Dr. Petros Sperelakis is among the world's best diagnostic physicians and works at the Beaumont Clinic in Boston, "the world's greatest hospital" and the place to go for a second opinion. Petros is also the patriarch of a family which includes four children, three of whom are  physicians. The twins,  Niko, a cardiovascular surgeon trained at Harvard and Selene, a prominent hand surgeon, live in Boston. Thea, who suffers from Asperger Syndrome, is an internist who works for Doctors Without Borders.

Thea returns from the Congo when Petros is involved in a motor vehicle accident leaving him in a coma with minimal chance of returning to normal. Upon her arrival, Petros's condition deteriorates, necessitating a pericardiocentesis (drawing blood out of the sac around the heart) which affords the author the opportunity to discuss the philosophy behind DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders.

Thea's brilliant older brother Dimitri is a recluse who probably has a form of autism but was not diagnosed. Dimitri used his computer expertise to help design Thor, the EMR (Electronic Medical Record) system used at Beaumont and thought to be the safest and most sophisticated in the world. 

Strange things are happening at the Beaumont Clinic. A wealthy trucking magnate dies after being injected with an experimental chemotherapeutic agent in the Cancer Center. Billionaire executive Hayley Long, diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer, is apparently cured using a different experimental agent. Hayley and Thea meet at the hospital and become friends causing Thea to take a special interest in her case and wonder how Hayley can possibly be cancer free from a disease which has a greater than 90% mortality rate.

We learn that Petros is not in a coma but suffers from a rare condition called Locked In Syndrome. This condition allows Petros to hear what is going on around him but deprives him of the ability to express himself, with the exception of moving his eyes a small amount. Thea is the only one Petros will communicate with and he provides enough information to start Thea on her search for the cause of these strange events.  

 The Second Opinion touches on all the controversies of medicine in 2009 including the lack of eye contact between the physician and patient due to the use of computers; nurse to patient ratios; philanthropy and commercialization of hospitals including plaques on every room; patients leaving the hospital unrecognized and, of course, the electronic medical record.

My only concern is that some readers without a sufficient medical background may need to consult Dorland's Medical Dictionary. But it would be worth any extra effort because if you are a fan of the medical thriller, you will very much enjoy The Second Opinion.  

--Jerry Solot