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70th out of 77 books
—
44 voters
Side Effects
by
Michael Palmer (Goodreads Author)
Kate Bennet. A bright hospital pathologist with a loving husband and a solid future. Until one day her world turns dark. A strange, puzzling illness has killed two women. Now it endangers Kate's closest friend. Soon it will threaten Kate's marriage. Her sanity. Her life. Kate has uncovered a horrifying secret. Important people will stop at nothing to protect it. It is a te...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
January 1st 1995
by Bantam
(first published 1985)
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Medical Chiller with great plot and characters!
We thought Michael Palmer's medical thriller "The Sisterhood" was quite good, especially for a first novel; this one, his second outing, just might be great! An interesting prologue from Nazi Germany sets the stage for a story about illegal (and of course, unethical) testing of unapproved drugs on unaware human subjects. Incredible suspense and tension are generated through a number of faceted story lines:
- Leading lady Dr. Kate Bennett, a hospital...more
We thought Michael Palmer's medical thriller "The Sisterhood" was quite good, especially for a first novel; this one, his second outing, just might be great! An interesting prologue from Nazi Germany sets the stage for a story about illegal (and of course, unethical) testing of unapproved drugs on unaware human subjects. Incredible suspense and tension are generated through a number of faceted story lines:
- Leading lady Dr. Kate Bennett, a hospital...more
This book was a 3 1/2. I listened to it on audio. There was always something going on...always something happening to the main character Kate that it was dizzying. Even though she was right and even though she had everything in her favor, the book kept stacking it all against her to make her look crazy and I became exhausted reading/listening to the book. I didn't believe in her marriage, so that became hard for me. I guess, it was a big disconnect. The story itself was exciting, just didn't pul...more
I love to read Michael Palmer's medical thrillers. Side Effects however, was not a page turner for me. The research of a Natzi in WWII survives and is used in medical trials with unexpected side effects. The best parts of the book were when the the female doctor was in immediate danger. But there was too much down time I had to wade through to get to the exciting parts.
May 16, 2012
Amberlee
is currently reading it
So far, if this book was not due for an anatomy project, I would have been reading it more intently. But when i do open the pages, it amazes me how intricate Michael Palmer gets with the medical terms as well as the family aspect of the book with the main character and her husband.
Palmer's books are always so scary because they could actually happen, all it takes is a few bad apples in the right positions and wam you could be part of the same diaster that was portrayed in this book. Can't say anything more without giving a spoiler clue.
Jun 06, 2010
BoekenTrol
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of medical thrillers
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
In the genre of medical thrillers I like Robin Cook better. This book was okay, good as an in-between, for on holidays, after an exam, in the train. A light, scary read, but nothing really special.
In the genre of medical thrillers I like Robin Cook better. This book was okay, good as an in-between, for on holidays, after an exam, in the train. A light, scary read, but nothing really special.
This book gets started very slowly and is laden and chock full of medical terms. I originally started reading this because I thought (this book) and the recent film with Jude Law was one in the same. It's not! Its very good but a slow starter so I've sworn to put it down and revisit when I'm in the mood.
Descobri há pouco tempo este autor e já devorei alguns livros. Policiais do universo médico na mesma linha de Robin Cook, só que agora prefiro Michael Palmer. No problem, tenho espaço para muitos amores! :-)
( Efeitos Secundários )
( Efeitos Secundários )
This was another "Oldie but goodie" from Michael Palmer. Aside from the obvious lack of cell phones, the story still feels contempory. Very fast moving, engaging characters, and an unusual twist. Good summer reading.
This was really good for the most part. I felt the heroine was a bit on the naive side, even after being blindsided over and over, she still didn't see what was in front of her face. And while the ending was probably more true to life, I would really have liked if it had turned out a little different. Can't say more without adding spoilers.
3 star medical thriller (top 50% of the genre). One of Michael Palmer's many reliable, well-constructed, hospital-based thrillers. For my full review, see ScienceThrillers.com
I tried to read this book, but it was filled with so much medical turns and information, I felt the plot got lost. Maybe I will try to read it again another time.
If you enjoy Palmer's medical thrillers then this one is a true classic. It's textured, filled with a good dose of drama, suspense and intrigue. And as always...you take something away with you (if you enjoy learning about the body and how it works).
I liked this book, it was very intriguing. What I didn't like was the bottom line of the whole story - the reason for the womens illness.
As I continue on my Michael Palmer obsession, I recently completely one of his earlier novels, Side Effects. This book was an excellent read that showed the life of a woman trying to balance work and life. When female patients start dying of very strange and usual blood disorders, Dr. Bennett makes it her mission to try and solve the mystery surrounding these mysterious deaths, before her friend is next. Although, Dr. Bennett focuses her work on saving her friend's life, her home life is rapidly...more
Would not have finished it had I not been on a road trip. Medical thriller? I think not.
Very concerned about the vitamins pills I am taking after reading this book! Terrible stories!
It was a good story... Liked the characters but only cared about them when things were happening.
Aug 07, 2011
Leeanne Thwaite
added it
I really enjoyed this story. I love how the story is all woven together
Can't get enough of his books...always a page turner and interesting as well
Jul 12, 2010
Myla O'Brien
is currently reading it
another one that's taken a couple of years to read... a little at a time....
A brilliantly written hospital procedural
I did not like the performer...
Loved it!!!
Jul 19, 2012
Sandra
added it
Great book.Lots of action, surprise twists and turns, and suspense
I felt there were too many ill defined sub-plots that kept the story from really moving forward effectively.
This book built in intensity like all Michael Palmer books. It was a little predictable and it reminded me of another book he wrote.
Very good medical suspense. Kate is a bright and upcoming pathologist. When strange medical anomolies start effecting the women that Kate comes into contact, including a good friend. Kate soon starts to make enemies as she investigates and finds that secret and subversive medical trials have been performed without anyones knowledge. Now she just has to survive long enough to tell someone.
THANK GOODNESS IT'S OVER!!! The story FINALLY got better but the characters, like the overall book, were shallow and strained. The plot eventually worked into a decent story but the lack of character definition, pointless characters, mindless dialog, and mind numbing voice of the reader (it was an audio book) made it un-enjoyable. But, hey, I have never written a book.
This book was good, but it made me feel like I had the disorders that the author was describing. I didn't like that. It hit too close to home. Also, it seemed to take forever to reach real action that made the bits and pieces come together. When it finally did, it wrapped up the story too quickly and left me with many questions.
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Michael Palmer, M.D., is the author of the forthcoming A Heartbeat Away (2011), The Last Surgeon, The First Patient, The Fifth Vial, The Society, Fatal, The Patient, Miracle Cure, Critical Judgment, Silent Treatment, Natural Causes, Extreme Measures, Flashback, Side Effects, and The Sisterhood. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages. He trained in internal medicine at Boston Cit...more
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