Palmer has put together not only a very topical plot (see these recent news articles here & here)
but a complex plot that stretches from small rural farms and roadside diners to the highest branches of power within the government. Along the way we meet some very human and real characters, including Dr. Welcome who could be any brilliant and talented doctor today, who has had his personal and professional life marred by addiction, and has recovered, dealt with it, and made the best of the lessons his mistakes cost him.
Palmer also succeeds in introducing a likeable and believable supporting cast of characters, from city minorities to rural waitresses. Even the antagonists aren’t one dimensional. There are a couple of minor glitches in the logic of the story, but they are very minor and most readers won’t even notice them. The story also requires readers to stretch their imaginations and realm of believability, but though the story is filled with ‘conspiracy theory’ topics, they are backed by the current science of today, with a warning of what could and probably will be tomorrow. All in all, Oath of Office is another great thriller that is more politics than medical and Palmer proves he is still on top of his game after 16 previous great books.
Michael Palmer, M.D., trained in internal medicine at Boston City and Massachusetts General Hospitals, spent twenty years as a full-time practitioner of internal and emergency medicine, and is now an associate director of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s physician health program. In 1978 he read Robin Cook’s classic thriller Coma . Cook was an upper classman at Wesleyan and Palmer figured if Cook could write a best seller, so could he. And he did. His first nine medical thrillers all hit the New York Times Bestseller List. Quite an accomplishment for someone whose writing in college was considered dull. An avid read of escapist fiction and a huge fan of authors like Robert Ludlum, Alistair McLean, Eric Ambler, John D. MacDonald, Agatha Christie he’d read a book or two a week. When he’s not writing he still works part-time at Massachusetts Medical Society as an Associate Director of their physician health program, helping doctors with physical illness, mental illness, or substance abuse, put their lives together.
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