David finds himself questioning many of the assumptions that he has held all of his life. David is also still mourning his beloved wife who died several years ago, and he is slowly getting involved with a young doctor who reciprocates his feelings. However, David's problems in the ER, and his lingering feelings for his wife, interfere with his ability to commit himself to a new relationship. There are two obvious weaknesses in "Do No Harm." First, it is difficult to believe that a man as mentally unbalanced as Clyde would be capable of carrying out so many carefully planned and even sophisticated attacks. Second, the last quarter of the book is overly long and repetitious. Overall, however, "Do No Harm" is an engrossing novel, with authentic medical details, an extremely exciting plot and an attractive, albeit somewhat flawed, hero. Those who love medical and psychological thrillers will find "Do No Harm" both fascinating and suspenseful.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable Motives
Review: I fould the book to be entertaining. However, I thougth the author did not develop Dr. Spier's character in a believable way. In particular, Dr. Spier's actions seemed too outrageous and other than to move the plot along, I just did not understand his motives or circumstances for acting the way he did. Also, having Ed Pinkerton's character just magically accomplish various feats for Dr. Spier seemed a little too convenient. I would have liked to see a more creative development of the plot. Having said that, it was a quick read and the action was entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable Motives
Review: I fould the book to be entertaining. However, I thougth the author did not develop Dr. Spier's character in a believable way. In particular, Dr. Spier's actions seemed too outrageous and other than to move the plot along, I just did not understand his motives or circumstances for acting the way he did. Also, having Ed Pinkerton's character just magically accomplish various feats for Dr. Spier seemed a little too convenient. I would have liked to see a more creative development of the plot. Having said that, it was a quick read and the action was entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars
Review: See storyline above A top-notch thriller with graphic scenes of the emergency room (and Clydes room) with highly descriptive and obviously well researched treatments. It's a story of one doctor's personal ethics. It's a story that packs a lot of suspense with a lot of personal issues. The pace stays fairly strong throughout the story with just an occasional lag. Recommended
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Drivel
Review: Such babbling nonsense. After the first couple of chapters the book becomes an unrealistic and inane read. Overly moralistic Super Doctor tracks down serial alkali thrower. Who is next on his list? Bin Laden? I usually do not bother to write negative reviews, but I could not pass the opportunity with this one.
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