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Perfect Posture: a cop-vs-killer psychological thriller set in Chicago - The Jonathan Dearfield Trilogy Book 1
Perfect Posture is a psychological thriller set in Chicago—a city unknowingly teetering on the edge of darkness. In the tradition of Bosch and echoing the chilling atmosphere of Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, this novel explores the razor-thin line between justice and evil.
When the body of a young girl, posed in rigor mortis, is discovered on a luggage carousel at O’Hare Airport, clutching a stuffed elephant adorned with political buttons, the city’s media machine reels and coins “The Patriotic Killer,” believing she is the first victim. However, unknown to the city at large, Lieutenant Jonathan Dearfield (JD) and his team have already discovered two other victims posed by this madman who is screaming to be noticed, while playing a cryptic game of cop vs. killer—and now the clock is running out.
As JD dives deeper into the case, Perfect Posture pulls readers into the fractured psyche of a killer and the relentless pursuit of those determined to stop him. The story unfolds across a richly textured Chicago landscape, weaving in historical echoes, twisted relationships, and moments of comical and dark humor. With every turn, the tension mounts, and when a member of their team goes missing, it leads to a climax as catastrophic as it is unforgettable.
This is not just a serial killer story—it’s a battle for the soul of Chicago.
Amazon Reader Reviews:
A great read. Very descriptive writing, well developed characters and interesting plot. Nicely crafted suspense and fully entertaining. Is this the start of a JD & Bo series? One could only hope.
This was a great book, really enjoyed all the twists and turns. I always appreciate when the author does lots of research, makes the book so believable. Hopefully this 1st time author has started writing a new book!
Loved this book... great character development, and lots of fun to see our city (Chicago) highlighted throughout! I read this a long time ago, but am just now entering a review - (spoiler alert!) it was so fun to see characters from this book appear in the second novel! Check out both books if you like history rolled into your drama!!
When the body of a young girl, posed in rigor mortis, is discovered on a luggage carousel at O’Hare Airport, clutching a stuffed elephant adorned with political buttons, the city’s media machine reels and coins “The Patriotic Killer,” believing she is the first victim. However, unknown to the city at large, Lieutenant Jonathan Dearfield (JD) and his team have already discovered two other victims posed by this madman who is screaming to be noticed, while playing a cryptic game of cop vs. killer—and now the clock is running out.
As JD dives deeper into the case, Perfect Posture pulls readers into the fractured psyche of a killer and the relentless pursuit of those determined to stop him. The story unfolds across a richly textured Chicago landscape, weaving in historical echoes, twisted relationships, and moments of comical and dark humor. With every turn, the tension mounts, and when a member of their team goes missing, it leads to a climax as catastrophic as it is unforgettable.
This is not just a serial killer story—it’s a battle for the soul of Chicago.
Amazon Reader Reviews:
A great read. Very descriptive writing, well developed characters and interesting plot. Nicely crafted suspense and fully entertaining. Is this the start of a JD & Bo series? One could only hope.
This was a great book, really enjoyed all the twists and turns. I always appreciate when the author does lots of research, makes the book so believable. Hopefully this 1st time author has started writing a new book!
Loved this book... great character development, and lots of fun to see our city (Chicago) highlighted throughout! I read this a long time ago, but am just now entering a review - (spoiler alert!) it was so fun to see characters from this book appear in the second novel! Check out both books if you like history rolled into your drama!!
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2015
About the author
Scott Lothian
4 books13 followersI am a retired clinical/IT pharmacist. After graduating from Purdue University, I practiced for over 40 years at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, specializing in solid organ transplant, oncology, and pain management. I now write character-centric stories that combine real life with history and humor. Readers will always find characters whom they will love to love or love to hate, and I hope they wonder, “Where are they now?” long after they have finished reading. My writing is influenced by authors such as Ken Follett, Erik Larson, Stephen King, Dan Brown, and many others. So far, I have published The Jonathan Dearfield Trilogy and a biotech thriller, The Resistance Gene.
The Jonathan Dearfield Trilogy comprises three stand-alone stories with their own distinct atmospheres and structures, spanning three generations and nearly two decades.
Perfect Posture (a classic cop vs. killer murder mystery/psychological thriller) aims to create a palpable good versus evil tension in the reader—much like that effected by Erik Larson’s classic Devil in the White City—by taking them inside the mind of a killer while chronicling the lives of those committed to stopping the escalating carnage. This book is rich with Chicago area history and filled with personalities and relationships—both dark and occasionally comical—that readers will grow to love or hate as they follow the non-stop action to a twisting, catastrophic end. (Think Bosch with a Devil in the White City vibe.)
Deep Waters (a historical fiction/suspense thriller hybrid) follows Jack as his life evolves from a 15-year-old high school football quarterback to a crew member of the USS Indianapolis—the ship that delivered the nuclear bomb that helped end World War II and then suffered the worst open ocean shark attack in U.S. naval history. Jack’s story starts in Janesville, Wisconsin, then carves a path across the globe—Lake Geneva, Great Lakes Naval Base, Glenview Naval Air Station, San Francisco, the Philippine Sea—and home again. Upon his return, Jack finds he is a war hero everywhere except in his hometown. As Jack grapples with the ghosts of his past and the weight of survival, he becomes unknowingly entangled in a shadowy conflict between ancient forces of good and evil. A mysterious rumor of a second bomb aboard the Indianapolis resurfaces, threatening to ignite a new catastrophe. Then, years after the war, with the covert help of twin sisters—descendants of a lone Templar knight from a remote island in Japan—and his estranged son, Jack must confront his past, uncover a 700-year-old secret, and prevent the nuclear destruction of an American city. (Think Unbroken meets The Da Vinci Code.)
Daddy’s Girl (a not-what-it-seems father-daughter murder mystery thriller with overlapping timelines to show differing perspectives of the evolving storyline) is a tale of a father’s torment, a daughter’s love and perseverance, and retribution for a wife and mother that starts with Leah Avondale’s father being arrested for her disappearance and possible murder, among other crimes. As the story moves from the Chicago suburbs to Mountain, Wisconsin, just northeast of the Menominee Reservation, the “truth” evolves throughout this story of friendship, cruelty, deceit, and hope. Further woven into this story of survival and courtroom drama are a corrupt cop, a deceitful priest, FBI agents, mysterious Druid ceremonies in the forest, missing girls, gullible teens, powerfully evil men, a deaf Native American named Silent Wolf, a killer bear, and an albino princess who dupes them all. (Think Gone Girl flipped on its head.)
The Resistance Gene
If you think Big Tech has you tangled in algorithms now... just wait until they come for your DNA.
A ruthless biotech empire discovers a rare, game-changing gene and will stop at nothing to control it—including murder! However, Madison Abigail Decker—a young survivor of their attempted genocide—and karma have other plans.
The Jonathan Dearfield Trilogy comprises three stand-alone stories with their own distinct atmospheres and structures, spanning three generations and nearly two decades.
Perfect Posture (a classic cop vs. killer murder mystery/psychological thriller) aims to create a palpable good versus evil tension in the reader—much like that effected by Erik Larson’s classic Devil in the White City—by taking them inside the mind of a killer while chronicling the lives of those committed to stopping the escalating carnage. This book is rich with Chicago area history and filled with personalities and relationships—both dark and occasionally comical—that readers will grow to love or hate as they follow the non-stop action to a twisting, catastrophic end. (Think Bosch with a Devil in the White City vibe.)
Deep Waters (a historical fiction/suspense thriller hybrid) follows Jack as his life evolves from a 15-year-old high school football quarterback to a crew member of the USS Indianapolis—the ship that delivered the nuclear bomb that helped end World War II and then suffered the worst open ocean shark attack in U.S. naval history. Jack’s story starts in Janesville, Wisconsin, then carves a path across the globe—Lake Geneva, Great Lakes Naval Base, Glenview Naval Air Station, San Francisco, the Philippine Sea—and home again. Upon his return, Jack finds he is a war hero everywhere except in his hometown. As Jack grapples with the ghosts of his past and the weight of survival, he becomes unknowingly entangled in a shadowy conflict between ancient forces of good and evil. A mysterious rumor of a second bomb aboard the Indianapolis resurfaces, threatening to ignite a new catastrophe. Then, years after the war, with the covert help of twin sisters—descendants of a lone Templar knight from a remote island in Japan—and his estranged son, Jack must confront his past, uncover a 700-year-old secret, and prevent the nuclear destruction of an American city. (Think Unbroken meets The Da Vinci Code.)
Daddy’s Girl (a not-what-it-seems father-daughter murder mystery thriller with overlapping timelines to show differing perspectives of the evolving storyline) is a tale of a father’s torment, a daughter’s love and perseverance, and retribution for a wife and mother that starts with Leah Avondale’s father being arrested for her disappearance and possible murder, among other crimes. As the story moves from the Chicago suburbs to Mountain, Wisconsin, just northeast of the Menominee Reservation, the “truth” evolves throughout this story of friendship, cruelty, deceit, and hope. Further woven into this story of survival and courtroom drama are a corrupt cop, a deceitful priest, FBI agents, mysterious Druid ceremonies in the forest, missing girls, gullible teens, powerfully evil men, a deaf Native American named Silent Wolf, a killer bear, and an albino princess who dupes them all. (Think Gone Girl flipped on its head.)
The Resistance Gene
If you think Big Tech has you tangled in algorithms now... just wait until they come for your DNA.
A ruthless biotech empire discovers a rare, game-changing gene and will stop at nothing to control it—including murder! However, Madison Abigail Decker—a young survivor of their attempted genocide—and karma have other plans.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 30, 2021
This is, in ways, a love story filled with Chicago history side by side with a horrific serial killer case that might just keep you up at night. Great story line and characters with a fantastic ending.
October 12, 2021
Well written! Kept me guessing all the way to the end!
February 5, 2021
Per Amazon reviews:
Excellent read -- and this is the author's first book! Great fiction with Chicago area references -- perfect for Baby Boomer generation. If I had the time, I never would have put it down -- I love mysteries, and this one was well written with much character development. Looking forward to the author's second book!
Enjoyed reading this book during quarantine time. The pacing was well done and the author has a knack for great dialogue that can turn on a dime based on the situation. Hoping to see the characters again in a future novel.
Excellent read -- and this is the author's first book! Great fiction with Chicago area references -- perfect for Baby Boomer generation. If I had the time, I never would have put it down -- I love mysteries, and this one was well written with much character development. Looking forward to the author's second book!
Enjoyed reading this book during quarantine time. The pacing was well done and the author has a knack for great dialogue that can turn on a dime based on the situation. Hoping to see the characters again in a future novel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews