Rating: 
Summary: Warning Signs continues a trend of excellence in a serial...
Review: that Stephen White began over ten years ago. In bringing his hero, Alan Gregory, to life, White also gets to pursue, in words, his love affair with the western Rocky Mountains, particularly in Colorado. He has the ability to weave the beauty of the region, and its downfalls, into his story line in a natural and compelling way. Show me a reader who does not want to see Colorado after finishing a White novel!There is no question that White has done what most authors of thrillers cannot do, and that is to maintain the quality of his story lines and characterization based on the same group of characters, time after time. I don't believe he has stumbled in this effort, and in pursuing the Gregory storyline, he has won over many fans of other writers who have fallen prey to commercialism. In past years, White has become my author of choice, the author whose works I immediately buy regardless of price. Writing this, unfortunately, may help too many others to discover him, and hopefully he won't come blazing into the public eye, with too much pressure to write "hits" or "blockbusters" to take away the thoughtful manner in which he sets his plotlines before he begins his story. Warning Signs weaves the continuing struggle of Gregory's wife, Lauren's, MS, throughout the novel, contrasting her coping ability with that of Susan Peterson, the wife of the local DA, who is mysteriously murdered in the early part of the novel. As the story unfolds, White is able to interweave three plotlines, including a crisis of practice for Gregory in terms of when danger and potential harm to others outweigh the need for doctor patient privilege. Gregory doesn't handle the situation appropriately, but his own feelings and the reactions of the public and his circle of close friends help to make this situation even more real for the reader. A story of the abandoned offspring of a central character plays a key role in the mystery, and again leaves us questioning the psychological motivation of characters who seem ordinary on the surface; this daughter is struggling with the meaning of intimacy, and she promises to be a new continuing character in future Gregory novels. Lastly, in the wake of Columbine and Jon Benet, Gregory is able to explore the feeling of confusion and despair that must invade the Colorado population, when confronted with the media spotlight on how parents and law enforcement personnel react to sudden and unexpected crimes of violence in the seemingly serene Colorado setting. Although the "Columbine-like" plotline is a little farfetched, it is ultimately the vehicle that builds into the climax of the novel, and White does a credible job of building the tension and relief when the violence finally ends. Lastly, White is able to showcase Gregory and Lauren in still another setting; as new parents of baby daughter Grace. This is a book that is chockful of great storylines and suspense, and difficult to put down when you want to finish it in one sitting. Another terrific novel by Stephen White!
Rating:
Summary: Tight, Tense, and Intelligent.....
Review: The brutal murder of legendary Boulder County District Attorney, Royal Peterson, while his invalid wife slept in her room upstairs, was shocking and horrifying. But when the prime suspect turns out to be one of their own, homicide detective, Lucy Tanner, it becomes crystal clear that nothing in Stephen White's latest thriller, Warning Signs, is exactly what it seems. Psychologist, Alan Gregory, soon finds himself smack in the middle of the case, brought in by his close friend and Lucy's partner, Detective Sam Purdy. Sam can't believe that Lucy committed the crime, even though the evidence against her seems to be growing exponentially with each passing day, and he wants Alan's insight to help him prove it. Alan knows all the players well. In fact, his wife is a prosecutor in the District Attorney's office, and worked for Royal. Enter new patient, Naomi Bigg. She's come to Dr Gregory seeking help with her son, cagily talking about bombs, Columbine, vengence, and parental responsibilities. When a bomb is found in Royal Peterson's house, and it becomes apparent that Naomi Bigg and the Peterson crime may be connected, Gregory has to wrestle with the ultimate psychologist's dilema. Which is more important, his ethical duty to his patient, or his moral obligations to the community..... Warning Signs is a tight, suspenseful, very compelling psychological thriller that grabs you from page one, sets you on the edge of your seat, and never lets go. Mr White weaves a seamless, intricate, well paced plot full of twists, turns, riveting scenes, and more than a few surprises. His writing is crisp and tense, and his intriguing characters, well drawn, with strong voices. This is an intelligent thriller that will keep you thinking, long after you've finished the book. Author, Stephen White has really honed his craft, and Warning Signs is the latest installment in a superb series that just gets better with each book. So turn off the phone and lock the door...Alan Gregory and company are about to keep you up all night.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting, well-written thriller that keeps readers engaged
Review: The title of the review says it all... the characters are real, I was interested and kept reading (even through jet lag inspired exhaustion) and I wanted to find more Stephen White when the book ended. A should-read for fans of smart psychological mysteries.
Rating: 
Summary: DILEMMA (di-, di-lem'a), n. a vexatious situation
Review: This is the problem that Dr. Alan Gregory faces in the new Stephen White novel 'Warning Signs'. From the very start of the book we visit all different kinds of Warning Signs. The murder of prominent DA Royal Peterson and the over anxious good citizen who reported 'hearing screams' but is now unsure if he should have called the police. Lauren Gregory arising from sleep and who today is a little bit cranky after a 15 month rest from her MS. To the new patient who needs to see Dr. Gregory today!
Mr. White keeps are attention to the revelent situations surrounding us today, especially after September 11th. If we had knowledge of a possible heinous crime, how far would we go? To get involved, to try to avert the crime, to report our suspicions, to keeping our job and our moral sworn code intact? To protecting our family?
Warning Signs abound in a possible repeat of the Columbine tragedy. But the dilemma begins with what to do with information gathered in a private session with a new client. And the possibility of harm befalling his wife. How to use the information to try to advert a crime, provide healthy therapy to his client without leading her to gather information solely for himself, and what of the problems potentially faced if all that seems is not what it appears? Could it then possibly damage a good persons psyche?
From the very start, to a most satisfying ending, all that is questioned is answered. Although not the way we might expect. And to expect the expected from Mr. White is not what is expected!
Rating:
Summary: Another terrific story ...
Review: This story is another winner for Stephen White. I felt like the characters had finally made some progress and even grown up a little with this book. I've read this series since the beginning and wait patiently for each new book to come out. This one is one of my favorites (along with Higher Authority) and it's definitely a little different from the others. Read and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Satisfactory Read, But Certainly Not 5 Stars!
Review: This was an o.k. read, particularly after about 3/4's of the way through, but it is only a slightly better than average read at best. It was good, but it just didn't rise to a level higher than a 3 star for me, or as good as many other murder mystery writers. I also had trouble with the concept that the police, in a high level murder investigation, would have a psychologist tagging along with them in dangerous situations and all the way up until the end (although I haven't read any other Stephen White novels so I don't have anything to compare it to). Pick up if you've run out of other books to read, otherwise...
Rating:
Summary: Fast Paced Thrills
Review: This was my first ever Stephen White book, and it will not be my last. White is a talented writer who intricately weaves psychology, suspense and a richly plotted story into one cannot put down book. This story revolves around two high school aged kids plotting revenge on the justice system that has let them down. Alan Gregory, the psychologist and narrator, is brought in with the PD to help solve the murder mystery of the town's DA. His wife, just off maternity leave and also working for the DA, also gets involved in the investigation because the DA was her boss, and the prime suspect is a police chief in the town (Boulder.) There is so much more to it, but other reviewers also detail the story so I will not do so. Suffice it to say that if you want an edge of your seat, psychological thriller this book is a great choice. It weaves in issues that are prevalent in today's society in an intelligent, not overly preachy and interesting way. This book raises interesting moral questions throughout -- that will spark some intellectual thinking about how our society operates when it comes to justice, crime and punishment. Do punishments fit the crimes? Is society too reactional and not proactive enough? For a thought provoking book you will not be able to put down -- this is a sure fire hit...
Rating:
Summary: My first Stephen White novel
Review: This was quite a book and I will be sure to go back and read some of his earlier works. I recommend this book to anybody that likes a good thriller. Unlike some books that I've read lately, I didn't figure this one out until the last chapter. It was also kind of scary to think that this could really happen. I'm looking forward to his next book.
Rating:
Summary: Alan Gregory is back!
Review: WARNING SIGNS by Stephen White
Reviewed by Michael Kellar
WARNING SIGNS, Stephen White's latest suspense novel, is both a murder mystery, and a contemporary thriller echoing the horrors of the Columbine shootings. When District Attorney Royal Peterson is found murdered, police detective Sam Purdy turns to his friend Alan Gregory, a clinical psychologist, for assistance in attempting to prove the innocence of a prime suspect.Gregory is not a superman - he admits to mistakes in both his personal and professional life - but he is at the same time a richly developed character. (One particularly defining moment takes place when,while standing on a precipice with a murder suspect, Gregory lets himself slip away from matters at hand to contemplate that he would never let his young daughter stand this close to the edge of a cliff. Family is of prime importance to him despite anything else taking place.) He
also spends considerable time wrestling with ethical questions relating to doctor/patient confidentially, when he suspects he has been given non-disclosable information which could perhaps save lives. We are given a very human hero in a very gripping situation. Stephen White has deftly woven plots and subplots into a seamless whole in a fast-paced and very satisfying work of psychological suspense. Not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: As Good As Ever
Review: Warning Signs is proof that a writer who works diligently at his or her craft will continue to get better and better. White never relaxes into any sort of personal formula but rather approaches each new book with fresh insights, as if it were his first effort rather than his eight or ninth. Particularly effective in this book is the range of "voices" of the characters. Each one has different phrasing, different cadences; each is fully indicative of a complete person. Even the villains of this piece come across as real, believable beings. And the author, via hero Alan Gregory, acknowledges that there is such a thing as standard, pat "shrink-talk," which he goes to considerable lengths to avoid. A lot of hot-button issues are addressed in Warning Signs, not only the matter of school violence (disaffected teens) but also the very important issue of what it takes to get people in positions of power to listen to what matters to so many who are affected by the decisions of the judicial system, and the often disastrous fallout from those decisions. It has been said many times before that we've arrived at a point in history when more attention is paid to the rights of the criminal than to the rights of the victims. That fact is at the core of this novel and it's well addressed, with the author wisely leaving the resolutions to be made by the readers. Few authors could carry off a novel that switches back and forth between third person and first person narrative, but White succeeds admirably in Warning Signs. It helps to heighten the considerable tension of the book. As well, bits of welcome humor (the description of baby Grace's cold symptoms are truly funny) help to render Alan even more human. One minor quibble: any woman who's done laundry will have the same problem that I did, concerning a bedsheet that figures strongly in the plot. The evidence wouldn't have survived the hot-water wash we all use on whites. But it is only a minor quibble and in no way detracts from the overall fine quality of the book.
Most highly recommended.
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