Wow, I could not put this book down. Incredibly devastating story, beautifully written. This book exposes faults in our criminal justice system, specifically when dealing with those who have undiagnosed mental illness.

As a librarian I will 100% be recommending that our library purchases book discussion sets.

Thank you to @RandomHouse and #NetGalley for a digital ARC of #TheOtherDrGilmer. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book is the perfect mash-up of my favorite genres - part true crime, part medical mystery, part memoir with some political/social commentary on the state of health care, mental health and the justice/prison system in the US. I somehow missed this story on NPR's "This American Life" so it was all new to me.

It's the story of 2 men - both family medicine doctors - with the same last name. Young Dr. Gilmer has started working at a clinic in a small North Carolina town which happens to be the same clinic the Other Dr. Gilmer worked at before he was convicted of murdering his father. Young Dr. Gilmer is terrified yet intrigued by the Other Dr. Gilmer - how could a man who was adored by his staff and patients alike have committed this shocking crime? Young Dr. Gilmer embarks on a journey of discovery that leads to surprising conclusions, unexpected friendship and heartbreaking disappointment.

A really excellent read!

initially thought this book was going to be a typical true crime story, where we learned about the crime and criminal. I was pleasantly surprised to find a much larger commentary about our justice system and the best way to treat people within that system. This book looks at small town America, the relationships that were formed between a doctor and the patients in his clinic, and the broader picture of a crime in relation to a clinical diagnosis. The author focuses on the first Dr. Gilmer, the members of the community, and his own internal struggles surrounding this story while he was trying to uncover the truth in the situation. Overall, this was an incredibly interesting look not only into the specifics of this situation and the justice system, but into the key question of how we should treat people within that system.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a book that one cannot say they enjoy. The subject of this true story is a difficult one. It is brilliantly written. When you read this book you will become aware of identification and treatment or lack thereof in the justice system. In the North Carolina hills a doctor attends to his clinic patients in loving ways and being very mindful of their needs. His name is Vince Gilmer. His patients loved him. When he brutally murders his own father and tries to defend himself in court he ends up in prison for life. His replacement in the clinic is a young man named Benjamin Gilmer (no relation) who becomes very interested in the story behind the murder. He learns more and feels that Vince is someone with intense mental illness who does not belong in prison but rather should be in a medical facility for the insane. He finally gets a real diagnosis of Huntington’s disease and fights for years to get Vince the help he needs and get him released from prison. The book is an intense look at the prison systems in our country today and what goes on behind the prison walls. It is a fight against injustice and the story of a real friendship that evolves between the two doctors.

I learned a lot from these stories and it touched my heart to say the least. I hope you will choose to read this one and maybe someone will get involved with righting the wrongs in the handling of people identified as insane and those who have not been identified but meet the parameters. I certainly learned a lot about Huntington’s disease.

If I could rate this book a 10 star I would do so and I fully recommend it highly to others,

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer starts work in a rural clinic in North Carolina. He soon realizes that another doctor, D.r Vince Gilmer also worked at the same clinic previously. Delving into the other doctor's past, he learns that Vince Gilmer was arrested after murdering his father. He also hears from his patients that Dr. Vince was well loved and nobody could understand why he would be involved with a murder charge.
This makes Dr. Benjamin even more curious and he fears for his own life. The ensuing story tells of how Dr. Benjamin finally meets Dr. Vince and his endeavors to bring justice for Dr. Vince.
This book is a true story of one man never giving up to do all he can to help the other doctor with the same last name.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is written with the voice of a professional writer. I couldn't find any typos either. What starts out as an intruiging premise, though, soon turns into a plot that is unbelieveable. A doctor murders his elderly father, loses his practice, goes to jail. New doctor (the narrator) comes to town and takes over the business. Seems he has the same name as the doc who is in jail.
No, it's not that he"s the same guy, it's just that he has the same name (????). Wonder how that happened.
So the new doc hears that the killer doc is getting out of jail. He becomes convinced with utter paranoia that the killer is going to come after him and kill him because he's taken over Killer Doc's territory.
No. Not buying it. Silly.

This is a very well written & extremely readable book by a physician who has little to no extra time once he has put in his long hours at the practice & been present for his family. Yet, he has dedicated countless hours to the case of Dr. Vincent Gilmer, who murdered his father, was found guilty & sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars. At his first meeting with Vince, the author realized that something was very wrong with him & that the sentence had to have been the result of error or negligence or indifference on the part of those involved in the prosecution of this man. Vince never disputed that he had murdered his father, but the facts surrounding his mental state & physical condition at the time of the murder, made his sentence a cruel & unusual punishment.

I am not generally a fan of nonfiction, but this was exceptional & I am very grateful I was given the opportunity to read this very sad & still ongoing story about a man who started out as a simple country doctor who merely wanted to help his fellow man. I strongly recommend this to anyone.

A compelling story of a beloved small-town doctor who brutally killed his father. A few years later, a replacement doctor is hired. This doctor, through pure coincidence, shares the same last name with the murderer, who is now serving a life sentence. New Dr. Gilmer is at first intrigued, then frightened, the terrified of the “other” Dr. Gilmer. Eventually he visits the murderer in prison and discovers that things are not at all as he’d thought. This was an engrossing read, and an indictment of our judicial and prison system.

You may already be familiar with the story of Dr. Vince Gilmer. His story was told on an episode of NPR’s This American Life and on CNN. In 2004, Gilmer, a doctor who worked at a clinic in rural Appalachia, killed his father. In 2005 he was sentenced to life in prison. I was not acquainted with the story. I heard Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, the author of this book, speak during a publisher’s webinar presentation about upcoming books and was intrigued.

This is an unusual true crime novel. There is a crime – Dr. Vince Gilmer strangled his father – but that’s not the focus of the story. There was no question that Vince Gilmer murdered his father. Even if you have not heard about Vince Gilmer, the author spoils the Big Reveal about the crime by mentioning mental illness in the dedication. Nonetheless, I found the story gripping. Benjamin Gilmer is a good writer and had a good editor.

My family is from the Appalachia region, and this passage struck me: “In Appalachia, everything was defined by the mountain. You were going up the mountain, you were going down the mountain; you were from this side of the mountain or the other side.” (p. 30 of the advance reader copy) Benjamin Gilmer comes across as empathetic and a good observer.

Benjamin and Vince Gilmer are not related. After Vince Gilmer was found guilty of murder, Benjamin Gilmer just happened to begin work at his old clinic. Many people commented on the coincidence. It led many of his patients to muse on how much they loved the old Dr. Gilmer. The picture they painted was very different from what Benjamin Gilmer imagined of a man who could brutally murder his father. Benjamin Gilmer became obsessed with Vince Gilmer and began to worry excessively that Vince would get out of prison and come after him for “stealing” his life. I was surprised at how obsessive Benjamin became. It must have been quite trying for his wife. Eventually Benjamin Gilmer met Vince Gilmer and realized there was much more to the story. Benjamin Gilmer’s book is sad, touching, and infuriating.

This is the first memoir I've read since the news broke about Alice Seybold's Lucky (the book is her memoir about being raped as a college student; the man found guilty of Seybold’s rape 40 years ago was recently exonerated). I have to admit I found myself questioning whether everything was 'true" or perhaps manipulated to make a better story. But although the narrative is riveting, it does not (spoiler alert) have a happy ending. This book is part of a long campaign to get clemency for Vince Gilmer, and to get him out of prison and into a hospital. It also advocates for changes to how we treat the mentally ill, especially if they end up in prison.

If you liked Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy or The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, you may find The Other Dr. Gilmer as captivating as I did. I read an advance reader copy of The Other Dr. Gilmer from Netgalley. The book is scheduled to be published on March 1, 2022 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

3 stars
Not at all what I expected. I do feel there is a audience for this book. It is not for me. Thanks for the ARC of this book.

"The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that 37 percent of male inmates in prisons suffer from severe mental illness. My conversation with Vince that day made me ask myself, and not for the first time, why? If mental illness was one of the reasons they were in prison, then crime was not just a legal problem, but a medical one--not just for the courts but for us care providers, as well.. Clearly, we could be doing a better job."

This stunning book by Dr. Benjamin Gilmer about Dr. Vince Gilmer navigates the world of a mentally ill killer, but not in the way you would expect. There is compassion, understanding, and the search for true justice, not punishment.

There is no doubt about what crime occurred and who committed it, but it is the "why" and the actions of the following days that are so intriguing. Delving into the backstory, as well as the author's own history before launching into a uphill battle of seeking the truth kept me rushing back to these pages anytime I had a free second.

Your thoughts and opinions at the beginning will be vastly different from the end (in a good way) and you will fully empathize with the author's still-continuing fight to get a man out of prison who shouldn't be there.

I first heard this story in This American Life and have wondered if Dr. Gilder had ever been released. I enjoyed the more in depth version of the story told in the book. I hope it helps bring focus to the issues of mental illness in our penal system.

What an eye-opening read this was. This was one of the best written true crime books that I have ever read. This book is about two kind and compassionate doctors who are bound together by their last name and fate. Dr. Vince Gilmer was a family provider in a rural Appalachian town. He was kind, compassionate and sometimes he took care of his patients in an unconventional, yet much needed way. A few days earlier, Dr. V Gilmer had picked up his father from an institution he had been living at. According to him, he planned to bring him to a nursing home closer to home. Things did not go as planned. Gilmer removed his father from the facility, placed him in his truck, and then strangled him, cut off his fingers and left his body in plain sight. As if nothing had happened, he went to his clinic the next day and saw patients as usual. He was arrested, tried, and convicted of his father’s murder. Skip ahead server years. In the small Appalachian town, the same family practice clinic is looking for a second physician. A middle-aged man, but new physician, applies for the job. He has solid credentials and a very good reason for wanting to work in such a small clinic. One thing stands in his way, his name: Dr Benjamin Gilmer. Dr. B. Gilmer has convinced that having the same name as Vince Gilmer, a beloved provider but convicted murderer, will not hinder his practice, and he is offered and accepts the job. Their lives now start to intertwine, and an unconventional lifelong friendship is formed. Be advised, the outcome of the book is still pending. What you will find here is the dark truth of the mentally and physically ill in our judicial and prison systems. As Dr. Benjamin starts to visit Dr. Vince in prison, he starts to notice that although Dr. Vince was deemed mentally sane for trial, somethings are just not right. A diagnosis of familial Huntington’s disease, history of sexual abuse and abuse within the prison system all come to light.
This is the most thought-provoking book that I have read in quite some time. The plight of the mentally and physically ill in the prison system with almost no hope of rehabilitation. I am giving this book 5 starts. I have literally been thinking about this book for 2 days, non-stop, while trying to decide what to write here. I believe that was Dr. Benjamin Gilmer’s intent. For people to know Dr. Vince’s story and to have people start thinking about reform and treatment for the mentally ill. Bring it to light. Heal not harm.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion. #TheOtherDrGilmer #NetGalley

What a fascinating book! Fascinating and heartwrenching!!

The Other Dr. Gilmer begins with a strange twist of fate whereby Dr. Benjamin Gilmer starts working at Cane Creek clinic in rural North Carolina and takes over the practice that once belonged to Dr. Vince Gilmer. The bizarre part is that they aren't related to each other. What are the odds??

Dr. Vince Gilmer was a kind, considerate, and much-loved physician ... right up until he strangled this father, cut his father's fingers off, dumped the body in a spot where it would be located, and went back to the clinic to see patients! He was tried, convicted, and had been imprisoned for 10 years prior to Dr. Benjamin showing up to work the practice.

Rumor has it that Dr. Vince is about to be released. He is said to be furious about Dr. Benjamin taking over his practice and he is going to take back what is rightfully his! After a period of time where Dr. Benjamin is making himself crazy, making sure his house is completely locked up, and keeping a baseball bat within reach, he decides to go to the prison and meet Dr. Vince. What he finds is a shell of a man who constantly twitches, rolls his eyes, and twists his mouth as he veers off into nonsensical tangents. Rather than receiving treatment, Dr. Vince has been dismissed by prison and government officials. Dr. Benjamin is horrified and resolves to at least diagnose Dr. Vince and get him the help he needs. Unfortunately, pleas for clemency have been repeatedly denied and Dr. Vince remains in prison to this day, although he is at least now receiving the medication he needs.

This book definitely opened my eyes to the fact that some crimes need to be healed rather than punished. Everyone should read The Other Dr. Gilmer. It not only educated me but it's one I'll never forget.

Very interesting read. It was very informative and well written. I will definitely look for more written by this author. Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book

An amazing book which shows all too clearly how our prisons are becoming warehouses of the mentally ill. An important book that should be read by all

I wish that I had a personal defender as the author is to Dr Gilmer. The authors devotion to knowing the facts, knowing the details, and his sense of wonderment at Dr Gilmers cause/crime is most notable.

We follow Dr Benjamin Gilmer from the interview in the small town to the stunning NON CONCLUSION (I will get into this in a minute) of the story. I was transfixed by the story, I had never heard about it, and I was stunned.

Dr VINCE Gilmer (the OTHER Dr Gilmer) picked up his elderly father from assisted living and while driving around, strangled him and cut off all of his fingers. Dr Vince Gilmer then calmly went on to work for the next few days before being arrested for the murder of his father.

The author, also a Doctor, also a Gilmer, but no relation, steps into the vacant position left by Dr Vince Gilmer. As he begins to learn more about Dr Vince Gilmer and the crime, the more he realizes that something is NOT right.

The author delves into a possible MEDICAL reason for Dr Vince Gilmer killing his father, with that medical reason in hand, the author tries to get Dr Vince Gilmer's conviction overturned or to get clemency.

Throughout the book, I just kept returning to Dr Vince Gilmore calmly returning to his practice, throwing away his dead fathers fingers into the Koi pond and seeing patients until he was arrested.
Can this medical condition explain that away? I am still not convinced.

However, the author is convinced that because of this medical condition that Dr Vince Gilmer may have, it can explain the murder.
The author does so much for Dr Vince Gilmer that it is so admirable, I couldn't help but root for him.

Alas, the end of the book is deeply unsettled. SPOILER ALERT: The pleas for clemency are denied and Dr Vince Gilmore remains in prison.

The book really unfolds between the unknown, the knowing of the medical condition and the fight for justice.

It was well thought out and a wonderful read.

WIthout a doubt, this is THE BEST true crime book I have ever read!! It is well-written and moves at a fast pace which keeps the reader turning pages rapidly. One does not want to have this book end.

The author writes from a unique vantage point, which allows the reader to follow along on his own journey of the truth about a crime that has been committed by a person with the same last name, who just happens to be the doctor of the clinic he suddenly finds himself working in.. Wanting to understand the disconnect between the way in which Dr. Gilmer, the killer, is seen by his former patients and the way in which the criminal justice system and the media portray him, the author sets out to uncover the answer for himself.

There are so many ties that connect both of these doctors, that if it wasn't a true story, readers would think it was contrived.

The book will have readers doing their own research and listening to This American Life podcast about the case as enrichment to having read the book.

This is one book that I didn't want to ever end!!!

A memoir written as a good mystery in that it was hard to put down until the mystery was solved. It provided a glimpse into the inequities of our healthcare and also our broken justice system. It doesn't provide any pat answers but does bring up how we should fight when we can.

Once I started reading this book, I realized that I’d already seen the story on a television crime show a couple of times. That didn't detract from a very good, well written true crime story with much to recommend it. It really fleshed out the rest of the story for me. It’s sad and disturbing in what it reveals about life in prison for the mentally ill. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.