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Michael Palmer's son, Daniel, continues his father's tradition of telling a compelling medical tale while also forcing the reader to question a difficult ethical issue — this time the right-to-life and doctor-assisted suicide — with "Mercy."

Dr. Julie Devereux has been advocating changing the laws to give patients the right to die with dignity, but finds someone close to her suddenly facing that very decision. Her fiancee is paralyzed in a horrible accident and begins to contemplate whether he truly has a life anymore. He makes a decision, but appears to die shortly afterward from an undetected heart defect. The circumstances are suspicious enough that Julie becomes a prime suspect in his death.

Julie continues to dig to prove that he didn't want to die, and it wasn't at her hand. As she begins to investigate, she learns of other cases where the victim with a possible right-to-life issue died under mysterious circumstances. Were the deaths natural or is there something more sinister at work? Is killing someone OK when it's done out of mercy?

Julie begins to question everything, including her own beliefs, as she battles to stay alive against a ruthless enemy who murders not for gain, but to relieve suffering.

Daniel Palmer has a gift for writing compelling thrillers involving realistic characters. His father's legacy is in great hands. —

"Mercy"

By Daniel Palmer and Michael Palmer

St. Martin's Press

384 pages

$27.99