Gregory series ends with whimper
For more than 20 years, Stephen White has been writing about Alan Gregory, a psychologist who gets involved in major crimes.
With the help of Detective Sam Purdy, Gregory has been able to close many cases. Although they occasionally butt heads, Gregory and Purdy have an enduring friendship.
But Compound Fractures, the last book in the series, puts everything in jeopardy.
Gregory has suffered a personal loss and is struggling. Purdy has a secret and it may involve a betrayal of Gregory. The relationship becomes strained, but they will need each other to stay one step ahead of a mounting conspiracy.
Friends and enemies from their past show up and what they reveal begins to unravel a terrible truth. Though what they did was more than justified, covering it up could land them in jail. Soon trust and friendship have vanished.
Compound Fractures is a letdown after so many good books in the series. Readers want closure, and after turning the last page, there are several questions that demand answers.
White seems to go out of his way to disrupt any goodwill for his characters over the years. A good thriller demands conflict, but not at the cost of making great characters unlikeable. Was he so tired of writing these books that he felt the need to turn everyone into ugly remnants of themselves?
Readers unfamiliar with the series should start at the beginning, not at the end, to fully understand what terrific novels the author has delivered over the years.
It’s too bad the last one is less of a bang and more of a whimper.