Slow Slide Into the Truth: A Therapist's Tale

by Kim St. Clair

Psychotherapist Beth Linn is trying to stay focused on her work in the town where she grew up. But she’s becoming increasingly triangulated between clients in a situation she senses could become deadly and the discovery of long-held secrets about her own past.



Kim St. Clair’s thrilling debut novel takes us deep into the experiences of being both therapist and client. We enter the uncomfortable spaces of the profession—the isolation of confidentiality and the weight of possessing information that cannot be shared. We witness the vulnerability of being a client and how difficult it can be to trust a therapist. Ultimately, this gifted author allows us to see how beautiful—and terrifying—it is to expose our pain to a professional we hope possesses the skills and compassion to realize what we need. Once drawn into this skillfully interwoven story, we can’t help but emerge ready to listen to the tiny voices inside our heads that lead us out of fear and into freedom.





Slow Slide into the Truth—



“Beth’s hand shook as she gripped the vial and watched the foam from her saliva bubble precariously close to the rim like champagne in a flute. She wondered if she would regret this moment forever as she lifted it up to the light to ensure that the liquid had reached the full line. Her innocence would soon end when the sample was mailed and there was no longer an escape from the truth it would reveal. You have no choice, she told herself, as she closed the lid and watched the liquid in the cap mix with her DNA. She shook it gently, exactly as instructed, and placed it in the bag marked SAMPLE, careful to firmly adhere the seal and confirm that the ID number matched what she had just entered online. The blank space designated for username remained empty as she wrestled with how to proceed. The truth was not an option.”



* * * * *



“Beth felt a chill go down her spine. Something about this client’s energy felt off. Her stories, if seen on the written page, were dark, yet her body language did not match the narrative. Week after week Beth listened to her report the details of her husband’s outbursts, each account worse than the last, but Beth was distracted by the qualities of her speech. It was lyrical with a resonance you would use to describe puppies or a gorgeous sunset, not abuse, and it triggered a familiar fear in Beth. Her jaw tensed and her heart rate increased with each word that flowed silkily from her client’s mouth like a siren’s song.”



Kim St. Clair is a trauma-informed psychotherapist certified in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) working in private practice. She was born in Northeast Ohio and spent most of her life there but has enjoyed moving around the country for the last 13 years and currently lives near Austin, Texas. When not seeing clients or writing, she is happiest outside practicing yoga, biking, or sitting beside water enjoying the view.

Genres: Fiction

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win a kindle edition of this book through Goodreads.

I highly recommend this book! The story kept me on my toes with intriguing characters and a twisty, thought provoking plot. Slow Slide Into the Truth was a quick and entertaining standalone that I hope will get turned into a series. Beth is such a fun, interesting, neat character; I’d love a sequel (or prequel) where we learn more about what makes her tick. I really loved the therapy sessions part of the book. It’s an interesting approach to storytelling and I enjoyed figuring out how everything fit together. I’ve had hundreds of hours of therapy as a client, so I appreciated the view into what really lies behind the mask of stoic professionalism. It’s a good reminder that we realize that therapists are just like us!!!! I really enjoyed this read and I really want more of this character!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting enough

This was a goodreads giveaway win for me but my review is my own.

3.5 rounded up. I liked the layout of the book with the chapters being different clients. It was an interesting story that took a different turn than I expected. There were a few grammar mistakes and the ending was somewhat abrupt tying up the loose ends, but k really I enjoyed it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! Right from the outset you find yourself immersed in the world of Beth Linn and needing to know more about her and the story she has to tell. It's one of those reads that you just don't want to put down.

This book gives an inside look into how complex the lives of therapists are behind the scenes while also pulling you into a fun and twisty journey of small town connections and drama. Definitely a must read!

[Elizabeth (Donnamartinreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this solid debut novel about a therapist who finds herself enmeshed in the lives of her clients and their complicated web of small town secrets.

The therapy sessions were my favorite part of the book. It’s an interesting approach to storytelling and I enjoyed figuring out how everything fit together. I’ve had hundreds of hours of therapy as a client, so I appreciated the view into what really lies behind the mask of stoic professionalism. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to tell you it’s not as calm as it seems.
Therapists: they’re just like us!

All in all, Slow Slide Into the Truth was a quick and entertaining standalone that I can see getting turned into a series. Beth is such a fascinating character; I’d love a sequel (or prequel) where we learn more about what makes her tick.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This book was slow to start but by 70% I didn’t want to put it down. The characters are all interesting and it is encouraging to see their growth due to therapy. These are some pieces of the story that could be removed or more fully developed. For instance, the therapist is counseling a couple, but they don’t have any impact on the main story line. They could easily be removed and the story would not change.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group for choosing me.

The betrayal. Wow.

I loved how it was all executed. The chapters were broken up into short, easy to follow along scenes. Each one gives a different angle to the story and adds information that may or may not be useful to the puzzle but is somehow still necessary to the story.

Absolutely enjoyed the ride and hope to read more of Kim St. Clair's work.

[George Stenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads free book.

Dr. Linn is a therapist and is worried that some of her patients are trying to use her for their own purpose. "Queen" is the head of a private school and is trying to convince Dr. Linn that she is being abused by her husband to help her potential divorce. When there is an explosion at a private school, is the Queen behind it in order to increase enrollment at her private school?

She is also supervising another therapist who is treating a relative of Dr. Linn's patient and there are confidentiality issues.

The book is heavy on family drama that is related to the relationship of Dr. Linn's parents and their best friends. There is a nice twist at the end.

[Alyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of drama in this book which kept it pretty interesting the whole way through. I think was expecting more of the pieces to fit together in the end, and when they didn’t it made the ending feel a bit abrupt. I thought the characters were all pretty well developed, though. And the author maintained the tense atmosphere throughout.

Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway :)

[Kayla Lister · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like it dragged on and on for me. The main character being a therapist was not believable. She always seemed to be second guessing herself, and the other characters in the book even fell flat. I only gave it two stars because I was able to finish it due to it not being extremely long.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

decent story

This was a decent book, going into the workings of what being a psychotherapist is like. However, I gauge how good books are by comparing them to my favorite author, Penelope Lively. This book did not come close to being as good as one of Ms. Lively’s.

[Yvonne Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. The author did a good job developing the characters and the therapy sessions were interesting. Some parts of the book didn't really seem to connect to the main story line.
Thanks for the free book.

[Donna M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

exciting until the very end

The drama sneaks up on you. I liked the middle part, as the drama builds. But right after the climax nothing is explained, which I found very disappointing. The villain isn’t real, isn’t complex. I found the end too abrupt and disappointing.

[Megan Harvell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down.

[Beverly Reid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to come back to adjust my stars.

This was TERRIBLE and how the heck you can do pretty good then half way completely tank a good tale ... Beyond me.

Don't have anybody to edit and advise HUGE rewrites?

Uggggg

[Pamela Jo Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started a little slow but as everybody starts spilling their secrets and the therapists have to decide if there is any true danger behind their clients words (and actions) and those of their clients families as well as dealing with their own personal drama and family tragedy. The phrases “it’s a small world” and “6 degrees of Kevin Bacon” echo through my mind and the story plays out and I started realizing who’s related to whom … who’s telling the biggest lies and who has the most to lose. I liked it! 😉

- [ ] Disclaimer - I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.