MULTIPLE WOUNDS: A Novel [Hardcover]

Alan Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 1996

Displaying his extraordinary gifts for suspense, the bestselling author of No Sign of Murder weaves a gripping, multilayered psychological thriller in which the murder of an art dealer exposes multiple wounds buried deep within the mind's shadowy recesses. Afrer he is assigned to investigate the murder of Bonnie Gill, Detective Orson Cheever meets the enchanting, dangerous Holly Troy, who may be a witness, the killer, or the next victim.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A high concept?an investigation of a murder suspect who exhibits disassociative identity disorder, or multiple personalities, in the form of classical Greek deities?gets only mediocre treatment in this ambitious but implausible police procedural set in San Diego. Homicide detective Orson Cheever meets the volatile Helen Troy?aka Holly, Caitlin, Cronos, Eris, Eurydice, Hygeia, the Maenads, the Moirae, Nemesis and Pandora?at a downtown gallery whose owner has been found stabbed to death. Helen, a likely suspect or possible eyewitness, becomes an object of fascination to Cheever when she exhibits stigmata, crying tears of blood, then a source of need and fulfillment when she adopts the personality of his long-dead daughter. Cheever falls in love not with Helen, however, but with her psychiatrist, Rachel Stern, as cop and shrink begin to piece together the crimes?further killings have followed?and Helen herself. This is Russell's most mature novel, tackling the issue of suffering in its many guises?including the breast cancer that strikes Rachel?but it isn't his best. Characters can be gimmicky and the dialogue trite. The murder scenario, moreover, seems almost tacked on to the novel's central mystery of Helen's psychosis. And that illness is so outlandish as to strain belief, especially in scenes like the one where Helen and Cheever go to a restaurant and Helen, shuffling frantically between personalities, orders for several of them. "The waitress repeated the orders in an uncertain voice. 'The lady would like an albacore melt, a very rare New York steak, a peanut butter and jelly, a lamb salad and the chicken fajitas. And the gentleman wants coffee. Regular or decaf?'" Russell's last two books were comic crime yarns (The Fat Innkeeper, 1995, etc.); it's in humor that his heart and his talent seem to thrive, and he should consider returning to it forthwith.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Russell offers up a highly original, literate mystery that is part psychological thriller, part exploration of the human soul, and part police procedural. When the mutilated body of art dealer Bonnie Gill is discovered, San Diego Detective Orson Cheever is assigned to track down the killer. His search leads to Helen Troy, an artist whose brilliant but deranged sculptures are perfect reflections of her distorted mind. Helen is a "multiple" whose many personality manifestations make her as mysterious as she is bewitching. Cheever eventually finds that he not only must help Helen confront her demons but also must face long-buried grief from his own past before the case can be solved. Russell has written an absorbing story that successfully combines the mundane with the otherworldly and delivers intriguing characters as well as fascinating glimpses into the human mind. A top-notch choice for most mystery collections. Emily Melton

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST edition (July 3, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684815265
• ISBN-13: 978-0684815268
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,986,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent mystery novel - guaranteed to become a classic., April 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: MULTIPLE WOUNDS: A Novel (Hardcover)

Having read two of Alan Russell's books, including the Hotel Detective and the Fat Innkeeper, I was totally unprepared for this excellent novel. Although the sense of humor is still evident, Mr. Russell approaches the subject of multiple personalities much more seriously while providing the reader with a lesson in classical myths (read it and you will understand...) Exceptional read which will be enjoyed by those already familiar with Mr. Russell's work as well as new readers. This book should be in the Amazon top 50 list

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex and Entertaining, March 19, 2007

By 

Will Belegon "Chase your dreams!" (Appalachia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multiple Wounds (Mass Market Paperback)

Alan Russell has written a novel that will intrigue you with it's three main characters. He guides you through the plot using the shifts of focus in one character with a number of distinct voices, but for all the intrigue in her it is the more crucial and realistic relationship that is almost overlooked at first.

It's easy to get fixated on the tricks and twists in the "multiple" part of Multiple Wounds, but pay attention to what's going on behind the curtain for the real wizardry.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Caveat, November 13, 2005

By 

John Bowes (Oxford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Multiple Wounds (Mass Market Paperback)

If the names of the characters are mythological derivatives and other similarities abound, you will not be surprised or shocked to spot the bad guys very early. Have I got a swan for you.