The Survivors

August 10, 2015
Early in Palmer’s convoluted debut, a series launch, Washington, D.C., psychologist Cal Henderson receives a surprise visit from Scottie Glass, a childhood friend he hasn’t seen since Cal’s mother apparently shot his father, two older brothers, and herself to death 25 years earlier at the family’s suburban Maryland home. The only survivors were eight-year-old Cal, who hid under a bed, and visiting Scottie, who was seriously wounded. Scottie’s memories of those chilling events differ from Cal’s, but they both have doubts that Cal’s mother was the killer. The still-traumatized Cal, who suffers from blackouts, finds the obsessive-compulsive Scottie hard to deal with, but gradually they unearth discrepancies in the record of the crime that upset some powerful people. An assist from a sympathetic FBI agent provides essential help as they uncover a network of lies built on a slaughter of innocents. Unfortunately, the plot never gathers much steam. Agent: Katherine Fausset, Curtis Brown.

September 15, 2015
Dr. Cal Henderson is now a practicing psychologist in Washington, D.C., but 25 years earlier, he was Davie Oakes, an eight-year-old whose entire family was killed in a horrific incident. He was it in a game of hide-and-seek, when shots were fired at his father and into the closet where his two older brothers and best friend, Scottie Glass, were hiding. He then watched his mother shoot herself. Only Davie and the grievously wounded Scottie survived what was considered a murder-suicide by Davie's mother, Denise. Adopted by his aunt and uncle and relocated, with a new name, Henderson still struggles with blackout episodes related to the trauma. Then Scottie Glass tracks Henderson down, still looking for answers. Recovered memories trigger the two survivors' search for the truth, which begins to center on the then-up-and-coming defense contractor who employed Denise Oakes. Suspense and danger increase in this tale of high-level intrigue with a political edge. A promising debut that starts a series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)