The First Family

The First Family was written by Daniel Palmer but he used his famous father's name on the front cover too.  Michael Palmer wrote 21 medical mysteries before his death 5 years ago.  The First Family is a medical mystery.

The front cover book summary:
"The White House is not an easy place to grow up, so when the president's son Cam Hilliard, a sixteen-year-old chess champion, experienced fatigue, moodiness, and an uncharacteristic violent outburst, doctors are quick to dismiss his troubles as teen angst.  But Secret Service agent Karen Ray, whose job it is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced Cam's issues are serious-serious enough for her to summon her physician ex-husband for a second opinion.

Dr. Lee Blackwell's concerns are dismissed by the president's team-until Cam gets sicker.  Lee must make a diagnosis from a puzzling array of symptoms he's never seen before.  His only clue is a patient named Susie Banks, a young musical prodigy who seems to be suffering from the same baffling condition as Cam. Hospitalized after an attempt on her live by a determined killer, Susie faces increased jeopardy as Cam's condition takes on a terrifying new dinension.

Is someone trying to kill the president's son?

As Lee and Karen raced for a cure to Cam's mysterious and deadly disease, they begin to uncover betrayals that breach the highest levels of national security.

Returning to the same Washington, D.C., setting of The First Patient, which former president Bill Clinton said "captured the intense atmosphere of the White House," The First Family is a riveting new medical drama from acclaimed novelist Daniel Palmer, in the tradition of his late father, New York Times bestselling novelist Michael Palmer."

First, let me say that Daniel Palmer has all of the talent his father had. He published several suspense novels before this one and I would categorize The First Family as a medical thriller, not a medical mystery.  He used the thriller formula. Since the medical mystery is my favorite mystery sub-genre, I hope this author continues to write them.  There are not many authors who write them but there are many who write suspense, albeit not at the high level he was writing at.

I read this book in one sitting.  It was that gripping. The characters were sympathetic even though they were the first family and I am sick of reading about current events in today's political climate. That was quite an achievement in itself. The first family was portrayed as any family would be with a teenager. This author used the emotional bonds of the family but the setting of the White House did advance the plot significantly. 

One of the main plot thrusts not mentioned in the blurb is that the 2, really 4, kids affected with the condition all attended a private institution after school that helped them achieve prodigy status in their chosen interest.  The TPI dispensed non-FDA regulated supplements to its students to help them achieve greatness. The CEO of TPI is a strange man and he makes a great villain but he is not the only one, of course.

The First Family is an action packed thriller with medical and legal issues about pushing kids to high performance.  I highly recommend it!