Conditional Voluntary

by Geoffrey A. Feller

Patrick Coyne knows that the Drug Enforcement Agency is watching him, even though his psychiatrist calls it paranoia. Oddly enough, Patrick begins to feel safe as a patient at a mental hospital. He even calms down an angry girl named Justine and thinks his love life might come alive at last. Yet there are reasons why Justine is also in the hospital. Will legally prescribed medication save Patrick from the DEA? And why won't the staff let him have a girlfriend?

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2012

About the author

The author of eight novels and the Natalie Dvorak Mystery series, Geoffrey A. Feller was born in the early 1960s in the Bible Belt but grew up in a Massachusetts college town. A somewhat restless adulthood has led to several homes over the years from Albuquerque to Berlin, although he has mostly alternated between Massachusetts and Minnesota. He has worked a variety of office jobs but has also acted in plays and performed improvisational comedy. He enjoys spicy food and currently lives in Minneapolis with his wife and their miniature dachshund.

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patrick Coyne wakes up in a strange place, and with a sinking feeling realizes he is in the psych ward.
This is a sympathetic and straightforward look at mental illness.
I didn't like the shifting point of view. The writing was a bit stilted, but quite detailed. I found that even though the writing style didn't agree with me I felt a connection to Patrick and wanted to know what happened to him in the end.
That end turned out to be rather sad, and a little disappointing, but quite fitting. And entirely realistic.