For me, I find the measure of a book is how memorable it is and I can safely say that this is one that I can clearly remember even though I finished listening to it a number of weeks ago. I found this rather gripping and was disappointed when I had to stop listening when work and family life got in the way! The story is intense and fast moving; the plot is engrossing with a number of twists and turns that had me taking a few sharp intakes of breath at times. The three main characters of Anna, Margot and Rachel are all told by different narrators - this was genius and helped to differentiate between their 'parts' in the story. The narrators did an excellent job and helped keep the tension going from start to finish. I haven't read or listened to anything by Jack Jordan before but I will certainly be keeping my eyes open in the future and I must thank Simon & Schuster UK Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to Do No Harm and share my thoughts.

Do No Harm is a thrill ride from start to finish. Jack Jordan’s characters stand out from the page and their narrative drives the book forward at a relentless pace. Told in three first person voices, this is perfect fare for audiobook listening and our three narrators more than did it justice. Our key protagonist is a cardiothoracic surgeon who, when we meet her, is due to perform a coronary bypass on prominent politician, Ahmed Shabir. Anna Jones is at the top of her game in Redwood Hospital and although she is in the midst of a difficult divorce, she is more than able to do her job with skill and precision and her outcomes are always good. Ann is mother to 7 year old Zack, the light of her life. So when Zack is kidnapped and Anna is told by his kidnappers to do the unthinkable and break her Hippocratic oath, the dilemma she faces is one that causes her major anguish. Our second narrator is scrub nurse Margot Barnes. Margot is at the bottom end of the hospital food chain. She has some serious issues of her own to deal with, including serious debt and not least of problems is her seriously deranged brother and she survives by scrimping and stealing. When she sees something that no-one else has noticed, she reckons she has an opportunity to put all her money worries aside for good. Finally, we hear from Detective Inspector Rachel Conaty. She has a trauma in her past that she can’t get over and she carries a massive chip on her shoulder that impacts on her professional life as she tries to fathom what’s going on with Anna. Do No Harm is gripping, propulsive and full of intense emotion. You really feel for Anna when she is faced with an impossible dilemma. To rescue her son she must kill her patient. Jack Jordan lays out Anna’s soul-searching anguish so clearly that as a reader you really feel for her. All they along you hope and pray for a different choice, but as you read, the position only becomes more stark and your heart is in your mouth as you wait tor Anna to make her impossible decision. Interspersing Anna’s chapters we learn more about the personal lives of both Morag and Rachel as we hear directly from them. Neither has had an easy life either and who they are and the decisions they make in this scenario are very much also shaped by their experiences. Jordan manages to make both Anna and Morag feel like real people and they go through the gamut of emotions which ultimately drives them to do some pretty extreme things but for the most believable reasons. Even though they may not always be likeable, you do want them to succeed. Verdict: Jack Jordan’s writing is nail-bitingly tense; his plotting clever, twisty and his pace relentless. Do No Harm is a tale of the power of motherhood and the extreme lengths that people will go to to protect their children. It works really well as an audiobook and I’m sure just as well on the printed page. It’s an all-consuming rollercoaster ride and I really enjoyed it.

One of the first fiction books I have read in a long time. It grabbed me instantly. Very enjoyable read, especially for people who are looking for something not overly complex or looking to get into fiction.

At the heart of this thriller is THE most unenviable dilemma: Anna Jones, a highly respected surgeon, is preparing to operate on the local MP, a popular man predicted to become the next leader of the Labour party and possibly Prime Minister. He is standing by his principles and hasn’t even considered private treatment, placing his trust in the NHS hospital in his constituency. There is only one problem – Anna’s son Zack has been kidnapped, and his captors have told her that if she wants to see him alive, she must kill her VIP patient. Will Anna stick to the professional oath she took to “do no harm”, or save her son and do as his captors demand?  The story is told from the points of view of 3 characters. Anna - ambitious, driven, at the top of her profession, somewhat cold and aloof, with a streak of arrogance and superiority which many surgeons display. Margot, Anna’s theatre nurse - from “the wrong side of the tracks” but worked hard to escape her rough upbringing with a career in nursing, but is now struggling after a relationship breakdown. DI Rachel Conaty - in charge of the investigation into the death of Anna’s neighbour. She’s an experienced officer but suffered a devasting personal tragedy and is still wrestling personal demons, years after it.  None of these three characters is particularly likeable, although there are moments when you do feel sorry for each of them and their respective situations. But then most thrillers are driven by action rather than character anyway, and in in terms of plotting and action, this book is absolutely pitch perfect. The tension is ramped up at the start and sustained throughout, keeping you turning the pages.  As well as the on-point plotting, the endless suspense and the irresistible personal/professional dilemma, the novel explores the theme of motherhood through the 3 central female characters, which adds extra interest.  If you love a tense, gripping, a complex, layered thriller, then this really is the book for you!

The epitome of a page-turner. The only things that made me put this book down were work, sleep and one trip to the pub. Somehow I wanted all possible outcomes to happen but still ended up being satisfied with the plot. (Moral compass check pending.) The storyline was something I haven’t seen done before, and the 3 characters we share a POV with were all engaging. This was real under your skin, make you feel itchy writing and it was fantastic.