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Alan Gregory #16
Dead Time
After the shocking developments in Dry Ice, Colorado psychologist Alan Gregory is struggling to deal with his newly adopted son and repair his shaky, though generally improving, marriage. But then Alan’s ex-wife, Merideth, reappears, seeking help she feels only Alan can give. Suddenly Alan is pulled into a mystery that reaches back years to a camping trip at the Grand Canyon involving Merideth’s fiancé and five friends whose lives were changed forever when a young woman mysteriously vanished from the Canyon floor.
Enlisting the help of friend and detective Sam Purdy, Alan finds himself pitted against new demons and unseen enemies as he tries to uncover the connection between the unexplained disappearance at the Grand Canyon and Merideth’s missing surrogate. The clock is ticking, and as Alan’s and Sam’s investigations take them from New York City to Los Angeles to the cavernous reaches of the Canyon itself, Alan unearths a series of secrets and deceptions that someone wishes to keep buried at all costs.
Enlisting the help of friend and detective Sam Purdy, Alan finds himself pitted against new demons and unseen enemies as he tries to uncover the connection between the unexplained disappearance at the Grand Canyon and Merideth’s missing surrogate. The clock is ticking, and as Alan’s and Sam’s investigations take them from New York City to Los Angeles to the cavernous reaches of the Canyon itself, Alan unearths a series of secrets and deceptions that someone wishes to keep buried at all costs.
397 pages, Hardcover
First published March 4, 2008
72 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
Stephen White
286 books569 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
June 20, 2024
Returning to re-read Stephen White’s great thriller collection after a number of years, this summer binge should be a great adventure. White keeps the reader hooked with another great novel, full of throwback characters and memories in a stellar theiller. Dr. Alan Gregory has been approached by his ex-wife for some help. What begins as some quasi-therapeutic assistance turns into a mystery that has Alan traversing the country. A mysterious death. during a camping trip, a missing surrogate, and someone who has a score to settle. All this and more awaits Alan in this gripping story. White impresses and peppers the story with a great deal of surprises for all.
Dr. Alan Gregory is a well-established clinical psychologist who has a pile of issues of his own. He is trying to synthesise the truth about his newly-acquired step-son and attempting to understand how his marriage is going, bumps and all. All this is shattered when his ex-wife, Meredith returns to Boulder seeking assistance with someone only Alan can truly understand.
Alan is unsure but is soon pulled into the middle of a significant situation. Meredith has engaged the use of a surrogate to provide her a child, but the woman has gone missing. Meredith also has some concerns about a mystery involving her fiancé and a camping trip from years ago, where the same surrogate was also a participant. A missing foreigner creates a tension that has never been solved and a sense of concern that has yet to dissipate.
Alan seeks the assistance of his best friend, Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy. Their adventures take them to both NYC and LA, where clues to the mystery emerge. When returning to the scene of the camping excursion in the Grand Canyon, other truths and scandalous behavior will leave Alan wondering if he is truly happy and how he will explain away his behavior, while also trying to digest the shards of this mystery from years ago. White stuns the reader and impresses them with equal vigour.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel.
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book adds personal references from past characters and the sentiments that left Alan Gregory a shell at an earlier time. This is a great semi-flashback technique and forces series fans to pull on past mentions of the early Alan from the first book, as well as the strains of his marriage disintegration. The narrative flows well, pulling on past and present in well-developed chapters. The story gains all the needed momentum in great writing. Characters are key to this story, both recurring and new, and serve a great purpose. All develops and proves to be a treat for everyone.
Plot points drive the story once again. Using references to past novels and characters, the surprises in this novel are plentiful and leave me eager to see how they will resolve. The reader is left to wonder how past will clash with present, as well as some of Alan’s revelations. White keeps the reader in the middle of it all, trying to piece together the new narrative direction and how truth will shatter the future. Some great revelations at the end leave ugh dangling and awaiting some form of resolution in the next book. I am eager to keep seeing how Dr. Alan Gregory will shape the closing novels in the series.
Kudos Mr. White, for such a rich and full story with more threads left to be handled.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Dr. Alan Gregory is a well-established clinical psychologist who has a pile of issues of his own. He is trying to synthesise the truth about his newly-acquired step-son and attempting to understand how his marriage is going, bumps and all. All this is shattered when his ex-wife, Meredith returns to Boulder seeking assistance with someone only Alan can truly understand.
Alan is unsure but is soon pulled into the middle of a significant situation. Meredith has engaged the use of a surrogate to provide her a child, but the woman has gone missing. Meredith also has some concerns about a mystery involving her fiancé and a camping trip from years ago, where the same surrogate was also a participant. A missing foreigner creates a tension that has never been solved and a sense of concern that has yet to dissipate.
Alan seeks the assistance of his best friend, Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy. Their adventures take them to both NYC and LA, where clues to the mystery emerge. When returning to the scene of the camping excursion in the Grand Canyon, other truths and scandalous behavior will leave Alan wondering if he is truly happy and how he will explain away his behavior, while also trying to digest the shards of this mystery from years ago. White stuns the reader and impresses them with equal vigour.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel.
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book adds personal references from past characters and the sentiments that left Alan Gregory a shell at an earlier time. This is a great semi-flashback technique and forces series fans to pull on past mentions of the early Alan from the first book, as well as the strains of his marriage disintegration. The narrative flows well, pulling on past and present in well-developed chapters. The story gains all the needed momentum in great writing. Characters are key to this story, both recurring and new, and serve a great purpose. All develops and proves to be a treat for everyone.
Plot points drive the story once again. Using references to past novels and characters, the surprises in this novel are plentiful and leave me eager to see how they will resolve. The reader is left to wonder how past will clash with present, as well as some of Alan’s revelations. White keeps the reader in the middle of it all, trying to piece together the new narrative direction and how truth will shatter the future. Some great revelations at the end leave ugh dangling and awaiting some form of resolution in the next book. I am eager to keep seeing how Dr. Alan Gregory will shape the closing novels in the series.
Kudos Mr. White, for such a rich and full story with more threads left to be handled.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 20, 2020
Am I loving these characters like they're real? Yep. They feel like people I care about. I was upset when Alan and Sam weren't talking. I guess it takes a real shrink to write people as nuanced as these. Mr White: Thank you for giving me friends in Boulder.
July 8, 2008
The latest in Stephen White’s Alan Gregory series of novels continues his recent trend of shifting between multirple perspectives among the various protagonists, always settling and centering on Boulder pysychologist Gregory.
“Dead Time” weaves together three perspectives as it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened years before when some friends camped out on the floor of the Grand Canyon. A woman disappeared under strange circumstances and has never been found since. What happened to her and the impact it had on the friendships of those on the trip plays a significant role for the rest of the novel.
The other threads slip back and forth between first-person perspective of Alan and his ex-wife Meredith. Meredith comes back into Alan’s wife when she attends a funeral of an old friend in Colorado and later when Alan visits New York for a few weeks with his newly adopted son. Meredith needs Alan’s help to look into disappearance of the surrogate mother she and her fiancee are using. Both the surrogate and the fiancee were part of the trip to the floor of the Grand Canyon.
What unfolds next is a series of revelations at a fairly reasonable rate, all grounded and set up by the early stages of the novel. And while the central mystery of what happened or what it means to the characters today isn’t exactly the most original mystery storyline around, it’s still compelling enough to keep reader interest as the pages turn.
What is far more interesting is the shifting perspective between Alan and his ex-wife and how they see the world and each other. Also, readers of the series will know that Alan’s current marriage is on dicey ground and following Alan’s struggles with tempations as he and his wife are geographically separated for the summer is intriguing. The real meat of the story comes from the glimpses and justifications as well as the blindness to faults he’d find in patients that Alan undergoes as the story unfolds.
And once the central mystery wraps up, there are still a few revelations about Alan’s personal life to come that are clearly setting things up for the next installment. It’s not quite as “holy cow, I’ve got to know what’s next” as the developments to Inspector Thomas Lynley in Elizabeth George’s novels, but it’s still enough to make the year or so wait between this book and the next an interesting one.
“Dead Time” weaves together three perspectives as it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened years before when some friends camped out on the floor of the Grand Canyon. A woman disappeared under strange circumstances and has never been found since. What happened to her and the impact it had on the friendships of those on the trip plays a significant role for the rest of the novel.
The other threads slip back and forth between first-person perspective of Alan and his ex-wife Meredith. Meredith comes back into Alan’s wife when she attends a funeral of an old friend in Colorado and later when Alan visits New York for a few weeks with his newly adopted son. Meredith needs Alan’s help to look into disappearance of the surrogate mother she and her fiancee are using. Both the surrogate and the fiancee were part of the trip to the floor of the Grand Canyon.
What unfolds next is a series of revelations at a fairly reasonable rate, all grounded and set up by the early stages of the novel. And while the central mystery of what happened or what it means to the characters today isn’t exactly the most original mystery storyline around, it’s still compelling enough to keep reader interest as the pages turn.
What is far more interesting is the shifting perspective between Alan and his ex-wife and how they see the world and each other. Also, readers of the series will know that Alan’s current marriage is on dicey ground and following Alan’s struggles with tempations as he and his wife are geographically separated for the summer is intriguing. The real meat of the story comes from the glimpses and justifications as well as the blindness to faults he’d find in patients that Alan undergoes as the story unfolds.
And once the central mystery wraps up, there are still a few revelations about Alan’s personal life to come that are clearly setting things up for the next installment. It’s not quite as “holy cow, I’ve got to know what’s next” as the developments to Inspector Thomas Lynley in Elizabeth George’s novels, but it’s still enough to make the year or so wait between this book and the next an interesting one.
June 1, 2016
This was my first foray into this series, and I was told that I'd be okay if I didn't start with the first. I liked it. It was written from three points-of-view... Alan Gregory (a psychologist and the protagonist of the series); his ex-wife, Merideth; and a third person voice that describes a happening at the Grand Canyon's Phantom Ranch a few years previously that becomes the crux of the story. Each of the numerous characters have backstories and difficulties they're coping with along with the current mystery, and I love the way it was all woven together. I liked some of the characters, rolled my eyes at others, and laughed at and with some of them. Great characterization and consuming storyline. So why not a five? A little too much conversation and rehashing - the book could have edited out some of the redundancy and extra long-winded-ness. It was fine for a long cross-country drive, however.
August 21, 2009
Another good book by Stephen White with excellent writing, interesting plot, action-filled conclusions. I noticed how much the main characters liked children and tried to be good parents. I think they also value marriage, although White is realistic about the stresses and ups and downs that occur in a marriage. This book, as a counter thread to the mystery, is dealing with a low time in Dr. Gregory's marriage and his admission that "I . . . um . . . have made some mistakes. I've been distant. And I'm sorry. We have some work to do. I have no doubt we can do it and I'm willing to begin as soon as you get home. I can't wait to see you. I love you." "Having work to do" sounds like a clinician's phrase, but I like the realism about it. Good marriages do take work. Good story and good things to think about.
June 21, 2015
Although I thought this was a bit too long-winded and nowhere near as much fun to get through as the previous two in the series, I've given it a four-star rating as it was very thought provoking. Concentrating on Alan and Lauren's "separation" to follow their individual duties, it definitely showed White's experience as a psychologist in facing relationship issues.
The story itself was interesting but inconsequential to the series in my opinion and progressed very slowly, with a strange timeline which didn't become apparent until midway.
I forgot to mention in a previous review that Stephen used the word oxymoron three times in a single book as if he had just learnt the word but one thing that is constant is that he uses the word "non sequitur" far too much. I haven't read a book of his that doesn't use it!
The story itself was interesting but inconsequential to the series in my opinion and progressed very slowly, with a strange timeline which didn't become apparent until midway.
I forgot to mention in a previous review that Stephen used the word oxymoron three times in a single book as if he had just learnt the word but one thing that is constant is that he uses the word "non sequitur" far too much. I haven't read a book of his that doesn't use it!
May 19, 2008
Stephen White continues to be my favorite Colorado author.
I love how White continues with the storyline, but deviates from the standard series formulas by presenting each new novel in ever more creative style. His character development is outstanding.
In the beginning of Dead Time his protagonist, Alan Gregory, has added a new son to his family and his wife travels to the Netherlands to locate a daughter she gave up for adoption.
Dead Time weaves between New York, Boulder and LA. We meet his ex-wife who asks Alan to help in locating the surrogate mother who has disappeared while carrying her baby. Alan then get caught up in a past mysterious disappearance of a young woman in the Grand Canyon.
I love how White continues with the storyline, but deviates from the standard series formulas by presenting each new novel in ever more creative style. His character development is outstanding.
In the beginning of Dead Time his protagonist, Alan Gregory, has added a new son to his family and his wife travels to the Netherlands to locate a daughter she gave up for adoption.
Dead Time weaves between New York, Boulder and LA. We meet his ex-wife who asks Alan to help in locating the surrogate mother who has disappeared while carrying her baby. Alan then get caught up in a past mysterious disappearance of a young woman in the Grand Canyon.
October 22, 2009
Two stars indicates I that think this book was OK. The story thankfully picks up in the last quarter of the book but for the most part I really didn't enjoy this book at all. The book is about the disappearance of a girl in the Grand Canyon several years earlier and how it somehow ties to a missing surrogate mother in present day. The narration bounces back and forth between Alan Gregory (White's usual central character) and his ex-wife, Meredith, to give different views of the same story. Unfortunately the story wasn't all that interesting.
March 22, 2015
I am a great fan of this series. Although the main character is Dr Alan Gregory, the stories do not always revolve around him nor are they always written in the same voice or format. This time, Dr Gregory is drawn into the life of his ex wife and her fiancée. He is also dealing with problems in his marriage and adjusting to family changes. Most enjoyable.
July 28, 2020
Another page turner. So glad I have 4 more by this guy to read!
October 7, 2019
Not good. Worst criticism of this tale would be that not one single character in this book is worth rooting for. Being 16 th book in series I wonder if author was burning out quality adventures for his protagonist. (?) At over 430 pages paperback it ran at least 150 pages too long. Two stars out of five possible. Leave this one alone on the shelf. I hope 17th book in series rebounds since I have it on my nightstand.
May 24, 2020
Good book - even though I didn't realize it was book #16 in the authors writing it still was pretty easy to follow the character line. Pretty good catch at the beginning as you realize something is going to happen but not sure what - 6 hikers in the Grand Canyon - 4 together and 2 together - yet upon leaving it is realized that 1 is missing - what each person does ultimately effects there life afterward.
May 7, 2018
These are always well written books. This story was pretty exciting with lots of action. It started with parallel stories which left me scratching my head. Soon the stories merged and the missing female hiker lost on the floor of the Grand Canyon became a part of the favor Dr. Alan Gregory’s first wife Meridith asked of him. A good read.
January 2, 2019
Back with friends
Once again, it's great to be back with friends. In book 16 of the series Alan's ex has a surrogate to give birth to the baby that she can't have. There is a girl who goes missing from the Grand Canyon years earlier that completely complicated everything. Many sub plots, twists and turns and this is a true Alan Gregory story. Loved the book, love the series.
Once again, it's great to be back with friends. In book 16 of the series Alan's ex has a surrogate to give birth to the baby that she can't have. There is a girl who goes missing from the Grand Canyon years earlier that completely complicated everything. Many sub plots, twists and turns and this is a true Alan Gregory story. Loved the book, love the series.
May 13, 2022
This story alternates between first-person perspectives and narratives of three characters. Such a structure is no doubt more interesting for the author in such a long-running series, but this reader found that it creates speed bumps in the smooth flow of the story. Perhaps it's just me, but with each perspective change I had to spend time remembering exactly who was doing what.
December 13, 2019
Wish I had read the last book more recently as this kind of continued it. Not that this book left hanging but I need to read the next sooner that later.
Lived in the Denver area for many year and stumbled onto Stephen White while I lived there.
Lived in the Denver area for many year and stumbled onto Stephen White while I lived there.
October 26, 2021
Stephen White takes you along with Alan Gregory on another adventure. Still reeling from his last adventure and mending his relationships with his wife Lauren and friend Sam, there is a lot to lose.
As always, Stephen White keeps you riveted to the story and the outcomes. I highly recommend it!
As always, Stephen White keeps you riveted to the story and the outcomes. I highly recommend it!
January 9, 2019
3.5 stars
January 15, 2019
A decent book, but to me it felt like there was to much of an attempt to have too many twists at the end. Even though I didn't enjoy the end so much, I really enjoyed the journey getting there.
March 21, 2019
Fantastic read
This book grabbed my attention in the first chapter and never let go. I even cancelled dinner plans to finish the book.
This book grabbed my attention in the first chapter and never let go. I even cancelled dinner plans to finish the book.
April 7, 2020
Alan Gregory knows some mighty peculiar people
May 9, 2021
liked it, read it in a day, good writing
October 20, 2021
Little off from the usual. More introspective from the characters point of view.
Dramatic ending.
Dramatic ending.
May 5, 2023
Not the best in the series. But still damn good!
September 9, 2023
Strong, suspenseful thriller - my first exposure to Alan Gregory and not my last.
February 16, 2024
Didn’t enjoy this book as much as others in the series, although there were some new characters introduced that I hope continue to play a part in the future.
December 7, 2024
4.5–loved this storyline and its intricacies!
May 29, 2010
PROTAGONIST: Alan Gregory
SETTING: Boulder, Colorado; New York
SERIES: #16 of 16
RATING: 3.75
To say that Dr. Alan Gregory's world is in a state of upheaval is an understatement. Still reeling from the death of his close friend and neighbor, Adrienne, he finds himself facing many emotional demands. Alan's ex-wife, Merideth, attends the memorial service for Adrienne. Although she was Adrienne's friend, she has an ulterior motive for being there. She and her fiancé have been working with a young woman named Lisa who is serving as the surrogate for their child. Lisa has disappeared, and Merideth is frantic. She asks Alan to contact their mutual friend and investigator, Sam Purdy to help. Alan and Sam have been somewhat estranged since a recent incident where their ethics didn't hold up. Despite that, both Alan and Sam become heavily involved in trying to find Lisa.
Adrienne's brother, Marty, is also at the service. He and Adrienne had a contentious relationship. Instead of relying on a family member to raise her son, Jonas, Adrienne requested that Alan and his wife, Lauren, become his guardians, which Marty seriously objects to. After much discussion, Alan agrees to allow Jonas to visit Marty and his family at their home in Long Island for the summer. Alan decides to anchor himself in New York City to be available if Jonas should need him.
And then there's the matter of Alan's marriage. He and his wife, Lauren, are going through a tough patch. Since Alan will be in New York for a prolonged period, Lauren decides to take their daughter to Amsterdam to see if she can make contact with the daughter that she put up for adoption many years before. Over the course of the book, the Gregorys' marriage is tested in ways that would never have been conceivable until recently.
The narrative mainly focuses on trying to find the missing surrogate, with the other threads woven in periodically throughout. As it turns out, Merideth's fiancé, Eric, went on a camping trip to the Grand Canyon when he was younger. There was an incident where a girl disappeared, and to this day her body has not been found. This trip ties in directly to several situations in the present day. White didn't totally play fair in providing the reader with all the background and facts required to figure out what happened, and some of the actions feel contrived.
As you can see, there's quite a lot going on in this book, and life is certainly not easy for Alan. All of these situations are dealt with reasonably well, but I found myself tiring of Alan and all his psychologizing, most especially in the scenes with his ex-wife. Every gesture and every word is loaded with meaning, which he analyzes. Thankfully, their interactions weren't a huge focus in the book. It also seemed "off" to me that Alan was so heavily involved in the search for Lisa.
Dead Time is the 16th book in the Alan Gregory series. Throughout the series, White has experimented with different approaches and that has resulted in keeping the series strong. In this one, he's moved Alan from his familiar Boulder, Colorado, milieu and placed him in several other settings. Overall, I found this book to be a competent entry in a series that I enjoy. It's not one of the stronger works, but it left me awaiting the 17th to find out where Alan and Lauren will be heading next. However, I would not recommend this book for those who haven't read the series before, as there are too many characters and situations from prior books for it to successfully stand alone.
SETTING: Boulder, Colorado; New York
SERIES: #16 of 16
RATING: 3.75
To say that Dr. Alan Gregory's world is in a state of upheaval is an understatement. Still reeling from the death of his close friend and neighbor, Adrienne, he finds himself facing many emotional demands. Alan's ex-wife, Merideth, attends the memorial service for Adrienne. Although she was Adrienne's friend, she has an ulterior motive for being there. She and her fiancé have been working with a young woman named Lisa who is serving as the surrogate for their child. Lisa has disappeared, and Merideth is frantic. She asks Alan to contact their mutual friend and investigator, Sam Purdy to help. Alan and Sam have been somewhat estranged since a recent incident where their ethics didn't hold up. Despite that, both Alan and Sam become heavily involved in trying to find Lisa.
Adrienne's brother, Marty, is also at the service. He and Adrienne had a contentious relationship. Instead of relying on a family member to raise her son, Jonas, Adrienne requested that Alan and his wife, Lauren, become his guardians, which Marty seriously objects to. After much discussion, Alan agrees to allow Jonas to visit Marty and his family at their home in Long Island for the summer. Alan decides to anchor himself in New York City to be available if Jonas should need him.
And then there's the matter of Alan's marriage. He and his wife, Lauren, are going through a tough patch. Since Alan will be in New York for a prolonged period, Lauren decides to take their daughter to Amsterdam to see if she can make contact with the daughter that she put up for adoption many years before. Over the course of the book, the Gregorys' marriage is tested in ways that would never have been conceivable until recently.
The narrative mainly focuses on trying to find the missing surrogate, with the other threads woven in periodically throughout. As it turns out, Merideth's fiancé, Eric, went on a camping trip to the Grand Canyon when he was younger. There was an incident where a girl disappeared, and to this day her body has not been found. This trip ties in directly to several situations in the present day. White didn't totally play fair in providing the reader with all the background and facts required to figure out what happened, and some of the actions feel contrived.
As you can see, there's quite a lot going on in this book, and life is certainly not easy for Alan. All of these situations are dealt with reasonably well, but I found myself tiring of Alan and all his psychologizing, most especially in the scenes with his ex-wife. Every gesture and every word is loaded with meaning, which he analyzes. Thankfully, their interactions weren't a huge focus in the book. It also seemed "off" to me that Alan was so heavily involved in the search for Lisa.
Dead Time is the 16th book in the Alan Gregory series. Throughout the series, White has experimented with different approaches and that has resulted in keeping the series strong. In this one, he's moved Alan from his familiar Boulder, Colorado, milieu and placed him in several other settings. Overall, I found this book to be a competent entry in a series that I enjoy. It's not one of the stronger works, but it left me awaiting the 17th to find out where Alan and Lauren will be heading next. However, I would not recommend this book for those who haven't read the series before, as there are too many characters and situations from prior books for it to successfully stand alone.
October 1, 2017
This book should have been titled "Relationship Time" instead of "Dead Time". With this entry, I've read 15 of Stephen White's Alan Gregory series. This was #16 in the series and the worst of the lot. Perhaps White's run out of energy or thrilling ideas. I gave it 2 stars because I finished it. There are now 18 books in the series. I've got to decide whether I'll try another one.
In this offering Gregory is approached by his ex-wife, Meridith, to help her locate a surrogate, Lisa, carrying her and her, fiancee, Eric's baby. As the story unfolds we are introduced to a number of complicated relationships, including Gregory's with both his ex and his current wife, Lauren, an M.S. sufferer. Turns out that both Eric and Lisa were part of a camping trip in the Grand Canyon, years ago, in which a young Estonian worker went missing and was never found. Meridith wants Gregory to enlist the help of Boulder Detective, Sam Purdy, Gregory's good friend. Purdy's on suspension from an incident in the previous book in the series, an incident that has strained Gregory's and Purdy's relationship.
Confused yet?
Gregory is in New York City, to be near his new step-child, Jason, the son of neighbor, Adrienne, who was killed in a terrorist bombing in Israel. He needs to monitor Jason's visit to his uncle Martin's house upstate. Meanwhile, his wife, Lauren, is in Holland with their daughter, Grace, trying to see a child Lauren gave up for adoption years ago.
Confused, yet?
Eventually, Gregory goes to Los Angeles to speak to a member of the Grand Canyon group who just happens to be the daughter of a Boulder colleague. In the process, the other members of the camping group and their room-mates and lovers get involved as they might know where Lisa is. Meanwhile, Purdy goes to the Grand Canyon to follow-up on the disappearance of the young Estonian woman.
Confused yet?
Eventually both Gregory and Purdy end up in Los Angeles and the mystery is resolved and the real villain exposed. Though not before Gregory struggles with whether or not to have sex with one of the young women involved and Purdy faces a broken relationship with an LA detective, Carmen.
Confused yet?
There are long stretches where all the different relationships are discussed. There are more of them than I've mentioned here and each relationship brings its own complications. I was able to keep it all straight because I've read 14 of the previous books in the series. I cannot recommend starting the Alan Gregory books with this one because I'm sure a reader, new to the series, would lose his or her way in the labyrinth of relationships and coincidental connections.
In this offering Gregory is approached by his ex-wife, Meridith, to help her locate a surrogate, Lisa, carrying her and her, fiancee, Eric's baby. As the story unfolds we are introduced to a number of complicated relationships, including Gregory's with both his ex and his current wife, Lauren, an M.S. sufferer. Turns out that both Eric and Lisa were part of a camping trip in the Grand Canyon, years ago, in which a young Estonian worker went missing and was never found. Meridith wants Gregory to enlist the help of Boulder Detective, Sam Purdy, Gregory's good friend. Purdy's on suspension from an incident in the previous book in the series, an incident that has strained Gregory's and Purdy's relationship.
Confused yet?
Gregory is in New York City, to be near his new step-child, Jason, the son of neighbor, Adrienne, who was killed in a terrorist bombing in Israel. He needs to monitor Jason's visit to his uncle Martin's house upstate. Meanwhile, his wife, Lauren, is in Holland with their daughter, Grace, trying to see a child Lauren gave up for adoption years ago.
Confused, yet?
Eventually, Gregory goes to Los Angeles to speak to a member of the Grand Canyon group who just happens to be the daughter of a Boulder colleague. In the process, the other members of the camping group and their room-mates and lovers get involved as they might know where Lisa is. Meanwhile, Purdy goes to the Grand Canyon to follow-up on the disappearance of the young Estonian woman.
Confused yet?
Eventually both Gregory and Purdy end up in Los Angeles and the mystery is resolved and the real villain exposed. Though not before Gregory struggles with whether or not to have sex with one of the young women involved and Purdy faces a broken relationship with an LA detective, Carmen.
Confused yet?
There are long stretches where all the different relationships are discussed. There are more of them than I've mentioned here and each relationship brings its own complications. I was able to keep it all straight because I've read 14 of the previous books in the series. I cannot recommend starting the Alan Gregory books with this one because I'm sure a reader, new to the series, would lose his or her way in the labyrinth of relationships and coincidental connections.
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