A Portrait of Desperation

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	• Dry Ice Stephen White Signet, 2008 - 528 pages average customer review:based on 45 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Dry Ice is cool

Over the past years, I've read almost all of Stephen White's books about psychologist Alan Gregory. Almost all of them have been pretty good, but admittedly, they're not always that memorable. This is a bit of a problem with White's novel Dry Ice, which alludes to many of his earlier novels and features the return of a villain last seen in the first Gregory novel, Privileged Information. Fortunately, White provides enough detail to make this novel standalone, so even if you have not read his other books (or, like me, it's been a while since his early books), you won't be lost.

The villain in question is Michael McClelland who has escaped from a mental hospital and now has targeted Gregory for a very elaborate revenge. McClelland has, among other things, pointed suspicion at his adversary for the disappearance of a grand jury witness. The grand jury case in question is taking up the time of both Gregory's prosecutor wife, Lauren and his best friend, detective Sam Purdy. All three are governed by various rules of confidentiality that will put a strain on both Gregory's friendship and marriage.

This strain is exacerbated by a secret from Gregory's past, a dark bit of information that he has never revealed and now McClelland has seemingly learned. McClelland's revenge is not limited to Gregory alone; both Lauren and Purdy also fit into the killer's plots, which have less to do with murdering than with destroying lives. For Gregory, the stakes are highest: besides being under suspicion for crimes, his career is at risk after a patient (linked to McClelland) commits suicide and his closest relationships are at peril of falling apart. It is little wonder he is excessively drinking.

In a way, Dry Ice is the culmination of all the Alan Gregory novels, and as such, the stakes are ratcheted up proportionally. The result is one of the best in Stephen White's canon, a constantly suspenseful novel that should be rewarding for White's fans.

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Dry Ice

I am extremely disappointed that Dick Hill is the narrator of Dry Ice or any Alan Gregory audio book. His voice is too east coast and heavy to fit my mental model of Alan Gregory. It's a jarring narration. Hill's voice is suited for the heavyset Sam Purdy -- not Dr. Gregory. Hill's female voices are not suitable for this narration either. I like Hill for heavy murder mysteries where the protagonist is a big macho man with a deep, heavy voice. (Steven Cannell's books) His narration is distracting on Dry Ice. Get a man with a lighter voice. There are pleny of good ones out there.

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A Portrait of Desperation

After reading some of the early reviews, I was reluctant to purchase this book, despite being a big 'Alan Gregory' fan. To my surprise, I found myself liking White's Gregory even more in this book. The sense of dismay and desperation that Alan expresses as his life spirals out of control, as the things he holds most dear are threatened, is palpable. Granted, the sheer volume of incidents that serve to unsettle Alan's life does stretch credibility a bit, but the sensation of life conspiring to overwhelm you is all too familiar. The complexity of characters and the plot twists make this an engaging read.

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Stephen White

I love the series of books by Stephen White. They keep me interested right from the start.

dry reading

This latest Dr. Alan Gregory novel was not one of Stephen White's better books. I found it slow moving and very predictable. It was easy to put it down and come back days later to read more. Save your money for the paperback edition.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

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.

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