alifromkc1907's review against another edition
4.0
Gut Instinct Rating: 4.5
Characters: 4
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 4.5
Story Line: 4
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 4.58
Characters: 4
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 4.5
Story Line: 4
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 4.58
abigailbat's review against another edition
4.0
Dr. Matt Rutledge suspects that the local coal mine is behind a series of strange illnesses in his West Virginia town. Grandmother Ellen Kroft fights against a super-vaccine that's about to be implemented as the standard of care. Dr. Nikki Solari mourns the loss of her best friend and travels to West Virginia for her funeral... All of their stories come together as they are thrust into a deadly adventure to find the truth behind the disfiguring disease that's popping up in Belinda, WV. An action-packed thrill ride set in the mountains of West Virginia. Interesting characters and the scenic mountain backdrop add to this medical thriller that kept me turning the pages.
powerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
TLDR: While slow to start, this book is fast-paced and full of action, conspiracies, and just a hint of romance.
I read this book for the category of “Medical Thriller” for the PopSugar reading challenge. I’ve read a handful of medical thrillers in the past (many more than a handful if you can count books where the protagonist is a medical examiner), but this was my first by Michael Palmer. I’m so glad I decided to read this.
The book starts off somewhat slow paced, and Palmer spends many pages letting us get to know the characters. That said, the characters are well-rounded and have backstories that fuel who they are today. I loved the characters and the little snippets of romance in two of the storylines.
There’s a lot of action and intrigue in this book! There’s also a little bit of science, but not so much that it might be confusing or overwhelming to non-sciencey people. (I have a science background, so it can be hard for me to judge this sometimes, but it seemed well-explained).
I read this book for the category of “Medical Thriller” for the PopSugar reading challenge. I’ve read a handful of medical thrillers in the past (many more than a handful if you can count books where the protagonist is a medical examiner), but this was my first by Michael Palmer. I’m so glad I decided to read this.
The book starts off somewhat slow paced, and Palmer spends many pages letting us get to know the characters. That said, the characters are well-rounded and have backstories that fuel who they are today. I loved the characters and the little snippets of romance in two of the storylines.
There’s a lot of action and intrigue in this book! There’s also a little bit of science, but not so much that it might be confusing or overwhelming to non-sciencey people. (I have a science background, so it can be hard for me to judge this sometimes, but it seemed well-explained).
corissam's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
glamourfaust's review against another edition
4.0
I needed something fast paced and entertaining. I've read some duds lately. Plus, this was a medical thriller. Win win.
ees5090's review against another edition
1.0
Wasn’t aware of the author’s antivax stance. Definitely not something I want to be reading in 2021.
ruenicorn's review
4.0
This book took me a week to read unlike most of Palmer's books I go through in a couple hours -- because of interruptions, not because I wanted to put the book down. if I believed in guilty pleasures, Palmer would be mine, but since I don't, it's just a favorite form of escapism. Fatal didn't disappoint, but to be fair I haven't been picking up the ones that sound like they will. (Obviously, these are social networking notes far more than real 'book reviews.' I'm sure people are glad to not have to endure my status updates for this one.) The unrealistic thread connections are actually something I LIKED about it, but again, it's the kind of stories I like to tell with friends, so it's also a kind of story I like to read -- this was yet another one where it's not at all realistic, but it was nonetheless completely enjoyable.
ibeforem's review
4.0
For most of the book, you had two storylines that didn’t really seem related. They both had to do with medical issues, but there was no visible link. I really enjoyed how the two paths were joined together. It was unexpected, and I like being surprised when I read a book. This was the first Michael Palmer book I’ve read, and I’d definitely read more. I think a lot of them are medical thrillers, which I’m a sucker for anyway!
sunsoar25's review
3.0
It took me quite a while to really get into this novel - probably somewhere around the 100 page mark. There is a possibility that what kind of through me off in the prologue was the bit about "explosive diarrhea"... I had dinner shortly before I began the story. Anyways, of the three lead characters I particularly enjoyed reading Matt and Nikki; I found that I wasn't really all that interested in Ellen; she did grow on me to some extent near the end. However, one thing that irked me about Matt and Nikki was that they had to fall in love. I would have been just as happy if they didn't. I also liked the fact that there was a good deal more to the "mountain folk" than I originally expected since they started off as stereotypes. On a side note, if this would ever go the big screen (or small screen) Chris Bauer should definitely portray Chief Grimes.
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