Customer Reviews

The Best Revenge (Alan Gregory Series)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Stephen White continues to do a great job of offering his readers a well developed series of mysteries featuring continuing character, psychologist Alan Gregory.

In Best Revenge, a young FBI agent reviewing DNA studies discovers that a death row inmate's DNA is not a match to the weapon used at the crime scene. She sets about a chain of events with her discovery that ultimately frees the inmate from prison.

The FBI agent, Kelda James and the former inmate become friends with each other as the story proceeds. They are also each -- unknown to each other -- patients of Dr. Alan Gregory.

Kelda suffers from some psychosomatic disorder that places her in tremendous pain and she seeks Alan's assistance to understand what is nearly paralyzing her legs. Tom seeks Gregory's assistance in returning to life outside prison walls.

Without giving away the rest of the plot, White has set the stage for an interesting psychological mystery that continues to escalate as someone starts to try to hurt Tom Glone after his release. Kelda, Alan and detective Sam Purdy, another continuing character in White's stories, work on putting all the pieces together to bring about a somewhat surprising conclusion.

Fine character development. Excellent use of ethical dilemnas that are not covered by the APA Code of Ethics are presented by White throughout the story.

In addition, Alan struggles to balance the challenges of helping out his wife when her Multiple Sclerosis is at critical points. Further, with a new baby in the house, Alan has his hands and his life full adapting to fatherhood. Finally, Gregory himself struggles with a midlife crisis and where his psychology practice fits into his personal fulfilment at this point. A good set of real life and pretty unglamorous issues add a nice sense of realism to the story..

Kudos for White's latest addition to the Dr, Alan Gregory series. This one is a keeper!

Daniel J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA

Stephen White brings us the 11th novel based on the cases of Colorado psychologist Alan Gregory, and the book continues to prove that White is one of the strongest and most consistent authors we have today. White keeps the series alive by introducing FBI agent Kelda James and interspersing her past and present in third person while weaving Dr. Gregory into the novel with a first person voice.

Featured once again is the majestic Colorado scenery around Boulder, along with some of its more eclectic citizens. You want to believe in Kelda and you really feel her physical pain while the light of what constitutes her emotional pain surfaces through her therapy. If there is a single criticism of the book, it is that Kelda chose her path of emotional pain and unwisely pursued the wrong end to it.

Lauren & the other members of Gregorys family are bit-part players here, but we are treated to a lot more of Diane Estevez, Gregorys office partner, and Sam Purdy, the policeman who is Gregorys best friend. Sams from Hibbing, Minnesota, one of my old stomping grounds, and White keeps the colorful Iron Range alive in his character.

Characterization, style changes, scenic passages, crisp dialogue and intricate plot are Whites hallmarks and he doesnt disappoint in the latest offering!

Highly recommended!!! If youve not read Stephen White, by all means take the time to go back to Privileged Information where it all started.

The Best Revenge is Stephen White's latest Alan Gregory book. Gregory is a psychologist in Boulder Co. with a wife who is an Asst. DA who also has MS with a new baby, and best friend, Sam Purdy, who is an honest cop, as well as good coworker and good neighbors who put their two cents in when needed.
This is the best White novel to date that keeps you guessing until the last word. Very timely - dealing with implications of right and wrong and who determines justice and who dispenses that justice. Gregory deals with burn out of his practice, and what is the level of confidentiality when lives are at stake and his patient/dr. confidentiality tears him up on many levels.
White makes Gregory more human and it is a step in the right direction -
Yiassou Stephen White! Hope your Mother is doubly proud of this one - she is his #1 fan and he keeps earning - that means great taut writing type of earning his fans with each effort.

Both my husband and I always enjoy reading works by Stephen White. I think we've read everything he has written... It's like watching a weekly series on TV because you get to know all the same characters so well.

His novels are always page turners that keep you interested to the very end!

I only regret that due to arthritis in my hands, I have to wait for the paperback version each time a new one comes out.

I had never heard of Stephen White before seeing this book on the shelf but I will definitely be on the lookout for his previous or future work. Although a bit unrealistic in parts, this great page turning adventure with short chapters that make it easy to temporarily put down when you reluctantly have to do so is a great light read.

The Best Revenge follows the life of Tom Clone who had spent years on death row and just as his appeals were running out the murder weapon used on the victim turned up with someone else's blood on it. Now a free man Tom Clone has to live in a society where a lot of people don't believe in his innocence, which includes the local cops where the murder happened. The FBI agent Kelda James, who received the anonymous tip off of the location of the knife picks him up from the prison at the request of his lawyer and is the only friend Tom has. It is not long before at his grandfather's insistence Tom asks Kelda to recommend a good psychologist. Half asleep she recommends hers, Alan Gregory and immediately regrets it. Gregory becomes privy to a lot of information from his client which ethically he cannot tell anyone else but if he keeps quiet and does nothing will almost certainly result in more death.

I've read most of Stephen White's other books, and found them to be a quick read of better-than-average quality, so when I saw this one I picked it up.This book, however, fails to live up to the "better-than-average" status of his other Alan Gregory books. The plot here is thin and ridiculous. The characters are given improbable motives and even more improbable handicaps and abilities. This book felt rushed, and lacked the depth of plot and intrigue of his earlier books, almost as if White is getting tired of being narratively hemmed in by the slightly dweebish, boring Alan Gregory. After this book, I know I am.

I may have been expecting too much, but I found this Stephen White book falling a little short of all the hype. It is, however, the first of his books that I have read and I think I will give another one a try before I mark him off my "must read" list.

Stephen White's latest book, "The Best Revenge," is an exciting and surprising thriller that grabs the reader and never lets go. It is about a former medical student named Tom Clone, who was convicted years ago of murdering a young woman. Clone ends up on Death Row, but he is released from prison when new DNA evidence suggests that he may be innocent. Clone is baffled but gratified at his sudden good fortune. However, some of the people he meets think that Clone is guilty, and he receives death threats from those who would like to execute him themselves.

Special Agent Kelda James helped get Tom Clone out of jail, and she has some serious problems of her own. She suffers from intense and almost unrelenting pain in her legs, for which the doctors have no cure. In addition, she has to deal with Tom Clone's romantic interest in her, which makes her feel uncomfortable.

Both Clone and James are seeing psychologist Alan Gregory. Gregory would like to help these two confused and troubled individuals. However, the psychologist soon discovers that getting in too deep with this pair may be both professionally and personally costly.

White sets up an incredibly complicated plot and he makes it work. He uses the Colorado setting to great effect; White's vivid descriptions of the Rocky Mountain State help the novel come to life. The book is also remarkable for its psychological complexity. White's writing has several dimensions. Not only does he effectively describe how people behave under stress, but he also explores how guilt, lies and the thirst for revenge can eat away at peoples lives. Finally, the author skillfully tackles the thorny issue of whether or not our criminal justice system can be trusted to mete out justice fairly. "The Best Revenge" is a thought-provoking and well-written thriller that I highly recommend.

I'm a sucker for psychologist mysteries. It's the perfect combination. Both the crime and the job allow the writer to really explore character and its quirks in a deep fashion. I have also enjoyed the Alan Gregory books in the past.

This one was not the best that I have read. It *does* raise some interesting elements-- particularly Gregory's ambivalence to his own patients and his ability to suspend judgment and help treat potential offenders. However-- I can't really say much about the flaws without spoiling the plot-- aspects of the ending could have developed that theme more fully, except that I have the feeling that White pulled his punches. I also found the plot line with Kelda quite difficult to believe-- parts of it felt written to be sensational rather than written to fit the story. It didn't quite work.

All in all, some interesting bits-- but bits that didn't quite gel for me. Won't stop me from picking up another book by White in the future.

Psychologist Alan Gregory is on the verge of a midlife crisis. As he ponders his effectiveness as a therapist, he takes on an interesting new patient: Tom Clone, a former death row inmate who was recently exonerated based on DNA evidence. Unbeknownst to Alan, Tom Clone was referred to him by another of his patients Kendra James, the troubled FBI agent who found the evidence which overturned Clone's conviction.

Tom Clone's transition back to civilian life is made difficult by those who do not believe he is innocent. Tom and Kendra grow cautiously closer, but hidden secrets from Kendra's past come out and ultimately endanger the lives of Tom and Alan.

Although Alan, Sam and Lauren do not figure as prominently in this book as in some of the others in the series, The Best Revenge is in my opinion one of the best entries. The character of Kendra is particularly well developed, and the plot takes a number of unexpected twists and turns. This would be a good book to start with for those new to Stephen White.