Rating: Summary: A WINNING VOICE PERFORMANCE Review: Award winning voice performer Dick Hill gives an eloquent, transfixing reading of this riveting thriller. Psychological suspense is Stephen White's long suit and with "Blinded" he leaves no doubt that he's a master of that genre. Returning to his popular protagonist, psychologist Alan Gregory, author White presents a multi-layered story of death and deception. What would you do if you were a psychologist seeing a patient who mentions in a rather cavalier manner that she believes her husband has committed murder? The victim is a woman with whom she thinks her husband, Sterling, has had an affair. As if that weren't enough of a shocker - she suspects that he has murdered many other women as well. What Gregory does is check with his buddy, Sam Purdey, a Colorado police detective. The two embark on what is essentially an investigation of their own. While suspense mounts White examines at length various ethics issues involved in this conundrum, ie, doctor/patient confidentiality; can a wife be called to testify against her husband? White, a master of surprises, provides a trunk full in "Blinded." - Gail Cooke
Rating: Summary: Great medical thriller Review: Boulder psychologist Alan Gregory struggles with balance as he nurtures his MS stricken spouse, is the prime raiser of their one year old child, and provides services to a host of patients ranging the emotional rainbow. With all that on his PROGRAM, Alan does not need a visit from Gibbs Storey, who he has not seen in a decade. She canceled an appointment and moved to Los Angeles with her husband Sterling. He thinks that Gibbs is a phenomenon, as she has not aged, but remains the perfect human specimen. Gibbs calmly informs Alan that she believes that Sterling murdered his lover back in Laguna Beach. She also thinks that he has killed others and will take more lives in the future. Ignoring WARNING SIGNS and spouting (endlessly) about client confidentially, Alan fails to go the police, but instead turns to his best friend, Boulder Police detective Sam Purdy, on injury leave, for help. They separately investigate whether Sterling is a serial killer or a case of the BEST REVENGE of a scorned woman? The latest Alan Gregory mystery is different from the previous one because chapters are alternated between the psychologist and in this novel his co-star Sam. This technique works quite well as the audience receives two perspectives that come together with Stephen White's typical ending twist that is always is fun to follow. Though the ethics issue is tedious and unconvincing, fans will enjoy this combo amateur sleuth-"unofficial" police procedural tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating: Summary: another healthcare professional fiasco Review: Despite its interesting premise, this work is a plodding yawner, definitely not a page-turning beach read. The plot had promise, but the execution is poorly wrought and overwritten. The author suffers from overuse of the dash and the elipsis, making one think that the book's editor was asleep at the wheel. It seems that psychologists, like practicing physicians, make poor writers. The author should definitely stick to his day job.
Rating: Summary: A Great Story With A Surprise Ending ! Review: Dr. Alan Gregory, a psychologist, is faced with a dilemma when one of his patient's, a woman by the name of Gibbs Storey, confesses to him that she believes her husband is responsible for a number of murders. Gibbs pleads with Dr. Gregory to share some of this information with the police. However, she is only willing to let him give information on one of the murders, that of a woman named Louise who was murdered in 1997. Alan agrees to share this information with the police, but struggles with the remainder of the information he must keep confidential.
As the police investigate the murder of Louise, Sterling Storey, Gibbs husband, is believed to have drowned while trying to rescue an individual from the Ochlockonee river in Georgia. However, his body has not yet been found. In spite of his recent heart attack, and a seperation from his wife and son, Detective Sam Purdy sets out for Georgia to investigate the "death" of Sterling Storey. Along the way he develops an interesting relationship with Carmen Reynoso, a female detective.
Alan Gregory faces other difficulties in this story, his wife's battle with multiple sclerosis, and confidential information shared with him during therapy are being leaked to the press. Dr. Gregory must deal with his dilemma with Gibbs, the health problems his wife and Sam are battling, and possible legal problems due to an alleged break in his therapist/client confidentiality.
I found this book exciting. I loved the plot twists, and really enjoyed the parts of the story where Sam is narrator. This book is one of White's best!
Rating: Summary: Somewhat of a disappointment Review: Four stars for author Stephen White's 12th book in the Alan Gregory series -- specifically for the way in which Gregory emphasizes interesting and perennial character Sam Purdy's involvement in solving a series of murders, tied to the disappearance of a former patient of Alan's. Purdy is colorful, as a Boulder detective, and despite both his health and marital troubles in "Blinded" - he is off on a cross-country search, paired on and off with an interesting female detective, and the narrarator of much of the story. White has used the device of telling a story from two perspectives before, notably in his last novel, "The Best Revenge", and he's particularly successful with this tool. Although the chase starts with Alan, who learns from a former patient, Gibbs Storey, that her charismatic and troubled husband may be a serial killer, he is more of a sideline participant in terms of the action. In this installment, Alan's wife, Lauren, is disturbed by a particularly chilling episode in her battle with MS. Raw emotion and fear about the situation is felt from Alan's point of view -- White doesn't get inside Lauren's head in this novel. Having some experience with friends stricken by the disease, I've always been compelled by the educational and awareness aspects of White's tales, helping his readers understand the MS complex. What brings this tale down is a repetitive theme of White's -- the therapist's dilemma in not knowing how much confidential information given by patients can be disclosed to the outside world. White's Gregory seems to chafe under the yoke of having to keep disturbing information confidential, and in this novel, a secondary plot involving disclosures by his other patients emphasizes this theme. White last explored this theme in his 10th book, "Warning Signs", and it wore on the reader then. I'm not sure why he chose to emphasize it again, but it was taxing. Also missing from the book is White's signature twist of plot in the climax. Although he attempts to surprise the reader, the telltale signs of who murdered the young women in question are all laid out, and come as no surprise, based on the way the action unfolds. These disappointing features are offset by the voice of Sam Purdy (and his strange fascination with a turducken!)and a somewhat shocking disclosure by Sam near the end of the book. Purdy's always been a favorite of mine; his north-country sardonic humor is offset by his keen read of situations and his odd friendship with Alan. I expect a little more from White, but I did read the book at record speed, a sure sign that he drew me into his tale, despite the contrivances that ended up annoying me before I finished. Still a great series -- this book may not be enjoyable to those who aren't familiar with White's earlier work.
Rating: Summary: Maybe White's best to date Review: I always enjoy Stephen White's novels. I like every character in them, including his wonderful dog, Emily. His wife, a victim of multiple schlerosis, is always drawn with love (and, I have to assume, from some personal experience of Mr. White's); his cop friend Sam is an absolute jewel with all his human imperfections, and Dr. Gregory himself is likable if somewhat lacking in passion. I truly enjoyed the plot of this one, as well as the key "non-recurring" characters of Gibbs and Carmen. And although White occasionally tries to get just a tiny bit too cute in some of his analogies, I did laugh out loud several times. Didn't really see the twist ending until I crept up on the last few chapters, which is always a pleasant surprise. All in all, a terrific read! If you're new to White, you won't find a loser in ANY of his novels; this, however, is one of the best in my opinion.
Rating: Summary: Maybe White's best to date Review: I always enjoy Stephen White's novels. I like every character in them, including his wonderful dog, Emily. His wife, a victim of multiple schlerosis, is always drawn with love (and, I have to assume, from some personal experience of Mr. White's); his cop friend Sam is an absolute jewel with all his human imperfections, and Dr. Gregory himself is likable if somewhat lacking in passion. I truly enjoyed the plot of this one, as well as the key "non-recurring" characters of Gibbs and Carmen. And although White occasionally tries to get just a tiny bit too cute in some of his analogies, I did laugh out loud several times. Didn't really see the twist ending until I crept up on the last few chapters, which is always a pleasant surprise. All in all, a terrific read! If you're new to White, you won't find a loser in ANY of his novels; this, however, is one of the best in my opinion.
Rating: Summary: Blinded, until the end... Review: I await a new Alan Gregory novel almost as much as I look forward to Robert Parker giving us a new Spencer. As always, there is a professional dilemma ("In the field of mental health, ethics and morals are an odd couple.") I very much enjoyed that, in this outing, much of the story was told from the perspective of supporting character Sam Purdy, who offers numerous un-Gregory like insights ("Sometimes people ask me why I am a cop. I don't usually answer with the public service/public welfare refrain. I answer with the truth: People are endlessly interesting.") Unlike the claims of some other reviewers, I failed to guess the ending. And, if for no other reason, this novel is worth reading to find out why comments such as "For the next couple of weeks I'd be married to a most distasteful subset of the Seven Dwarfs on methamphetamine" makes perfect sense...
Rating: Summary: not the best Review: I read all of the Alan Gregory novels, and have to say this one was a disappointment. It is painless reading, but also, I think, too superficial. There is not enough depth to the plot or the character interactions. I feel as though, instead of using each book to add depth to his characters, White is relying on us knowing them from the prior books. I find this unsatisfying. Still, it was not a BAD book, just too short and lazy.
Rating: Summary: ???? Review: Nope. These characters all trying to have a deep sense of irony and sarcasm as if they were New Yorkers. I pictured them all talking out of the sides of their mouths like "The Frog". There was also too much talk about sex, stupid sex fantasies, swinging, and obsessions about what people look like. Shallow and boring.
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