Other editions of book The First Family

The President’s teenaged son is threatened by a potentially fatal illness that is rooted in dark secrets from a long-buried past. President Geoffrey Hilliard and his family live in the ever-present glare of the political limelight, with relentless scrutiny of their daily lives. The White House is not an easy place to grow up, so when the President’s son Cam, a sixteen-year-old chess champion, experiences extreme 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 is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced Cam’s issues are serious – serious enough to summon her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. Dr. Lee Blackwood’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 life by a determined killer, Susie’s jeopardy escalates as Cam’s condition takes on a terrifying new dimension.Is someone trying to murder the President’s son? As Lee and Karen race 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, DC 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.Praise for The First Family: "Terrifying and all too plausible—Daniel Palmer continues his father's tradition of delivering authentic and high-velocity medical suspense. The combination of medical chills and high-level Washington make The First Family irresistible.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Paranoia and The Switch"Palmer's The First Family gives you likable characters to root for, a top-notch villain, and enough excitement to make your hair curl. Have fun with this thriller." —Catherine Coulter, author of The Devil's Triangle“Double the trouble, twice the action, and quadruple the enjoyment, this is a high-octane game changer.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bishop's Pawn and The Lost Order“High-stakes and intelligent, The First Family is everything you want in a medical thriller. Chilling!”—Robert Dugoni #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author of My Sisters Grave"The First Family is adrenaline-fueled entertainment that twists, turns, surprises and satisfies!” -John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author "A Palmer novel transports you into the complex world of medical-legal-social ethics. The First Family doesn't disappoint, wrestling with the murky questions of what we can do versus what we should do. Gripping.” —Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Bones

The President's teenage son is threatened by a potentially fatal illness that is rooted in dark secrets from a long-buried past. President Geoffrey Hilliard and his family live in the ever-present glare of the political limelight, with relentless scrutiny of their daily lives. The White House is not an easy place to grow up, so when the President's son Cam, a 16-year-old chess champion, experiences extreme 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 is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced Cam's issues are serious - serious enough to summon her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. Dr. Lee Blackwood'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 life by a determined killer, Susie's jeopardy escalates as Cam's condition takes on a terrifying new dimension. Is someone trying to murder the President's son? As Lee and Karen race 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, DC 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 best-selling novelist Michael Palmer.

"Captures the intense atmosphere of the White House...I thoroughly enjoyed it." --President Bill Clinton on Michael Palmer's The First Patient Growing up in the White House was never supposed to be easy. So when sixteen-year-old Cam, also a champion chess player, experiences extreme moodiness and an uncharacteristic violent outburst, doctors are quick to dismiss his troubles as adolescent angst. Still, Secret Service agent Karen Ray, whose job is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced that Cam's condition is serious--enough so that she summons her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. At first, the president's team doesn't want to listen to Dr. Lee Blackwood. But when Cam gets sicker, Lee must make a diagnosis from a puzzling array of symptoms. His only clue is a young patient named Susie, a young musical prodigy who seems to be suffering from similar symptoms as Cam. Hospitalized after an attempt on her life by a determined killer, Susie faces increased jeopardy as Cam's case takes on a terrifying new dimension. Is someone trying to send a message--and kill the president's son? As Lee and Karen race for a cure to help Cam, they begin to uncover betrayals that breach the highest levels of national security. And until they can find the truth, no one is safe. . .

“Captures the intense atmosphere of the White House…I thoroughly enjoyed it.” ―President Bill Clinton on Michael Palmer's The First Patient Growing up in the White House was never supposed to be easy. So when sixteen-year-old Cam, also a champion chess player, experiences extreme moodiness and an uncharacteristic violent outburst, doctors are quick to dismiss his troubles as adolescent angst. Still, Secret Service agent Karen Ray, whose job is to guard the president’s family with her life, is convinced that Cam’s condition is serious―enough so that she summons her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. At first, the president’s team doesn’t want to listen to Dr. Lee Blackwood. But when Cam gets sicker, Lee must make a diagnosis from a puzzling array of symptoms. His only clue is a young patient named Susie, a young musical prodigy who seems to be suffering from similar symptoms as Cam. Hospitalized after an attempt on her life by a determined killer, Susie faces increased jeopardy as Cam’s case takes on a terrifying new dimension. Is someone trying to send a message―and kill the president’s son? As Lee and Karen race for a cure to help Cam, they begin to uncover betrayals that breach the highest levels of national security. And until they can find the truth, no one is safe. . .“Seamlessly blends medicine, politics, and life in the White House into a riveting potboiler of a story…Grabs you by the throat and won’t let go until the last page is turned.” ―James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Seventh Plague “Intriguing.”―Booklist

The President’s teenaged son is threatened by a potentially fatal illness that is rooted in dark secrets from a long-buried past. President Geoffrey Hilliard and his family live in the ever-present glare of the political limelight, with relentless scrutiny of their daily lives. The White House is not an easy place to grow up, so when the President’s son Cam, a sixteen-year-old chess champion, experiences extreme 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 is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced Cam’s issues are serious – serious enough to summon her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. Dr. Lee Blackwood’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 life by a determined killer, Susie’s jeopardy escalates as Cam’s condition takes on a terrifying new dimension.Is someone trying to murder the President’s son? As Lee and Karen race 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, DC 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.Praise for The First Family: "Terrifying and all too plausible―Daniel Palmer continues his father's tradition of delivering authentic and high-velocity medical suspense. The combination of medical chills and high-level Washington make The First Family irresistible.” ―Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Paranoia and The Switch"Palmer's The First Family gives you likable characters to root for, a top-notch villain, and enough excitement to make your hair curl. Have fun with this thriller." ―Catherine Coulter, author of The Devil's Triangle“Double the trouble, twice the action, and quadruple the enjoyment, this is a high-octane game changer.” ―Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bishop's Pawn and The Lost Order“High-stakes and intelligent, The First Family is everything you want in a medical thriller. Chilling!”―Robert Dugoni #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author of My Sisters Grave"The First Family is adrenaline-fueled entertainment that twists, turns, surprises and satisfies!” -John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author "A Palmer novel transports you into the complex world of medical-legal-social ethics. The First Family doesn't disappoint, wrestling with the murky questions of what we can do versus what we should do. Gripping.” ―Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Bones“Daniel Palmer’s latest thriller The First Family seamlessly blends genomics, politics, and life in the White House into a riveting potboiler of a story. If you crossed the best of Robin Cook’s medical mysteries with the insider authenticity of David Baldacci's political thriller, you’d end up with a book like this, a story that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go until the last page is turned.” ―James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Seventh Plague

President Geoffrey Hilliard and his family live in the ever-present glare of the political limelight. The White House isn't an easy place to grow up, so when the President's son Cam, a teenage chess champion, experiences extreme fatigue, moodiness, and an uncharacteristic violent outburst, doctors dismiss it as teen angst. But Secret Service agent Karen Ray, who guards the family with her life, is convinced Cam's issues are serious.

The President’s teenaged son is threatened by a potentially fatal illness that is rooted in dark secrets from a long-buried past. President Geoffrey Hilliard and his family live in the ever-present glare of the political limelight, with relentless scrutiny of their daily lives. The White House is not an easy place to grow up, so when the President’s son Cam, a sixteen-year-old chess champion, experiences extreme 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 is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced Cam’s issues are serious – serious enough to summon her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. Dr. Lee Blackwood’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 life by a determined killer, Susie’s jeopardy escalates as Cam’s condition takes on a terrifying new dimension.Is someone trying to murder the President’s son? As Lee and Karen race 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, DC 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.Praise for The First Family: "Terrifying and all too plausible―Daniel Palmer continues his father's tradition of delivering authentic and high-velocity medical suspense. The combination of medical chills and high-level Washington make The First Family irresistible.” ―Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Paranoia and The Switch"Palmer's The First Family gives you likable characters to root for, a top-notch villain, and enough excitement to make your hair curl. Have fun with this thriller." ―Catherine Coulter, author of The Devil's Triangle“Double the trouble, twice the action, and quadruple the enjoyment, this is a high-octane game changer.” ―Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bishop's Pawn and The Lost Order“High-stakes and intelligent, The First Family is everything you want in a medical thriller. Chilling!”―Robert Dugoni #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author of My Sisters Grave"The First Family is adrenaline-fueled entertainment that twists, turns, surprises and satisfies!” -John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author "A Palmer novel transports you into the complex world of medical-legal-social ethics. The First Family doesn't disappoint, wrestling with the murky questions of what we can do versus what we should do. Gripping.” ―Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Bones“Daniel Palmer’s latest thriller The First Family seamlessly blends genomics, politics, and life in the White House into a riveting potboiler of a story. If you crossed the best of Robin Cook’s medical mysteries with the insider authenticity of David Baldacci's political thriller, you’d end up with a book like this, a story that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go until the last page is turned.” ―James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Seventh Plague

A riveting new medical thriller audiobook from critically-acclaimed writers Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer. The First Family is a harrowing story of mysterious symptoms, parental anxiety, and national security. Cam Hilliard is, in addition to being the Presidents sixteen-year-old son, a chess prodigy. A year into President Hilliards second term Cam inexplicably stops playing the game he loved and becomes withdrawn. The First Lady is convinced that the senior White House physician is wrong in diagnosing Cams issue as a psychological one, and she demands that Dr. Lee Blackwood be brought on to provide a second opinion. Lees opinion is dismissed, until Cams spleen ruptures and it becomes obvious that something is horribly wrong. Lee informs the President and First Lady that to make a diagnosis they need to find other people with the same symptoms to conduct additional testing. From there, its possible to identify the gene defects and correlate those to the missing enzymes. Only then can a diagnosis be made and treatment begun. For now, they must face the harsh reality that Cams genes are producing a mutation that appears to be entirely new to science. As Lee delves into this medical mystery, he comes to believe Cam is not the first case of this presentation of an inborn error of metabolism. But when two young people Lee has found, each with exceptional gifts, are murdered, Cams condition suddenly takes on a terrifyingly new dimension. Is someone out to murder the Presidents son? If so, why? As Lee searches for answers he will uncover unimaginable secrets and dark betrayals that breach the highest levels of security.