I hope Patricia Cornwell's legion of fans will forgive me for saying so, but Dr. Sylvia Strange is a much more complicated and likeable character than Kay Scarpetta. Sarah Lovett's books about Santa Fe-based forensic psychologist Strange (Dangerous Attachments is also out in paperback) are full of the details of her crime work, but they're also firmly rooted in the basic humanity of her everyday life. And Lovett's plots have lots of compensating social impact to go with the murder, rape, and pillage: this time she raises the serious question of what to do when authentic sexual villains slip off the legal hook.
Before crafting her gripping thrillers, Sarah Lovett immersed herself in the very world her fiction explores.
With a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of New Mexico, she stepped directly into the legal and investigative sphere—working within the state’s Office of the Attorney General. It was here that she encountered the stark realities of forensic analysis, behavioral profiling, and the mechanics of organized crime.
Her research extended beyond office walls. Lovett spent time inside the New Mexico State Penitentiary, conducting interviews with offenders and law enforcement officials alike. Those firsthand encounters revealed a side of justice few ever witness—a world both brutal and humanizing.
Every detail in her novels, from the precision of forensic evidence to the psychological nuance of her protagonists, is grounded in years of direct observation, institutional collaboration, and meticulous fieldwork. For Lovett, truth itself is a powerful catalyst—one that continually transforms her fiction into reality.
This a thrilling novel that I truly enjoyed. It is about a psychologist, psychopathic killers, and gruesome murders. It is a little hard to read due to some graphic descriptions.