Do No Harm: A skilled surgeon makes the best murderer . . . Paperback – 30 Mar. 2023

I bought this in 2023 and only now have I finished it in 2025. It didn't take me this long to read because it was bad, honestly it was actually the opposite. I walked in blind so I didn't expect the thriller genre, it was so captivating and genuinely had me at the edge of my seat. I constantly had to close the book to have a break because I couldn't believe what I was reading 😭💀 If you're looking for a book that will captivate you & reel you in, I'd definitely recommend this :)

As soon as I heard about the concept behind Jack Jordan's sixth novel Do No Harm I was immediately intrigued and knew that I wanted to read to find out how renowned heart surgeon Anna Jones handles the immoral situation that she finds herself in. After all she took the Hippocratic oath to 'Do No Harm' but she'll have to make the difficult decision to take a life whilst operating on a high-profile patient as a means to save the life of her kidnapped child. But not only that, she has to get away with it if she ever wants to see her son Zack again.Alongside Anna, we also have chapters narrated by Margot Barnes and Rachel Conaty. Having the three different narratives running alongside one another enables the reader to get into the mindsets of each of these women as the storylines merge.Margot is a theatre nurse who works in the hospital alongside Anna but that's the only similarities between them as their lifestyles couldn't be more different. Whereas Anna is perceived to have it all, Margot is struggling to make ends meet and having to resort to petty crimes just to cover the rent and pay her bills. So when she sees a way to make some easy cash she doesn't hesitate to go for it little knowing the consequences of her actions.The third character that we hear from is Rachel who is a DI investigating the grisly murder of an unidentified women who we later discover has a connection to Anna. Rachel has suffered her own personal tragedy in the past and she gets fixated into wanting to speak to Zack as she doesn't believe Anna's account as to his whereabouts. But will her tenacious quest for answers bring her professional reputation into question?It must be ever mother's nightmare finding out that their child is missing and not being able to contact the authorities for help as her every movement was being monitored. I can honestly say that my heart was in my mouth whilst I was reading. I was feeling every moment of paranoia alongside Anna as she struggles to come to terms with the situation that she found herself, worrying as to how she can follow through with the kidnappers demands. And even if she did and got away with murder, what's to say that they won't just go ahead and kill both her and Zack?Do No Harm is a terrifying, thought-provoking read that will have you on the edge of your seat that makes you contemplate just how far you would go to save the life of a loved one.

I chose to read this book as it is Waterstones Thriller of the Month (April ‘23).This book reminded me of the TV series Hostages (with Toni Collette), although an enjoyable read there were too many similarities without all angst.A female heart surgeons neighbour is killed and her 8yr old son is kidnapped to blackmail her into killing her high profile MP when she performs heart surgery on him. A dilemma as the patient has a 90% chance of surviving. Will she or won’t she kill him to save her son.The main character came across as quite cold and I didn’t particularly much like her or cared if she would get away with it should she decide to go ahead. The secondary characters were also unlikeable and didn’t really evolve. There was no mystery to this book due to having three narrators, all telling the same story from their perspectives.I am not sure I will try any more of the authors books.

I was really looking forward to reading Do No Harm by Jack Jordan. I’m a huge fan of his writing and I think his latest is his best yet. It’s entertaining, utterly gripping and it will keep you invested in the story and the characters from page one.There is a really intriguing premise here. Dr Anna Jones is faced with an impossible task. She is about to perform an operation on a prominent, well liked MP, tipped one day to become Prime Minister. But when her son is kidnapped, she has one choice to make if she ever wants to see her son alive again. For the kidnappers to release him, she must kill her patient, which goes against every fibre of her being. But will she do it to protect her son?You can feel the emotion that Dr Anna Jones is experiencing as she comes to terms with what is happening to her. The choice she must make overwhelms her. I really wanted to know what she was going to do. It kept me turning those pages to see how she was going to respond to the kidnapper’s demands. This will make your heart pound as you’re reading it and Jack Jordan continues to turn the tension up a notch as it comes closer to the moment when Anna must make her decision.Do No Harm really is a rollercoaster of a read. It takes you on a wild ride and it made me think what I would do if I was in Anna’s position. I couldn’t come up with a clear answer to that. It’s what makes this idea so scary as well, especially as we put all of our trust in medical staff when we are in their care. The idea that Jack Jordan explores could potentially happen in the world today. And things go from bad to worse for Anna as she tries to work out what is the best way forward for her and her son.I’m certain that Do No Harm will be a huge hit. It kept me hooked right from the first page and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen to Anna. I really enjoyed it. This is a thriller not to be missed.