First, Do No Harm
Royal Pains series
D P Lyle

Obsidian/Penguin
June 2011/ ISBN 9780451234148
Mystery / Cozy / TV related
Amazon

Reviewed by Barbara Buhrer

Dr Hank Lawson was fired from a major New York City hospital because he was blackballed when the man he couldn't treat died. He had been wealthy and a contributor to the hospital.

Now Lawson has become a concierge doctor to the rich at the Hamptons. He is very popular because he holds hands and makes house calls. This is not the type of medicine he wants to practice.

One of his favorite patients is Eleanor Walker Wentworth, a very wealthy woman who is giving her granddaughter, Nicole, an extravagant wedding. But there is a problem. Nicole suffers from what is known as "fugue incidents." When she disappears she doesn't know where she was. Her blood contains a dangerous amount of chemicals but she swears she only takes vitamins. Other patients show similar symptoms. Being the dedicated doctor he is, Hank must find the source of the problem and solve it.

This is a lighthearted quick read about a man who is forced into a new life through no fault of his own. Hank is the portrait of a caring dedicated doctor (Marcus Welby? Remember him?) The atmosphere at the Hamptons is realistic; the characters human.

If you wish more of Dr Lawson's adventures you may view them in the TV series, "Royal Pains." For time and station consult your local newspaper.