Review: Warning Signs

Alan Gregory is a clinical psychologist who is awoken by the news that the Boulder DA, Royal Peterson has been beaten to death in his house, whilst his invalid wife slept upstairs. A family friend, homicide detective Lucy Tanner is soon the main focus of the investigation. In the meantime, Alan is worried by a new patient. Naomi Bigg seems to think that her child is planning a massacre on the scale of Columbine High School and it soon turns out that the cases are linked.

This was the first book by Stephen White that I had read and although it is part of a series starring Alan Gregory, it can easily be read as a standalone book since the books are not dependent on one another. 'Warning Signs' makes highly enjoyable reading, with numerous surprises and White also includes quite a bit of humour, which helps to reduce the tense atmosphere of bombing and murder.

In the UK, White is compared with Jonathan Kellerman, whose main character Alex Delaware is also a psychologist. The comparison is reasonable, as the books are similar, as the main characters both have cop friends and both get involved in cases through their patients. Therefore, as the promotion suggests, fans of Kellerman will certainly find something to their own tastes here. White also includes quite a bit of psychological discussion, but he does not concentrate on Gregory all the time, preferring to use different narrators.

There are numerous references to the massacre at Columbine High School, along with a discussion about justice and how the legal system works. Therefore, rather than being just a thriller, 'Warning Signs' also raises some questions about the state of the legal system. Enjoyable, interesting reading and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Book Review: Warning Signs