Rating: 
Summary: Another Winner from Stephen White!!!!!!
Review: Regardless of what some of the naysayers write about this novel here at Amazon, this book is a true mystery and a thriller all wrapped up in a neat and tidy package. Once again, Stephen White has done an outstanding job of providing a dilemma for Dr. Alan Gregory and the people he loves. In this installment in what has rapidly become a very popular series, Dr. White reprises all of the characters fans of these books expect to meet again within the covers. White also introduces the legend of D.B Cooper into the storyline, not as a foil or complication, but as an inherent part of the plot and as a possible explanation for the murders and other mysterious deaths that are part of this story. Oh yes, there are killings galore in this novel. The author makes use of a past love for Alan Gregory and does a masterful job in his use of flashbacks to explain where Alan Gregory was in 1982 (long before he met his wife Lauren, or Sam Purdy or even his first wife). His first love came while he was a psychology intern at the teaching hospital in Denver. It was there that he met Dr. (MD) Sawyer Sackett. The love affair that developed ended badly and Sawyer left without notice or apology. It has taken years for Dr. Gregory to get over her and when we flash back to the present, Alan and his wife are forced to confront the possibility that a former patient may have been killing off all of the staff members who treated him so many years before. Not too far into this story, Alan is informed that one of his former colleagues has died under suspicious circumstances. Upon further investigation, he becomes aware that there hasn't been just one death among his former interns and residents, but many. In a comical scene in a restaurant, Alan and Lauren meet two former FBI agents who were retained by the most recently deceased Dr. Arnie Dresser's mother to discover if there was foul play. They believe there was and in almost all of the cases. They have plausible explanations, but almost no hard evidence and cannot seem to interest the FBI or local law enforcement agencies because the locales are so far apart and the M.O.s so different. Throughout this fast paced and gripping thriller, White does an exceptional job of keeping the tension high and the fear factor elevated. Every time Alan or Sawyer leaves home, the hotel, the office or wherever, the reader finds himself wondering if the killer will strike right then and there. Although there are a couple of really close calls, especially for Alan, he must also come to grips with his unresolved feelings for his former lover, Sawyer. Sawyer is one of those well developed characters that White uses as a foil for Alan Gregory. In her case, the author only provides enough information to keep the reader moving forward. When he finally reveals "her dark secret," I was so stunned, shocked and saddened that I finally understood why she could not and would not get close to Alan back in 1982. White handles that scene very well and with a high degree of empathy and compassion and he does that through the eyes of Dr. Alan Gregory. In addition to Sawyer Sackett, White also introduces the two former FBI agents, A.J. Simes and Milton Custer. A.J. is also a Ph.d. in Psychology and was a profiler for the FBI before a medical disability forced her retirement. Custer, a former field agent retired after 25 years and became a consultant. Alan's wife Lauren, notices some of the symptoms A.J. is suffering from and tells Alan that A.J. too, is suffering from MS. White shows us her symptoms just as he does Lauren's. Throughout the story, despite her annoying mannerisms, we hope that A.J. and Custer really do have Alan and Lauren's best interests in mind. We hope they really are "the good guys." Even with new characters, where would an Alan Gregory mystery be without his erstwhile sidekick Sam Purdy? Well, Sam's here, too and this time, suffering the effects of a temporary lay-up due to kidney stones. As he recovers and realizes he's going crazy on sick-leave, he stays by Alan's side as the home teams tries to solve this most vexing of puzzles. The use of the legend of D.B. Cooper adds a certain 1970s cultural appeal to the entire story and Stephen White provides a plausible possible answer to who the actual skyjacker might have been. Throughout this book, I kept wondering if that little plot gimmick would lead to something and was pleased to see that the author left the answer somewhat ambiguous. Contrary to what others may have said, MANNER OF DEATH is as good as any of the other Alan Gregory novels to date. Although I started the series out of order, I have never once been disappointed by any of these stories. I hope Dr. Stephen White keeps Alan, Lauren, Sam, Adrienne, Jonas and Emily around for many books in the future. Each time I open one of these novels, I feel like I am visiting with friends and that's what makes these books so enjoyable and comfortable. Paul Connors
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner from Stephen White!!!!!!
Review: Regardless of what some of the naysayers write about this novel here at Amazon, this book is a true mystery and a thriller all wrapped up in a neat and tidy package. Once again, Stephen White has done an outstanding job of providing a dilemma for Dr. Alan Gregory and the people he loves. In this installment in what has rapidly become a very popular series, Dr. White reprises all of the characters fans of these books expect to meet again within the covers. White also introduces the legend of D.B Cooper into the storyline, not as a foil or complication, but as an inherent part of the plot and as a possible explanation for the murders and other mysterious deaths that are part of this story. Oh yes, there are killings galore in this novel. The author makes use of a past love for Alan Gregory and does a masterful job in his use of flashbacks to explain where Alan Gregory was in 1982 (long before he met his wife Lauren, or Sam Purdy or even his first wife). His first love came while he was a psychology intern at the teaching hospital in Denver. It was there that he met Dr. (MD) Sawyer Sackett. The love affair that developed ended badly and Sawyer left without notice or apology. It has taken years for Dr. Gregory to get over her and when we flash back to the present, Alan and his wife are forced to confront the possibility that a former patient may have been killing off all of the staff members who treated him so many years before. Not too far into this story, Alan is informed that one of his former colleagues has died under suspicious circumstances. Upon further investigation, he becomes aware that there hasn't been just one death among his former interns and residents, but many. In a comical scene in a restaurant, Alan and Lauren meet two former FBI agents who were retained by the most recently deceased Dr. Arnie Dresser's mother to discover if there was foul play. They believe there was and in almost all of the cases. They have plausible explanations, but almost no hard evidence and cannot seem to interest the FBI or local law enforcement agencies because the locales are so far apart and the M.O.s so different. Throughout this fast paced and gripping thriller, White does an exceptional job of keeping the tension high and the fear factor elevated. Every time Alan or Sawyer leaves home, the hotel, the office or wherever, the reader finds himself wondering if the killer will strike right then and there. Although there are a couple of really close calls, especially for Alan, he must also come to grips with his unresolved feelings for his former lover, Sawyer. Sawyer is one of those well developed characters that White uses as a foil for Alan Gregory. In her case, the author only provides enough information to keep the reader moving forward. When he finally reveals "her dark secret," I was so stunned, shocked and saddened that I finally understood why she could not and would not get close to Alan back in 1982. White handles that scene very well and with a high degree of empathy and compassion and he does that through the eyes of Dr. Alan Gregory. In addition to Sawyer Sackett, White also introduces the two former FBI agents, A.J. Simes and Milton Custer. A.J. is also a Ph.d. in Psychology and was a profiler for the FBI before a medical disability forced her retirement. Custer, a former field agent retired after 25 years and became a consultant. Alan's wife Lauren, notices some of the symptoms A.J. is suffering from and tells Alan that A.J. too, is suffering from MS. White shows us her symptoms just as he does Lauren's. Throughout the story, despite her annoying mannerisms, we hope that A.J. and Custer really do have Alan and Lauren's best interests in mind. We hope they really are "the good guys." Even with new characters, where would an Alan Gregory mystery be without his erstwhile sidekick Sam Purdy? Well, Sam's here, too and this time, suffering the effects of a temporary lay-up due to kidney stones. As he recovers and realizes he's going crazy on sick-leave, he stays by Alan's side as the home teams tries to solve this most vexing of puzzles. The use of the legend of D.B. Cooper adds a certain 1970s cultural appeal to the entire story and Stephen White provides a plausible possible answer to who the actual skyjacker might have been. Throughout this book, I kept wondering if that little plot gimmick would lead to something and was pleased to see that the author left the answer somewhat ambiguous. Contrary to what others may have said, MANNER OF DEATH is as good as any of the other Alan Gregory novels to date. Although I started the series out of order, I have never once been disappointed by any of these stories. I hope Dr. Stephen White keeps Alan, Lauren, Sam, Adrienne, Jonas and Emily around for many books in the future. Each time I open one of these novels, I feel like I am visiting with friends and that's what makes these books so enjoyable and comfortable. Paul Connors
Rating:
Summary: STEPHEN WHITE WRITES ANOTHER SUSPENSE THRILLER!
Review: Stephen White , best selling author of Critical Conditions, Private Practice, Higher Authority, Privileged Information, In Harms Way shows us his best work yet with Manner of Death. This book features Dr. Alan Gregory trying to solve a intense murder mystery before he becomes the next victim. This fast paced suspense filled thriller is mystery writing at its best.
Rating:
Summary: Another Terrific Mystery from Stephen White
Review: Stephen White has done it again...written an absolutely enthralling page turner that kept me reading late into the night. The characters seem to come alive in his books, and this current thriller is no exception. Also, the story is fresh and so unlike anything else I've encountered in other books. You won't be disappointed when you read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Normally I enjoy this author tremendously. . .
Review: Stephen White is one of my favorite authors. I buy his books in hardback (a rarity for me), but this one I would have wished I waited for the paperback. Did anyone else notice Alan's (Stephen's) obsession with peeing??? He mentions it numerous times, and I found it rather distracting, and after about the eighth time I just started laughing, and figured the guy must be potty training one of his kids or something!
Rating: 
Summary: Some Very Good Scenes In This One
Review: The first half of this story was a little slow, but the pace picked up considerably by the half way point. The emergency plane landing was absolutely breath stopping. White is an expert with characterization and these characters were very colorful. I was glad to see Lauren play a bigger role in this story. Once the plot was established, the suspense was well maintained to a satisfying conclusion. An enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Darn Good
Review: This book was really cool. In my opinion, it is the best of all the Alan Gregory series and I have read them all. It's not for those who have trouble with names and who have short memory spans. There are so many characters that you need to have the ability to keep up. I most definitely recommend it to all.
Rating:
Summary: A good read but NOT a thriller
Review: This was my first Stephen White book and probably my last (based upon other reviews that has said that this is his best book to date). While the writing style is good (i.e., things flow together), in this book he didn't do what it takes to build a suspensful novel whatsoever. The fact that the killer is after the main chacacter seems to be a sidebar rather than the mainline. Also, at times, the characterization seems to be inconsistent. Sometimes the main character is cracking jokes in his head which you get to read but then in similar situations he's all business with the same people -- this made it difficult for me to identify with the characters when they seemed to have different personality traits with each chapter. It might come down to the fact that the author is trying to throw a little sardonic humor in but some of the other areas are being edited out? I'll try one more older novel (I picked up a lot of his works at garage sales) but if it's like this one, they are all going.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I Have Read
Review: When I read this book I was compelled to read and never stop. There were scenes that kept me on my feet for days. I rated this a five because it gave me exactly what I was looking for. If you are interested in Psychology at all then you would love this book, most definetly.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I Have Read
Review: When I read this book I was compelled to read and never stop. There were scenes that kept me on my feet for days. I rated this a five because it gave me exactly what I was looking for. If you are interested in Psychology at all then you would love this book, most definetly.
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