Political Suicide

By: Michael Palmer

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

From The New York Times bestselling author of Oath of Office comes a gripping thriller at the crossroads of politics and medicineDr.

Lou Welcome, from Palmer's bestselling Oath of Office, is back in this heart stopping medical thriller. A desperate phone call embroils Lou in scandal and murder involving Dr. Gary McHugh, known around the Capital as the "society doc." Lou has been supervising McHugh, formerly a black-out drinker, through his work with the Physician Wellness Office.

McHugh has been very cavalier about his recovery, barely attending AA and refusing a sponsor. But Lou sees progress, and the two men are becoming friends. Now, McHugh has been found unconscious in his wrecked car after visiting a patient of his, the powerful Congressman Elias Colston, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Soon after McHugh awakens in the hospital ER, Colston's wife returns home to find her husband shot dead in their garage. She then admits to the police that she had just broken off a long-standing affair with McHugh.

Something about McHugh's story has Lou believing he is telling the truth, that the Congressman was dead when he arrived and before he blacked out. Lou agrees to look into matters, but when he encounters motive, method and opportunity he is hard pressed to believe in his friend - that is until a deadly high-level conspiracy begins to unravel, and Lou acquires information that makes him the next target.

©2012 Michael Palmer (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

Literary Suicide

What disappointed you about Political Suicide?

It is hard to get excited about a mystery protagonist with as many weaknesses as Lou Welcome. I know, it is bad writing to have a perfect protagonist but making Welcome a recovering alcoholic, drug addict doctor would seem to cover that. But, making him impulsive, undisciplined and stupid is over the top. Maybe there are doctors out there with those traits, but I hope I don't run into one.

I guess we were suppose to believe that he only blunders around out of control and does stupid stuff like leaving the only evidence that will help his friend under his socks (did I mention he lives in a "dodgy" neighborhood?), but somehow is a different person as a doctor? Speaking of which, he appears to be the least successful doctor of all time (surprise, surprise). His addictions tanked his marriage, but after 10 years, he is still struggling to make ends meet due to paying child support? Fortunately, he has won his daughter over after all that time...although it is hard to see why. He works double shifts while allowing his ex-wife to cart their daughter around to all of her events and goes into a panic when the daughter contemplates coming to live with him instead of her mother.

Instead he gets a cat...and names it "Diversity". This is just one of the lame excuses Michael Palmer uses to push his political philosophy. Apparently, living in a diverse neighborhood, having a pet named "Diversity" and eating vegetarian pizzas balances the major fissures in Welcome's character and intelligence. And speaking of pushing political philosophies, the police and military characters are such caricatures that they are only missing handlebar mustaches while tying Nell to the railroad track.

So if you are anti-military and police, love sustainable pizza and are willing to overlook overwhelming character flaws in the "hero" and major logic flaws in the plot, you should love this.

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael Palmer again?

I have read other books by Michael Palmer and while I thought they were a little slow, I liked his writing style enough that I bought another one. Audible lets you return bad books, so I might try one again to see if this is a fluke...or the other was.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Clearly I was disappointed that Palmer decided to promote his political position while phoning in plot and characters.

Big Disappointment

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who like comic books, might appreciate this book.

Has Political Suicide turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I've very much enjoyed other Michael Palmer books.

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's very good at making the different characters stand out distinctly.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No.

Any additional comments?

This was just too much like a comic book. The characters are, at best, two dimensional. The protagonists are way too competent and successful, given their respective backgrounds. Though Palmer is a physician, the scanty medical elements are poorly handled. One key element is the death of someone from having their spinal cord transected by a quick head movement; it's never explained what could cause this. He also gives the impression that Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia is a quickly fatal disease, when, in fact, it has a greater than 90% 5 year survival rate.

Written in a Weekend

What would have made Political Suicide better?

Realism, deeper characters

Any additional comments?

I have read all of Michael Palmer's books. This one feels like he needed cash and wrote it on the weekend.

All talk, little action

What would have made Political Suicide better?

The hero, Dr. Louis Welcome, is incredible. He puts himself in remarkably dangerous situations to help a mere acquaintance. Really? He sheds light on baffling mysteries by engaging in research that any competent law firm would engage in -- so why, exactly, aren't the lawyers doing it? He is able to outmaneuver an elite military unit (the green berets on steroids) -- well, how elite can this unit be, if a middle aged ER doc can break into their facilities? All in all, in-credible.