Customer Reviews

Privileged Information (Alan Gregory Series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is Stephen White's first Alan Gregory novel but for me, it was not the first one I read. I suppose you could say that unfortunately for me, it came after having read REMOTE CONTROL, HIGHER AUTHORITY AND PRIVATE PRACTICES. As I write this I am working on HARM's WAY. Let me just say that I have enjoyed all of these books and my main regret is that I did not read them in the order in which Mr. White wrote them. I think that if I had, I would have enjoyed them more.

Reading Privileged Information so out of sequence was somewhat unnerving because I already knew so much about Alan Gregory, Lauren Crowder and Sam Purdy so I did not get to enjoy meeting them for the first time in this book. However, that is a minor issue.

In this first book of the series, Alan Gregory, a Boulder, CO psychologist suspects one of his patients of murder and is almost ruined professionally (and financially) by the death of another, who implicates him in a sordid affair. This patient, who killed herself, had previously fixated on Alan Gregory but his problems are only beginning there.

In the year previously, Alan's wife left him, a patient died in a car wreck and his dog was hit by a car. He gets involved with Lauren Crowder and one of his patients actually follows them on their vacation to New Mexico.

Flash back to the present and Alan has to deal with the fact that he could be a murder suspect and faces a possible lawsuit from the dead girl's parents. He also wonders if he will lose his professional license. As I read all of this I found myself asking, "what did this poor guy ever do to deserve this...?"

I think this is an excellent starter in this series, especially for someone who has NEVER read any of the other books written by Mr. White since. This is the book that lays the foundation and provides the history and personal background for so much of what will happen later. The information provided in this story line is built upon (quite well, I might add) in the books that follow this one. This was an enjoyable read and I know that had I read this one first, instead of somewhere down the pike, I would have become a Stephen White fan right then and there.

One of the things I like about this book (and the rest of the series, too) is that White deals very effectively with some controversial topics. For example, Lauren Crowder has MS and when Alan meets her, she eventually introduces that into the dynamic of their relationship. She also has trouble trusting men because of a failed marriage.

In later books, White takes on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) and that's a brave thing to do for a man who lives in a part of the country where they are a power unto themselves. (See Higher Authority). Stephen White writes the kind of book that I like to get into and he uses recurring characters we become familiar with and concerned about. In all of his works (this one included) he includes and builds on a level of tension that keeps the reader turning the pages. I felt that way with each of his books that I have read so far.

IF I can make one recommendation to readers who have NOT discovered this author, it would be this: read PRIVILEGED INFORMATION first. It was White's first novel and the one where he introduces many of the characters he will be using in later installments. Read this and the other White books in the order in which he wrote them and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have read all of Stephen White's novels and enjoyed them immensely. However, I have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers that reading them in order is best. I failed to do so and one day when I have forgotten the details I will read his whole series from beginning to end. They are that good. In Priviledged Information we are introduced to Alan Gregory who is a very interesting character. This book is a real thriller and very suspenseful. I could not put it down like all of White's books. I find his books every bit as good as Jonathan Kellerman's. Perhaps more so as his relationships with others are explored more deeply than Alex Delaware's.

Stephen White is a psychologist from Denver, Colorado. This is his first novel, published in 1991. He specializes in murder mystery thrillers with significant psychological overtones. He actually got this book picked up by a major publishing house (Viking Penguin) on his own without an agent which is a major feat. Soon thereafter he was picked up by an agent. As of 2002, he has written 10 novels, several of which have been on the New York Times bestseller list.

The recurring protagonist is a Boulder, Colorado psychologist, Alan Gregory, & there are recurring characters such as Alan's fiancee (later wife) Lauren, and his cop buddy Sam. As someone who lives in Colorado, I have enjoyed the series of books, as they are set in Colorado, & I can identify with the locales. It's also been interesting to watch Alan & Lauren's romance blossom despite significant bumps in the road.

Start with this Stephen White book, & try to read the series in order. Each one is better than the previous one, & the author has become a better writer year by year.

Happy reading!

Stephen White, Privileged Information (Pinnacle, 1991)

For eight years I have been laboring under the delusion that Private Practice was Stephen White's first Alan Gregory novel. After discovering my error, I rushed to rectify it and picked up Privileged Information ASAP. And where Private Practice was good enough to get me involved with Alan Gregory and his therapeutic investigations, it pales beside Privileged Information.

The best thing about this novel is that it takes the notion of privilege, something those of us who watch Law and Order religiously are well aware of from the point of view of the police and the prosecutors, and gives us the other side of the argument. Therapist Alan Gregory, as the novel opens, is confronted with the sudden and unforeseeable suicide of one of his patients. The system starts to work, thanks to some leaked information, and various persons ranging from the victim's father to a persistent newshound start crucifying Gregory in the local papers. Through Gregory's conversations with his lawyer, the deputy assistant DA, and the police, we get to see privilege from the side of those whose professions it's designed to protect, and we get a full understanding of how frustrating privilege can be to those responsible for keeping it.

Not to say the book is without flaw. The mystery that develops therein has a predictable path, and we know whodunit relatively quickly. There are a few twists and turns, but nothing an avid mystery reader won't crack within a few pages after the introductions of the various clues along the way. That, however, in no way detracts from the book's readability.

If you're familiar with the Alan Gregory novels, but haven't read this one yet, do so at the earliest possible opportunity. If you're not familiar with Alan Gregory yet, what are you waiting for? ****

This is the first of the "Alan Gregory" series by White. What a beginning! This book is chock full of fascinating characters and a plot that will keep you guessing long into the night (or early morning!).

White is especially effective at developing characters that are real and convincing, without the headliners being squeaky-clean perfect. All the characters have their flaws - like REAL people. I am tired of reading books where the "hero" has a picture perfect life. White's Alan Gregory character is superb.

One note that I think is important about the White books: If possible, read them in order of publication. "Privileged Information" is the first in the Gregory series and the others follow a natural progression and reading out of order may cause some confusion. Actually, it's a tribute to the well-woven character development by a true master of the thriller - Stephen White.

This is the first book in the series about Alan Gregory who is a clinical psychologist in Boulder, CO. One of his patients, Karen Hart, has committed suicide and left behind a diary which implicates Alan in a sexual relationship. Although the allegations are baseless, the impact on Alan is severe as many of his patients leave his practice. The trend continues when a second patient dies in an auto accident and a third is murdered.

A new patient, MichaelMcClelland, comes to Alan for counseling; and Alan finds himself disturbed at every visit with this individual. McClelland is experiencing a classic case of transference in which he vests Alan with the characteristics of someone from his past. Alan's discomfort results in his terminating the professional relationship, but not before McClelland makes a startling statement indicating that he may have murdered the third patient. This results in an ethical quandary for Alan, since the information is privileged and must remain confidential even if it means more people are in danger. How Alan works his way through this terrible dilemma is riveting.
The bookis an excellent debut, very well written and plotted. In addition, White is very skilled at characterization. Alan starts a new relationship with Lauren Crowder, a district attorney who has various intimacy issues, some related to the fact that she is afflicted with MS. Alan is also still emotionally connected to his recently estranged wife. Both his personal and professional life are skillfully interwoven. A good read.

I think the thing that impressed me most about this book was the portrayal of psychologist, Alan Gregory, as a human first and a psychologist second. White didn't even wait until his second or third book to have things go really wrong. He heaped it all on Dr. Alan Gregory in this first book, thus successfully opening the door for us to build on the protagonist as a fallible human being with whom things can and do go wrong. And when it rains, it pours. Never mind the adage about things happening in three's--you can double that and just keep going with all the stuff happening to Dr. Gregory. The best part was that although most things worked out in the end, it wasn't your typical happy ending with everything tied up in a neat package. We were left pondering some things and also left knowing that the protagonist was going to need some time to mentally and emotionally recover from all that had happened. I can't wait to read the second installment in this series.

This was the first Stephen White book I read and after reading it I went out and got all the others in the Alan Gregory series. I really liked these characters and how they all interacted. And I enjoyed having the main character be different from the typical, swaggering hero. Here, he almost gets dragged kicking and screaming into the fray. And he has to use his wits to get himself out of trouble--not his muscle. I recommend it to anyone who likes intelligient thrillers/mysteries.

I read a lot of detective books, and realism is important to me. As a therapist, I very much enjoyed the mostly accurate portrayl of a psychologist as the protagonist. I approve of the fact that a common, unglamorous disease (MS) was included as a part of life, which added to the richness of the character. I found the description of the book's setting to be vivid enough that I actually wanted to visit the place myself! Though not superlative, I found this book to be definitely above average.

Boulder clinical psychologist Alan Gregory is shocked when his patient Karen Hart commits suicide, especially since she had apparently been making considerable progress in therapy. But even more disturbing are reports in the newspaper from anonymous sources that he was intimately involved with the patient, a clear violation of professional standards. Beyond this scenario, the book serves as an introduction to the lengthy Gregory series and to the Boulder, CO area, where it seems there is a staggering preponderance of professionals.

The allegations hurt his practice, driving away some patients, but worse over the next few months two more patients die: one in an auto accident and one murdered. Other incidents occur and Alan begins to suspect the involvement of a new patient. But investigations are stymied when issues of patient confidentiality prevent Alan from being forthcoming with his attorney, Boulder detective Sam Purdy, and assistant DA Lauren Crowder. There is a certain amount of edification in this situation as Alan is convinced that transference, even psychotic, is at work.

Alan's professional difficulties come at a time when his private life is very unsettled. His television producer wife Meredith now lives in San Francisco with their remaining tie being Cicero, their dog. He is intrigued by Lauren, but her sudden revelation of a debilitating medical condition is perspective shifting, to say the least. The Boulder area is well described including its notoriety for being a bicycling capital, a passion for Alan.

The plot is not the strongest part of the book: some loose ends and not quite believable and consistent. However, overall the book is interesting, especially the characters, and moves at a decent pace and is actually rather suspenseful. The author establishes characters that are sufficiently appealing to encourage reading of the next installment.