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Dr. Sylvia Strange #4
Dantes' Inferno
In Dantes' Inferno, Sylvia is called to Los Angeles from her New Mexico home when a massive explosion blasts through the J. Paul Getty Museum, endangering children on a field trip and claiming two lives. The police peg notorious bomber John Dantes as the mastermind, even though he's in a maximum-security prison, serving a life sentence for another bombing he claims he didn't commit.
Dr. Strange, a genius at accessing the most tortured psychiatric cases, is called in to evaluate Dantes. The prisoner is said to be unreachable -- and renowned for psychologically terrorizing his every visitor. But Dr. Strange forms a sudden, and unsettling, connection with Dantes. There's something about the enigmatic loner and his obsession with Los Angeles that both confounds and unnerves her. She's not at all convinced he's the man behind the bombs now ripping through the city -- but she is convinced he holds the key to finding the real bomber. The problem remains: how to get at Dantes? The police department's drug-and-interrogation campaign effectively stupefies the patient, and Dr. Strange's inability to "get results" troubles her deeply pragmatic supervisor, who in turn challenges her approach, her ability, and her intuition. As the death toll rises, so does public outcry, and sanctions against the fully demonized prisoner are further tightened. With the clock ticking on a bomb promised to be of epic proportions, Dr. Strange's sovereignty over her patient is slipping away -- along with, seemingly, her sanity.
Dr. Strange, a genius at accessing the most tortured psychiatric cases, is called in to evaluate Dantes. The prisoner is said to be unreachable -- and renowned for psychologically terrorizing his every visitor. But Dr. Strange forms a sudden, and unsettling, connection with Dantes. There's something about the enigmatic loner and his obsession with Los Angeles that both confounds and unnerves her. She's not at all convinced he's the man behind the bombs now ripping through the city -- but she is convinced he holds the key to finding the real bomber. The problem remains: how to get at Dantes? The police department's drug-and-interrogation campaign effectively stupefies the patient, and Dr. Strange's inability to "get results" troubles her deeply pragmatic supervisor, who in turn challenges her approach, her ability, and her intuition. As the death toll rises, so does public outcry, and sanctions against the fully demonized prisoner are further tightened. With the clock ticking on a bomb promised to be of epic proportions, Dr. Strange's sovereignty over her patient is slipping away -- along with, seemingly, her sanity.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
1 person is currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Lovett
26 books29 followersSarah Lovett is currently collaborating with former CIA covert operative, Valerie Plame Wilson, co-authoring the second book (fall 2014) in a series of “Vanessa Pierson” spy novels for Penguin Books/Blue Rider Press. The series debut, BLOWBACK, is due out October 2013.
Lovett is the author of Dark Alchemy, Dantes’ Inferno, Dangerous Attachments, Acquired Motives, and A Desperate Silence as well as 25 nonfiction travel and science books written primarily for children.
The five novels in Lovett’s crime fiction series, featuring forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange, have been translated into a dozen languages, her non-fiction books include the award-winning “Extremely Weird” children’s series, which also aired as a network television special. Her short fiction and how-to pieces are included in anthologies, and she has worked as a freelancer for newspapers, magazines, and National Public Radio.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lovett worked as a legal researcher for the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, an executive director of a non-profit theater, a jazz dancer, a playwright, a gas station attendant, an upholstery assistant, and a bartender. It was her experience working in the New Mexico State Penitentiary and the exposure to prison issues that led her to write her first crime series. While researching for the series, Lovett earned a degree in criminal justice.
When she’s not on deadline, Lovett works with writers as a coach, teacher and consultant. She has been a presenter at writing conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
A native Californian, she lives in Santa Fe with her family.
Lovett is the author of Dark Alchemy, Dantes’ Inferno, Dangerous Attachments, Acquired Motives, and A Desperate Silence as well as 25 nonfiction travel and science books written primarily for children.
The five novels in Lovett’s crime fiction series, featuring forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange, have been translated into a dozen languages, her non-fiction books include the award-winning “Extremely Weird” children’s series, which also aired as a network television special. Her short fiction and how-to pieces are included in anthologies, and she has worked as a freelancer for newspapers, magazines, and National Public Radio.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lovett worked as a legal researcher for the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, an executive director of a non-profit theater, a jazz dancer, a playwright, a gas station attendant, an upholstery assistant, and a bartender. It was her experience working in the New Mexico State Penitentiary and the exposure to prison issues that led her to write her first crime series. While researching for the series, Lovett earned a degree in criminal justice.
When she’s not on deadline, Lovett works with writers as a coach, teacher and consultant. She has been a presenter at writing conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
A native Californian, she lives in Santa Fe with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 19, 2021
I read this nearly 20 years ago when it came out and loved it. It moved me enough to write Sarah Lovett an email telling her how good the book was. I read it again this month and loved it again.
This combines police procedural, psychology, action and intelligence in a fast-moving mystery. Los Angeles also plays a part in the novel as its own character, which works well.
Who can resist a mad bomber story leaving complex clues and threats of major explosions all centered around the nine circles of hell as described in Dante's inferno.
A great read!
This combines police procedural, psychology, action and intelligence in a fast-moving mystery. Los Angeles also plays a part in the novel as its own character, which works well.
Who can resist a mad bomber story leaving complex clues and threats of major explosions all centered around the nine circles of hell as described in Dante's inferno.
A great read!
April 18, 2007
I loved this, pure poetry and a beautiful dip into a different view on hell.
December 3, 2024
The second one is Los Angeles. There are several bombings, which are by unknown perpetrators. The story has many tenths times as the bombings continue. There are references to the classic book of hell. There are also references to mental health suggestions. There are also many Uses of computers to try to figure out where the next bombing will occur. End it includes a bombing, but it is somewhat uncertain to me about the ending.
October 4, 2019
If you want to write a mystery, do it. If you want to write philosophy, write a textbook. Don't try to combine the two. I couldn't figure out the story line for all the random quotes and mumbo-jumbo thrown in.
September 15, 2007
Dantes' Inferno - G+
Sarah Lovett - 4th in series
forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange comes to L.A. to interview convict John Dantes as part of a profiling study of incarcerated bombers. Dantes is serving a life sentence for an explosion in the Malibu Getty Museum that killed several fifth graders and their teacher the year before. While Dantes has claimed responsibility for several earlier political-protest bombings, he denies involvement in the Getty outrage. Meanwhile, further explosions are causing chaos in L.A., and Strange becomes convinced that Dantes knows the identity of the new bomber on the block. With the help of various law enforcement officials, as well as unofficial (but brilliant) terrorist tracker and amateur sumo wrestler Edmond Sweetheart, Strange pursues the killer through deepening circles of purgatory and punishment into the dark guts of the subterranean city.
Interesting intellectual construct, and characters interesting but the plot was formulaic.
Sarah Lovett - 4th in series
forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange comes to L.A. to interview convict John Dantes as part of a profiling study of incarcerated bombers. Dantes is serving a life sentence for an explosion in the Malibu Getty Museum that killed several fifth graders and their teacher the year before. While Dantes has claimed responsibility for several earlier political-protest bombings, he denies involvement in the Getty outrage. Meanwhile, further explosions are causing chaos in L.A., and Strange becomes convinced that Dantes knows the identity of the new bomber on the block. With the help of various law enforcement officials, as well as unofficial (but brilliant) terrorist tracker and amateur sumo wrestler Edmond Sweetheart, Strange pursues the killer through deepening circles of purgatory and punishment into the dark guts of the subterranean city.
Interesting intellectual construct, and characters interesting but the plot was formulaic.
August 8, 2013
Una bomba esplosa a Los Angeles e una scritta: "Per me si va nella città dolente". I sospetti cadono su John Dantes, scrittore ed "Ecoterrorista", che viene arrestato. Ma altre bombe devastano la città, sempre firmate con versi dell'Inferno dantesco e una M. La criminologa Sylvia Strange intuisce un'allarmante analogia tra la distruzione della corrotta Babilonia e gli attentati nella Mecca del cinema. Solo Dantes può aiutarla a scongiurare il disastro, mentre "M" è ormai pronto a sferrare l'attacco finale.
March 31, 2011
Glad I only paid .49 for this book. I can't quite put my finger on it but I just did not care for this book. I had a really hard time focusing. My mind kept wandering so this book just could not hold my attention.
February 7, 2016
#4 in the Sylvia Strange series.
Sylvia Strange series - Forensic psychologist is called to consult on examination of deadly bomber John Dantes. But complicated subplots and parallels to Dante's "Inferno" subtract from interest of major story of another bomber on the loose.
Sylvia Strange series - Forensic psychologist is called to consult on examination of deadly bomber John Dantes. But complicated subplots and parallels to Dante's "Inferno" subtract from interest of major story of another bomber on the loose.
September 20, 2008
Dante's Inferno, despite a fairly intricate plot, fails to deliver much suspense or mystery. Most of the developments upon which the story twists and turn were formulaic and predictable.
Read
June 21, 2009Thriller
June 4, 2010
A new author, but I didn’t get really attached to the Sylvia Strange main heroine.
Read
December 8, 2012only read a few pages, psycho nut
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews