A Structured Affair

by Carol McPhee

A psychologist's attraction to the prime suspect in a high-profile murder case threatens more than her professional detachment. By taking on a covert assignment in the hopes that it will distract her from her past, it only serves to threaten her future happiness unless she can solve the case and uncover the real murderer.

Nook

Published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a film-noirish quality about it, this is a neat little thriller for those who like their mysteries tightly-knit with good character studies. Even at the beginning, when the Tribune is lashing him in its headlines, Stephen is described in a manner to elicit sympathy and from the moment he appears for questioning at the police station, the reader will hope he isn’t going to turn out to be the killer. Catherine is also an equally sympathetic character because of her broken marriage and the loss of her daughter which haunts her. The character of Detective Jamieson has to grow on one a bit; he’s alternately good cop-bad cop and hard to pin down as likable or not. Even his interest in Stephen’s mother is suspect and his ethics questionable since he plans to court Deirdre even if he arrests her son for murder. I mean, really. Does the man think she’d even look at him if he does that? That’s one of the quirks to her characters that this writer does so well.

The suspense is good and the revelation of the murderer, first hinted at, then revealed, is dramatic enough, and one doesn’t feel the least bit sorry for him when he gets his just desserts.