Mirror Image (Daniel Rinaldi Mystery) [Paperback]

Dennis Palumbo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This debut novel from psychotherapist Palumbo features a psychologist, Daniel Rinaldi, whose client, a college student, is murdered. But here’s the twist: the victim, for therapeutic reasons, had lately been imitating Rinaldi’s appearance and manner of dress. So, naturally, Rinaldi believes that he—not his client—was the intended victim. Wracked with guilt over the incident—he believes his encouragement of the victim’s behavior got him killed—Rinaldi sets out to find the killer. Palumbo, a screenwriter with credits as varied as Welcome Back, Kotter, and the classic film My Favorite Year, does an excellent job of building suspense; and Rinaldi, who comes off as likable if a bit self-absorbed, makes a complex protagonist. A solid first novel, especially recommendable to fans of Jonathan Kellerman, Keith Ablow, and Meg Gardiner. --David Pitt --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

“Dennis  Palumbo establishes himself as a master storyteller with his first crime novel, Mirror Image. Using his background as a licensed psychotherapist to good advantage, Palumbo infuses his fast-moving, suspenseful story with fascinating texture, interesting characters, and the twists, turns, and surprises of a mind-bending mystery. Very impressive.”                                                          —Stephen J. Cannell, writer/creator of The Rockford Files;  New York Times best-selling mystery author

 

 

“Mirror Image is a deviously plotted thriller with lots of shocks and surprises you won’t see coming, and a smart, sympathetic hero-narrator who takes you along as he peels back layers of lies and wrong guesses to get closer to the truth.”                               —Thomas Perry,  Edgar-winning, New York Times best-selling author

 

 

“Dennis Palumbo’s experience as a psychotherapist hasn’t just helped him make his hero, therapist Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, authentic, human and a man in full, it’s endowed him with the insight to craft a debut thriller filled with action, deduction and romance, expertly paced for maximum mind-bending suspense.”        

—Dick Lochte, award-winning author and critic

 

 

“Dennis Palumbo’s novel is stark and disturbing but there’s a humanity running through the core of it that makes this book special. Maybe it’s Palumbo’s dual training—as a writer and as a psychotherapist—that allows him to plumb the depths and bring up not only darkness but those occasional diamonds of light that sparkle and illuminate and make a book worth reading.”                    —T. Jefferson Parker,   Edgar-winning, New York Times bestselling author

 

 

“Mirror Image is a standout mind-bender! A wonderfully constructed novel that has you seeing double—and all through the eyes of an intriguingly fresh character: a psychologist. Dennis Palumbo knows his craft. This guy can write.”                             —Ridley Pearson,  New York Times best-selling crime author

 

 

“Mirror Image is a rich, complex thriller, built around a sizzling love affair. A compelling read with surprising twists and characters that leap off the page.” 

—Bobby Moresco,  Oscar-winning writer/producer of Crash and Million Dollar Baby

 

 

“A gripping thriller, chock full of the desired twists and cliffhangers, with the added layer and intriguing access of a therapist narrator/detective. A page-turner!”

—Aimee Bender, prize-winning author

 

 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590587529
• ISBN-13: 978-1590587522
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #421,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter ("My Favorite Year," "Welcome Back, Kotter," etc.), DENNIS PALUMBO is now a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in creative issues. Author of "Writing From the Inside Out" (John Wiley), his first novel was a sci-fi thriller, "City Wars" (Bantam Books), before he turned to crime. His mystery fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Strand, and elsewhere, and is collected in "From Crime to Crime" (Tallfellow Press). His first mystery novel, "Mirror Image," is just out from Poisoned Pen Press.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychological thriller, September 26, 2010

By 

Thomas Bornhauser - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mirror Image (Daniel Rinaldi Mystery) (Paperback)

Mirror Image is a thriller dealing with murder, sexual perversion and venality, and big business crime....Its the story of a psychotherapist[ one Dr. Rinaldi] whose patient is murdered but turns out not to be the person Rinaldi thought he was....After the murder, Rinaldi goes from therapist to suspect, to victim, and back to suspect as he pursues the reality in this psychological mystery...Written by an actual psychotherapist, Rinaldi is a character somewhere between Errol Flynn, Sigmund Freud, and Mike Hammer....A strong recommendation!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I RECOMMEND THIS, September 24, 2010

By 

rebeccaw - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror Image (Daniel Rinaldi Mystery) (Paperback)

Dennis weaves a great plot with cool twists in an unconventional and interesting setting. Exudes enormous appeal on a plethora of levels!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Liveable City and a Credible Story", September 23, 2010

By 

jim denova - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror Image (Daniel Rinaldi Mystery) (Paperback)

"Mirror Image"

When my friend Dennis Palumbo began his writing career, I had a few sleepless nights worrying about whether or not I would turn up in one of his books, particularly as a whacky character. Dennis and I had met during our undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh, and while nostalgia can be fun, most of us would not want anyone to resurrect some of our immature moments in life's long voyage of discovery.

In "Mirror Image," a crime novel set in Pittsburgh, we are introduced to a diverse community of characters, some whacky, and some not (and I hope I am not the basis of any of them!) Some are clients of Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, the main character, and some are involved in the crime in the usual roles of Homicide detectives, crime scene techs, and various members of the DA's office. As to be expected, the client characters are the more interesting, although I also enjoyed the burned-out, near alcoholic police detective with marriage problems, stereotypical of most cities, as well as Pittsburgh.

While offering the basic elements of any crime story, "Mirror Image" also provides us with some very unexpected plot twists, which contribute to making this novel a fun "page-turner." And while I appreciate the necessity of the constant rain in the plot, I am hoping to find a little less rain in the sequel--we really do have more sunshine than rain in Pittsburgh, along with all the interesting neighborhoods and characters in the story.

Jim Denova, Ph. D.
Pittsburgh, Pa.