Dr. Eric Parrish, a recently separated single dad, is the chief of a prominent psychiatric unit in a hospital outside Philadelphia.

    This character shows depth of emotion and real empathy for his patients. Unfortunately for our hero, apart from his crumbling* family life, he becomes the target of a cruel sociopath*, bent on both destroying his career and, finally, his life.

    His new patient, 17-year-old Max, is having trouble handling his grandmother’s terminal* illness. Serious OCD* (obsessive–compulsive disorder) and violent thoughts about a girl he likes make him high risk. Then the girl is found murdered. With Max nowhere to be found, the doctor goes looking for him.

    The narrative structure of this novel shifts between the point of view of Dr. Parish and that of his sociopath enemy. This narrative device gives the reader the opportunity to delve into* the mind of a sociopath and explore the details of such a psychopathy*. Though the author is certainly not sympathetic toward the sociopath character, the ruthlessness, cunning* and wit of the character is almost admirable.

    This novel will keep you guessing as you rush to the very last page. On top of being a great psychological thriller, the amount of research on mental health issues and the nature of psychiatric* care shines through in an impressive manner.

    Author Lisa Scottoline is a New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of 22 novels.(SD-Agencies)