"They never see me coming. Know why? Because I'm already there."
Sociopaths frighten me terribly.
A sociopath might burn a building down in order to prove a point or punish a foe, rather than burning it down because there is no other way to escape a life of corporate tedium. A sociopath might attempt to manipulate the leader of The Silent Fist into doing her bidding, rather than telling him that under no circumstances can they work together. A sociopath would choose to toy with state troopers, rather than avoiding them at all costs.
A sociopath would believe herself to be invincible; would believe herself capable of outguessing her opposition. A sociopath would never for a moment doubt her ability to stay hidden in an acquaintances storm cellar for a week while a potentially valuable friend risks everything to keep this blog running.
Oh, reader, sociopaths frighten me a great deal. How I wish I was one.
Every Fifteen Minutes by the captivating Lisa Scottoline
... was 90% enthralling.
The well-buit premise hinges on the dissolution of a man's life. At the outset of the story, Dr. Eric Parrish - the well-respected Chief of the Psychiatric Unit at a local hospital - is processing the disintegration of his marriage. He and his wife have separated; he struggles with her new boundaries as they work out shared custody of their young daughter.
His struggles have just begun.
In short order, his life deteriorates. His relationships and career are in ruins; he can't go to work, see his daughter, or leave his home. Through alternate-perspective chapters, we learn that a self-professed sociopath is attempting to destroy him.
The author knows her audience, and knows that we want to determine the identity of the sociopath as quickly as possible. She opens several avenues of possibility, without ever directing the reader too blatantly; her work is marvelously subtle. The story builds slowly, occasionally seeming to cater more to word count than narrative flow; but it never truly loses steam.
The characterization in this book is lovely - characters are developed without being overworked, and all of them are given a great deal of credit by the author. Here is what I mean by that: Eric is an experienced medical professional. In his narrative, the reader is given insight into his way of thinking - he draws on extensive, ongoing training, relies on proper paths of reporting (for the most part), and is generally an intelligent and reliable character. The reader understands how he got to be in a position of authority; it makes sense that he is well-respected, because he is good at his job and works by-the-book. This character development makes his choices later in the story comprehensible - the reader understands that the stakes must truly be high in order for Eric to act outside of the typical strictures of his profession.
For the first 90% of the book, reader, I was enraptured. I would put the book down to, say, write an anonymous letter to a potential accomplice, and I would feel a nagging sensation - like there was something that urgently required my attention. I realized quickly that the sensation was concern for the characters in Every Fifteen Minutes: I was worried about Eric, about his daughter, about his practice.
That is high praise indeed.
Now, for Spoilers.
The well-buit premise hinges on the dissolution of a man's life. At the outset of the story, Dr. Eric Parrish - the well-respected Chief of the Psychiatric Unit at a local hospital - is processing the disintegration of his marriage. He and his wife have separated; he struggles with her new boundaries as they work out shared custody of their young daughter.
His struggles have just begun.
In short order, his life deteriorates. His relationships and career are in ruins; he can't go to work, see his daughter, or leave his home. Through alternate-perspective chapters, we learn that a self-professed sociopath is attempting to destroy him.
The author knows her audience, and knows that we want to determine the identity of the sociopath as quickly as possible. She opens several avenues of possibility, without ever directing the reader too blatantly; her work is marvelously subtle. The story builds slowly, occasionally seeming to cater more to word count than narrative flow; but it never truly loses steam.
The characterization in this book is lovely - characters are developed without being overworked, and all of them are given a great deal of credit by the author. Here is what I mean by that: Eric is an experienced medical professional. In his narrative, the reader is given insight into his way of thinking - he draws on extensive, ongoing training, relies on proper paths of reporting (for the most part), and is generally an intelligent and reliable character. The reader understands how he got to be in a position of authority; it makes sense that he is well-respected, because he is good at his job and works by-the-book. This character development makes his choices later in the story comprehensible - the reader understands that the stakes must truly be high in order for Eric to act outside of the typical strictures of his profession.
For the first 90% of the book, reader, I was enraptured. I would put the book down to, say, write an anonymous letter to a potential accomplice, and I would feel a nagging sensation - like there was something that urgently required my attention. I realized quickly that the sensation was concern for the characters in Every Fifteen Minutes: I was worried about Eric, about his daughter, about his practice.
That is high praise indeed.
Now, for Spoilers.
Oh, but that final 10%!
Reader, I adored the book until that last 10%. I remember measuring the thickness of the remaining pages between my thumb and forefinger, and feeling a cold shiver of dread at how much Scottoline still wanted to say.
At the end of that first 90%, the villain who is ruining Eric's life is revealed to be his direct report at the hospital - his right-hand man, Sam. It is revealed that Sam was manipulating people around Eric - Sam was the mastermind behind the sudden eruption of chaos in Eric's life, career, and relationships. The reveal is brilliant; the resolution is eminently satisfying.
Eric is devastated, but begins recovering from the betrayal alongside the rest of his team. Everything begins to be resolved: a sexual harassment accusation is dropped, his ex-wife agrees to be more giving in their custody agreement, and his career is back on track. The romantic tension that has built throughout the book between Eric and his dear friend Laurie is resolved (and this is a relationship that you will assuredly root for throughout the story).
I wish the book had ended there.
But there was that last 10% to get through.
In that last 10%, Scottoline pulls the rug out from under the reader. It is revealed that Laurie was manipulating Sam the whole time. Eric is betrayed yet again; Laurie is the real sociopath. This was terribly disappointing to me - not because it was unbelievable, but because we had our ending already. This addition to the brilliantly-written finish of the narrative felt tacked-on - an extra surprise for a reader who had already endured a beautiful, cathartic resolution to the thrilling suspense of the story.
All of that said, reader, this book was marvelous. I highly encourage you to read and enjoy it - even if you only enjoy the first 90%, it is well worth the time and devotion.
Rating: Divine.
Possible ratings: Magnificent, Divine, Satisfactory, Tiresome, Lamentable, Execrable. This is a blog about words, what rating system did you expect?
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