Fatal Analysis

Grant Garrick #2

by Tom Bierdz

When Megan Wilshire asks Psychiatrist Grant Garrick to help her suicidal sister, Sasha, who refuses to come in for therapy, he questions how meaningful such treatment in absentia can be. But he can't resist this mysterious and seductive femme fatal. Vulnerable and still reeling from his crumbling world, Grant goes far beyond accepting distant Sasha as a patient. He falls for Megan and they begin an affair. Psychiatrists are forbidden to sleep with their patients. But Megan is not a patient, or is she?
Little by little, as the relationship intensifies, events occur that cause Grant to question who really is this Megan woman?
Then when Sasha overdoses, it's as if history has repeated. Grant blames himself. But Detective Rollins questions if Sasha's death was self-induced. He suspects foul play, but where's the evidence? Grant seeks to track down Megan's background. Crossing the line has put him in danger. But as he pulls away, she draws closer, threatening his professional standing and his life.
A case like no other, Fatal Analysis is a psychiatrist's worse nightmare. In this suspenseful, page turner, the mystery behind the encounter is not revealed until the very end.

Genres: Psychological Thriller

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2017

About the author

Tom Bierdz, a retired psychotherapist, was born and raised in Kenosha,WI. He earned a BA degree from Marquette University and a Master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago. He worked in public welfare in Milwaukee and Kenosha before becoming the Director of Catholic Social Services in Racine, WI. From there he went into the private practice of psychotherapy.

Several years later he retired his psychotherapy practice, earned his insurance and stockbroker's license,secured a CFP degree and practiced as a Certified Financial Planner.

Tom has been passionate about needing to express himself artistically. He dabbled with writing from time to time before giving it full energy during his retirement. Finally, he has committed to publish independently.

He and his wife, Susan, reside in Washington State.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Book 1 (Blindsided), I saved Book 2 for when I had the time to enjoy and savour it properly and I am glad I did. What a brilliant writer Tom Bierdz is - this book is unputdownable, the plot is great, the action fast paced, the characters well developed. Yes, Grant is a bit pathetic, but he is also so very human and I can totally imagine how the demons in his head must work to get him in that place.

Megan, a beautiful and exciting young woman turns up at Grant's practice, looking for help with her sister who was abused by her therapist, and is now in deep depression. Because of the abuse, her sister, Sasha is not prepared to see another psychiatrist but she definitely needs help, especially as she is contemplating suicide as well as being with an abusive husband. Against his better judgement, Grant decides to help Sasha, through Megan, and again, against his better judgement, Grant gets involved with Megan, sexually, emotionally, and finds himself considering moving in with her; that is until Sasha is found dead from an overdose and a police detective refuses to believe that it was suicide.

My only criticism is that Tom Bierdz does not write fast enough to satisfy my hunger for his books!!

[Jane Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Fatal Analysis by Tom Bierdz. The story is a typical femme fatale tale: man falls in love with a gorgeous female and then slowly finds out things about her that make him question her veracity and their relationship.

What makes this story outstanding is the writing. Throughout the story, I was in Grant's mind trying to puzzle out the details of this relationship while dealing with of mountain of personal problems. The pace is quick, the major characters are well-developed, and the suspense keeps building. How much more could go wrong in Grant's life?  You'll just have to read the book to see.

[Tom Bierdz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most writers, I usually don't go back and read my books once they're published. I go on to the next one. But I considered entering Fatal Analysis in a contest and read it again. Damn! I'll put that against any of the bestsellers by the big authors. It's that good! If you haven't read it, you should.

The problem with contests is only the first few pages get read. That is understandable considering the number of pages. My influence was Alfred Hitchcock. He said, to paraphrase, "It's all about the ending."

[Bob Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did receive a copy of this book from the author. What follows is an honest review.

A story of a alcoholic psychiatrist does not really sound like it would be interesting. To skip over this book would be a mistake. If you like a good tale of suspense, and a little mystery as well, then this is a book that you would want to pick up.

I felt it started a little slow but it really needed to because it takes time to introduce the myriad of characters that populate Grant Garrick's life. If you can stick with it, you will have a story that will keep you interested to the end.

The writing is tight, giving you the detailed information that you need to keep the story going. There are no sudden twists where you feel cheated because the author brings something up at the last minute to solve the problem.

I recommend this to most anybody. Sexual relations are hinted at but not explained in detail like so many authors feel like they have to do of late. If you like a good mystery/thriller, this is the book for you.

[doreen elixman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grant Garrick works as a psychiatrist, and, after his son committed suicide, he feels like an imposter. He’s also divorced. He lost his wife shortly after he lost his son. His reputation has taken a nosedive, he been known as a womanizer, he recently got a DUI, and someone’s trying to set him up.

When Megan Wilshire walks into his office, throwing around Ben Franklins, Grant does’t quite know how to handle it. She says she wants to help her sister, but Grant still needs to sort this out. Something just doesn’t sit right.

Then...she finally did it. Sasha finally offed herself. Just like Megan had threatened she’d do. But there’s a slight possibility that it may not have been suicide. Who would’ve done that?

In this psychological thriller by Thomas Bierdz, he takes you on a rather different adventure. Full of intrigue and the unknown, Bierdz has a way of ensnaring each reader into a world of lies you won’t believe.

[Christine Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Are Not Cookie Cutter People

This is a well crafted psychological mystery. The characters are not cookie cutter people. They are plagued by real issues that sometimes get the upper hand in their daily life. Life is messy and difficult to accept. As Tom Bierdz knows from his previous career, these issues must be worked through or they will interfere with every decision you make.

This is a five star read that made me want to stay with the story to find out what happens. I thought I had the mystery solved early in the book and thought this can't be the solution it's boring. I was right, I had it all wrong and then the story got even more interesting. I will watch for book number three in the Grant Garrick series. I liked the characters enough to want to see how their lives are progressing.

[Annemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grant has lost a lot of his patients because his way of handling the death of his son and the breakup of his marriage was to party hard and see how many conquests he could make. The Press had a field day when he lost his license due to driving whilst drunk and this did not help his reputation one bit.
Then along comes a 'femme fatale' to complicate his life even more. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but Grant is wary of commitment and also a tad fearful of her because of her temper.
It appears his feelings are justified as there are layers to this 'femme fatale' that she definitely doesn't want him to know about.
Fatal Analysis is a fast paced Psychological Thriller that will keep you reading for hours. Happy reading. Annemarie

[Ralph Phares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not What I Expected!

While there was a little too much psychobabble for me, I was expecting our primary character to meet his demise. The twists and turns kept me guessing. I must admit that the fate of the antagonist caught me by surprise. The flow was a little sluggish in parts of the story but overall I think the story held together quite we. I thoroughly enjoyed the book in spite of its few distractions.

[Jim B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can Dr. Grant Garrick, an intelligent and successful professional, be so stupid. It's a good thing he has good friends. The book gets very exiting at the end, but don't skip to the end. You will miss all the good character building by the author and why the end is exciting.

If you have not read the prequel, Blind Sided, do so to understand how he got so stupid.

[Lois Welsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit of the case of Physician heal thyself. You will see why when you start reading the book.

Grant is dealing with his son's death, his divorce, his practice going down after his DUI and a relationship with someone that is very unpredictable.

This is why his judgement is a bit off.

There are interesting characters in the book.

There are also surprises.

[Marlys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this a review copy of this books and I chose to review it. I enjoyed this book, it held me interest and the characters were realistic. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[JoAnne Pegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

How well do you know the people you are personally involved with?

Loved this book and gave it 5 stars because it kept me interested and was full of suspense and mystery. People who enjoy this type of reading I would recommend this book.

[DOROTHY SILLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery book that was hard to put down. A very good plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end (even though I did not trust Megan from the beginning).
I recommend this book to everyone who likes a good mystery.

[STELLA SUTTON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos Author Tom Bierdz!!

One of the best psychological thrillers! Very pathological, but brilliant female victimizer! Not a dull moment of reading. We are left breathless, and ready for more at the conclusion!

Stella sutton

[Julie Siemek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written novel about a psychiatrist and the almost-patient he became involved with. Great storyline with lots of twists and turns.

[Ann Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the character development in this book.

The book was very exciting. I hated to put it down.
I can't wait to read the next one in the series

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, who would of thought this could get any better. Had me gripped until the end. Grant gets a request to help a suicidal person in abstentia He decides to try. Definitely need more.

[kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psychologist Grant Garrett is back with new patients, adventure and suspense. Well developed characters and their interactions are a highlight for my reading time.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page turner, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[S M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

Gripping and with a wonderful twist that runs throughout. Well written and thought throughout.
My heart was in my throat more than once.
Totally recommend this series.

[Elizabeth Kitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book hard to put down

First time I’ve read anything by this author but will be looking for a sequel along with his other books

[Frances R. Aldridge]

I like the way the book flowed, never boring with several twists. Very hard to put the book down. Looking forward to more Tom Bierdtz books

[Ari Maayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Well written. Plenty of suspense.

[Bonnye Reed]

Free electronic copy from the author

[Bettyboop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read ‘Blindsided’, ‘Masked Intentions’ and now ‘Fatal Analysis’ all 5 star reading. Author, Tom Bierdz work in psychology has given him an excellent background for Grant Garrick’s development and his intriguing, emotional and suspenseful storylines. I get so absorbed, I can feel the fear, pain and grief in the storylines, but I feel anger, too, for Grant’s self destructive ways. He’s an alcoholic, womanizer, and sex addict that stretches ethics to fit his wrong doing. I love him! don’t let this turn you off because he’s one engaging character. Mr. Bierdz writing style uses psychology to give a deeper understanding of characters and their actions. These actions make ‘Fatal Analysis’ compelling reading and an excellent goodread.

[Hanna-Anneli Belt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free eBook of this in return for a review. The premise is really interesting, and it's great that the author has real life experience in the psychiatry. In my mind the best pieces were when describing the psychological symptoms of the main character's patients and the female protagonist. The psychological motives were credible and interesting. But the male protagonist isn't very interesting or likable, unfortunately. I really wanted to like this book and support a new author. But this book just doesn't deliver the promise. Because I don't like sports, the baseball and tennis game scenes were really boring. And quite early I guessed a lot about the female protagonist, not all but quite a lot anyway, and subsequent revelations weren't really so exiting. All in all, the tension and excitement of a true psychological thriller were sadly mostly lacking. By no means is this book bad, just not really good either.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very exciting mystery/thriller about a psychiatrist (Grant Garrick) who finds himself falling for a woman (Megan) who claims to be asking for his advice on her sister's mental health. When the sister apparently commits suicide Grant finds himself a part of an investigation into the sister's death, but also drawn into an affair with Megan.
Things go rapidly downhill for Grant from this point, and he finds himself in a nightmare predicament, with potentially deadly consequences.
The characters were all very complex and believable, the plot is original and the action sequences all extremely well written.
But, I do have to ask whether a supposedly intelligent, trained psychiatrist would be as easily manipulated, or indeed led by his libido, as Grant is, this is a crucial part of the plot, and is why I have knocked off a star. But if you overlook this minor failing this is still a genuinely very compulsive page-turner with a real twist at the end.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was perhaps one of the most captivating I've ever read! It captured my attention from the beginning and never let go. Awesome writing, lots of action and intrigue. A truly great psychological thriller, this would make a fabulous movie. Definitely looking forward to next one in the series!