When Netgalley notified me my wish had come true to receive an advance readers copy of The First Family by Michael and Daniel Palmer, I was quite happy (to say the least). I've read books by the father/son duo independently of each other, but I have never had the pleasure of reading a title written by the two of them. Both authors are favorites of mine. The way they compose their medical thrillers always grabs my attention and barely lets up the whole ride through.
The First Family is no different. Cam Hilliard is suffering from some unknown symptoms that cause his mother, the First Lady of the United States Ellen Hilliard, to call in reinforcements. She turns to Cam's trusted secret service detail Karen who enlists the help of her ex-husband. On paper he's a family doctor, but in all actuality he's a great diagnostician. He's house... but less asshole. Much less asshole.
Dr. Lee Blackwood is immediately drawn in by Cam's case since his symptoms don't seem to fall neatly into any medical boxes he can decipher. Also, the first family's doctor seems to be thwarting all Lee's attempts at diagnosing the problem. He wants to chalk Cam's odd behavior to being depressed. Lee isn't so convinced.
So... like most thrillers, things get a little crazy. People start dying and there's a mysterious puppet-master pulling the strings. This puppet-master will stop at nothing to ensure that Lee does not get to the bottom of whatever Cam's true medical problems are.
Because I'm used to their writing, individually, it was nice to see that the story flowed seamlessly. There were no moments I felt pulled from the story because the writing didn't match or the plot just didn't fit. Although I did lose a little steam midway through this novel, it wasn't due to the authors since they managed to maintain tension throughout the novel. I lost steam because it's hard being working full-time, going to school part-time, and reviewing. Time gets away from me, yet each time I returned back to reading The First Family, I was immediately drawn back in for the little time I did have to devote to it.
Ultimately, The First Family was a fun, thrilling read. Michael and Daniel Palmer kept me guessing the whole way through. I won't deny that I expected them to deliver a great read and it's more than refreshing that they delivered. I definitely recommend this title to those who are familiar with their work. For those who are unfamiliar, I say hold on tight and enjoy the ride. ****
Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley
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