The President’s Doctor

Set in 2005, this melodramatic medical thriller from Shobin (The Cure) opens with the kidnapping and murder of a prominent Baltimore obstetrician-gynecologist who performs abortions. An anti-abortion organization, the Southern Cross, claims responsibility. Meanwhile, at a state dinner in Washington, D.C., President Robert Meredith chokes, and his personal physician, Jon Townsend, performs the Heimlich maneuver and saves his life. This is just the first of the president’s problems. Far more serious is Meredith’s deteriorating mental and physical condition caused by a mysterious disease that Jon can’t identify. The tension rises with several attempts on Jon’s life, an attack on the first lady, and further terrorist acts by the Southern Cross. The abundance of medical information can be overwhelming, but Shobin nimbly keeps the various plot lines spinning. Those who prefer clear distinctions between good guys and bad guys in their genre fiction will find much to like. (Jan.)