Dante's Poison

March 3, 2014
Raimondo’s well-crafted second Mark Angelotti novel (after 2012’s Dante’s Wood) finds the Chicago psychiatrist taking part in a new drug trial that he hopes will reverse his recent blindness. To stay busy, Angelotti agrees to help Hallie Sanchez, a friend and potential love interest, look into the murder of a local journalist—and to testify in a lawsuit involving the suicide of a fellow psychiatrist’s patient. Just as Angelotti begins to explore the murky psychological angles in each of these cases, he and Hallie are viciously attacked. Determined to tie disparate threads together, he enlists cronies and colleagues to fight the good fight and avenge the injured Hallie. The obstinate, often angry Angelotti puts himself in harm’s way in pursuing suspects who are well aware of his weaknesses and who set a series of deadly traps. Chicago serves as the distinctive backdrop to this appealing mystery. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Bent Agency.

May 1, 2014

Mark Angelotti, a psychologically troubled and newly blinded Chicago psychiatrist, is hired to help with the defense of legal eagle Jane Barrett for the murder of Rory Gallagher, a well-known journalist. It looks like Jane is being framed; Mark's friend Hallie is Jane's mentee, and she begs Mark to provide expert testimony. Unfortunately, a vicious attack on Mark and Hallie leaves her in a coma. Mark knows Hallie recognized the attacker, but he, of course, can't. Concurrently, two troubling suicides by teen patients of one of Mark's professional colleagues builds a strong secondary plot that might connect with the journalist's murder. Big Pharma plays a major part in this intense investigation that continually surprises as the story unfolds. VERDICT Raimondo's sophomore legal thriller (after Dante's Wood), methodically paced and intricately constructed, is an engrossing read with twists all the way to the end. The author's legal background brings an authoritative tone, but her strong suit is her take on the blind person's life challenges. Pair with Gerald Elias's Daniel Jacobus series (for blindness) or Michael Harvey's Michael Kelly series (for Chicago).

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