Delusion

Peter Zaks Mystery #3

by G.H. Ephron

Forensic psychologist Peter Zak, hired to determine whether Nick Babikian's paranoia led him to stab his wife to death, is feeling a little paranoid himself. Despite the fact that the man who murdered his own wife is in prison, Peter has reason to believe that Ralston Bridges is behind the break-ins at his house, the tricks being played on his girlfriend, even the illegally installed surveillance system he discovers in his home. Is Babikian's paranoia catching, or is Bridges, a patient at the same mental hospital where Nick is being held, actually manipulating Peter with the help of an outside accomplice? And why is the detective assigned to the case so anxious to pin the murder on someone that he's ignoring important evidence from Nick's own in-house security system? Fans of Jonathan Kellerman and Stephen White, take note: here's a psychological thriller that's chilling enough to make you wonder who's watching you, too. --Jane Adams

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Hallie Ephron and forensic neuropsychologist Donald Davidof are co-authors of the Dr. Peter Zak medical/psychological mysteries. They write under the shared pseudonum G.H. Ephron. The character of Dr. Zak is based loosely on Don, who runs a unit at the McLean, Harvard's psychiatric hospital, and often consults as an expert witness for the defense in criminal cases.

Reviews

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this years ago, when it came out, and I have a signed copy to prove it, but I had forgotten a lot of the mystery until rereading it during the pandemic of 2020. The paranoid feeling is very current!

The mystery does finally come together, but by the time it does, I almost don't care. I have no sympathy for the villain and not enough identification with the hero. His mother? There's somebody I'd like to hear more about.

[RaeAnne Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't realized when I started reading that this was part of a series, but I was able to follow along fine without reading any of the previous books. The authors' explain the past memories well enough that you're not confused. Well written mystery. Hard to guess on your own until the last few chapters, which makes the story come together perfectly. I'll be interested to read the authors' other stories now.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback

Naar dependance Roberts kruidentuin.

[krlittleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much improvement on book two ... more mystery less stupidity!

[Lillian Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book despite picking up the series on the third installment. It had a solid plot and decent writing. I never felt confused or left in the dark - every clue was explained or recalled. However, there were a few things that stuck out to me while reading (SPOILERS BELOW)

Hailey Ephron has a favorite word - innocuous. She uses it quite frequently, in almost every chapter. When I picked up on it, it kind of pulled me out of the story.

I wish there was more of a shock to the ending, despite everything making sense. Even though the killer makes perfect sense, I was so sure Nick's mother had went postal after recalling her holocaust past. It would've been a nice twist.

I really enjoyed the fact that the chair setting ands the missing corkscrew were ordinary happenings that were flared due to paranoia. However, I never really felt that the two main characters were in love. While there were a few sex scenes, there weren't any deep conversations or talks about the relationship to make me believe it was more than a casual liking. Now, I may've missed flirting or build up in the first two books and I understand this genre doesn't dive deep into love, but a few more clues during quiet moments would've sealed the deal for me.

Overall, this book was a solid read. It's hard to keep my attention so the fact that I couldn't put it down is a huge indicator of how well the storyline was thread together.

[Carol Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the authors, Hallie Ephron, is one of the famous Ephron sisters. She and her forensic neuropsychologist co-author are good writers who have created an interesting series about Peter Zak, a forensic neuropsychologist in Boston. This is a well-plotted, fast-paced story that I enjoyed due to the combination of mystery and medical thriller genres.

[Suziqoregon · Rating 3 out of 5]

My blog post about this book is at this link.

[Mary G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a good book. I really liked the main character.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I said before, I knew I would enjoy it and be intrigued in Ephron's process. Delusion didn't disappoint!

[Mary Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solidly written and great story. Enjoyed all the books in this series. Only wondering why there are no more!!