Fault Lines

Rating:
Summary: ick!
Review: Anna Stalter works with victims of sexual violence in her profession as a forensic psychologist. She has even produced educational videos about sexual predators. Why then, does she use these types of people as a vehicle for entertainment? I can't even begin to understand what her motivation is.

This book is about a sick and violent individual, who gets his jollies from torturing children. I couldn't find anything redeeming in it. Particularly gruesome was the scene where the sexual predator described to one of the characters how he was going to mutilate her genitals. What is the point of this type of novel? Stalter should be ashamed of herself.

Rating:
Summary: gripping and credible storyline
Review: Fault Lines and Dr. Michael Stone could lead to a television series. Why? Child molester, tried and convicted, exits prison after serving his term. He plots his course against Dr. Stone, who put him there in the first place, and her clients. Does he win, or does the Doctor? Developed client histories and background scenes of the forensic psychologist, Dr. Stone, would make for a very interesting and informative series. The book is both well written, and a "can't put it down until the end" story. Bravo to Anna Salter and let's put it on the screen!

Rating:
Summary: COULD BE DESTINED TO BECOME TELEVISION SERIES
Review: Fault Lines and Dr. Michael Stone could lead to a television series. Why? Child molester, tried and convicted, exits prison after serving his term. He plots his course against Dr. Stone, who put him there in the first place, and her clients. Does he win, or does the Doctor? Developed client histories and background scenes of the forensic psychologist, Dr. Stone, would make for a very interesting and informative series. The book is both well written, and a "can't put it down until the end" story. Bravo to Anna Salter and let's put it on the screen!

Rating:
Summary: A Follow Up that Doesn't Miss a Beat.
Review: Fault Lines is the second in what I hope will be a long line of stories involving Dr. Michael Stone. This time Dr. Stone is really the main target in the story. No one has ben killed...yet. Within the first chapter we learn the our favorite sadistc child molester has been let out of prison on a technicality. This puts Michael in a dangerous position because after several "interviews" with Willy, many of which she has recorded, he has admitted to, and actually bragged about a lot more than was ever uncovered in court, etc. Obviously with the possibility of a retrial, her information could be damaging to his case. Her best friend Carlotta and her part time lover/police chief, Adam, would like her to run and hide. But, as anyone who has read her first book, Shiny Waters, will know, Michael does not take orders well. And she certainly does not "run and hide". There is a rather simplistic game of cat and mouse that Michael and Willy play via email, and the impending confrontation. There are also several important clients of Michael that play key roles in the story. Once again, we learn more about Michael and her psyche. We watch her friendships and relationships, grow and suffer huge violations of trust. You find yourself understanding her and why she does what she does and yet at the same time comiserating with her loved ones and their great desire to just shake her sometimes. The climax of the book does not leave us disappointed in the slightest. That's 2 for 2 for Anna Salter

Rating:
Summary: Disposable Brain Candy!
Review: I devoured this book, reading it in its entirety in less than 24 hours. I wouldn't, however, make the mistake of saying that it was a masterpiece or even anything near that. Salter tells the tale of Dr. Michael Stone (for the first 50 something pages I thought this was a man, it's not!) a psychologist who's faced with one of her worst enemies, child molester Alex Willy, being released from prison and beginning to stalk her. Though the novel never lives up to its potential and Dr. Stone has some annoying quirks (a love of b-ball, her term for basketball being not the least of these) it's still a fun summer read.

Rating:
Summary: gripping and credible storyline
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Anna Salter. I thought her character Michael was likable despite having some quirky almost neurotic character traits. I found that I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough towards the end.

Rating:
Summary: ick!
Review: Psychologist Michael Stone is being challenged by a man she had studied to learn about deviant personality when he was in prison. He is unexpectedly released and Stone's world is starting to turn upside down. From suspecting that her office is bugged to a number of other diabolical efforts to get under Michael Stone's skin, this taut mystery is totally engaging. This is an easy one to read from cover to cover in one sitting.

Rating:
Summary: pleasant but underdone
Review: The writing is interesting, but the book should have had more depth. It's very predictable. What did i like? I liked the writing, I like the client stories, I'd like to see more of the character with a story that is less like a short story. Also, some of Michael's characteristics (like here pathological aversion to help from her friends) is annoying and makes you think she needs analysis more than her clients.