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Alan Gregory #11
The Best Revenge
In a riveting new novel of psychological suspense, Stephen White shines a brilliant light on the darkness that hides just beneath the surface of ordinary lives, on the fears that cripple us and the prisons we create --prisons of the body, mind, and spirit. A thriller of runaway tension, taps into our most closely guarded fears, taking us on a harrowing journey into a realm of terror and pain, of love gone wrong and vengeance gone mad.
The Best Revenge
Psychologist Alan Gregory is living through a season of discontent. With a new daughter, a wonderful wife, and a prospering career, he has little to complain about and lots of past cases that won’t let him go, patients who don’t get better, and a growing unease with keeping secrets. But Gregory has two new patients who will drag him out of his introspection--and dare him to enter a storm of
injustice and revenge.
FBI special agent Kelda James is a hero, a woman who as a rookie agent made a choice, drew her gun, and saved a life, taking another. Now Kelda is hiding from the world a secret pain that is gradually crippling her body--and she has turned to Alan Gregory to help free her from the prison of her pain. Then Kelda refers a patient to Gregory, who is terrifyingly dangerous to them both.
Tom Clone served thirteen years on Colorado’s death row for a crime he claimed he didn’t commit--until an FBI agent dug up evidence that set him free. The agent’s Kelda James. With both Kelda and Clone telling him their innermost secrets, Alan Gregory becomes the one person who can piece together an extraordinary puzzle--of two unsolved violent deaths of vulnerable women, of a man who may be innocent or may be very lucky, and of the strange, fatal attraction between two people trapped in a horrific plot to get revenge--at any price.
A thriller that delivers a stunning body-blow of a surprise ending, captures lives colliding at unpredictable angles, probing the dangerous lies people tell to each other and themselves. In this astonishing work by a novelist at the height of his powers, Stephen White brilliantly blends thrilling action and breakneck pacing with unrivaled insight into the human mind, heart, and psyche.
The Best Revenge
Psychologist Alan Gregory is living through a season of discontent. With a new daughter, a wonderful wife, and a prospering career, he has little to complain about and lots of past cases that won’t let him go, patients who don’t get better, and a growing unease with keeping secrets. But Gregory has two new patients who will drag him out of his introspection--and dare him to enter a storm of
injustice and revenge.
FBI special agent Kelda James is a hero, a woman who as a rookie agent made a choice, drew her gun, and saved a life, taking another. Now Kelda is hiding from the world a secret pain that is gradually crippling her body--and she has turned to Alan Gregory to help free her from the prison of her pain. Then Kelda refers a patient to Gregory, who is terrifyingly dangerous to them both.
Tom Clone served thirteen years on Colorado’s death row for a crime he claimed he didn’t commit--until an FBI agent dug up evidence that set him free. The agent’s Kelda James. With both Kelda and Clone telling him their innermost secrets, Alan Gregory becomes the one person who can piece together an extraordinary puzzle--of two unsolved violent deaths of vulnerable women, of a man who may be innocent or may be very lucky, and of the strange, fatal attraction between two people trapped in a horrific plot to get revenge--at any price.
A thriller that delivers a stunning body-blow of a surprise ending, captures lives colliding at unpredictable angles, probing the dangerous lies people tell to each other and themselves. In this astonishing work by a novelist at the height of his powers, Stephen White brilliantly blends thrilling action and breakneck pacing with unrivaled insight into the human mind, heart, and psyche.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2003
102 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
About the author
Stephen White
313 books572 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
February 21, 2023
2 stars
Disposable plane trip fodder with lots of action, under par writing and characters with one-note, conventional emotional responses typical of quick-read thrillers.
The only excellent thing about this particular specimen are the wonderfully vivid descriptions of Colorado -- no surprise, the author lives there -- and a few of the twists in the story which were well laid out and carried through.
That's not enough pros to outweigh the cons, however, and there is nothing really memorable about it besides the over-the-top Norman Bates-y girlfriend murderer-stalker and a few scenes for a #metoo blog from the annoyingly tough-ass-but-still-weepy-about-kids female cop Kelda.
Buy, read, dump in recycling bin, forget.
Disposable plane trip fodder with lots of action, under par writing and characters with one-note, conventional emotional responses typical of quick-read thrillers.
The only excellent thing about this particular specimen are the wonderfully vivid descriptions of Colorado -- no surprise, the author lives there -- and a few of the twists in the story which were well laid out and carried through.
That's not enough pros to outweigh the cons, however, and there is nothing really memorable about it besides the over-the-top Norman Bates-y girlfriend murderer-stalker and a few scenes for a #metoo blog from the annoyingly tough-ass-but-still-weepy-about-kids female cop Kelda.
Buy, read, dump in recycling bin, forget.
June 14, 2024
Returning to re-read Stephen White’s great thriller collection after a number of years, this summer binge should be a great adventure. White explores an actual event through the filter of another strong thriller novel. When Dr. Alan Gregory begins to question his abilities as a therapist, no one is there to listen. Alan wonders if he has outlived his effectiveness and that the secrets he holds onto are festering within him. Two new patients shake him out of this reverie and force the clinical therapist to see that his secret-keeping could be dangerous. Holding confidences might lead to significant harm, but only if things are pieced together. With revenge on his patients’ minds, Dr. Alan Gregory will have to manoeuvre through his therapeutic ethics and determine just how far he can let things go before he must report it all. White surpasses all expectations once more with this piece.
While Dr. Alan Gregory has a great deal going for him—a growing daughter and a wonderful wife—he cannot get out of a personal funk. His clinical therapy practice has been weighing him down, with patients who do not seem to get themselves on track and a partner who does not seem to pick up his hints that he needs a pick-me-up. He’s also worried that all the secrets he has been asked to keep will bog him down. All this seems crippling until Dr. Gregory takes on two new patients, both of whom pull him out of his slump and into a world of injustice and concern.
One is Kelda James, an FBI special agent who made a name for herself during her rookie year. She drew her gun and saved a life, though has now turned to hiding from the world and masking the pain she suffered at the time. She seeks help from Alan to free herself from its prison and help re-invent herself. Along the way, she refers another patient, someone with whom she has begun to connect, sure that he will also benefit from some therapeutic intervention.
Tom Clone has suffered a great deal in his own—literal—prison. Sitting on Colorado’s death row for over a decade, Clone vows that he is innocent of the crime to which he was convicted When Special Agent James was able to find evidence, he was exonerated for his crimes, though many feel that it is all a ruse. Serving as therapist to both Clone and Special Agent James, Alan Gregory hears their innermost secrets and is able to piece together two significant crimes that took place, as well as the truth behind a man who vows he was framed for murder. With it all bubbling inside him, Dr. Alan Gregory sees nothing but problems as he learns of a plan to exact revenge by two people, unwilling to stop or put things inter perspective. A gripping story that pushes the limits of Alan Gregory in this eleventh instalment of an addictive series.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this mid-series novel.
White’s writing explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, none more so than in this eleventh novel. The narrative is founded on therapeutic struggles but soon morphs into something just as important. This impactful story lays the groundwork for strong themes and significant tension. As the narrative gains momentum, Dr. Alan Gregory’s struggles are shelved for new worries, which only add layers to the story. Strong characters, some new and others returning, add a flavouring to things and keep the reader on track to discover some hidden truths within the story’s various perspectives.
Plot points drive the story home through a number of key events, peppered through the book’s development. Surprises lurk around every corner and usually have Dr. Alan Gregory in the middle. With these surprises come tensions, both to the plot and within its characters, all adding something to the already strong story. I am eager to see how this will help spin the remainder of the series in a specific direction and promote more Alan Gregory progress.
Kudos Mr. White, for an introspective look at your profession.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While Dr. Alan Gregory has a great deal going for him—a growing daughter and a wonderful wife—he cannot get out of a personal funk. His clinical therapy practice has been weighing him down, with patients who do not seem to get themselves on track and a partner who does not seem to pick up his hints that he needs a pick-me-up. He’s also worried that all the secrets he has been asked to keep will bog him down. All this seems crippling until Dr. Gregory takes on two new patients, both of whom pull him out of his slump and into a world of injustice and concern.
One is Kelda James, an FBI special agent who made a name for herself during her rookie year. She drew her gun and saved a life, though has now turned to hiding from the world and masking the pain she suffered at the time. She seeks help from Alan to free herself from its prison and help re-invent herself. Along the way, she refers another patient, someone with whom she has begun to connect, sure that he will also benefit from some therapeutic intervention.
Tom Clone has suffered a great deal in his own—literal—prison. Sitting on Colorado’s death row for over a decade, Clone vows that he is innocent of the crime to which he was convicted When Special Agent James was able to find evidence, he was exonerated for his crimes, though many feel that it is all a ruse. Serving as therapist to both Clone and Special Agent James, Alan Gregory hears their innermost secrets and is able to piece together two significant crimes that took place, as well as the truth behind a man who vows he was framed for murder. With it all bubbling inside him, Dr. Alan Gregory sees nothing but problems as he learns of a plan to exact revenge by two people, unwilling to stop or put things inter perspective. A gripping story that pushes the limits of Alan Gregory in this eleventh instalment of an addictive series.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this mid-series novel.
White’s writing explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, none more so than in this eleventh novel. The narrative is founded on therapeutic struggles but soon morphs into something just as important. This impactful story lays the groundwork for strong themes and significant tension. As the narrative gains momentum, Dr. Alan Gregory’s struggles are shelved for new worries, which only add layers to the story. Strong characters, some new and others returning, add a flavouring to things and keep the reader on track to discover some hidden truths within the story’s various perspectives.
Plot points drive the story home through a number of key events, peppered through the book’s development. Surprises lurk around every corner and usually have Dr. Alan Gregory in the middle. With these surprises come tensions, both to the plot and within its characters, all adding something to the already strong story. I am eager to see how this will help spin the remainder of the series in a specific direction and promote more Alan Gregory progress.
Kudos Mr. White, for an introspective look at your profession.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 21, 2017
Good mystery /twisted story
December 6, 2017
Another spellbinder....love this series with Dr. Alan Gregory
May 11, 2020
This book left me all turned upside down trying to decide who was the good guy, who was the bad guy, and how everyone was connected. Well, except for Allen Gregory, we know who he is and what his role generally is, likewise Sam Purdy, Lauren, Diane, and the minor recurring characters.
We are first introduced to FBI agent Kelda James as she discovers a recently abducted child, the fame from which defines her otherwise low-key career with the bureau. James returns in the next chapter, several years later, after her most recent case break, finding evidence that exonerates Tom Clone, a man on death row convicted of the brutal murder of an ex-lover. Unfortunately for James, Clone's release is not nearly as celebrated as her discovery of the missing girl. James had been seeing Gregory periodically leading up to Clone's release, though she kept that fact hidden from her buddies at the FBI, and when Clone asks her to recommend a therapist, Gregory's name slips through her lips before she can consider the consequences. Gregory gets caught in the middle when he senses a budding romance between his two patients, who primarily seek his advice on other personal issues but also discuss their feelings for the other. Obviously, James knows Clone is seeing Gregory, though the reverse isn't true, but Gregory's professional oath to confidentiality prevents him from acknowledging any of it. When the personal issues take turns for the worse with both patients, Gregory is left to decide if either is truly in danger and that the oath must be broken to protect one or both of them.
I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the one of White's I had read immediately previously, which was not the prior one in the series, as I skip around. Kelda James is clearly the main character in the book, unlike others in the series that are told almost exclusively from Gregory's perspective. As a character, I did like her, although I felt her status in the FBI seemed a bit unlikely. She has 2 big moments when otherwise she would just be a behind the scenes researcher rather than lead investigator, and now she has carte blanche to do whatever she wants, on her own without necessarily answering to anyone, such that no one else at the FBI knows the secret medical condition that rules her life practically 24/7. Also, White was rather vague when it came to the history of that condition, namely whether she was experiencing it when she found the little girl, in which case, some of the key moments in that chapter seem less likely.
Overall, it was a fine book and kept me engaged throughout, but it ended up not being one of my favorites of Stephen White's compared to others I've read.
We are first introduced to FBI agent Kelda James as she discovers a recently abducted child, the fame from which defines her otherwise low-key career with the bureau. James returns in the next chapter, several years later, after her most recent case break, finding evidence that exonerates Tom Clone, a man on death row convicted of the brutal murder of an ex-lover. Unfortunately for James, Clone's release is not nearly as celebrated as her discovery of the missing girl. James had been seeing Gregory periodically leading up to Clone's release, though she kept that fact hidden from her buddies at the FBI, and when Clone asks her to recommend a therapist, Gregory's name slips through her lips before she can consider the consequences. Gregory gets caught in the middle when he senses a budding romance between his two patients, who primarily seek his advice on other personal issues but also discuss their feelings for the other. Obviously, James knows Clone is seeing Gregory, though the reverse isn't true, but Gregory's professional oath to confidentiality prevents him from acknowledging any of it. When the personal issues take turns for the worse with both patients, Gregory is left to decide if either is truly in danger and that the oath must be broken to protect one or both of them.
I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the one of White's I had read immediately previously, which was not the prior one in the series, as I skip around. Kelda James is clearly the main character in the book, unlike others in the series that are told almost exclusively from Gregory's perspective. As a character, I did like her, although I felt her status in the FBI seemed a bit unlikely. She has 2 big moments when otherwise she would just be a behind the scenes researcher rather than lead investigator, and now she has carte blanche to do whatever she wants, on her own without necessarily answering to anyone, such that no one else at the FBI knows the secret medical condition that rules her life practically 24/7. Also, White was rather vague when it came to the history of that condition, namely whether she was experiencing it when she found the little girl, in which case, some of the key moments in that chapter seem less likely.
Overall, it was a fine book and kept me engaged throughout, but it ended up not being one of my favorites of Stephen White's compared to others I've read.
October 30, 2021
Tom Clone is released from prison after serving thirteen years for murder. Instrumental in his release was Special Agent Kelda James, who located the murder weapon that exonerated him, as his DNA wasn't on it. Tom is made to see a psychiatrist by his grandfather, and he winds up seeing Dr. Alan Gregory based on Kelda's recommendation, as she is also a patient of Alan's. It seems there are plenty of folks out there who aren't convinced of Tom's innocence and aren't happy he is a free man. Alan slowly gets drawn into a messy state of affairs linked to both Tom and Kelda.
My first introduction to Stephen White's Alan Gregory series was Warning Signs, which was an absolutely terrific thriller, so I've read quite a few subsequent books, but none have really matched the excitement and intensity of that book. The Best Revenge doesn't either, but it's better than a lot of the other White books I've read. The main problem is it's just so slow to get going. The blurb on the back of my copy mentions that Tom goes missing, and that doesn't actually happen until well past the halfway mark. There's a lot of extraneous material that just pads the story out unnecessarily. This one clocks in at nearly 480 pages.
Once this picks up speed, it's quite gripping. The plot delivers some decent twists and turns, and offers us good insight into the character of Kelda James. She's complex, but likeable. One revelation was completely arbitrary, but otherwise this thriller was well plotted. It suffers considerably from one of my pet hates - excessive description of routes characters take to get places. There are also lengthy, boring, unnecessary histories about certain towns. I don't really need to know that, you know? Get on with the story! That's what I'm here for.
I'll likely check out other stuff by Stephen White, even if his output is pretty varied.
My first introduction to Stephen White's Alan Gregory series was Warning Signs, which was an absolutely terrific thriller, so I've read quite a few subsequent books, but none have really matched the excitement and intensity of that book. The Best Revenge doesn't either, but it's better than a lot of the other White books I've read. The main problem is it's just so slow to get going. The blurb on the back of my copy mentions that Tom goes missing, and that doesn't actually happen until well past the halfway mark. There's a lot of extraneous material that just pads the story out unnecessarily. This one clocks in at nearly 480 pages.
Once this picks up speed, it's quite gripping. The plot delivers some decent twists and turns, and offers us good insight into the character of Kelda James. She's complex, but likeable. One revelation was completely arbitrary, but otherwise this thriller was well plotted. It suffers considerably from one of my pet hates - excessive description of routes characters take to get places. There are also lengthy, boring, unnecessary histories about certain towns. I don't really need to know that, you know? Get on with the story! That's what I'm here for.
I'll likely check out other stuff by Stephen White, even if his output is pretty varied.
May 11, 2019
The eleventh outing of author Stephen White's seminal psychologist Dr. Alan Gregory, "The Best Revenge", once again puts the good Doctor through some sticky situations. Gregory's newest patient Kelda James is an FBI agent with plenty of secrets to hide. She's famous from a rescue of a small child from her kidnapper several years ago. Years later James still checks on her rescued child and relives the incident in her mind over and over. Also coming in as a new patient for Dr. Gregory is Tom Clone. Clone was just freed from death row after thirteen years thanks to investigative relentlessness of Kelda James. Clone has maintained his innocence on the murder he sits on death row for throughout his thirteen year ordeal. Upon release Clone stays with his wary grandfather and courts his new hero Kelda James. At just over 470 pages (Paperback) this yarn comes out of the gate quickly and does have a pretty good hook. Fast paced at times this one does start to bog down about 75 % of the way through the plot. I really didn't care for the end very much. Although the Dr. Alan Gregory series has more winners than losers among it's first eleven books this one falls right into the middle. Four stars out of a possible five stars.(3.75 Stars actually). All in all a somewhat good read. A must read in a must read series. Check it out.
December 3, 2019
I love this series. Alan Gregory is a plausible and consistent character developing over time in these books. He and Sam Purdy were the focus here and I was on the edge of my seat for the last half of the book.
December 24, 2022
A very good twisted mudder mystery. This book kepted my interest all the way.
April 20, 2023
AUTHOR: STEPHEN WHITE
CHARACTERS:
TOM CLONE, KELDA JAMES, ALAN GREGORY, GEORGE BONNET(HOPPY), PREHOST,BILL GRAVES, IRA WINSLETT, IVY CAMPBELL, JONE WINSLETT.,SAM PURDY.
LOCATION:
DENVER, BOULDER, CANYON BOULDER ((STATE OF COLORADO -USA))
GENRE:
THRILLER ((???????!!!!))
PLOT:
TOM CLONE, was waiting in the death row for thirteen long years for the brutal murder of Ivy Campbell. She was cut right through her neck all the way to the bone. slit open by the butcher's knife at the Green's apartment at the Park County, where she was working. The fingerprints found at the crime scene, witness of a woman selling sweetcorn, identifying Tom Clone out of the photo lineup, all pointed towards him as the murderer. Tom maintained, he was broken with Ivy over a week before at the Fossil Bed Cafe, and insisted he hadn't seen her since she had asked him to come over to talk about their relationship nights later. She wanted to try to work things out. His version was that, she had begged him for another chance. Tom said he had driven back up, and they had talked in the Greens cabin but nothing had changed and Tom had decided not to see her again. That was the last time he saw Ivy Campbell alive.Clone's alibi for the time of murder was full of flaws. Three weeks after Ivy Campbell's murder Detective Prehost and Hoppy bonnet arrested Tom Clone at the Health Sciences Center and charged him with first-degree murder. Tom Clone was a fourth year medical student at the university of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver at the time of his arrest.
JOAN SAMANTHA WINSLETT, an artist, died by falling about sixty feet on to rocks when she went hiking by herself near cliffs , outside of little town called Paia, at the peanut shaped island called Maui in Hawaii islands.Jones was actually based on Denver, state of colorado, moved all of a sudden to Hawaii islands. Jones had serious phobia fears. They ruled her life. She was afraid of heights, of fire, of loud noises.They kept her from moving, kept her from going anywhere. During her stay at Maui islands, Jones had done about dozen paintings in watercolor and in acrylics. Some of pictures in the gallery painted by Jones were called "chasing pictures", in every pictures, a women is chased by a wind, by a big wave,by a car as she is trying cross the street. The last one was the most disturbing of all of them. In that one darkness is chasing her. These pictures told she was in danger. Jone's mother Mr.Winslett,and her brother shipped all her paintings, her kit containing sketchpad,paintings and brushes with her little journal kept inside to America. According to her journal, someone was after her. A guy she started dating threatened her.He followed her to Hawaii islands when she moved from Denver. As per the journal his name was TOM CLONE.
Jones started seeing him when news media began to link him with the murder of Ivy Campbell. For whatever reasons Jones was convinced she was going to be Tom's next victim. She felt very threatened. A week or two later she got the offer to join the artist co-op in Paia, and she went. With her serious phobia fears ruling her, for her to get on a plane by herself and go to Hawaii, she must have been seriously frightened. TOM CLONE must have pushed her off the cliff and killed her.
KELDA JAMES is an FBI agent, happened to be an very close friend of Jones. Both of them were roommates the last couple of years at school. Kelda was shocked to learn about the untimely death of her dear friend Jones at Hawaii islands. It was Kelda, who accompanied Jone's mother and brother to Hawaii islands to bury her and to ship her paintings and kit back to Denver. After reading Jones Journal, Kelda and Jones's brother, Ira Winslett, wanted to take the best revenge on Tom Clone, in their own terms.
For what he did to Ivy Campbell, Tom Clone was on death row for thirteen years. Kelda and Ira wanted to get him out of jail so that they could punish him for what he did to Jones at Hawaii islands. Kelda, came up with a plan to get into the store room of Park County Police Department and stole a section of Ivy's clothing out of evidence. Ira decorated the knife with the blood that was dried on the cloths. They hid the knife and Kelda went and pretended to find it. The Lab determined that some of the blood on the knife wasn't Tom Clone's, Kelda anonymously let the attorney who was handling Tom's appeals that the anomaly had shown up.Then everything got going.The courts took another look at the case, finally Tom was out of prison as a free man. Kelda and Ira, both planted the knife to get Tom out of prison.
After Tom was released from the prison. It was Ira all the way. Starting "fear lessons" for Tom by assaulting his grandfather at his residence. Ira Kidnapped Tom to Canyon Boulder town named Ward, put him inside the electrical fence and tortured him by putting bees, rattlesnakes and explosive named Napalam inside the fence. The purpose behind this torture is to teach a lesson to Tom about Jones's final moments before her death. They wanted him know the anguish he caused her. Ira wanted Retaliation, Revenge,Retribution for his dead sisterJones.But they are all different ways of teaching Tom a lesson,by getting some satisfaction. Kelda James wanted to recreate the terror Jones faced,while she stood on the edge of the cliff, deep in to the Tom Clone's Subconscious mind ,and to make him feel the horror of the thrust of the hands that pushed jones to death.
Since Tom Clone was missing from his grandfather's residence for more than two days, his red vespa scooter found abandoned at the hilly area leading to the isolated village of Ward. Park County detectives Hoppy Bonnet, Prehost,Sam pordy and Kelda all arrive at the village. Finding Tom Clone in a very bad shape because of the torture received from Ira, he was air lifted and hospitalized.
After the ambush between good and evil at the little village of Ward, the real culprit was the Park county cop Hoppy Bonnet involved in the first-degree murder of Ivy Campbell. According to his confession Ivy offended him in a bar. Demanding an apology from Ivy , he followed her to her place,heavily drunk and unsteady. Ivy disrespected him again,and things got deteriorated from there apparently. Angered Hoppy Bonnet under the influence of alcohol,murdered Ivy by slitting her throat. Hoppy Bonnet's confession and arrest obviously declared Tom Clone as an innocent man .
Tom did not kill Ivy Campbell or he didn't have anything to do
With Jones death,because Tom Clone had never been to Hawaii islands. Based on the fact that Jones had serious phobia fears, given what Jones was hearing in the news about Ivy Campbell's murder linking it to Tom Clone, all the stuff Jones had written in her journal was completely made up by her because of her illness. Ira and Kelda did a very good thing by getting Tom out of prison,if not he would still be on death row, scheduled to die for a crime he did not commit.No matter what Ira did to Tom at Ward village, the torture and fear was better than dying from a lethal injection.
The Novel ends with Tom Clone walking once again as a free man, after the imprisonment he suffered for the past 13 years for a crime he didn't commit.Even though Tom killed Ira, in the shooting, it was considered as self defence by the authorities.
FBI Agent Kelda going on long leave of absence, never willing to return to Federal Bureau in future.
MY COMMENT:
BEST REVENGE...!!!
DEAR READERS, PLEASE STAY AWAY. THINK ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING ...
*There is a Psychotherapist character named Alan Gregory,and this character travels throughout the novel, from beginning to end. The purpose, idea behind this character, is clearly unknown. In many portions of the novel this Alen Character is portrayed asking his friends "where do I come in? ".."what am I doing here?" etc. Actually these are the questions asked not only in the novel, but also by the frustrated readers to the author in the confused state of mind.
Only saving grace of the novel is the flashback portions involving Jones and Kelda.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE :
"If you have started hating the bricks, maybe it is time to consider being a bricklayer "
CHARACTERS:
TOM CLONE, KELDA JAMES, ALAN GREGORY, GEORGE BONNET(HOPPY), PREHOST,BILL GRAVES, IRA WINSLETT, IVY CAMPBELL, JONE WINSLETT.,SAM PURDY.
LOCATION:
DENVER, BOULDER, CANYON BOULDER ((STATE OF COLORADO -USA))
GENRE:
THRILLER ((???????!!!!))
PLOT:
TOM CLONE, was waiting in the death row for thirteen long years for the brutal murder of Ivy Campbell. She was cut right through her neck all the way to the bone. slit open by the butcher's knife at the Green's apartment at the Park County, where she was working. The fingerprints found at the crime scene, witness of a woman selling sweetcorn, identifying Tom Clone out of the photo lineup, all pointed towards him as the murderer. Tom maintained, he was broken with Ivy over a week before at the Fossil Bed Cafe, and insisted he hadn't seen her since she had asked him to come over to talk about their relationship nights later. She wanted to try to work things out. His version was that, she had begged him for another chance. Tom said he had driven back up, and they had talked in the Greens cabin but nothing had changed and Tom had decided not to see her again. That was the last time he saw Ivy Campbell alive.Clone's alibi for the time of murder was full of flaws. Three weeks after Ivy Campbell's murder Detective Prehost and Hoppy bonnet arrested Tom Clone at the Health Sciences Center and charged him with first-degree murder. Tom Clone was a fourth year medical student at the university of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver at the time of his arrest.
JOAN SAMANTHA WINSLETT, an artist, died by falling about sixty feet on to rocks when she went hiking by herself near cliffs , outside of little town called Paia, at the peanut shaped island called Maui in Hawaii islands.Jones was actually based on Denver, state of colorado, moved all of a sudden to Hawaii islands. Jones had serious phobia fears. They ruled her life. She was afraid of heights, of fire, of loud noises.They kept her from moving, kept her from going anywhere. During her stay at Maui islands, Jones had done about dozen paintings in watercolor and in acrylics. Some of pictures in the gallery painted by Jones were called "chasing pictures", in every pictures, a women is chased by a wind, by a big wave,by a car as she is trying cross the street. The last one was the most disturbing of all of them. In that one darkness is chasing her. These pictures told she was in danger. Jone's mother Mr.Winslett,and her brother shipped all her paintings, her kit containing sketchpad,paintings and brushes with her little journal kept inside to America. According to her journal, someone was after her. A guy she started dating threatened her.He followed her to Hawaii islands when she moved from Denver. As per the journal his name was TOM CLONE.
Jones started seeing him when news media began to link him with the murder of Ivy Campbell. For whatever reasons Jones was convinced she was going to be Tom's next victim. She felt very threatened. A week or two later she got the offer to join the artist co-op in Paia, and she went. With her serious phobia fears ruling her, for her to get on a plane by herself and go to Hawaii, she must have been seriously frightened. TOM CLONE must have pushed her off the cliff and killed her.
KELDA JAMES is an FBI agent, happened to be an very close friend of Jones. Both of them were roommates the last couple of years at school. Kelda was shocked to learn about the untimely death of her dear friend Jones at Hawaii islands. It was Kelda, who accompanied Jone's mother and brother to Hawaii islands to bury her and to ship her paintings and kit back to Denver. After reading Jones Journal, Kelda and Jones's brother, Ira Winslett, wanted to take the best revenge on Tom Clone, in their own terms.
For what he did to Ivy Campbell, Tom Clone was on death row for thirteen years. Kelda and Ira wanted to get him out of jail so that they could punish him for what he did to Jones at Hawaii islands. Kelda, came up with a plan to get into the store room of Park County Police Department and stole a section of Ivy's clothing out of evidence. Ira decorated the knife with the blood that was dried on the cloths. They hid the knife and Kelda went and pretended to find it. The Lab determined that some of the blood on the knife wasn't Tom Clone's, Kelda anonymously let the attorney who was handling Tom's appeals that the anomaly had shown up.Then everything got going.The courts took another look at the case, finally Tom was out of prison as a free man. Kelda and Ira, both planted the knife to get Tom out of prison.
After Tom was released from the prison. It was Ira all the way. Starting "fear lessons" for Tom by assaulting his grandfather at his residence. Ira Kidnapped Tom to Canyon Boulder town named Ward, put him inside the electrical fence and tortured him by putting bees, rattlesnakes and explosive named Napalam inside the fence. The purpose behind this torture is to teach a lesson to Tom about Jones's final moments before her death. They wanted him know the anguish he caused her. Ira wanted Retaliation, Revenge,Retribution for his dead sisterJones.But they are all different ways of teaching Tom a lesson,by getting some satisfaction. Kelda James wanted to recreate the terror Jones faced,while she stood on the edge of the cliff, deep in to the Tom Clone's Subconscious mind ,and to make him feel the horror of the thrust of the hands that pushed jones to death.
Since Tom Clone was missing from his grandfather's residence for more than two days, his red vespa scooter found abandoned at the hilly area leading to the isolated village of Ward. Park County detectives Hoppy Bonnet, Prehost,Sam pordy and Kelda all arrive at the village. Finding Tom Clone in a very bad shape because of the torture received from Ira, he was air lifted and hospitalized.
After the ambush between good and evil at the little village of Ward, the real culprit was the Park county cop Hoppy Bonnet involved in the first-degree murder of Ivy Campbell. According to his confession Ivy offended him in a bar. Demanding an apology from Ivy , he followed her to her place,heavily drunk and unsteady. Ivy disrespected him again,and things got deteriorated from there apparently. Angered Hoppy Bonnet under the influence of alcohol,murdered Ivy by slitting her throat. Hoppy Bonnet's confession and arrest obviously declared Tom Clone as an innocent man .
Tom did not kill Ivy Campbell or he didn't have anything to do
With Jones death,because Tom Clone had never been to Hawaii islands. Based on the fact that Jones had serious phobia fears, given what Jones was hearing in the news about Ivy Campbell's murder linking it to Tom Clone, all the stuff Jones had written in her journal was completely made up by her because of her illness. Ira and Kelda did a very good thing by getting Tom out of prison,if not he would still be on death row, scheduled to die for a crime he did not commit.No matter what Ira did to Tom at Ward village, the torture and fear was better than dying from a lethal injection.
The Novel ends with Tom Clone walking once again as a free man, after the imprisonment he suffered for the past 13 years for a crime he didn't commit.Even though Tom killed Ira, in the shooting, it was considered as self defence by the authorities.
FBI Agent Kelda going on long leave of absence, never willing to return to Federal Bureau in future.
MY COMMENT:
BEST REVENGE...!!!
DEAR READERS, PLEASE STAY AWAY. THINK ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING ...
*There is a Psychotherapist character named Alan Gregory,and this character travels throughout the novel, from beginning to end. The purpose, idea behind this character, is clearly unknown. In many portions of the novel this Alen Character is portrayed asking his friends "where do I come in? ".."what am I doing here?" etc. Actually these are the questions asked not only in the novel, but also by the frustrated readers to the author in the confused state of mind.
Only saving grace of the novel is the flashback portions involving Jones and Kelda.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE :
"If you have started hating the bricks, maybe it is time to consider being a bricklayer "
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2012
It should be obvious that I like this particular series. However, this book started a little bit slowly for me. I also thought at first that I must have misunderstood the designation of the book because the main character seemed to be an FBI agent named Kelda James. While I did enjoy the novel, I did not find her character satisfactorily believable. I think there is a tendency with some authors who write a long and successful series to start playing around with different points-of-view so that some of them lose the voice of the first person narrator that has made the series very readable. Others play with the narrative frame. Others discard a setting that is integral to their works and move the action to a locale that doesn't work nearly so well. Others destroy or kill off characters who had been essential--or change good people into entirely yucky ones. I was relieved to find that this book was an Alan Gregory series after all.
March 19, 2014
This author has evolved so greatly from his inital offerings. This was a sophisticated work, suspenseful and riveting from beginning to end. My only negative observation is that even after reading numerous books revolving around the main character, Alan Gregory, I still don't feel "invested" in him...he is instrumental in advancing the plot, however I don't feel that I know him as a person, unlike the main character in many series such as these.
September 29, 2010
This book started off well, but ultimately wasn't very good. I put it in on my "mystery" goodreads shelf, but I think it was really more a "thriller", because there wasn't any mystery that was solved by clues or detection. The whole book unraveles at the end with ridiculous plot twists.
July 11, 2015
I did not enjoy this book. I had to keep going back through pages read to figure out who was "first-personing" each chapter. The plot was pretty ludicrous and the characters were cardboard. Just not my cup of tea.
May 14, 2016
It was good to revisit White and Alan Gregory after a long absence. Now I have quite a few books to catch up on. This one was a real page turner and a fun read. Lots of twists and turns to keep me up past my bedtime.
September 17, 2017
It was good until it revealed Ian was the bad guy; the turning is so bad that I don't know if anyone was prepared; then you got a feel of being manipulated hard and big. That's why didn't bother to read it carefully after the turn.
December 25, 2009
Stephen White has a strange style of writing...also I did not find the end to be very satisfying.
March 27, 2019
Alan finds himself in a strange plot to take revenge on a recently released deathrow inmate. It was really hard to figure out who the bad guys were in this one. Great book.
August 15, 2016
A book you own but never read
July 15, 2018
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
**
This has a remarkably complex plot involving people who end up doing the right thing accidentally and all for the wrong reasons. An FBI agent, already lauded as a hero for the rescue of a kidnapped child, finds the critical evidence that exonerates a murderer on death row.
She even recommends to him her own therapist, Alan Gregory, for after 13 years on death row he's going to need help adjusting. Kelda has her own problems, pain in her legs that her neurologist has begun to think might be psychosomatic. And Tom Clone really is having trouble adjusting. He's hearing sounds, like the those of prison doors clanking shut in the middle of the night. When Tom goes missing it seems like a bad joke but Alan realizes there is way more connected Kelda and Tom than anyone possibly could have realized. Reading as the story ascended
the roller coaster was fascinating. Seeing Alan question his judgement about everything including his ability as a practitioner continues to make him a great characters.
**
Tom Clone is released from Death Row and picked up by an FBI agent Kelda James. Tom insists he did not murder a young woman he was dating years ago and Kelda found DNA evidence that suggests he is innocent.
Trouble is, the police officers who put Tom in prison do not think he should be out; they believe he is guilty. Things start going wrong for Tom and those police officers always seem to be around.
Kelda tries to help. She refers Tom to psychologist Alan Gregory (the continuing character). Alan has mixed feelings about Tom. Alan is also treating Kelda, who seems to be a big mess for an FBI agent. Kelda famously rescued a kidnapped little girl years ago. She stumbled upon the little girl by accident and managed to take out the kidnapper. Kelda has been riding the coattails of that fame for a long time, but otherwise she seems a mess. Interesting premise and surprising conclusion, but sidetracked by lots of crap about Kelda.
Why is she always reclining on bags of frozen peas? She aches, but what is going on?
**
**
This has a remarkably complex plot involving people who end up doing the right thing accidentally and all for the wrong reasons. An FBI agent, already lauded as a hero for the rescue of a kidnapped child, finds the critical evidence that exonerates a murderer on death row.
She even recommends to him her own therapist, Alan Gregory, for after 13 years on death row he's going to need help adjusting. Kelda has her own problems, pain in her legs that her neurologist has begun to think might be psychosomatic. And Tom Clone really is having trouble adjusting. He's hearing sounds, like the those of prison doors clanking shut in the middle of the night. When Tom goes missing it seems like a bad joke but Alan realizes there is way more connected Kelda and Tom than anyone possibly could have realized. Reading as the story ascended
the roller coaster was fascinating. Seeing Alan question his judgement about everything including his ability as a practitioner continues to make him a great characters.
**
Tom Clone is released from Death Row and picked up by an FBI agent Kelda James. Tom insists he did not murder a young woman he was dating years ago and Kelda found DNA evidence that suggests he is innocent.
Trouble is, the police officers who put Tom in prison do not think he should be out; they believe he is guilty. Things start going wrong for Tom and those police officers always seem to be around.
Kelda tries to help. She refers Tom to psychologist Alan Gregory (the continuing character). Alan has mixed feelings about Tom. Alan is also treating Kelda, who seems to be a big mess for an FBI agent. Kelda famously rescued a kidnapped little girl years ago. She stumbled upon the little girl by accident and managed to take out the kidnapper. Kelda has been riding the coattails of that fame for a long time, but otherwise she seems a mess. Interesting premise and surprising conclusion, but sidetracked by lots of crap about Kelda.
Why is she always reclining on bags of frozen peas? She aches, but what is going on?
**
May 18, 2025
finished 18th may 2025 good read three stars i liked no more no less...although with story conclusion i do object to the dismissal of law enforcement's crossing the line of the law with really, no consequences. our world. might be the first from white stephen maybe i've read other stories from him. an entertaining read and another in the long list of stories that can be classified as "frontier justice" and one that be categorized as coming down on the side of frontier justice...even when the alleged criminal is indeed that, alleged, actually innocent...and punished severely because some assholes have their own belief system...like so many in the world...the law does not apply to them.
this is our world. this is what we are asked to applaud. count me out. the best revenge? maybe i'm missing something count me out. we get enough of this shit from the top down.
this is our world. this is what we are asked to applaud. count me out. the best revenge? maybe i'm missing something count me out. we get enough of this shit from the top down.
August 16, 2020
Published in 1997. I was on a long weekend sandwiched between six hour flight/layovers each way and with only one 19"x13"x10" personal bag. This meant get whatever was available from the library which could be downloaded onto a reader the morning we left.
This was like reading a tv show. I wish it was a tv show. I like Alan Gregory. All White's characters are a little flawed , you have some bad guys, humor. The stories move, the dialogue is fast. The good guys win at the end. This is not a story you are going to think about later. I had to go back to my kindle to see what this one was about? It's popcorn for the brain. Read it mindlessly, fun and then you are with crumbs and kernels after a few hours, onto the next thing.
This was like reading a tv show. I wish it was a tv show. I like Alan Gregory. All White's characters are a little flawed , you have some bad guys, humor. The stories move, the dialogue is fast. The good guys win at the end. This is not a story you are going to think about later. I had to go back to my kindle to see what this one was about? It's popcorn for the brain. Read it mindlessly, fun and then you are with crumbs and kernels after a few hours, onto the next thing.
January 15, 2025
an ending you do not see coming.
I enjoy Stephen White’s books and have been reading them for over 20 years. I live in Denver and the references to local businesses and landmarks always make me smile. I was intrigued from the first chapter and there are tons of twists and turns, if you think you have it figured out, you are most definitely wrong. There were a few relationships I did not enjoy and would like to discuss with Mr. White if he has a moment but other than that the book is well worth the read and I’m glad I chose it for my book club. Our group will meet 1/19/25. I am hosting and will prepare the breakfast from the Broadmoor. I had my sister visit the Broadmoor and they were generous enough to give her a menu and a few other items to set the ambiance!
I enjoy Stephen White’s books and have been reading them for over 20 years. I live in Denver and the references to local businesses and landmarks always make me smile. I was intrigued from the first chapter and there are tons of twists and turns, if you think you have it figured out, you are most definitely wrong. There were a few relationships I did not enjoy and would like to discuss with Mr. White if he has a moment but other than that the book is well worth the read and I’m glad I chose it for my book club. Our group will meet 1/19/25. I am hosting and will prepare the breakfast from the Broadmoor. I had my sister visit the Broadmoor and they were generous enough to give her a menu and a few other items to set the ambiance!
June 8, 2017
I read this book while, figuratively, sitting on the edge of my chair. I couldn't get finished with it fast enough to see what happened in the end. From page one to page 340, this is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, from page 341 to page 353 (the last page), I was thoroughly disappointed.
The authors did not do a good job of wrapping up the story and left so much hanging in the air. It wasn't the usual, 'oh wow, I wonder what would happen next' with the fantastical scenarios racing through my mind. My final thought? 'Are you kidding me!' And not even a prologue to assuage my curiosity and need for semi finality.
The authors did not do a good job of wrapping up the story and left so much hanging in the air. It wasn't the usual, 'oh wow, I wonder what would happen next' with the fantastical scenarios racing through my mind. My final thought? 'Are you kidding me!' And not even a prologue to assuage my curiosity and need for semi finality.
February 1, 2024
I don’t know why I keep reading the books in this series. Sigh. The plots are getting more and more outlandish. Ridiculous. Unbelievable. But still…
The thing is, the writing is good, and when the author is writing from the therapist’s point of view it’s very interesting and pulls you right in. I like the cast of continuing characters and I love the descriptions of Boulder, the Rockies and environs. But these stories? And how could one therapist have so many bizarre scenarios in his life. And would he really respond the way he does? I don’t think so.
On to the next book in line. I’m dying to see what happens next. Haha.
The thing is, the writing is good, and when the author is writing from the therapist’s point of view it’s very interesting and pulls you right in. I like the cast of continuing characters and I love the descriptions of Boulder, the Rockies and environs. But these stories? And how could one therapist have so many bizarre scenarios in his life. And would he really respond the way he does? I don’t think so.
On to the next book in line. I’m dying to see what happens next. Haha.
February 11, 2020
2nd time of reading
My grown son and I have different choices in reading matter but we used to like the same mysteries until he went Si-Fi.
We decided we needed to read some of the same books so he recommended to me what he wants me to read and I am trying to pick out some of my favorites to recommend to him. This was not my favorite Steven White book but I was reminded that he is one of my favorite authors, so I will find one of his to put on the list. This was still very good reading and I had forgotten most of it after 15 years!
My grown son and I have different choices in reading matter but we used to like the same mysteries until he went Si-Fi.
We decided we needed to read some of the same books so he recommended to me what he wants me to read and I am trying to pick out some of my favorites to recommend to him. This was not my favorite Steven White book but I was reminded that he is one of my favorite authors, so I will find one of his to put on the list. This was still very good reading and I had forgotten most of it after 15 years!
February 13, 2022
One of his best
I set up phone appointments with my sister, they're my favorite thing, but every time I had an appointment while I was reading this book, I'd think, I'll just read a couple pages, its not quite time yet, and EVERYTIME I'd get so caught up in it, shed get scared to death something happened to me, I'd miss our call by half an hour and she'd have to call me, its quite the captivating cliff hanger!
I set up phone appointments with my sister, they're my favorite thing, but every time I had an appointment while I was reading this book, I'd think, I'll just read a couple pages, its not quite time yet, and EVERYTIME I'd get so caught up in it, shed get scared to death something happened to me, I'd miss our call by half an hour and she'd have to call me, its quite the captivating cliff hanger!
November 30, 2025
This wasn't my favorite Alan Gregory novel. Like others have said, White has great plot-building, but somewhere in the last third of the book, the story goes off the rails. It plot becomes very convoluted, and so complex it's hard to keep track of just who's who in the story. While I always give an author a bit of leeway, this book becomes very unbelievable - and not just in one thread of the plot.
September 11, 2022
Finished the book on 9/11, didn't do that on purpose. Just a little synchronicity, I guess. This book feels like the author's conclusion to the conflicting emotional response following 9/11 that we all seemed to go through at that time, but not preachy, just a well processed personal statement. And so well crafted! So many shades and perspectives, all so complex! Great read, I'm very satisfied.
November 6, 2022
A man is released after serving 13 years on death row because of DNA evidence that throws doubt onto his prior conviction for murder. The FBI agent who found that evidence and a psychologist are soon caught up with the former inmate in a labyrinth of crime, hidden motives, and surprising secrets. Nobody comes out smelling like roses.
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