Play Audiobook Sample
Fatal Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.02) - 1,729 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
From The Sisterhood, Michael Palmer's first New York Times bestseller, to The Patient, his ninth, reviewers have proclaimed him a master of medical suspense. Recognized around the world for original, topical, nail-biting suspense, emergency physician Palmer'swork has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Now he reaches controversial and startling new heights in a terrifying tale of cutting-edge microbiology, unbridled greed, and murder, where either knowing too little or trusting too much can be FATAL. In Chicago, a pregnant cafeteria worker suffering nothing more malevolent than flulike symptoms begins hemorrhaging from every part of her body. In Boston, a brilliant musician, her face disfigured by an unknown disease, rapidly descends into a lethal paranoia. In Belinda, West Virginia, a miner suddenly goes berserk, causing a cave-in that kills two of his co-workers. Finding the link between these events could prove FATAL. Five years ago, internist and emergency specialist Matt Rutledge returned to his West Virginia home to marry his high-school sweetheart and open a practice. He also had a score to settle. His father died while working for the Belinda Coal and Coke Company, and Matt swore to expose the mine’s health and safety violations. When his beloved Ginny succumbed to an unusual cancer, his campaign became even more bitterly personal. Now Matt has identified two bizarre cases of what he has dubbed the Belinda Syndrome--caused, he is certain, by the mine’s careless disposal of toxic chemicals. All he needs is proof. Meanwhile, two women, unknown to one another, are drawn inexorably to Belinda, into Matt’s life--and into mortal danger. Massachusetts coroner Nikki Solari comes to attend the funeral of her roommate, killed violently on a Boston street. Ellen Kroft, a retired schoolteacher from Maryland, seeks the remorseless killer who has threatened to destroy her and her family.Three strangers--Rutledge, Solari, and Kroft--each hold one piece of a puzzle they must solve, and solve quickly. If they don’t, it will be far more than just their own lives that are at risk. Michael Palmer has crafted a novel of breathtaking speed and medical intricacy where nothing is as it seems and one false step could be FATAL.
Download and start listening now!
"I always like a medical thriller and this was based in an unusual locale...West Virginia. Matt Rutledge is a physician with an axe to grind with the local coal mine because he lost his father and wife due to their careless and dangerous ways. Very entertaining. "
— Joy (4 out of 5 stars)
Fatal Listener Reviews
-
" I didn't know what to expect as I'd never read or listened to this author but this book went by quickly and was over before I knew it. "
— Julie, 1/31/2014 -
" Another great old find from Palmer. I wish I'd been reading him longer, but at least I have a lot of older titles to check out if I can't find anything new at the library. A great story! "
— Dawn, 1/24/2014 -
" Am loving Michael Palmer's books so much I'm working my way through his arsenal! "
— Karen, 1/19/2014 -
" This was a good story. It caught my interest and held it. "
— Dinah, 1/5/2014 -
" 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. "
— Lauren, 1/3/2014 -
" Take the stuff about vaccines with a grain of salt. It makes for a good plot but the book was written at the height of "vaccine scare" that turned out to be a combination of junk science and hoaxes. If you can read through all that without getting too distracted then it's a pretty good adventure. "
— Buck, 12/29/2013 -
" I have read Michael Palmer before and was not disappointed with this one. It was a medical thriller. Some of the plot was very predictable; others not so much. It was a very easy read; good for sitting on the deck in the summer. Now I am off to The Postmistress for book club! "
— Mary, 12/16/2013 -
" I liked this book very much. It was enthralling and I liked the characters and the medical twists and turns. "
— Corgilover06, 12/15/2013 -
" As always Michael Palmer does not dissappoint. "
— Yvonne, 11/21/2013 -
" I always like a medical thriller and this was based in an unusual locale...West Virginia. Matt Rutledge is a physician with an axe to grind with the local coal mine because he lost his father and wife due to their careless and dangerous ways. Very entertaining. "
— Joy, 11/12/2013 -
" Fatal is not just a thriller. It offers valuable information on the danger of childhood immunizations to harm children. It also explored mining dangers and toxic chemical spills. It all came together well with plenty of action. "
— Luckngrace, 10/26/2013 -
" Read this book in 2009 and that's the last book of his I read but intend to read some more. Interesting books and he is a good writer. "
— Marlyn, 10/4/2013 -
" This was fun, fast and entertaining - just right for a vacation read. The science seemed very plausible to me. "
— Maureen, 9/10/2013 -
" Interesting plot with lots of twist and turns. I read it for the Fall Reading Challenge. "
— Mitzi, 8/26/2013 -
" one of my favorite medical thriller. i loved how all of the story lines connected and related to one another. it did seem a little far fetched at times, but that didn't take away from the thrilling and suspenseful novel. "
— DH, 8/25/2013 -
" Three different story lines are adroitly brought together and the mystery behind a disfiguring, complex illness is finally revealed. A good medical thriller involving greed and the supposed dangers of immunization keep the pages turning. "
— Jan, 6/25/2013 -
" A good story, medical in nature of course, as Palmer is a physician. Each of our three protagonists holds a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that they must solve quickly. Complex and action packed but dialog is simplistic and occasionally juvenile. "
— Chuck, 3/21/2013 -
" The book was good and an eye opener. It was a little confusing at first,there were 3 differnet story lines to follow but in all came together very well. "
— Misty, 2/1/2013 -
" Fatal by Michael Palmer (2003) "
— Julie, 1/8/2013 -
" I don't remember reading any Michael Palmer's ever before. This one was a good story told well. "
— Susan, 5/16/2012 -
" coal mine containation along with vaccinations are somehow causing fatal diseases in this small appalachian town. "
— Barbra, 5/14/2012 -
" The cave scenes, rather than invoking fear, made me want to go caving again. Seemed disjointed at first but Palmer tied the medical mysteries together well enough. "
— John, 3/10/2012 -
" Very interesting info about how tainted water can cause mystery illnesses and how corporations conspire to cover up their mistakes. The main characters are likable and believable. "
— Marsha, 10/5/2011 -
" Good read, enought to keep one turning the pages. Not too many "just taking up space" pages. "
— Garymilton, 10/3/2011 -
" Read this, loved it! Have to find more of Palmer's books in the future, definitely. "
— J.M., 9/9/2011 -
" Favorite of his yet...pretty fast paced for Palmer! When it started out, I thought he had bitten off more than he could chew. Taking on too many health issues but, he pulled it off! LOVED IT!!! "
— Jacki, 9/1/2011 -
" Medical fiction about the effects of vaccines and environmental toxins "
— Salsadancer, 6/11/2011 -
" What a SCARY idea!!!!!!! "
— Sarah, 5/20/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book "
— Clarissa, 5/12/2011 -
" I liked this book very much. It was enthralling and I liked the characters and the medical twists and turns. "
— Corgilover06, 3/6/2011 -
" Good beach read. Reminds me of Michael Crichton's books. "
— Ann, 11/21/2010 -
" excellent book. lots of suspence, great details, on the edge of your seat excitment in some of the chapters "
— Karen, 9/15/2010 -
" I love all of Michael Palmer books! "
— Sheila, 7/31/2010 -
" A good story, medical in nature of course, as Palmer is a physician. Each of our three protagonists holds a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that they must solve quickly. Complex and action packed but dialog is simplistic and occasionally juvenile. <br/> "
— Chuck, 6/1/2010 -
" The cave scenes, rather than invoking fear, made me want to go caving again. Seemed disjointed at first but Palmer tied the medical mysteries together well enough. "
— John, 2/26/2010 -
" one of my favorite medical thriller. i loved how all of the story lines connected and related to one another. it did seem a little far fetched at times, but that didn't take away from the thrilling and suspenseful novel. "
— DH, 2/10/2010 -
" Not quite as good as the first Palmer book I read, Second Opinion "
— Pam, 12/6/2009 -
" Excellent; two doctors work to determine what is causing disfigurement and death in people in a small town, and wind up challenging a new vaccine being pushed by the First Lady <br/> "
— Joe, 9/7/2009
About Michael Palmer
Michael Palmer (1942–2013) authored twenty-one novels of medical suspense, all international bestsellers, including The First Patient, The Second Opinion, and The Last Surgeon. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages. Extreme Measures was the basis for a movie starring Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman.
About Michael Kramer
Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.