What do you think?
Rate this book
Peter Zaks Mystery #3
Delusion
From the acclaimed author of Amnesia and Addiction comes the story of a paranoid man accused of killing his wife-is he ill, or is he a great actor trying to get away with murder?
Forensic neuropsychologist at Boston's prestigious Pearce Psychiatric Center and expert defense witness Peter Zak regularly testifies at murder trials on issues like a defendant's conception of right and wrong or the reliability of a witness's memory. This time a lawyer calls Peter to the scene of a crime-Nick Babikian has just found his wife brutally stabbed and floating in their backyard pool. The lawyer wants Peter to assess Nick's state of mind. A brilliant but paranoid man who's made millions inventing and marketing his own computer role-playing game, he was working in the house while his wife was stabbed, and he's certain to be accused of wielding the knife.
Nick claims his innocence, but he has no proof, though certainly some of what he claims seems true. For example, there are signs his wife was having an affair. And oddly, the longer they work together, the more Peter relates to Nick's feelings. For Peter himself becomes more and more convinced that his own wife's killer, a man who's supposed to be serving life in prison, is somehow tormenting him at home and at work.
It's up to Peter to separate fact from fiction in this chilling entry in a masterful series.
Forensic neuropsychologist at Boston's prestigious Pearce Psychiatric Center and expert defense witness Peter Zak regularly testifies at murder trials on issues like a defendant's conception of right and wrong or the reliability of a witness's memory. This time a lawyer calls Peter to the scene of a crime-Nick Babikian has just found his wife brutally stabbed and floating in their backyard pool. The lawyer wants Peter to assess Nick's state of mind. A brilliant but paranoid man who's made millions inventing and marketing his own computer role-playing game, he was working in the house while his wife was stabbed, and he's certain to be accused of wielding the knife.
Nick claims his innocence, but he has no proof, though certainly some of what he claims seems true. For example, there are signs his wife was having an affair. And oddly, the longer they work together, the more Peter relates to Nick's feelings. For Peter himself becomes more and more convinced that his own wife's killer, a man who's supposed to be serving life in prison, is somehow tormenting him at home and at work.
It's up to Peter to separate fact from fiction in this chilling entry in a masterful series.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
40 people want to read
About the author
G.H. Ephron
6 books11 followersHallie 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 20, 2020
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.
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.
October 10, 2022
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.
June 17, 2022
3,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Naar dependance Roberts kruidentuin.
Naar dependance Roberts kruidentuin.
March 22, 2017
Much improvement on book two ... more mystery less stupidity!
August 5, 2014
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.
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.
April 10, 2008
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.
March 3, 2009
My blog post about this book is at this link.
June 23, 2010
What a good book. I really liked the main character.
October 31, 2010
As I said before, I knew I would enjoy it and be intrigued in Ephron's process. Delusion didn't disappoint!
December 7, 2011
Solidly written and great story. Enjoyed all the books in this series. Only wondering why there are no more!!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews