Do No Harm
By Christina McDonald
Pub date April 7 2021 5 stars

Synopsis
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Behind Every Lie and The Night Olivia Fell comes an unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel about the lengths one woman will go to save her son.

Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.

But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Will the truth catch up to her before she can save Josh?

A timely and moving exploration of a town gripped by the opioid epidemic, and featuring Christina McDonald’s signature “complex, emotionally intense” (Publishers Weekly) prose, Do No Harm examines whether the ends ever justify the means...even for a desperate mother

Whoa!!!! Christina McDonald has become my new fave thriller writer..move over James Patterson, we have a new writer that will have you on the edge of your seat , this book is guaranteed not to be put down till the last word. This story has a very unique hook, morally and ethically is your oaths as a doctor more important than the life of your child? If she is a doctor couldn't Emma found funding for her child? Opiate addiction is a travesty, and though as a mother I understood Emma's desperation, I would also be thinking of the lives she hurt in the process.
Not since Gone Girl and Girl on the Train did I find myself holding my breath as I did with the twists and turns of this book. I thank #NetGalley and #Galleybooks for my ARC , and it was my fave Thriller of January, @christinamcdonald I will be routing for this book to be nominated for Good Read awards!!

Once again, Ms. Mcdonald's book is amazing.

This is a dark look at what a mother will do to save her son from a life threatening disease. What if added to this- she's a doctor that can access certain things... How far will she go as a doctor? Plus throw in - her husband is a cop and very well could arrest her if he finds out what she's doing.

This is a hard look at the opiate crisis that is plauging this world.

I felt so bad for the situation Emma, Nate, and their son Josh find themselves in. So hard reading about childhood illnesses.... You never want your kids getting a cold let alone something so huge and scary. I'm not sure what I would have done in that situation.

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald draws readers into a mother's moral and ethical dilemmas as she struggles to keep her sick son alive. Emma is drawn into the world of opiates after receiving news that her health insurance won't cover an experimental treatment for her ailing son. Emma knows what she's doing is wrong and harming many people but she also knows she can't stop or she'll risk losing her son. Plenty of action keeps this story moving along. Read and enjoy!

In medical school it is continually drummed into the students that in treating patients, the most important guiding principle is first "Do No Harm". However, often the lines of treatment are blurred. We all are aware that radiation and chemotherapy kill healthy cells, as well as those of cancer, but overall these methods extend and save lives. The Opioid Crisis that plagues are country has lead physicians to many difficult decisions. Chronic pain can obviously destroy your life. There are some who have no other possible treatment. This prescribed medication can be useful and also harmful. Chronic usage can lead initially to dependence and eventually addiction. Solving one problem can lead to another. The ravages of addiction are well known .... actually by restructuring the brain , and leading to difficulties in communication, reasoning and even thinking and at times manifesting itself by loosing any sense of morality, loyality with a deepening apathy and depression.
This theme is deeply explored along with its ramifications in this heartfelt tale. The main protagonist is Dr Emma Sweeney, small town doctor with an apparent idyllic life. Married to her life-long sweetheart Nate, who by her own words, has an unimpeachable sense of right and wrong, that fits perfectly with his job as a police detective. They have been blessed with five year-old Josh ... the love of their life, who means everything to them. Emma's world comes crashing down when Josh is diagnosed with an uncommon form of leukemia that will respond favorably only to an expensive form of treatment that their insurance will not cover. Attempts at obtaining a loan from anywhere is unsuccessful. Emma will do anything to save her son. With great trepidation she enters into the dark world of drugs, especially opioids. How simple it would be to forge other physician prescription pads. She rationalizes that maybe she is even providing a service to the chronic pain patients.
Nothing is ever that simple or clearcut. As the overdoses start to mount in her community, the DEA intervene and start an intense investigation, that husband Nate is drawn into.
McDonald weaves a complicated and twisted narrative punctuated with a complex multi-layered protagonist
that leads to an unexpected denouement. And, not totally satisfying. Her tale at times is somewhat preachy but remains compelling and propulsive
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Emma has the perfect life: married to her husband with an adorable young son and working her dream job as a doctor. But her world turns upside down when her son is diagnosed with cancer. Desperate to save her son, Emma risks everything and starts selling opioids to afford his treatment. This book explores the lengths to which we go for our loved ones, the stigma around addiction and opioids, and what it really means to do no harm as a doctor. I was hooked from the very beginning and was so invested in the characters. This had a different feel than The Night Olivia Fell and I'm totally here for it! Thanks to NetGalley Gallery Books for the e-ARC! This hits shelves April 7, 2021!

This is one fantastic medical thriller! It was intense and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I felt for the characters and my heart went out to them and the incredibly difficult situation they face. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

This is an intense, emotional and suspenseful story of a mother who would do anything to save her young son, ill with cancer. A mothers love has no bounds and is not to be matched by dangerous people involved in the opioid business. Mom, Emma Sweeney, a doctor, will risk everything to save her son, Josh. Beautifully written with compassion and bravery, it's hard to put down. Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books and Christina McDonald.

Wow!!! Soooo good.
Another great book by author Christina McDonald. Big fan of her books. Loved, Behind Every Lie. She writes a great mystery thriller, just a little dark. Love it.

"Sometimes we have to do the wrong thing for the right reason. "

The essence of this story is: What would you do if you could save your child's life? Most mothers would do anything. Lie, steal, cheat and even kill.

Nate is a police detective, his wife is Emma a doctor. They have a young son, Josh. Josh was a rare form of leukemia. The treatment need to save Josh's life will cost $900,000. Nate and Emma have 30 days to come up with the money to save their son's life.

Do No Harm is a fast paced, emotionally driven thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

What would you do to save your child? Would you compromise everything you’ve ever stood for? Lie to those who love you? Risk it all?

That’s the intriguing dilemma for Emma in Do No Harm. She is a physician married to Nate, a policeman. When their young son Josh gets sick, money is needed to pay for a lifesaving medical procedure that is not fully covered by insurance creating a desperate need for money. The family lives outside of Seattle in the small town of Skamania, a community that is in the midst of an opioid crisis.

All efforts to find a way to fund the needed treatment fail and Emma does the unthinkable – she decides to raise the money by selling prescriptions for oxycodone getting herself deep in the middle of the local drug trade. When a murder takes place, Emma finds it harder and harder to hide her actions as it is her husband who is the investigating officer in the murder and the growing epidemic. She knows that time is running out.

This taut, suspenseful book not only raises the issue of Emma’s “does the end justify the means?” actions but the failings of a medical system that either denies people in need of pain medication due to lack of insurance or over-prescribes opioids creating addicts. There are no easy answers.

Author Christina McDonald has created a dark story where the lines between good and bad are completely blurred. It is fast-paced yet exhausting. I suspect there will be two extreme camps on this book as other than adorable, Star Wars-loving Josh, most characters are not particularly likeable, including Emma. I thought Do No Harm was very thought-provoking and worthwhile.

Another winning book by Christina McDonald! As a mother myself, the book drew me in, and the suspense kept hold of me. I would hate to be in Emma’s shoes, to make decisions about right and wrong when my child’s life was at stake. I didn’t want to put this book down and it did not disappoint. It was a very relevant book with the opioid crisis we are facing right now. I would definitely recommend this book.

This book hits close to home. I don’t think there is too many families left not dealing with some type of pain due to addiction of opioids. The spin on the drs point of view is interesting. I was torn between anger and the agony of what a mother should do. Christina McDonald is quickly becoming a favorite. Definitely will be a recommendation of mine.

“Even good people get addicted to bad things...”. And that’s the perfect description of this book!

Emma: Mother, Wife, Physician
Nate: Father, Husband, Detective
Josh: Son, Cancer Diagnosis, $$$

What lengths would YOU go to to save your child?

This book was a page turner! Couldn’t put it down. As a physician mom myself, I enjoyed the medical “stuff” and could understand why Emma did what she did....

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Christina McDonald for the early copy of this book!

This may be Christina McDonalds best book yet! It is full of intense feelings and emotions. I really enjoyed it and bought copies for my Mom and sisters

Wow... that is not what I expected to read, but it was so crazy it was hard to stop once I started.

This book pretty much asks the question, “How far would you go to save someone you love?” And boy does it deliver!

Emma and Nate, parents to Josh, need to find a way to save their son. I can see myself in Emma’s shoes and can somewhat understand the lengths she goes to to save Josh, but it’s like one of those movies where you keep yelling at the screen telling the main character to stop what they are doing because they are just going to make the situation worse.

I mean, Emma does some REALLY stupid stuff. Like, mind-blowingly, idiotic, stupid stuff to save her son. But I know she did it for good reason.

Although I have to admit I really didn’t like her much. She did not care who she hurt in the process, even though she tried to write it off as “the means justifies the ends,” I really didn’t think it did. I would probably think differently in her shoes, which is why the story seems so crazy.

I don’t even want to know what Christina McDonald had to do to research for this book! I mean... yikes! To all of it!

I’m Here for You

How much would any mother sacrifice for the life of their child? Is their ever a time when the end justifies the means? Is there a black and white for everything or is there that grey area and if it does are there lighter and darker shades of grey?

Emma has the perfect life. She is a doctor married to a detective with a beautiful son. Than it happens and her life isn’t perfect anymore, her life becomes a nightmare. Her son Josh I’d diagnosed with Leukemia and the treatment he needs is beyond their financial reach. The insurance covers almost nothing. She has to find a way to save her son’s life.

Emma has a brother , Ben, that is into drugs, using, dealing the whole nine yards. Emma contacts his friend Gabe in hopes of contacting her brother. She thinks that selling a few prescriptions could get her some money for Josh’s treatment. This is when her life spirals out of control. Drugs, murder, and betrayal follow.

This is a book about the opioid crisis, how people are dragged into it, the ugliness, and the grey area’s. Is there an answer to the craziness?

This book made me think and I thought what would I do to save the life of my child? I am sure it will make you think as well. I don’t know the answers, but I hope someday someone finds the answers.

I would recommend this book to everyone, especially every parent.

Thanks to Christina McDonald, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

There are times when it takes a moment for a book to truly get me interested but this book took no time at all and I was glued to the pages immediately, something I didn't expect to happen especially because I'm in the middle of a ton of other books at the same time that it would've be wise to finish first, but this one was my priority instantly. My favorite thrillers are those that start with something that happens later in the novel. It gives me something to look forward to and to try and piece together as the novel goes on and this book started off with that, intriguing me immediately. Right off the back also, I loved Josh and the way both parents, especially Emma treated him. She is an amazing mother which is the entire premise of the novel anyway but their relationship is so sweet to read about - the way he relies on her and feels safe with her, something she is honored by and fulfills always no matter how she's feeling or what might be going on - and I knew this would make the impending conflict that more nerve-wracking.

The first scene with Josh and Emma ends with her telling him 100 percent truthfully that she would do anything for him, the perfect foundation to start the novel with and something the character and the book never loses sight of. I loved the way the author established the character's moralities before any of their morals were questioned so that we would have something to go off on when things got harder.

Emma and Nate have such a great marriage and the home environment and dynamic just made me smile. This, and so many other parts in the book, got me thinking about real life situations and also made me realize how people must feel when their households aren't providing the sort of caring and supportive environment Emma and Nate did, both parents and children especially those that are stressed in their outside environments too. People without comfort can't give it back and it shows here that when people do have it they are far more likely to share it with others they love. I didn't want anything to happen to them and I love that the author put that terror in my heart before any was on the page.

I loved Emma's character and her disposition on life. Her knowledge that the system is so very flawed despite her and her husband working in it and her general attitude really made it nice to be inside her head. She is a force, determined and cool in a crisis but also so caring for those around her. She feels responsible for them, a lot like Nate does but him being a detective complicates things, something Emma isn't limited by.

The conversations about morality, addiction and drugs are also something I thought was genius and the best touch and to sum everything up, I really enjoyed this. The human condition is such a complex thing and any story exploring the things that happen when someone has to do whatever it takes to save someone they love will always attract me.

Emma and Nate are married and have a 5 year old son Josh. When Josh is diagnosed with cancer, Emma and Nate are determined to do whatever is necessary to get Josh the lifesaving treatment he needs. Money is the ultimate problem. Emma is a doctor and Nate is a police officer. Emma decides to sell opioids to make the money needed but the problem with that? Nate is on a task force to solve who is dealing the opioids. This was a great thriller with many twists and turns. A parent's worst nightmare, a sick child you would do anything for. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Having read other books by this author I was very excited to get the chance to read her newest book Do No Harm. This book looks at multiple different issues including the ongoing opioid crisis and what people do for those that they love. Emma and Nate are happily married with a son that they both adore and careers they excel in. When their son Josh is diagnosed with cancer Emma and Nate are suddenly forced in a situation that requires them to examine how far will they go for their son and is their pride worth that price.

I found this book to be a quick read and well written. I also think it did a nice job of showing how the opiod crisis can effect anyone and how quickly people are seduced into that world. I also liked that the ending wasn't exactly a neat and tidy happy one, making it more realistic.

Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for allowing me to provide an unbiased opinion on this wonderful book

This is my first book by author, Christina McDonald. I absolutely loved it and plan on reading more of her books. This was a heart wrenching page turner about love and family and how far you will go to protect your family. This book is a domestic thriller you won't want to miss. I gave this book 5 stars! A huge thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to do an ARC of this book.

I enjoy Christina McDonald's books! I have read all!
I was excited to read this ARC when I read the teaser of--
the lengths a mother would go for her son ?!!

This is top read for me!!
I was mesmerized on this story,
I highly recommend this book!!

I will be looking forward to Christina's next book!