At what lengths would you go to save your child? That is the question at the heart of this book. Emma is a physician at a local hospital while her husband, Nate is a detective. Their son, Josh, is diagnosed with cancer and before they can do the life saving treatment, they have to come up with $90,000 to pay the hospital. Feeing like she’s out of control and with the help of her brother and a close lifelong friend, Emma decides to forge prescriptions and sells them to cover the treatment cost. But that’s only the beginning of this book. While reading, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the next shoe to drop. This book was really good and there’s a twist at the end I didn’t see coming. Highly recommend. ( )

I have disagreed with many protagonists, but I disliked Emma so much I was rooting against her almost from the start. ( )

I have read all three of Christina McDonald’s books and have loved each one more than the last. This book had a crazy intriguing hook. Our main character Emma is a doctor who has seem firsthand the destruction opioid abuse can cause. She’s married to Nate, a detective, who is investigating a drug ring in the area. They have a 5-year-old, who comes down with cancer and needs a lifesaving treatment insurance will not cover and the only way Emma can come up with the money is… you guessed it… by selling prescriptions.

I thought the book did a good job of creating a heart-wrenching scenario, where even as the character was doing something awful and hurting people, you could understand her justifying what she was doing to herself, knowing her child would die without the treatment. (Can I just say that insurance is really crappy in the US?) The tension builds as we get further in and new information is revealed. Also, it may be Nate who’s investigating the drug sales linked to Emma… Yikes… this one was really crazy by the end!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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Dr. Emma Sweeney is happily married to police detective, Nate, and mom to kindergartener, Josh. When Josh is diagnosed with leukemia, and needs expensive life saving treatment, she makes a life-changing decision to do whatever it takes to save her child. Her decision crashes into Nate’s investigation into a opioid drug ring and several murders, leading to devastating consequences.
Heart-wrenching, raw, and surprising, this is a novel I will remember for a long time. ( )

This was a pretty impressive story of all of the ramifications around pain drugs. I could not see how Emma could possibly work her way out of the spider web she managed to create for herself. The author really handled the book beautifully. Very impressive. ( )

This medical/crime thriller puts husband against wife, doctor against detective, family against family. How far would you go to save your child if they are given a possible death sentence unless you can come up with thousands of dollars?

Intense, dark, realistic and heart breaking story that will put you right in the middle of an opioid crisis and show it from a different side. It will give light to the pain of addiction. Excellent writing and storyline. So many twists and turns. A tough story to read. How far would you go.....I hope I never have to find out as Emma and Nate have too. Wonderfully written characters.

Thanks to Ms. McDonald, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone. ( )

Do No Harm
By Christina McDonald

A SUSPENSEFUL THRILLER ABOUT THE LENGTHS A MOTHER WILL GO TO SAVE HER CHILD

SUMMARY
Emma Sweeney a physician, is happily married to her police detective husband, Nate. Together they dote on their adorable five-year-old son, Josh. But their idyllic life crumbles when Josh is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Insurance will not cover the cost of treatment and they are turned down for a loan. Determined to save Josh, Emma believes the only way to raise enough cash is to sell opioids and forged prescriptions orders to drug dealers. But Emma’s plans go astray when the bodies start piling up. Nate, who knows nothing of Emma’s plans, is working with the DEA to find the source of the opioids entering the town of Skamania, Washington. Catching the dealers means a huge promotion for Nate. But how far will Emma go to save Josh?

REVIEW
DO NO HARM is a suspenseful thriller about the lengths a mother will go to save her child. The story is a timely and well-meaning effort to highlight the opioid crisis. Emma rationalizes her betrayal of both her husband and her profession, that by selling prescriptions she is just helping those who are truly in pain and just cannot get the medication they need. But does the end justify the means?

It’s a fast-paced and interesting read. Emma failure to struggle with her ethical and moral decision to sell prescriptions hurts the believability of her character. Despite the fact that she had taken an oath and spent the past ten years of her life building a stellar reputation as a doctor she forges ahead without any reservation. The same holds true for her failure to be phased by her unrelentingly lies to her husband and soulmate of five years. Even as the death toll mounts, Emma shows no remorse or conscience.

Despite Emma’s believability, the book is both gut-wrenching and thought-provoking. Author Christina McDonald is the best-selling author of several previous novels involving the ferocity of mothers including Behind Every Lie and The Night Olivia Fell. She is originally from Seattle and now lives in London.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Gallery Books
Published February 16, 2021
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com ( )

I am very glad that Christine McDonald wrote this book. About all I knew before about the Opioid Epidemic was from the viewpoint of those who were taking opioids for their unrelenting excruciating pain and found themselves suddenly cut from the relief by their doctors when the opioid addiction became the main focus of local and national news. More needs to be done to help the people who really need strong pain relief. That I knew before I read the book.

I did not know what fentanyl can do to the brain, I did know from watching TV about the enormous struggle to overcome addiction for many, the lifelong struggle of getting pulled back in and learning to recover. I learned a lot from this book about the drugs and even writing. I thought that the beginning of this book was sloppy and as I was reading it, I wanted to re-write it. For one thing, Emma never won my heart, how did she jump into the drug business so quickly. Yes, I understand why she was desperate, but I really thought that she needed to sit down with a group of people and find a different way.

I loved Josh who was so young and a victim of a rare leukemia. I loved his father, Nate Sweeney who love his wife and son with all his heart, his mother Moira reminded me of my first mother-in-law. But I did not buy that Emma would do what she did. OK, I kept screaming at her so many times not to do what the author had her do. I did not feel love for Emma. I felt her coldness and could not understand how her decisions would have tragic results later. The author kept me reading, that is a matter of hooks and skill. I was hoping for more. When you read the book, I think you may be able to tell what I was hoping for. ( )