The Obsession

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre Medical Thriller
Review: Jacqueline Ramsey, an actress, has an obsession. That obsession is her weight. Who could have thought that Dr. Hume, the charming head of a luxurious diet clinic, has something sinister to do with Jacqueline's nightmare? Only Jacqueline's psychiatrist lover suspects something...

It is easy to see why The Obsession is out of print. This book is not bad, it is quite well written and rather entertaining at times. But that is all it is - it has no true originality, no chilling insights or characters who the reader would love to bits. Morever, the premise is a little silly, some events seem implausible and the villain and his motives are disappointing and cliched. Despite a few gross moments, everything stays neat and sterile. The reader never faces real terror.

When I read the book, I got the impression that David Shobin had tried very hard to write a page-turner. Maybe he tried it a bit too hard. There are dozens of better thrillers which don't have any more depth th! an The Obsession but which still manage to captivate the reader. This book deserves to stay in obscurity.