August 29, 1990
After a sniper opens fire at an elementary school in an L.A. suburb, LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis calls in his friend, child psychologist Alex Delaware (seen last in Silent Partner ). None of the children is hurt, but the shooter, a young woman named Holly Burden, is killed by the bodyguard of one of two politicos visiting the school. While helping the kids overcome the trauma of the shooting, Delaware becomes involved with the edgy, dedicated principal, Linda Overstreet. He also agrees to Holly's father's request to do a ``psychological autopsy'' to clear his daughter's name. As racist-motivated vandalism at the school accelerates, Milo discovers that a black friend of Holly's was recently killed by police; then one of the politicians is gunned down. Alex's life is threatened as he traces events to a revival of the German American Bund and an unexpected political alliance with roots in an explosion of 20 years earlier, echoed in the fiery resolution here. Kellerman's meticulously constructed thriller, while leaning hard on the anti-Semitic component of its plot, again demonstrates how well the role of sleuth fits that of therapist; Alex, a little lost without former girlfriend Robin, speaks with a a unique, convincing voice. 150,000 first printing; Mystery Guild selection; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates.
April 1, 1991
YA- -Kellerman provides his fans with yet another of his exciting tales centered on Dr. Alex Delaware, psychologist/sleuth. Set in California, the book opens with a near massacre in a schoolyard. In this intricately plotted story, the hero is challenged to locate a cleverly disguised villain from a collection of normal and not-so-normal suspects. The rapid pace carries readers into a world of politicians who are more than they seem to be on the surface, families that dysfunction in spectacular ways, and suspicious characters with murky and unusual pasts. In his examination of political extremism, the author touches on an issue that is both timely and thoroughly fascinating. Although the psychoanalytical aspect occasionally becomes a bit overbearing-minor characters using professional-level terminology, for example-the overall effect is engrossing. A minor love theme is played out, and a spectacular and violent climax pulls the disparate threads of the story together. Kellerman's fans won't be disappointed.- Carolyn E. Gecan, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria, VA