Fault Lines

Michael Stone #2

by Anna Salter

When a sadistic child molester is unexpectedly released from jail, only Dr. Michael Stone's recorded interviews with him now stand between his freedom and a lifetime in prison, and she decides to hunt the villain down before he finds her. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Psychology, Mystery Thriller

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

These are the fiction books by author Anna C. Salter.

Anna Salter is a forensic psychologist. Dr. Salter received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Public Practice from Harvard University and obtained a Masters Degree in Child Study from Tufts. She lectures and consults on sex offenders and victims throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Salter also evaluates sex offenders for civil commitment proceedings and other purposes. She testifies as an expert witness in sexual abuse civil and criminal cases.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where to begin.... Feeling of a roller coaster perhaps. Not with the story, more with liking it and not liking it throughout the entire book. Parts were great and others were so boring (bla bla bla), that skimming became a requirement of completing the book!! If Michael would have stayed in the position of her career vs being the bad ass that does everything on her own, against everyone’s advice, her character may have been more relatable. Seeing that this is part of a series, Michael will be taking future adventures without me.

[Amy Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I got this book, I didn't realize it was the second in a series. I would recommend starting with the first, since the events in this book seem closely connected. Normally, my complaint is that second books take too much time to explain the events of previous volumes and to re-introduce characters. This book did relatively little of that, and I was able to figure out what was going on.

The book moves quickly, and it is a dramatic glimpse into the world of psychology, with an added element of a thriller. The only problem was, I didn't particularly like the protagonist, so it was hard to root for her as I should.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m conflicted on this one. I felt too much time was spent in the protagonist’s head. The end was predictable. No surprises.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd read at least two of Anna Salter's other books in this series several years ago, and for some reason this one had been languishing on the shelf until I decided it was time to make room for some of my purchases at the summer used book sales. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. I'll need to look at the remaining books to see if I've actually read all four and if so, I'll be sad until she writes another.

Salter's protagonist, Dr. Michael Stone, is a (female) forensic psychologist who practices in a small Vermont town near a university where she also has some connection. At the beginning of this book, she learns that a sociopathic sexual predator whom she has interviewed for research has been released from prison. She knows he will strike again and also fears that he will come after her. The interviews she did, if made public, would be tantamount to a full confession on his part. Meanwhile, one of her patients, a rape survivor, seems to be having worse-than-usual flashbacks. Michael has some post-traumatic stress of her own from an attack in a previous book, as well as some conflict with her cop boyfriend. Salter brings all the threads together for a thrilling denouement, complete with ethical questions for Michael. I don't often like to read books about sociopaths, and one thing that I appreciate about Salter's books is that she does not use the device of putting us inside the criminal's head, even though she is well qualified to do so since she is herself a recognized expert on sexual predators. Strongly recommended.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller

Psychologist Michael Stone (a female, despite the name)has spent quite a bit of time interviewing Alex B. Willy, pedophile and sadist. When he gets out of prison due to a technicality, she knows he'll come after her because she is the only one who knows the twisted way his mind actually works, despite his charming demeanor. We follow Stone as she tries to work through her out-of-whack personal life, some demanding clients and the omni-present threat of Willy. Interestingly, Willy is not fleshed out much as a character. This works well, in that Willy becomes more of an unknown threat to the reader - a man capable of anything - but we don't know where he is likely to come from or what he is likely to do.

Fault Lines is surprisingly...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Susan Clark-cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mystery writer who writes with a woman's eye- I was happy when I discovered her books, she writes a good mystery that keeps you wondering and thinking. Much like Patricia Cornell, Reichs and other female mystery writers.

[Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this character, Dr. Michael Stone, she tells like it is and gets in trouble because of it. She is not like a lot of clueless heroines that don't know what they are dealing with, she just doesn't let it stop her. I wish all of this series was in kindle.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly demented but i like it! Keeps you guessing.

[Susan Clark-cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good mystery, like her style and she keeps you turning pages and asking questions page after page.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far so good. I got this book for a dollar in a bin at a bookstore that was going out of bussiness. It grabs a hold f you , but it slow sometimes.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychologist Stalked by Pedophile She Helped Put in Jail