Synopsis

The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.

I’ve saved many lives. Would you trust me with yours?

Review

What a rollercoaster of a ride this was!

The pacing in Do No Harm is excellent and there’s never a dull moment as it hurtles towards its conclusion. Anna has many decisions to make, but when your only child is at risk, there’s only one possible option.

Moral dilemmas make for excellent reading, especially when there are a few murders to persuade our heroine to make her choice. Anna is a great – albeit unlikeable – character, torn between her Hippocratic oath and the certainty that she will do whatever it takes to save her child.

Her colleague Margot is vile so there is never a moment where she’s pitied, even at the end; it feels justified. Rachel on the other hand is a tragic character and it’s hard not to sympathise with her plight. These three narrators keep a fairly predictable story interesting and gripping, as there are moments when the expected ending does seem unlikely.

However, the conclusion lets the book down as it’s really quite ridiculous, which is a shame. Ending aside, it’s an excellent, fast-paced story full of drama and trauma, which would make a great mini-series.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for my Proof Copy. Opinions my own.