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Alan Gregory #15
Dry Ice
FROM THE NEW_YORK_TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF KILL ME
Psychopath Michael McClelland escapes from a mental hospital to exact revenge against those responsible for his confinement, including psychologist Alan Gregory and his family. McClelland has the upper hand-secrets from Alan's past that set a diabolical game in motion.
Psychopath Michael McClelland escapes from a mental hospital to exact revenge against those responsible for his confinement, including psychologist Alan Gregory and his family. McClelland has the upper hand-secrets from Alan's past that set a diabolical game in motion.
Hardcover
First published March 6, 2007
46 people are currently reading
865 people want to read
About the author
Stephen White
285 books569 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
June 19, 2024
Returning to re-read Stephen White’s great thriller collection after a number of years, this summer binge should be a great adventure. White keeps the reader hooked with another great novel, full of throwback moments in a strong thriller with all the ingredients for success. The man who murdered Dr. Alan Gregory’s neighbour has escaped from a Colorado mental institution. While he is on the lam, panic envelops those in Alan’s orbit. Things take a difficult turn when a purse appears in the backyard of Alan’s therapy office, which can be traced to a missing grand jury witness. A new patient has been keeping Alan busy, but when tragedy strikes, Alan realises that this is serious and that a killer might be targeting him. As his life is in a tailspin, Dr. Alan Gregory will need assistance to make his way through the chaos, while protecting his wife and daughter. A chilling story that pulls on past novels to bring new concern to the present. White does a stellar job yet again.
Just as clinical therapist Dr. Alan Gregory is getting his life and practice back in order, news comes that is highly unsettling. Not only is he dealing with a new patient, but a purse is found in the backyard of his therapy office. While this might seem inconspicuous, it is soon traced back to a missing grand jury witness who has some damning testimony. The authorities, led by Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy, must question Alan about his potential involvement, while Alan’s wife, ADA Lauren Crowder, is coy about the entire thing and finds herself distancing from her husband. Alan jumps through all the hoops, only to be told that psychopathic killer, Michael McClelland, has escaped from a mental hospital.
With the manhunt in full swing, Alan must worry about his own family and how to protect them. Relying on a former client for legal advice, Alan seeks to cover all his bases. However, McClelland appears to have struck and made an impact when a body is found within the neighbour’s property. Detective Sam Purdy seeks to clear the air, but cannot help wonder whether Alan brought some of this on himself. The two friends struggle to make sense of everything, as Lauren continues to distance herself from Alan.
Trying to capture the killer and bring some semblance of safety to his family, Alan Gregory must come to terms with all that he has stirred up over time as a therapist. Has he done all he can to protect himself from all the chaos and panic, or are his probing part of a larger concern and only endangering his family. When, in the middle of the might, a call comes in for Alan, nothing will ever be the same! White offers up a stunning book that keeps the reader hooked until the final reveal, where pieces have shattered.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel with a number of series references!
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book adds references from past novels and the sentiments that rose to the surface and do so again. This is a great technique and forces series fans to pull on past memories to supplant them into the present. The narrative flows well, pulling on past and present in swift chapters. The story gains all the needed momentum in great writing and many twists that flavour the piece. Characters are key to this story, both recurring and new, as well as those who are back after a time. They add development where it helps and keeps the reader trying to recollect and put pieces together.
Plot points drive the story, as they do with all books in this series. Using references to past novels and the various issues embedded therein, the premise of surprise in this novel requires the reader to reference past novels and use present issues to better understand. The reader is left to wonder how past will clash with present, waiting to see how new surprises will shape the story. White keeps the reader in the middle of it all, though memory is essential, while trying to piece together the new narrative direction. I am eager to keep seeing how Dr. Alan Gregory will shape the closing novels in the series.
Kudos Mr. White, for pulling past into present in a high intensity story.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Just as clinical therapist Dr. Alan Gregory is getting his life and practice back in order, news comes that is highly unsettling. Not only is he dealing with a new patient, but a purse is found in the backyard of his therapy office. While this might seem inconspicuous, it is soon traced back to a missing grand jury witness who has some damning testimony. The authorities, led by Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy, must question Alan about his potential involvement, while Alan’s wife, ADA Lauren Crowder, is coy about the entire thing and finds herself distancing from her husband. Alan jumps through all the hoops, only to be told that psychopathic killer, Michael McClelland, has escaped from a mental hospital.
With the manhunt in full swing, Alan must worry about his own family and how to protect them. Relying on a former client for legal advice, Alan seeks to cover all his bases. However, McClelland appears to have struck and made an impact when a body is found within the neighbour’s property. Detective Sam Purdy seeks to clear the air, but cannot help wonder whether Alan brought some of this on himself. The two friends struggle to make sense of everything, as Lauren continues to distance herself from Alan.
Trying to capture the killer and bring some semblance of safety to his family, Alan Gregory must come to terms with all that he has stirred up over time as a therapist. Has he done all he can to protect himself from all the chaos and panic, or are his probing part of a larger concern and only endangering his family. When, in the middle of the might, a call comes in for Alan, nothing will ever be the same! White offers up a stunning book that keeps the reader hooked until the final reveal, where pieces have shattered.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel with a number of series references!
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book adds references from past novels and the sentiments that rose to the surface and do so again. This is a great technique and forces series fans to pull on past memories to supplant them into the present. The narrative flows well, pulling on past and present in swift chapters. The story gains all the needed momentum in great writing and many twists that flavour the piece. Characters are key to this story, both recurring and new, as well as those who are back after a time. They add development where it helps and keeps the reader trying to recollect and put pieces together.
Plot points drive the story, as they do with all books in this series. Using references to past novels and the various issues embedded therein, the premise of surprise in this novel requires the reader to reference past novels and use present issues to better understand. The reader is left to wonder how past will clash with present, waiting to see how new surprises will shape the story. White keeps the reader in the middle of it all, though memory is essential, while trying to piece together the new narrative direction. I am eager to keep seeing how Dr. Alan Gregory will shape the closing novels in the series.
Kudos Mr. White, for pulling past into present in a high intensity story.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 19, 2009
Stephen White is a really excellent writer. This book in the series continues developing Dr. Gregory's character and relationship with his family and friends. It is more a psychological than an action thriller, though there are still dead bodies, suspense and tension, and a crazy killer. I liked the psychological term sublimation, which means taking a traumatic life-shattering event in your life and changing it into something positive that you can live with. I thought Dry Ice was going to be about secrets, but instead it was about transforming traumatic events (which are usually secrets) into positive outcomes. The title, Dry Ice, is an example in the physical world of sublimation, changing from one state to another without "melting" in the process, and the story itself is an example of Dr. Gregory's attempts to go through a process of becoming "dry ice." Dr. Gregory's angst and downward spiraling is a bit too pessimistic for my tastes, but I suspect that given Stephen White's clinical background, this wallowing in self-pity is not exaggerated. The book was still an excellent story and very thought-provoking, if a bit on the dark side. (I admit I prefer strong, optimistic, good characters.)
September 7, 2008
As per the title... "dry." This was a mystery book club... book. If I had not read another book by White, I would probably would never read him again but Kill Me is one of my favorites... so I'll try him again.
November 9, 2020
I always love coming back to this series, but this one was raw and painful to read. I'll have to check out the next one soon. A lot of stuff left in the air at the ending, but happily there are more.
December 23, 2010
IMHO, not one of White's better books in the series; the worst I've read yet. The plot has the potential for real pulse-quickening suspense, but for some reason White chooses to kill it with over-analysis. This book reminds us that White is a psychologist at every possible turn, almost like going with White to his own mental health caretaker. There is too much angst over each situation, too much repetitive agonizing over "secrets," too much repetitive description of the beautiful Boulder, CO scenery to keep the story moving along. Overall the book needed a more judicious editor to maintain the suspense and storyline.
I have learned alot about Boulder from reading this series and I look forward to one day seeing the breathtaking scenery White describes and visiting some of Gregory's downtown haunts. But this book suffered from too much travel guide mixed into the plot. There was also too much extraneous information that had no relevance to the story, to moving the plot along; e.g. the page and a half of information about the lawyer's receptionist Nigel did not advance the story or have any relevance to it.
This is one series I am not reading in close succession. I have one more book to go that I picked up on sale, but it will wait until I've read several other books in the interim. In the long run I may not continue this series at all.
October 13, 2013
I've had the hardcover on my shelf for years. But, driving home from Christmas this year I reached back into the bag of audio books I carry in the car and pulled this one out. I didn't even remember I had it.
I enjoyed it. It harked back to the first book so I was willing to read it out of order. Since I'm still stuck on #3, Higher Authority.
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10/12/13
Re-listened to this one on my way back from NC - by the way, that trip was a bust with the National Forest still closed. The road might have been open, I didn't really look. I like to go to the fish hatchery and that wouldn't have been open. One of the hotels filed an injunction and the judge told him to open.
Anyway, this was a good refresher for Line of Fire which I have been far too slow to read. There were story lines I'd forgotten. But in order to clear some of them up I may have to go back a few more books.
I enjoyed it. It harked back to the first book so I was willing to read it out of order. Since I'm still stuck on #3, Higher Authority.
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10/12/13
Re-listened to this one on my way back from NC - by the way, that trip was a bust with the National Forest still closed. The road might have been open, I didn't really look. I like to go to the fish hatchery and that wouldn't have been open. One of the hotels filed an injunction and the judge told him to open.
Anyway, this was a good refresher for Line of Fire which I have been far too slow to read. There were story lines I'd forgotten. But in order to clear some of them up I may have to go back a few more books.
October 29, 2011
This author started a scenario only to interrupt with twenty pages of introspection by the protagonist before finally returning and completing the scenario in two pages. The protagonist struck me as as a psychologist that needed his own counseling, and it just made the book painful to read.
February 5, 2013
I didn’t think this was that good. I coudn’t wait to finish just to get it over with. 4 of 10 stars
October 1, 2016
My hate for Lauren grows. There is a surprising death, which then alters the family dynamic for the Gregory family.
Read
July 15, 2010Alan Gregory’s life seems to be falling apart. He’s drinking too much. His wife is distant. A patient of his psychiatric practice has just hanged herself, and he bungled the sessions enough not to even realize her gender. A psychopath he’d helped put away years before has escaped, and seems to be stalking him.
You know where this is going, don’t you? A scary, drawn out conclusion, probably in a dark basement, cherry-on-topped with some extreme and innovative violence, right? Well, no. The psychopath turns himself in midway thru the book, and the violence at the end takes place offstage. Author Stephen White takes this in a different direction, where the suspense becomes the keeping or release of secrets, which all his characters seem to own.
This is the 15th book in this series, tho the first for me. Continuing
characters seem to be the bane of long series, and and the cast here is
pretty large. White bravely kills one of them off here, in a coda that
feels tacked on.
White’s POV character Alan Gregory is so self-aware and psychologically astute, that it’s a little hard to believe he let his life and marriage fall into such a state. Still, White’s focus on his characters’ interior lives is a welcome departure for the genre. The title is a cool metaphor, too. Sublimation is both a psychological mechanism for coping with trauma, and the physical process of going directly from a solid state to a gaseous, without melting into a liquid. Like dry ice does. --John
From ICPL Staff Picks Blog
You know where this is going, don’t you? A scary, drawn out conclusion, probably in a dark basement, cherry-on-topped with some extreme and innovative violence, right? Well, no. The psychopath turns himself in midway thru the book, and the violence at the end takes place offstage. Author Stephen White takes this in a different direction, where the suspense becomes the keeping or release of secrets, which all his characters seem to own.
This is the 15th book in this series, tho the first for me. Continuing
characters seem to be the bane of long series, and and the cast here is
pretty large. White bravely kills one of them off here, in a coda that
feels tacked on.
White’s POV character Alan Gregory is so self-aware and psychologically astute, that it’s a little hard to believe he let his life and marriage fall into such a state. Still, White’s focus on his characters’ interior lives is a welcome departure for the genre. The title is a cool metaphor, too. Sublimation is both a psychological mechanism for coping with trauma, and the physical process of going directly from a solid state to a gaseous, without melting into a liquid. Like dry ice does. --John
From ICPL Staff Picks Blog
August 5, 2009
Alan Gregory is a Colorado Psychologist with something to hide. In Dry Ice, it is not long before his past and the secrets he has been hiding gegin to surface. When one of Alan's former patients escapes from The Colorado State Mental Hospital things heat up for Alan Gregory.
At the same time, Alan's wife Lauren is a Boulder, Colorado prosecutor assigned to a high profile and sensitive grand jury investigation, where the key witness has vanished. When Alan finds the woman's Coach handbag in his yard, he becomes a suspect. All the while his wife has secrets of her own, and she is battling MS and drugs to help her cope with the pain.
This story started out a bit slow at first, but had enough twists and turns to keep my interest. The reader for the audio book, Dick Hill , was great in my opinion, and I would definitely like to listen to more audio books like this one again. A good psychological thriller where everyone seems to have something to hide.
At the same time, Alan's wife Lauren is a Boulder, Colorado prosecutor assigned to a high profile and sensitive grand jury investigation, where the key witness has vanished. When Alan finds the woman's Coach handbag in his yard, he becomes a suspect. All the while his wife has secrets of her own, and she is battling MS and drugs to help her cope with the pain.
This story started out a bit slow at first, but had enough twists and turns to keep my interest. The reader for the audio book, Dick Hill , was great in my opinion, and I would definitely like to listen to more audio books like this one again. A good psychological thriller where everyone seems to have something to hide.
June 12, 2009
This is the first Stephen White book I've read, but it certainly won't be the last. I really, really enjoyed it and found it wonderfully unpredictable (hard to find anymore in mysteries it seems) and real as well. I always like to find a favorite line or passage in a book -- one that just jumps out at me. In this book it was this passage:
"Teresa used exclamation points as though she'd won a life-time supply on a game show. She thought she'd never run out. By contrast, I lived life as though I'd been granted half a dozen at birth, and was told they had to last me until I took my last breath." Though it's neither here nor there, I am a Teresa!!!!
"Teresa used exclamation points as though she'd won a life-time supply on a game show. She thought she'd never run out. By contrast, I lived life as though I'd been granted half a dozen at birth, and was told they had to last me until I took my last breath." Though it's neither here nor there, I am a Teresa!!!!
March 18, 2009
I had never heard of this author b/f and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked his writing. this is the 2nd book in this series and in the begin it seemed I was going to be lost on the plot but White did good job of incorporating both stories so i could follow
Dr Alan Gregory is a psych who patients seem to die and family and friends are in bunches of trouble all at the hand of a sociopathic mastermind Michael Mclaelland this psycho is out to get revenge on this doctor and does so is the most ingenious ways
Enjoy
Dr Alan Gregory is a psych who patients seem to die and family and friends are in bunches of trouble all at the hand of a sociopathic mastermind Michael Mclaelland this psycho is out to get revenge on this doctor and does so is the most ingenious ways
Enjoy
August 25, 2019
Clunker. Main characters of plot were too mundane sleepwalking through this snoozer. The plot was basically ridiculous especially the conclusion. Over 500 pages paperback this dud needed an editor big time. At least 150 pages too long. 15th book in Dr. Alan Gregory series. With five more books to go to finish series it looks as if this series is going to limp on into finish line. Two stars out of a possible five stars. Up to page 300 or so I could have given this three stars. With 50 pages to go I prayed for ending to come fast.
December 26, 2014
It had been a while since I had read this one and when I started to read the next in the series, I decided to re-read this one to refresh my memory on what was going on with the main characters.
This was the most recent of the Dr. Alan Gregory mystery novels. I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the previous ones however I love this series! They are based in Boulder and it's fun reading about places I know.
This was the most recent of the Dr. Alan Gregory mystery novels. I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the previous ones however I love this series! They are based in Boulder and it's fun reading about places I know.
August 22, 2009
A great psychological thriller, overall. The beginning is somewhat slow and focuses too much on secrets. That part is rather repetitive. It picks up, though, and gets into a complex tale with a villain from one of White's prior novels. The author skillfully shows the reader why he titled his book Dry Ice, not for one, but two reasons. There are some surprises, as one expects from White. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 8, 2008
I will finish the last 7 pages tonight. It is a good book. I always enjoy books by this author. I really like Stephen Whites characters. I was a little disapointed in the distance put between the characters. Not to give it a way, but one of the important characters dies, and I hope it is not going to be a detriment to future books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2008
I like Stephen White because his books are set in Colorado and it's nice to read about familiar places. The stories are always intriguing, but I was expecting a bit more grit in this one. The story was more of a psychological thriller. The twist at the end seemed out of place since it had nothing to do with the main storyline. But still, a good summer read.
September 25, 2008
An Alan Gregory novel. Alan is accused of murder, Lauren is having trouble with her MS, and one of Alan's first and most dangerous patients has escaped from care. Could life get any more complicated for Dr. Gregory. Stephen White does a good job of keeping us guessing and dealing with all of Alan's angst.
June 14, 2018
I enjoyed another Stephen White, Cold Case, that I also listened to on CD. This one, with the same detective character was hard to listen to. Dr. Gregory was seemingly on the outs with his wife, his cop friend, his wife's office, and just about everyone else in the book. Reading the book felt like being in the middle of a domestic argument. I lost interest in the story.
March 17, 2008
Stephen White is my favorite crime/mystery/psychological thriller writer. A character in the series has MS, which helps with the situations I face in reality. Very good books. You must start at the beginning to enjoy the series.
July 29, 2008
Stephen White is my favorite mystery writer. He is a psychologist who lives in Boulder, CO, and so I can relate to both the profession and the location. He weaves characters with thrill to create a story that you can't put down.
February 5, 2009
Stephen White manages to craft suspense fiction that's wonderfully crafted in language and description. I always listen to suspense on tape so I can clean house at the same time and I'll hear something read and think, wow, he's a really good writer.
March 14, 2021
This book isn't my normal genre, and was given to me on a recommendation. It was a great book, well written with decent plot twists. It is part of a series but works as a stand alone as well. I would recommend it.
Read
July 6, 2008This book is just pure fun. Has all of the elements I love - psychology, murder, suicide, transgender, illness, children, dogs - and all in the setting of Boulder, CO.
March 3, 2009
Stephen White continues to amaze with me with the intricate plots, exciting twists and turns in each book--I will definitely keep reading this series.
April 11, 2009
Stephen White is always good for a light, enjoyable plot, especially when I'm in a book slump. The stories are not too deep, but fun to read just the same.
February 2, 2017
Not the best in the series. A bit disjointed, and Alan is getting cranky pants.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Dry Ice (Alan Gregory #15) - Nevisande : Stephen White - ISBN : 525949976 - ISBN13 : 9780525949978 - Saal e Chap : 2007
March 19, 2022
Could not get past the style of writing.
The constant repeating of phrases drove me nuts.
Same wording over and over. Ugh. Just didn't get to the story.
The constant repeating of phrases drove me nuts.
Same wording over and over. Ugh. Just didn't get to the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews