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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780312937744
ISBN number: 0312937741
Label: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 544
Printing Date: November 27, 2007
Publishing house: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: November 27, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 52952
Studio: St. Martin's Paperbacks
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Product Description:
In Boston, a disgraced medical student is sent to deliver a research paper that could save her career… In a hospital four thousand miles away, a reclusive scientist, dying from an incurable disease that threatens to make each tortured breath his last, is on the verge of perfecting a serum that could save millions of lives—and bring others inestimable wealth… In Chicago, a disillusioned detective is hired to determine the identity of a John Doe, killed on a Florida highway, with mysterious marks on his body.
Three seemingly disconnected lives, surging unrelentingly toward one another—
and linked forever by THE FIFTH VIAL
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Rated by buyers 
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[If you wish to skip this very first paragraph, you may. It is just a soapbox issue and non essential to the review, but indeed pertinent to the book's contents.]
Some may find the predication of this book a bit "unrealistic" on two levels, because as Simon Cleveland explained in his review, "The story is unimaginative (human organ harvesting administered by an evil council of scientists)." I must deride at this debauchery! In life I have found that the masses, even the most scholarly and degreed man, can remain fervently myopic and ascetic to the existence of certain probabilities. For instance, there is a preponderance of well documented books that are explicit in identifying that there do exist secret societies in the world, be they past or present. And, with no reservation one should be able to acknowledge that their actions have been/are nefarious, hence the need for inconspicuousness. Is it so psychologically perplexing to KNOW that, yes, there are simultaneously existing pernicious entities in the world: 1) One that is ignorant, schooled well in the fundamentals of their archaic religious ideologies, poor, carries around an AK-47 ready to die for the greater "good" and desires to control the world. The belief in this entity's existence is obviously ubiquitous and achieved quite facilely with aid from the Chaos Merchant (media); and the more inconspicuous, not to mention, quite omnipotent 2) One that is exponentially or moderately intelligent, wealthy, very cultured in the zeal to retain the economic dynasty that they were bestowed at birth, desires to control the population by chemical, medicinal and tyrannical means, controls a broad range of the global economic network when amalgamated with their commensurable conspirators and retains all this power by any means necessary. Some may actually find the "belief" or knowledge of the second example quite comical, and would assume that only the intellectually destitute could believe that there are people in the world like that in existence. Actually, I would argue that the adverse of the former sentence is true.
[Stepping off my soapbox]
Is human organ trafficking really an "unimaginative" idea, or is it just an explicitly elucidative profession of the atrocious actions that man will endeavor for his avarice? Apparently, human organ trafficking is not something that resides in the realm of fiction that Palmer's book does, maybe not to the extent of a secret society controlling the trade and allocation of said items; but, however, I would not rule that out. Try searching more information on the subject and you will be surprised that these events do occur in and around the areas that Palmer's book takes you.
Now, as for the book's contents, it is the overall amalgam of four individual stories-of which in the end converge-that are apart of a synergetic mass. There is the medical student that cannot seem to mitigate the consistency and contiguity of unfortunate bearings in her life, which gets more malignant through the progression of the book; the private detective that cannot seem to find his purpose in life, is exhausted of his profession, has a non-existent love life with surmounting debt and bills; a veteran doctor with a declivity in health due to his pulmonary disease that has created a drug treatment that is nearly commensurate to the cure for cancer in relation to its desired purpose. He is regretful and apprehensive about turning over the final analysis of his work to the company that has a substantial portion of ownership of his drug due to funding his research; and lastly, a secret society of doctor's that has a hegemony over the allocation and distribution of human organs. Through the labyrinth of this amalgam of stories each gets closer and closer to merging with every subsequent chapter. There are sequences of action, but it is not action-packed, and is thrilling and suspenseful more than anything else. I have to say as well, through the book there are a few surprises that I had not seen coming, and due to those entertainment ensued. To sum the book up, it is basically a medical mystery with a dash of realistic possibility.
To me, one of the most interesting attributes of this book is its multifariousness. There are a myriad of settings around the world that the stories unfold. Most intriguing is the diversity of the characters, there is a vast disparity of racial, ethnical, professional, economical and in some cases intellectual backgrounds. Also, I must praise Palmer for his ability to write well from the perspective of a female character that is the eventual heroine of the book. Psychologically speaking, typically you would have a male writer write about a male character, which is the image that he would most likely identify himself with, and vice-versa. This book definitely portrays the fact that women can be strong, courageous and heroines as well.
The only real ... Read More
Rated by buyers 
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This book is an excellent read. Palmer writes three simultaneous stories at the same time that unite for the climactic finish. By now, all review readers know the story is about the illegal trafficking of human organs. The difference is how Palmer has developed the means by which the samples are taken, tested and the determination made regarding the organ allocation giving the reader the feeling that this can happen (or may already be happening) in our everyday world. This book is an excellent page turner from the very beginning easy flowing with a 'cut to the chase' story telling style. This book is worth it simply because it makes you think.
Rated by buyers -
I read a lot of medical thrillers and I loved this book! I think it is very good because it is so realistic. Michael Palmer weaves a great tale of suspense mixed in with medical facts.
Rated by buyers 
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Simple, unsophisticated read, of the kind that tells you what will happen, then walks you through the happening, followed by an explanation of what had occurred.
The story is unimaginative (human organ harvesting administered by an evil council of scientists). If you are interested in medical thrillers, try Daniel Kalla and his 'Blood Lies'.
Rated by buyers -
I read this book in only a few days. I couldn't put it down. Granted, I am a medical provider and I have a special interest in the subject matter. In undergrad, I took an upper level philosophy class - biomedical ethics since I was going into medicine. We had to write a big paper and I chose the topic weighing pros and cons of US citizens paying 3rd world country citizens for their organs. So maybe both of those made the book more interesting for myself, but I don't think so. Is it a little over the top? Yes. But what good thrilling mystery isn't? You will enjoy it.
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