Kill Switch

October 31, 2011
Fans of high-octane, intricate thrillers will welcome TV producers Baer and Greene’s fiction debut, which introduces New York City forensic psychiatrist Claire Waters. A traumatic childhood experience—witnessing a friend’s abduction—still haunts Waters, who feels responsible for not having prevented the crime. She gets a whole lot more to feel guilty about after she’s assigned to the case of Rikers Island inmate Todd Quimby, a relatively minor offender whose mother murdered his father. Their initial conversation goes off the rails after she unexpectedly conjures up her long-standing feelings of self-loathing and helplessness. Her mentor and biggest booster, Paul Curtin (aka “Dr. Oz of Forensic Psychiatry”), still believes in her potential, but is concerned about her performance. The violent fallout from the botched interview leads her to team with NYPD Det. Nick Lawler, back on the job after his wife used his service weapon to kill herself, to track down a serial killer. The twists are de rigueur, but are delivered with skill.

May 1, 2012

First-time fiction authors Baer and Green have impressive credentials. Both have been executive producers on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as well as other police procedural TV shows that delve into criminal minds. Here, Dr. Claire Waters is a forensic psychologist dealing with some of the worst perpetrators in New York City. Once she meets Todd Quimby on Rikers Island and falls prey to his false protestations of remorse, her world begins to crumble. Baer and Green know the language of the streets, how to build suspense, and how to create realistic characters. Bernadette Dunne, 2009's Best Voice in Mystery and Suspense award winner, is an outstanding choice to read this challenging novel. VERDICT Listeners will emerge from this experience feeling they spent hours in the mind of a monster. Recommended for public libraries and collections focusing on criminal behavior. ["Fans of psychological thrillers will look forward to more adventures with Claire Waters," read the review of the Kensington hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 12/16/11.--Ed.]--Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA

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