Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Beyond the book | Readalikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Feb 2005, 368 pages
Paperback:
Dec 2005, 368 pages
From the book jacket: At forty-two, psychiatrist Joe O'Loughlin seems to have it all: a thriving
practice, a beautiful wife, an adoring daughter. But Joe's snug, happy
world is crumbling. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he's
dreading the inevitable and all too palpable deterioration of his body and
mind. Then, when the police ask for his help in solving the brutal murder
of a woman they assume is a prostitute, he's horrified to recognize the
victim as a nurse he once worked with, and with whom he had a bit of a
past. As Joe begins to suspect that one of his patients may be
responsible, the police zero in on him.
Comment: Suspect was a hit when first published in the UK in 2004, but I don't believe achieved the same levels of awareness when published in the USA last year. It starts off
relatively slowly (but still retains one's interest) but really takes off somewhere
around page 130. The New York Times feels it to be a 'pleasantly creepy story, which is plotted with precision and
narrated with real intelligence' while Kirkus Reviews warns that 'readers will forget their own jobs, meals and
families while they race to find out which one of his targets the killer
actually hits before he's brought down.'
This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in March 2005, and has been updated for the
January 2006 edition.
Click here to go to this issue.
Become a Member and discover books that entertain, engage & enlighten.
The Dutch House is my introduction to Ann Patchett, which, after reading it, surprises me. I had ...
The Prophets
by Robert Jones Jr.
A stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation.
Reader ReviewsThe Mystery of Mrs. Christie
by Marie Benedict
The real-life disappearance of Agatha Christie is perhaps her greatest mystery of all.
Reader ReviewsThe House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell
Introducing a detective duo for the ages who unlock the secrets of a startling Victorian mystery.
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.