Delusional

Ted Stevens #3

by Terry Lewis

Ted Stevens' new client is a mental patient who is either a delusional, psychotic killer or an innocent man framed for the murder of his psychologist—or maybe both. Nathan Hart, incarcerated for the brutal murder of his family, hears voices and believes that a secret organization known only as the Unit is out to get him. Is the Unit responsible for the murder of Dr. Aaron Rosenberg in an effort to keep Nathan confined to a mental hospital? Or is something more sinister afoot? Ted needs to uncover the truth quickly. His life—and that of his family—will depend on it.

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing the author, trial judge Terry Lewis, and the area in which his novel is based, Tallahassee and surrounding North Florida communities, I thoroughly enjoyed "Delusional" at a personal level. It was fun to see the area described in new ways -- as settings for mayhem! And surely I must have recognized at least some of the lawyers upon whom the characters had to be loosely based.

Beyond that feels-like-home pleasure, however, Judge Lewis has crafted a wonderful yarn that feels awfully real regarding the mind of the sociopath and how it operates in sometimes unexpected ways. not all of them menacing. The book is captivating and entertaining in the way of the best books of the legal-mystery a la murder genre. That is, it keeps you up late and draws you back to it the minute you get a little free time.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just received this book thanks to Goodreads First Reads!

Lewis writes sharply and with meaning. While enjoyable, fans of Hannibal (in particular) may be drawn to this work, whilst others might not be so keen on this tale.

An enjoyable read, overall.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three books in the Ted Stevens series written by Terry Lrwis are the best legal mysteries I've read in a long time. Highly recommend these books.

[retronerd Steinkuehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well told with good characterization and description of environment. A bit unrealistic toward the end but holds the reader’s attention.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan Hart, a paranoid schizophrenic, is being held for the murder of his psychologist. He is at the Florida State Psychiatric facility. He hears voices. Swears he did not kill anyone. Hired Ted Stevens as his attorney. Ted, going through a divorce and child custody hearing himself, neither trusts or believes Nathan.

Nathan was prosecuted years before for the murder of his family; swearing then that he didn't do it. He was defending his family against intruders? That prosecution landed Nathan in the psychiatric facility.

Nathan also wants to be part of his own defense with Ted. Ted is leery of this and doesn't know if he should believe in Nathan is being framed. Ted does take the case, but has many questions and much to uncover to find out if Nathan is putting one over on him. Lots of conflicting clues makes this a very hard case to defend.

I had won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway. I found it very interesting and tried myself to figure out if Nathan did the crime or not. Thanks Goodreads.

[Neil B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who better to spin an intricate, credible work of fiction than a lawyer? I started this book on a flight from Tallahassee to New York, and within twenty minutes I was wishing my destination was Australia: I didn't want to put it down. Terry Lewis is a great and natural writer, and he knows of what he speaks. You can smell the old hospital corridors as he takes you on on a tour, you can taste the bitterness of a troubled marriage, and you are personally familiar with the attorney in denial of his alcohol-troubled world. I enjoyed this so much that I needed another fix right away. I acquired "Privileged Information" less than a week after completing Delusional, and look forward to more peeks into the author's world.