Doing Harm
Chief resident Steve Mitchell is blessed with a perfect life: great kids, a lovely wife, and a chance to get the job of his dreams. Unfortunately, he is egotistical and sometimes puts his professional agenda ahead of his patients. Suddenly, everything begins to fall apart. One of his patients dies under strange circumstances, another is seriously injured during surgery, and a self-indulgent sexual encounter puts his marriage at risk. As Parsons’ debut thriller unfolds, it becomes clear that events aren’t entirely Steve’s fault. There’s a psychopath loose in the hospital, a very clever one who has murdered before and plans to kill again. It’s a deadly game—and Steve has no choice but to play. If graphic medical detail (Parsons is a surgeon who specializes in urology) threatens to overwhelm the story, the novel certainly provides a dramatic view of hospital procedures in and out of the surgical suite. And once Steve finds out the identity of the ruthless killer, the pace picks up nicely, providing readers who like Robin Cook and Michael Palmer with incentive to add Parsons to their must-read lists. --Stephanie Zvirin