THE PATIENT

Take one assassin with an inoperable brain tumor. Add the latest in biotech robotics and its creator, the one neurosurgeon who might save him. Mix in a defrocked CIA agent with a grudge, and you have only a few of the ingredients in this delicious plot. Paul Hecht's powerful voice positively sizzles. Hypnotic in its intensity, his performance allows the nail-biting nightmare to unfold. Hecht delivers each complex character and intricate scene with confidence. With a final sequence somewhere between a video game and a roller coaster ride, Michael Palmer's ninth medical thriller leaves us gasping. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]