Prodigy: A Novel of Suspense [Paperback]

Charles Atkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2008

James 'Jimmy' Martin IV should never have been released from the mental institution. But thanks to incredible wealth and a devoted twin sister, that's just what happens. Once a gifted cellist who wowed audiences at Carnegie Hall, Jimmy is now confined to his Gramercy Park mansion. Surrounded by memories of his sadistic parents, the dangerous sociopath is now free to act on every dark impulse - even if it means kidnapping the beautiful Dr. Barret Conyors. When Dr. Conyors realizes she's the target of Jimmy's twisted love, it's too late. The forensic psychiatrist finds herself at the mercy of a cunning madman, his ruthless sister, and their wicked plan to produce an heir. This gripping psychological thriller takes you inside the mind of the criminally insane, as well as the compelling world of forensic psychiatry.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

As musically gifted children, twins Jimmy and Emily Martin shared a Carnegie Hall recital stage with another rising child star, Barrett Con-yors, who audaciously walked away not only with all the day’s awards and accolades but also with Jimmy’s undying love and Emily’s eternal resentment. Decades later, Barrett is at the peak of her career, not as a musician, but as a forensic psychiatrist, a role in which she once again encounters Jimmy, now a deviant sociopath recently released after 15 years in the state mental institution for a heinous crime he committed at 18. Although confined to house detention in the family’s opulent Gramercy Park mansion, Jimmy nonetheless puts his deranged cunning and the limitless Martin fortune to use manipulating Barrett into his lethal lair. Love hath no fury like a sociopath scorned. Yale professor and practicing psychiatrist Atkins brings his extensive and precise professional background to bear in this emotionally chilling yet feverishly paced portrait of the delusional world of the serial killer. --Carol Haggas

About the Author

Charles Atkins is a board-certified psychiatrist who maintains a clinical faculty position at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Atkins also worked as a consultant to the Reader’s Digest Medical Breakthrough series. He currently co-writes a weekly column for The Waterbury Republican Country Life magazine and has published many articles as a freelance writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 395 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738710393
• ISBN-13: 978-0738710396
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,037,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles Atkins is a board-certified psychiatrist and author. His mysteries and thrillers explore complex psychological subjects and the darker side of human nature. His non-fiction books on Bipolar Disorder and Alzheimer's are practical resources for families and mental-health consumers. In addition to books, Dr. Atkins has published hundreds of short stories, essays and columns in a wide variety of newspapers, magazines and journals. He has served as a consultant to the Reader's Digest Medical Breakthrough series and is on the clinical faculty at Yale University School of Medicine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review, August 16, 2008

By 

Cheryl Koch (CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigy: A Novel of Suspense (Paperback)

James Martin IV was a former child prodigy and talented cellist. He is a resident of an institution for the criminally insane. James was convicted of stalking a female musician and murdering her. Now from the power of money he is released. James is requesting that Dr. Barrett Conyers treat him as her patient. James is not the typical patient Dr. Conyers would take on but there is just something about James that draws her to him. James may be considered a sociopath but there is more than meets the eye with this cellist. James is gearing up for his final duet with... Dr Barrett Conyers.


The Prodigy is one of those books that once you start it you can't stop reading it till the end. I enjoyed the twists The Prodigy brought. It has suspense, drama and intrigue. James had a very unique personality about him. He may be a sociopath but he is nothing like you have ever meet before. If you are ready to dive into the depths of a thriller that will leave you begging for more than check out The Prodigy by Charles Atkins. You will not regret it other than maybe asking yourself why didn't I know about this book sooner. Well don't worry as you still have time to read The Prodigy before Charles Atkins next book Ashes, Ashes comes out. I know I can't wait to see what else Charles Atkins comes up with in Ashes, Ashes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing thriller, December 9, 2009

By 

E. M. Bristol "bibliophile" (boston, mass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prodigy: A Novel of Suspense (Paperback)

There are four characters I've come to expect in a Charles Atkins' mystery: a sociopath, a borderline, a highly creative sort, and one or more compassionate therapists, who may or may not be in over their head with a new patient. The types are usually combined which makes for a less predictable mystery.

In "Prodigy," Dr. Barrett Conyors, both a former music prodigy and dedicated forensic psychiatrist takes on the case of Jimmy Martin, a sociopath who is on probation for a murder committed when he was a teen. Martin and his sister Ellen are from a wealthy family, which has a history of using its money to cover the crimes of its members. They're also both former child prodigies who remember Dr. Conyors from competition, though it takes her longer to piece together where she knows them from and why they both want her help now. Though both siblings seem charming, somehow everyone who crossses them seems to wind up injured or dead.

As the body count mounts up, it's up to Dr. Conyors to figure out both Jimmy's diagnosis and how he managed to be released from prison, and how to get him re-admitted before he causes permanent damage to her family and herself. Dr. Conyors is a likeable protagonist and even the Martin twins are not one-dimensional sociopaths, at least at the beginning. Fans of Atkins' other mysteries won't be disappointed with this one.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome, March 1, 2008

By 

Linda Marie Swanson "swanny" (ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigy: A Novel of Suspense (Paperback)

When I first read the inside jacket cover, I thought that this would be interesting since I read primarily medical/psychological thrillers. Well, not only was I interested once I started reading, I was captivated. I've been a psych nurse for 30 years and I especially loved the author's attention to such details as serum drug levels, medication side effects and the pathology of psychosis. All these details just enhanced the bizarre, and dysfunctional characters. I am so impressed with Dr. Atkins, that I have ordered his other 3 novels: The Portrait, Risk Factor and Cadaver's Ball. This is an author that I definately will keep track of and I am looking forward to his next novel Ashes Ashes. Dr. Atkin's easy flowing writing style combined with his psych knowledge makes for an incredible read.