First: Why is Stephen White not a bigger name in the mystery writer world? His work definitely rivals better-known authors for many reasons: his plotting, his characters, his way with describing people and places so well that the reader knows them... I've read all of his books, and have always finished the last page with a satisfied sigh. "In Harm's Way" might not be the first book in the series to start with, but after reading it for the second time, I enjoyed it even more.
This book: The usual group of characters appear, in the usual setting of Boulder, Colorado. This time out, psychologist Alan Gregory is dragged into murder and mayhem when homicide detective Sam Purdy asks Alan to profile a gory murder in a local theater. Lacking strong credentials advising the police, Alan can't refuse to help since the victim is his neighbor Peter Arvin.
White sums up his plot through Alan in the first sentence of the first chapter: "You think you know someone." Those words weave throughout the 421 pages, as Alan questions not just the murder, but the actions of the people closest to him, the murderer and himself.
Assisted by his deputy DA wife Lauren Crowder, Peter's widow Adrienne and Purdy, Alan tries to write a psychological profile of a person who might be a serial killer. The theories change, and the mysteries about who Peter Arvin really was trouble the psychologist in unsettling ways.
Stephen White's books are not cozy mysteries, nor or they hard-boiled. "Harm's Way" is perhaps the hardest of White's books to describe, but no less worth reading. While this is a murder mystery, and it provides plenty of action and surprises (Alan gets shot!), White delved a bit deeper into many of his characters. If you're reading White for the first time, you'll discover one of the best writers in this genre. Furthermore, you'll become a hardcore fan when you read any of his other books. As a fan, I enjoyed this re-read; and as always, I finished it with a satisfied sigh.