HOLY MOLY! "A stellar work of psychological suspense that will leave you breathless."

From the author of The Night Olivia Fell and Behind Every Lie comes another brilliantly crafted psychological cat-and-mouse compulsive thriller that will keep you guessing from the first page— (love her prologues) to the explosive, jaw-dropping ending.

EMMA—the good doctor
WIFE to NATE —police detective
MOTHER to JOSH —5yr. old son
SISTER to BEN —an addict
SON — must have costly
medical help in order to live

EMMA — now A DRUG DEALER.
What will she LOSE in the process?

“ Does the END Justify the MEANS?

Set in the small town of Skamania, Emma is a doctor and married to Nate, a detective, and they have an adorable young son, Josh (a fan of Star Wars), who is in kindergarten. They do not have a lot of money due to school loans and rent a home from Nate's mother, but they have a good life.

Emma's life has not been easy. She and her brother became orphans when their parents were killed in a car accident. Her brother has been in trouble, rehab, and prison, and she tried everything to help him. Now he is out of jail.

Emma and Nate receive the worst news. Their son has a rare form of leukemia. To save his life, he must have a treatment that is not covered by their insurance. The cost will be more than $98,000 plus continued care. What will they do? They cannot let their son die. They have no way to attain this kind of money.

Emma decides to write prescriptions from other doctors and calls her ex-boyfriend Gabe to hook her up with a distributor. (her brother's best friend). She was going to have to set up an OxyContin drug ring on her own. She works up a scheme to have her contact sell the drugs to pay for her son's treatment. However, things do not go as planned, and she soon finds herself in the middle of a murder, drug rings, and constant danger.

She risks it all to save her son.

Her husband, Nate, is working on a case that is a little too close for comfort. Her brother Ben is connected to a crime. Soon Emma finds herself dealing with drug rings, creepy warehouses, murder, overdoses, and runs the risk of getting caught. Then she will lose her job, and if her husband discovers her scheme, he will lose his job. They must save Josh. She thinks if she can just get his treatment, she will stop.

We meet everyday people who are hooked on oxy due to their pain management. They can no longer get the scripts from their doctors and turn to the dark side to attain them, which may not be safe.

She thinks if she can just get enough money to save her son and she will stop. However, the danger starts closing in, and she does not know whom to trust. She took an oath to do no harm. Does the end justify the means?

INTENSE! The author is a pro at writing emotionally-charged topics of mothers, their struggles, and saving their children— combined with gripping plots and rich characterization. A terrifying dilemma for two parents who took oaths to serve and proposes the question —how far we would go to protect those we love?

Some criminals are born. Others are formed by circumstances.".

Filled with sharp insights, a gripping tale of marriage, parenting, families, secrets, addiction, greed, and the healthcare and the severe destructive opioid crisis — ripped from today's headlines. You will fall in love with little Josh and his courageous fight with cancer.

Christina McDonald delivers her BEST yet!!!! A multi-layered plot with twists and turns with each turning page keeping you on the edge of your seat. You know something dark and sinister is coming; however, you are unsure how it will play out.

I am a massive fan of the author's work, but trust me, this one is "off the charts great!" If you can only read one thriller this year, DO NO HARM is the one! OMG! Once you start reading, you will NOT be able to put this one down. Compelling, dark, twisty, and a definite must-read!

If you loved "Breaking Bad" (a huge fan), crossing moral lines, DO NO HARM is even better. Movie-worthy. Be prepared to be WOWED!! It will force you to take a serious look at the opioid crisis from the inside out,

Get this one on your pre-order list now. Positioned to be one of the best thrillers of 2021. For fans of Lisa Gardner, Lisa Unger, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Karin Slaughter.

A special thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

More on my Blog: #JDCMustReadBooks @JudithDCollins

On a side note:

DO NOT HARM is thought-provoking and makes for an ideal book club pick and further discussions. This of course is a work of fiction; however, it resonates and rings true with our today's social and political environment.

"Sometimes we have to harm to heal. To get justice in an unjust world."

Just how much would you sacrifice to save your child? To what extent would you go to ensure they would live? This book! Just WOW. I was flying through the pages! The relationships in this book were palpable, especially that of mother and son. Christina McDonald's writing style is so easy to devour and the short chapters literally made it impossible to put down because I kept saying, "one more chapter."

Emma and her husband Nate are respected professionals; she's a doctor and he's a detective. Their 6 year old son is diagnosed with Leukemia and there is only one treatment that can cure him. BUT, that treatment will cost them half a million dollars and it's not covered by their insurance. How will they pay for treatment? Emma comes up with a plan to save their son by selling opioid prescriptions that she forges using her colleagues' rx pads. She must reconnect with dangerous people from her past to help her sell and distribute the drugs for cash. Little does her detective husband know, his "perfect" wife is part of the scheme in this drug ring.

A mother on a mission to do whatever (and I mean WHATEVER) it takes to afford the treatment that would cure her young son of leukemia. With each risk Emma took, I found myself questioning whether or not I'd be brave enough to do the same. My emotions were ALL over the place - from shock to sadness and every feeling in between. I found myself admiring Emma's strength and unwavering determination to save her son. The opioid crisis plays a major role in this story and is told in a way that although at times quite shocking, is a VERY, very real glimpse into the epidemic we are currently in. Opioids do not only befall upon the homeless or jobless but also hard-working, family-oriented people, including doctors that you trust with your life.

I highly recommend this book to any reader who loves a fast-paced, domestic, cat and mouse thriller!!
Thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this gifted e-ARC.

The lies were woven around me, a spider's web, swirling, tightening. I was becoming more and more entangled. I didn't know how to get out."

Emma and Nate...happy and loving parents to 5-year-old Josh. Emma is a doctor and Nate a detective. Their life is pretty close to perfect and you feel a little jealous of that perfectness early on...but then...

Josh gets a shocking diagnosis of cancer and the hospital needs like 100K to treat him. Emma and Nate do not even have savings; they are renting a house from Nate's parents. They are mushily happy until they are not. Emma knows they have to come up with a lotta money fast. Nate thinks it will all be ok bc maybe he can get a promotion. Maybe. Emma can't wait for that. She gets involved very quickly with selling opioids and writing illegal scripts with the help of her ex-boyfriend and her brother; both with shady backgrounds in drug dealing.

There is so much depth to this plot. A lot of questions you never want to have to ask yourself. It is a cat and mouse game between husband and wife. Nate is involved in investigating cases surrounding this drug ring and Emma is heading it up! Would you do it??? What if you believed you were helping those who needed the opioids anyway, and docs could no longer prescribe them; those with chronic pain that never get any relief and can't live their lives bc they can't stand or get out of bed? Does that make it any better? If it saves your son, who can't get the treatment w/o all of that money...what then? Is it worth it? You will have to decide.

I honestly don't even wanna think about what my answers to those questions might look like and I hope I never have to. I read this in two sittings which I never seem to be able to do. It was indeed a page-turner. And I highly recommend it. McDonald is a very talented author. This is my third read by her.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC to read for review. I really enjoyed it!

Do No Harm is Christina McDonald's third novel and follows a pattern similar to her others: woman with a comfortable life learning painful things and uncomfortable truths and how she fights to save herself and, in this case, her son. I think this will absolutely appeal to fans of her other books, especially The Night Olivia Fell, as well as Jodi Picoult titles like My Sister's Keeper and The Tenth Circle.

Do No Harm is the story of Emma, a doctor, her detective husband, Nate and their young son, Josh. They live a happy life together until Josh becomes ill. Even with insurance, the treatment Josh needs it wildly expensive.

Desperate to save her son, Emma resorts to selling drugs with some pretty shady characters from her past, while also hiding her activities from her husband, the detective. Emma is willing to do anything necessary to save her son, but at what cost? The danger Emma is in increases as Josh gets sicker. Will she be able to save him in time? I won't spoil it for you - read it! Do No Harm definitely did not end the way I expected!

This was my first book by Christina McDonald, but certainly not my last!

Thank you to Gallery Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

#DoNoHarm #GalleryBooks #NetGalley

(Free from @gallerybooks!) ✨ New recommendation for crime/suspense/thriller fans! DO NO HARM by @christinamac79! I just finished and wow - do I have feelings.

Emma is a physician married to a detective. They are both crazy about their son, Josh, and when he gets sick with leukemia, they have no choice but to do whatever it takes to pay for his expensive treatment. Problem is- Josh's life is on the line and they need money quick- and they have very different ideas about how to get it. Emma uses old family connections to sell opioids, and Nate is fighting to get a promotion so he can make more money - but he has to solve a string of crimes committed tied into the opioid epidemic in his community to get there.

I have so many his things to say about this book. I was worried it would be too hard to read because of their sick son- and while his illness plays a central role, his treatment mostly takes place off the page. The author does an excellent job offering a really nuanced discussion of the opioid epidemic and the push and pull that often takes place with physicians. Do they prescribe the medication that they know will help their patient's pain and risk addiction? Or turn to other methods and hope that it’s enough? The pacing on this was excellent and you get sucked into the story right away. I also appreciated that the characters were not stereotypical. Emma is a physician and a mother but she’s also pretty ruthless when she needs to be. The story is told in dual timelines, but it’s an interesting reading experience because you don’t often know who you’re rooting for. Themes of morality, obligation, and family. All told- I really liked this!

This book was crazy! It kept me guessing with every page! Do No Harm makes you ask yourself what you would be capable of if your child's life was at risk.

Do No Harm.

Third Book By Christina McDonald.
Her Books Gets Better Every Time.. This is a Well Written Book.


Emma ,lost her parents in a car accident, as a teenager..


Emma, is a mom and wife..
As well as a Doctor..
Loves her life. Her family is her world. When Emma and Nate, get the Devastating news their son has leukaemia,

Emma, is willing to do what she has to. She's willing to cross that fine line . Anything to save her child. Even if it involves telling a few little lies...

Nate Emma's Husband is doing everything he can to help with medical bills. Working on a promotion..

Things take a turn.. things that will change Emma's Josh life..

This is a Wonderful Book.
I Absolutely love This Authors Work....

Thank you Christina McDonald
For Another Amazing Story.

How far would you go for someone you love? You'll find out in this fantastic book!! It is a very sensational book!! I loved every minute of it!! This Author just keeps getting better and better!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley & Gallery books for the chance to read and review an early copy of McDonald’s new thriller, Do No Harm out 2/12!

“No one action defines us - it’s the journey that determines if we’re a good person or not.”

This book is GOOD! It’s so unique in its premise of following a female doctor, married to a detective, who decides to get into the opioid dealing business to pay for her son’s cancer treatment and life.

This book really goes into what is right and wrong and who really gets to determine if someone’s acts are justified or not. It truly blurs the lines of what truly is right and what’s not. It asks the one question of how far would you go to save your own child? I’m not a mother but clearly, if I had a child I would do whatever I could for them. I mean I would do anything for my nephew, so I can only imagine if it was my own child.

It’s clear that McDonald put a lot of effort into this thriller because it’s quite intricate and there are a lot of moving pieces that come together slowly. It’s as if you’re solving the crime while our main characters husband does. Jumping between his and hers POVs we get to see where each one stands on the present issues. There was a lot of information in here about the opioid crisis and how addiction can affect the brain. I appreciated that and I learned a few things!

Overall, this was an EXCELLENT medical/crime thriller. It was so unique and really caught my attention from the very first page. The big reveal at the end was a tiny bit expected but also not expected at all at the same time.

This will definitely go down as being one of my favorite thrillers! This was the first time I ever read a book by Christina, and it will most surely not be the last! Auto-buy author for me!

“Sometimes you’re dealt a losing hand you might win, sometimes you’re dealt a winning hand you might lose. You just gotta play the cards you’re dealt.”

This book was captivating. Touch's on a lot of sensitive subjects. Definitely a page turner. I believe this is her best work yet.
I can't wait until the world gets to enjoy this one as well. To be honest I see this as a movie. I would love to own the physical book. So it will be right next to my other 2🤭🤭
I rated it a 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐶

Are you truly willing to do whatever it takes for someone you love? And by doing so, do you feel that the ends justify the means?

Emma faces these moral questions when her five year old son is unexpectedly diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia and the only chance for his survival is a $100k+ treatment not covered by insurance. She decides she will do whatever it takes to save Josh’s life including comprising her career, freedom, marriage, and even her life.

As a doctor, Emma has unrestricted access to drugs and she chooses to start selling forged prescriptions to come up with the money for Josh’s treatment. But when her detective husband, Nate, takes on a case trying to rid the city of its ever increasing drug problem, Emma is put in an even more compromising position as she’s forced to cover lie after lie to ensure she can make the next hospital payment.

As Emma spirals deeper and deeper into the drug world, her integrity and entire sense of self start to vanish as she makes one concession after another in the name of saving her son.

Will Emma be able to save her son? Will Nate solve the case and get the promotion that he thinks will bring in enough money to pay for the treatments? Who will succeed and who will fail, and at what cost?

This was a book that has so many elements that I love and look for in a thriller. The medical and family dramas, a drug ring, and police procedural aspects all kept me at the edge of my seat.

I thought McDonald did a great job of showing the different layers of the drug epidemic. Not all addicts are villains. Many addicts are just victims of circumstance - they become addicted to drugs after suffering a devastating injury or by dealing with constant pain due to an illness - and I appreciated that she made an effort to show this side of the drug epidemic.

I also really liked that it made me ask myself some hard questions. Was Emma really justified in selling prescriptions that could and did kill people so that she could save her own son? Is one life more valuable than another? Was Nate ultimately responsible for saving his son or his wife? There were so many gray areas and I often found myself going back and forth on if I condoned Emma’s behavior and choices.

Do No Harm was about a 3.5/5 for me. I couldn’t give this book a higher rating because it felt too predictable. There were a few twists that I thought were all pretty obvious and I probably would have enjoyed a lot more if I had been more surprised.

I would absolutely recommend this novel if you enjoy Breaking Bad-esque thrillers, medical dramas, and police procedurals.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

I've really enjoyed Christina McDonald's books until Do No Harm. Ms McDonald tells the story mostly in our "heroine's" voice. Unfortunately I couldn't connect with this main character. To me Emma was unbelievably selfish, really thinking of no one except herself. I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy to review.

I tried, but could not get into this book about a doctor who has a son with a disease that may be helped by very expensive and experimental treatment. Add in the income of her hubby the police officer and they still have nowhere near enough money to pay and insurance is refusing to cover it.

Then add in hubby is on a mission to get rid of drug dealers after losing a friend a long time ago to drugs. Add in her brother is a dealer. Add in the possibility that if she joins the dark side long enough to make enough money for the treatment, she says she will quit. Oh, add in the old boyfriend who used to be or still is her brother's best friend and you get the picture.

So many coincidental things like that and overlapping ideas that it seemed just too much and not going anywhere at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by one of my favorite authors - Christina McDonald. If you haven't read her previous books, do so now! This is another 5 star read.

Doctors live by the credo, Do No Harm, in all their actions with patients. Emma is a physician in a small town and her husband is a detective on the police force. While Emma has always tried to live by that credo, things change when their young son, Josh, is diagnosed with leukemia. The only treatment that can save him is not covered by their insurance and the cost is totally out of their budget. She makes the decision to sell opioid prescriptions to quickly raise the money that she needs, believing that the ends justify the means. But that decision puts her at odds with her husband's job and his own push to become a lieutenant to help the family's finances.

Christina McDonald has written another fast-paced thriller that you will have a tough time putting down. This would make a fabulous book club pick because there is so much to discuss here - trust, ethics, addiction, family. Do all moral boundaries blur when it involves saving the life of someone we love? This is a must read!

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

How far will one woman go to save her child? How far would you go?

Emma is a happily married doctor with a young son. She has everything she wants in life. She is happy, she has a good job and loves being a mother. But then her son, Josh gets sick and is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Insurance is great when it pays. But first here are deductibles, co-pays and procedures that insurance may or may not pay for. Stress upon stress is the last thing parents need when a child is ill. This aspect of the book reminded me of the movie, John Q. Same premise of a parent going to extremes to save a child.

Desiring desperately to save her son's life, Emma decides to do something illegal (sell opioids) to make money. She cannot tell her husband, a police detective, what she is doing to make money. What would you do in her shoes? What choices would you make?

This book becomes a cat and mouse game where the stakes are high. Christina McDonald has created a gripping and moving book that touches on medial issues, motherhood, right vs. wrong, doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, moral and ethical issues, addiction, opioids, secrets, deception, family and marriage.

Once I started reading, I found that it was hard to put this book down. The second part of the book flew by fast as I had to know just how things were going to turn out.

Riveting, thought provoking, and evoking emotion.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christina McDonald is one of my auto-buy authors, especially after her books #TheNightOliviaFell and #BehindEveryLie. And while this book was enjoyable, it wasn’t one of my favorites of hers.

This books follows Emma, a doctor in a well-respected clinic, who is married to a detective who is up for promotion as a lieutenant. But then both of their worlds come crashing down when their son, at only five years old, is diagnosed with leukemia. Emma and her husband, Nate, don’t have the money to pay for the life-saving treatment they need to keep their family alive and together. Nate believes their only chances are for him to get the promotion – but Emma has other ideas.

While this book was enjoyable, it was also predictable a lot of the time. I’m not saying that I was able to predict how everything unfolded or came together – I have great respect for mystery authors for this very reason – but too much of it felt like something I had already read. When discussed with my husband, he compared the entire plot to the show Breaking Bad.

I think part of the other component is that I truly didn’t love the main character. Emma rubbed me the wrong way, and while Nate constantly tried to teach his son that the good guys always win, it didn’t feel like that’s what happened in this book, but perhaps that was the point all along.

Even still, an interesting read that will bring awareness to challenging life decisions and the ongoing opioid crisis in the world today.

This is my second book by this author! I absolutely loved Behind Every Lie. I can’t honestly say I liked this one better, but she has written another solid thriller.
There were several things I enjoyed about this book. Christina has such a wonderfully fast paced writing style and she keeps the story moving. I loved the cliff hanger chapters and the quick development of the plot.
At the same time, the fast writing did deter from better developed characters. I wish we saw more of Emma and Nates relationship before the crazy plot events unfolded.
I also wish we were a little more attached to their son to understand Emma’s drive behind all her decisions. I know the story tried to build that up, but felt it was a bit rushed.

If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller, this one does hit all the stops. My jaw dropped so many times as I read this. I also was taken totally by surprise with the ending. Not all characters are ones you root for and this was a great twist on your typically thriller heroine.

We all have those authors that we patiently wait for their next book and Christina McDonald is one of those authors for me. After reading one of her previous books, <I>The Night Olivia Fell</i> I became a fan. I then read <I>Behind Every Lie</i>, and I was hooked. And she didn't disappoint with <I>Do No Harm</i>.

An author once told me that if you weren't pulled into a story within the first 20 or so pages, the odds were low that the book would keep your interest, and the author hadn't done his/her job. Ms. McDonald definitely did her job since I knew after the first 2 pages that this book would be a page-turner.

One phrase kept coming up in the book and it was "the end justifies the means", or does it? I'll let you know.

Emma, a physician married to the love of her life, Nate, a police detective, and their beautiful 5-year-old son, Josh, had the perfect family. After losing both her parents in a horrific car accident when she was 8, she now had the ideal life she always wanted. Until that fateful day that Josh was diagnosed with an aggressive case of acute myeloid leukemia. The prognosis wasn't good unless they tried a new treatment that needed to be started immediately. But their insurance only covered a minimum of what it would cost for this treatment and the rest, over $500 thousand plus, would be out of pocket. Both Emma and Nate knew they had to come up with a plan. Nate was hoping that if he took on a new case, one to find out who was bringing opioids and Fentynal into their community, he would get a promotion. But Emma knew that plan of action would take too long. So she risked everything. Her marriage, her career, and her integrity but didn't the end justify the means, which was saving Josh?

She starts down a very dark path of selling drugs, stealing, and forging her co-workers' prescription pads. It would only be for a short period of time, at least that's what she thought. But then bodies start piling up and her past also catches up with her.

The suspense was heart-pounding. The setting and the characters appeared to be so real that I was pulled into and transported into the story that I felt like I was watching a movie in my head. When there was a scene where she was in danger, my breathing increased and the pages turning faster and faster. I was so afraid for her safety, even though I knew what she was doing was hurting people. When she was hurting emotionally, my heart went out to her. But didn't the end justify the means?

The ending!!! The ending blindsided me!!!! An emotional, yet bone-chilling conclusion!!

Did the end justify the means in this story? The jury is still out on that one.

This is a novel that will be staying with me for a very long time. Highly recommend!!!

Posted to GR: 02/08/21
Posted to Instagram 02/07/20
Will post to blog on 02/16/21