Dr. Eric Parrish is the head doctor of Havemeyer General Hospital's Psychiatric Unit. Recently separated from his estranged wife and missing the constant contact with his seven year old daughter, Eric is eager to make some changes to increase his custodial provisions. Unfortunately, someone is out to get him and he doesn't even realize it. He is dealing with a new teenage patient with an obsessive compulsive disorder. The teen, Max, feels a compulsion to tap his forehead every fifteen minutes and recite a spectrum of colors. Max is also obsessing about strangling a girl he has a crush on. Eric must decide whether patient confidentiality allows (indeed, behooves) him to contact authorities with his concerns for the girl or whether to attempt to keep tabs on Max on his own.
Throughout the story, there are portions of narration from the sociopath who is after Eric, but that sociopath is not revealed until the final moments of the story. Scottoline expertly weaves suspicion on several characters in the story line. The reader is left to wonder again and again exactly who it is. Moreover, the ante continues to be upped over and over again as time begins to spiral things out of control for the good doctor.
I was sucked into the tale right away and felt great sympathy for the main character (despite the fact that his actions were a bit unbelievable and self-absorbed at times). I enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you are looking for a riveting thriller with a mix of medical, legal, and ethical issues. The author kept me guessing right up to the end as to who was responsible for the many troubles plaguing Dr. Parrish's private and professional life. Happily, my library has another few legal thrillers by Lisa Scottoline in audio form, so I can rest assured for more quality listening time in the future.
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