Customer Reviews

Mirror Image (Daniel Rinaldi Mystery)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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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!

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

"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.

Dennis Palumbo has an eclectic pedigree that makes him an interesting addition to the world of mystery writers. A former Hollywood screenwriter (according to IMDB he penned an episode or two of such popular shows as "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "The Love Boat" among other scripts) he now works in the mental health profession as a psychotherapist. These two career paths collide in the first book in Palumbo's mystery series headlined by lead character, psychologist Daniel Rinaldi.

Dr. Rinaldi has garnered a little bit of national celebrity for his work with victims of violent crimes and as such, has a lucrative private practice as well as a close relationship with the Pittsburgh Police Department. The mystery begins when one of Rinaldi's patients, a disturbed young man with a secret and traumatic past begins to adopt aspects of Rinaldi's life, including dress and mannerisms. This is an interesting psychological phenomenon, however, it does not get much discussion because the poor young man is murdered by page seventeen. The rest of book sees Rinaldi trying to unravel the secrets of this patient's life while trying to determine if he himself was not the intended target from the beginning.

Palumbo's credits as a screenwriter serve him well when it comes to writing snappy dialogue that capture the mood of his characters. The work is also very action driven, with Rinaldi moving from one high-stress situation to the next. However, parts of the book read like a screenplay instead of a novel and that can be a little disconcerting at times. The book is light on exposition, as though the screenwriter is leaving it to the production designer to capture the atmosphere of the scene he describes with only a few adjectives. This also affects the pacing of the book because characters seem to move from one spectacular event to the next with little reflection. Rinaldi witnesses the tragic death of one patient, tries to talk down another suicidal patient in a burned out building, is kidnapped more than once, has time to comfort one emotionally damaged woman while having rough intimacies with another, and jumps off the top of a (parked) plane during a shoot-out. A lot of this would make for a riveting movie where music, camera angles, and actors can fill in some of the subtlety. But in a novel such as this, Palumbo's style can be hard to keep up with.

Daniel Rinaldi is an interesting character and I look forward to seeing if Palumbo fleshes him out in future books. He's a little hard to pin down in this first work. At times he comes across as the father-figure/prototypical psychotherapist with glasses, graying beard, and sensible shoes who quietly observes those around him. But then pages later Rinaldi turns out to be a semi-pro boxer who sometimes forgoes sleep for all-night boxing sessions, is seemingly irresistible to damaged women, and is not afraid to use his fists to solve problems with colleagues. It wasn't until about three-quarters of the way through the book that I formed a clear mental picture of Daniel Rinaldi.

This is a quick read that will probably keep the reader engaged. Perfect for a long plane ride or a day at the beach, but not something I would recommend setting aside a whole evening or weekend to read. There are meatier books out there to indulge in.

As a therapist I enjoy reading novels with he counselor as hero. Palumbo has created a great character, right up there with Kellerman and White's. He gives inisght into the craft of therapy that only a skilled psychotherapist can provide, while having a fast-moving plot with a fireworks explosion of twists and turns in the end. Throw in great character and setting, and you've got a first class mystery. I was very glad to read this is the first in a series.

Dennis Palumbo's debut mystery, Mirror Image, is a complex story of murder, mistaken and hidden identities. Palumbo introduces Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, a clinical psychologist who gets in trouble for caring too much about his patients. And, the book is complicated enough to keep the reader continually surprised. Mirror Image is a successful first effort that will leave you wondering how Rinaldi could possibly have a second case as fascinating as this one.

Dr. Rinaldi finally thought he was making progress with a patient, Kevin Merrick, since Merrick was finally opening up to him. At the same time, Kevin was starting to emulate Rinaldi, dressing like him, mirroring his actions, taking some of his possessions from his desk. So, when Kevin was murdered after leaving a session, and he was wearing Rinaldi's jacket, no one was sure if the doctor or the patient was the intended target. But the threats that followed indicated Rinaldi should have been the victim.

As a consultant for the Pittsburgh police, Rinaldi used his access to work on Kevin's case. He felt guilty that his patient might have died in a case of mistaken identity. But, when a doctor who was angry at Rinaldi is killed, the police start to suspect Daniel might be involved in the deaths. As Rinaldi's life and career seem to spin out of control, only a sexy Assistant D.A. seems to be on Daniel's side. There are powerful men out to destroy him, and he still doesn't know who might want him dead.

Dennis Palumbo is a licensed psychotherapist who brings his knowledge of clinical practice to this mystery involving a complicated man. Daniel Rinaldi himself was a victim at one time. His wife was killed when the couple was mugged. He has a great deal of empathy with his patients, victims of violent crimes. Now, even in the face of an ongoing investigation, his sympathy and feelings are still with his patients, and it's his search for answers as to their behavior that continues to force him deeper into the criminal investigation. Daniel Rinaldi is a man whose passion for his patients, his friends, and his work is the moving force behind his actions. In creating Daniel Rinaldi, Palumbo has given us an intelligent, passionate sleuth. It takes a strong man to dig himself so deeply into a twisted investigation. Mirror Image is a successful debut because Dr. Daniel Rinaldi is a compassionate, fascinating character.

Wow, this book moves fast! I read it in a day. And it keeps you guessing right up to the end.

Just when I thought I'd figured it out, another twist, another turn.

Daniel Rinaldi (the main character in the book) is a really interesting, complicated person.

Just the kind of psych-thrill I love.

The genre of murder mysteries, like the rest of society, has undergone changes in the last few decades, due to the increase of high technology and technological inventions that now drive our culture. So we have seen a plethora of mystery novels utilizing the new technologies in science (DNA evidence and other devices for "crime-scene" minutiae) as well as advances in communication (the Internet). Many focus more on forensics (P. D. James, Cornwell), while others have drawn us into the world of computer "hacking" (Larsson). At the same time, the basics remain: a murder case and the clues to its ultimate solution.

Murder mystery fans are used to the standard plotline--someone is murdered, and the detectives then try to reconstruct the background of the victim, claiming that knowing who the victim was will ultimately lead to knowing why he/she was murdered. In "Mirror Image," Dennis Palumbo has been able to weave all of the above elements into a story that also offers a new twist. The classic problem of not being able to interview "the victim," has now been alleviated through his character of Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, whose therapy practice is built upon working with surviving victims of violence. And, as victims of violence are initially involved with the police departments, Dr. Rinaldi, as a police consultant, has access to all their methods in investigating the crime, which includes interviews with others who know the victim. This can be used to begin his own "case" with his clients, and open other avenues of information.

This combination of psychologist/homicide detective is a great match, as both seek to find out "what really happened"--for one, the details of the crime, for the other, the details of the person and how they arrived at this particular moment in their life. But while other mysteries often stop at the resolution of the crime (the identification and arrest of the perpetrator), Mr. Palumbo also explores the elements of being a victim, in that one's life is never the same after a violent and traumatic event. At the same time, the character also explores his own psychological motivations as the story unfolds.

In "Mirror Image," the central victim is quickly removed in terms of a "living" witness, and there is some development with other clients and their problems. But I hope that in future stories, the author will spend some time with these various clients in terms of the plot.

Being a Pittsburgher, it was great fun to follow Dr. Rinaldi around the city, highlighting not just the bars and restaurants, but a host of interesting characters and neighborhoods. However, I will have to read it again, more slowly this time, as I probably missed some details in my race to turn the page . . . . there is a wonderful plot-twist at the end, but there are also twists and turns even before the final scenes that keep the reader hooked.

Rebecca Denova, Ph. D.

University of Pittsburgh

An upbeat setting, convincing characters and a plot that has one on the edge of one's seat from page one--what more could a reader ask for in a crime novel? Once more, established mystery writer Dennis Palumbo has pulled off a fine fast-paced whodunnit that has one yearning for more. Set in Pittsburgh, with the backdrop of the "old Appalachian Hills, sloping away before spreading urban tendrils, looking as pristine and timeless as when the first settlers came over four hundred years ago", the novel has such tangible atmosphere that the reader is locked into the plot by Palumbo's versatile writing, which changes from poetic description to slick dialogue in the blink of an eye.

The characters range from the psychotic (with part of the novel being set in a psychiatric institution, which has its fair share of scary and battle-scarred inmates) to the professional (though the latter seem, at times, not to be too far off the former...). Palumbo's own background as a psychotherapist enables him to imbue the lead character with authenticity and compassion towards the emotionally maimed and much undervalued social misfits.

Dr. Daniel Rinaldi is a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating victims of violent crime, to which he himself has also, ironically enough, been subject, with his wife being shot in a mugging in front of his very eyes. So, in a way, he also has some emotional baggage with which to contend. Not only that, but he's also at loggerheads with Dr. Brooks Riley, Chief Psychiatrist at Ten Oaks, the most successful private psychiatric facility in the state of Pennsylvania, who's determined to see to it that he gets Rinaldi's license revoked.

When a patient of Rinaldi's opts for dressing just like him, and gets viciously stabbed to death just outside the doc's offices, all hell breaks loose. Tracking down the suspect, naturally, forms the major impetus of the plot, though there are loads of characters whose interrelationships tend at times to be of the rockiest kind, but at times reflect what true friendship is all about. The professional details regarding post-traumatic stress disorder which are neatly woven into the plot are fascinating. The characters are well-rounded and credible, with a fair amount of attraction between the sexes adding extra spice to the unfolding drama.

One cannot doubt that Palumbo has hands-on experience of the police and court proceedings which are so integral to the plot. His mystery stories have appeared in the past in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Strand Magazine and Written By, as well as in other eminent journals. Mirror Image should make a great read for anyone interested in the crime genre, as long as you are open-minded enough not to mind the occasional cussing which goes with the territory. [...]

Three cheers for Dennis Palumbo and a hearty welcome to his protagonist Dr. Daniel Rinaldi. Let's hope this is only the beginning of a new series featuring the ex-boxer, turned consulting Pittsburgh police psychologist. I liked Rinaldi from the opening pages and this debut thriller certainly piles on the twists and turns one wants from the genre. The ending contains a plot twist that the reader will not see coming.

I won't rehash the plot details that other reviewers have already sketched out. For me, I liked the idea of a book set in Pittsburgh, a town I know nothing about, but seemed to emerge as a supporting character in Palumbo's story. I also enjoyed the fact that Rinaldi does have the psychology background and Mirror Image does not hesitate in tackling some of the big issues being debated in the practice of psychology today. So it's more than just a thriller.

The book compares favorably to the work of Robert Crais, particular;y in the second half when the action amps up and you're flipping pages trying to figure out what happens next.

The relationship between Rinaldi and his father-in-law should have been carried over into another book, but I'll defer to author and publisher on their editorial choices.

My wife and I both love the genre and read lots of these kinds of books. Can't wait to read the next Palumbo. Dr. Rinaldi is off to a very promising start.