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Alan Gregory #19
Line of Fire
Dr. Gregory is starting to feel settled, hopeful that a long period of upheaval in his private life is behind him. He refocuses his energy on his clinical psychology practice, where a beguiling new patient captivates him, but the interlude of calm doesn’t last. Devastating fires are threatening Boulder. Alan’s dear friend Diane is showing signs of a long-simmering emotional collapse. And Alan’s most pressing fear — the exposure of a dangerous secret — has become a peril too real to ignore.
A new witness has surfaced, causing the police to reopen their investigation into the suicide of a woman named Justine Winter Brown. When Alan and his equally culpable friend, Sam Purdy, inadvertently disclose their involvement in her death to a stranger, any confidence they feel about riding out a renewed investigation evaporates. The trail that leads to Alan and Sam, once cold, has turned white-hot.
With his vulnerability mounting daily, Alan suspects that his mesmerizing new patient may be the catalyst that could cause everything he treasures — his marriage, his family, his friendships, and his future — to implode. As flames lick at the city, the story hurtles toward a shocking conclusion that leaves the stage set for a jaw-dropping last act — the upcoming final book in the two-decades-long Alan Gregory saga.
A new witness has surfaced, causing the police to reopen their investigation into the suicide of a woman named Justine Winter Brown. When Alan and his equally culpable friend, Sam Purdy, inadvertently disclose their involvement in her death to a stranger, any confidence they feel about riding out a renewed investigation evaporates. The trail that leads to Alan and Sam, once cold, has turned white-hot.
With his vulnerability mounting daily, Alan suspects that his mesmerizing new patient may be the catalyst that could cause everything he treasures — his marriage, his family, his friendships, and his future — to implode. As flames lick at the city, the story hurtles toward a shocking conclusion that leaves the stage set for a jaw-dropping last act — the upcoming final book in the two-decades-long Alan Gregory saga.
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First published August 7, 2012
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About the author
Stephen White
285 books569 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
June 24, 2024
Returning to re-read Stephen White’s great thriller collection after a number of years, this summer binge should be a great adventure. White keeps the reader hooked with another great novel, pushing Alan’s personal life and secrets into the spotlight. Alan and his best friend, Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy, have a past and involvement in the death of a woman out of town. While they have kept it to themselves, a new client of Alan’s has news and might be connecting the dots. There is also a child who noticed something going on at the neighbouring house, details that could be the nail in the coffin. While Alan and Sam scramble to continue to cover-up, they are forced to cover their tracks. Alan must also handle the emotional meltdown of a close friend and a handful of needy patients. In this intense novel, White pushes the reader’s patience to the brink in a story that resonates and begs for additional closure.
Clinical psychologist Alan Gregory is finally feeling calmness settle over him and his practice. While he has long lived in Boulder, Colorado, Alan is only now able to feel comfortable with himself and life. A new patient has him challenging his views and those with the woman he shares hour-long sessions. Alan must put his views aside in order to help her, though the toughness does eat away at him. This is layered with new revelations that Alan’s partner, Diane Estevez, is having an emotional breakdown and finds shelf unable to work effectively. Alan is not surprised by the reveal, though he is not sure how to help effectively.
Were this not enough, Alan and his best friend, Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy, hold a secret about the death of a woman who had tried to kill the Gregory family in the past. Sam and Alan have vowed not to speak about it., though their culpability is clear. When a new patient enters Alan’s practice and admits that he knows about their secret, a bargain might be struck. Additional news that there could be an eyewitness to the crime, coming from a young boy and what he saw outside his window. Alan tries to stay calm, though he cannot help but worry that this once cold case has turned hot and leaves him vulnerable.
Left to worry about how this patient and young eyewitness might reveal everything sends Alan into a tailspin. He must think of his practice, his family, and his marriage, all of which wil be torpedoed if he cannot stay clear of implication. With his wife, Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crowder, Alan knows that the law is breathing down his neck and could lead to many issues. Sam is trying to stay calm as well, with his Minnesota roots firmly in place. Alan knows that something will have to be done, it refuses to pile on the crimes in order to keep his secret. What happens next could set the scene for the future, and the final novel in the series. White delivers a powerful piece and keeps the reader gripped until the final page.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel. Forcing the protagonist to face some of his greatest fears, White sets the scene for the apparent final novel in the series.
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book sought to add the layer of a crime and how to keep it covered up. The struggles from the story emerge through a strong narrative and well-paced storytelling. Things are tense throughout and do not dissipate at any point, keeping the reader hooked and wondering. Returning characters offer insight into the entire situation and leave the series fan to guess where those they have come to respect will end up. I can only hope that the final novel offers an explosive answer and something well worth the wait.
Plot points drive the story in ways series fans have come to love. Great surprises emerge in the storytelling and layered secrets from novels past, as characters banter and provide additional surprises, justifying their views. Twists emerge, which help build things to the final novel, where nothing is yet clear. There is so much yet to discover and I am eager to see what White has in store for all involved!
Kudos Mr. White, for a stunning and climactic penultimate piece.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Clinical psychologist Alan Gregory is finally feeling calmness settle over him and his practice. While he has long lived in Boulder, Colorado, Alan is only now able to feel comfortable with himself and life. A new patient has him challenging his views and those with the woman he shares hour-long sessions. Alan must put his views aside in order to help her, though the toughness does eat away at him. This is layered with new revelations that Alan’s partner, Diane Estevez, is having an emotional breakdown and finds shelf unable to work effectively. Alan is not surprised by the reveal, though he is not sure how to help effectively.
Were this not enough, Alan and his best friend, Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy, hold a secret about the death of a woman who had tried to kill the Gregory family in the past. Sam and Alan have vowed not to speak about it., though their culpability is clear. When a new patient enters Alan’s practice and admits that he knows about their secret, a bargain might be struck. Additional news that there could be an eyewitness to the crime, coming from a young boy and what he saw outside his window. Alan tries to stay calm, though he cannot help but worry that this once cold case has turned hot and leaves him vulnerable.
Left to worry about how this patient and young eyewitness might reveal everything sends Alan into a tailspin. He must think of his practice, his family, and his marriage, all of which wil be torpedoed if he cannot stay clear of implication. With his wife, Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crowder, Alan knows that the law is breathing down his neck and could lead to many issues. Sam is trying to stay calm as well, with his Minnesota roots firmly in place. Alan knows that something will have to be done, it refuses to pile on the crimes in order to keep his secret. What happens next could set the scene for the future, and the final novel in the series. White delivers a powerful piece and keeps the reader gripped until the final page.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel. Forcing the protagonist to face some of his greatest fears, White sets the scene for the apparent final novel in the series.
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book sought to add the layer of a crime and how to keep it covered up. The struggles from the story emerge through a strong narrative and well-paced storytelling. Things are tense throughout and do not dissipate at any point, keeping the reader hooked and wondering. Returning characters offer insight into the entire situation and leave the series fan to guess where those they have come to respect will end up. I can only hope that the final novel offers an explosive answer and something well worth the wait.
Plot points drive the story in ways series fans have come to love. Great surprises emerge in the storytelling and layered secrets from novels past, as characters banter and provide additional surprises, justifying their views. Twists emerge, which help build things to the final novel, where nothing is yet clear. There is so much yet to discover and I am eager to see what White has in store for all involved!
Kudos Mr. White, for a stunning and climactic penultimate piece.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 19, 2012
How Stephen Got His Groove Back.
I was disappointed by The Last Lie, but White is back in fine form with this one. I blew through it lickety-split. I might have even gone with five stars if not for all the stuff about Amanda's brother's boners (yes, THAT kind of boner). That got old, and didn't contribute much to the plot.
Things get pretty chaotic in Boulder for Alan Gregory and Sam Purdy, what with forest fires and psychos and friends who lose their coping skills, not to mention the stirring up of old diabolical deeds that Alan and Sam thought they'd gotten away with. If anyone really had a life like these guys, they'd have perpetual PTSD.
The next Alan Gregory book will be the last in this 20-year-long series. White left a lot of things wide open at the end of Line of Fire, so he's got plenty of options for how to tie it all up in the grand finale.
I was disappointed by The Last Lie, but White is back in fine form with this one. I blew through it lickety-split. I might have even gone with five stars if not for all the stuff about Amanda's brother's boners (yes, THAT kind of boner). That got old, and didn't contribute much to the plot.
Things get pretty chaotic in Boulder for Alan Gregory and Sam Purdy, what with forest fires and psychos and friends who lose their coping skills, not to mention the stirring up of old diabolical deeds that Alan and Sam thought they'd gotten away with. If anyone really had a life like these guys, they'd have perpetual PTSD.
The next Alan Gregory book will be the last in this 20-year-long series. White left a lot of things wide open at the end of Line of Fire, so he's got plenty of options for how to tie it all up in the grand finale.
April 30, 2017
As I move forward to the last book in this series I think it is both bittersweet and yet appropriate for the series to end. Stephen White has chosen to weave a lot of threads through the series, and they were starting to unravel a bit. This is a much more morally ambiguous series than say, Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, and it is definitely beginning to be difficult to understand and accept the choices all the characters are making.
Having said that, this was an interesting, fast-paced, twist filled entry in the series that left me in a bit of shock at the end. Coincidences are rampant, and yet if you can look past that the story holds together fairly well until the end. I will say there was a lot happening in the final 50 pages the pieces of which were a bit difficult to follow, but overall I enjoyed this.
Having said that, this was an interesting, fast-paced, twist filled entry in the series that left me in a bit of shock at the end. Coincidences are rampant, and yet if you can look past that the story holds together fairly well until the end. I will say there was a lot happening in the final 50 pages the pieces of which were a bit difficult to follow, but overall I enjoyed this.
May 13, 2012
This is the next to last book in the Alan Gregory series and it may very well be the best yet. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from the moderator of my Stephen White group, who got ten from the author to give out to our group. The story is far superior to the last one in the series, The Last Lie, which I found disappointing. This entry is gripping from beginning to end, continuing major story lines from Missing Persons and Dry Ice and dropping in references to other entries as well. The interaction between Alan and Sam is especially strong, as is the depiction of the deterioration of Alan's relationship with his colleague Diane. The story focuses primarily on the ramifications of the dirty deed committed by Sam, with Alan's later knowledge and approval of, at the end of Dry Ice, as well as Diane's emotional meltdown following her kidnapping and friend's arrest in Missing Persons. Alan's patients find their way into the stroyline mix in very interesting and consequential ways. The ending is surprising and powerful and sets up major complications to be resolved in the final chapter. This is a must for fans of White's Alan Gregory series and will make you sad that the series is coming to a close. Highly recommended.
November 24, 2012
Stephen White’s fictional novel “Line of Fire” starts so disappointedly slow that both my wife and I considered setting it aside, but as the wife forged ahead into this next-to-last novel in White’s long-running saga of Boulder psychologist Alan Gregory she found herself engaged. I would soon follow, entering the can’t-put-it-down stage.
“Line of Fire” is the 19th and next-to-last book about Dr. Gregory, his wife Lauren and their good friend police Detective Sam Purdy. I am already looking with great anticipation to the finale but also with a bit of dread because White’s novels built around these characters have been a huge part of my reading life for many years.
In “Line of Fire” some elements of the past come back with vengeance against Purdy and Gregory. The antagonists are new, but the roots of the primary story line is tied with Purdy and Gregory’s most intense arch villain who is in prison.
The ending is a shocker. But to give any hints of what happens may well be a disservice to what is to come.
In this fabulous series, the confidential aspect of Gregory’s psychotherapy practice often becomes part of the storyline of criminal activity; Gregory’s friendship with Detective Purdy often is strained but still their friendship and trust flourishes. Gregory’s wife Lauren is a deputy district attorney, thus she represents a prosecution office that often is at odds with Purdy’s police department. Lauren, as well, is slowed by having multiple sclerosis and occasionally uses marijuana to ease her discomfort.
Other running characters are Gregory’s business partner Diane and her husband, a rich entrepreneur and investor. Alan and Lauren’s children include their own child, a daughter, and the very bright young son of their neighbors who died gruesomely in separate books. Sam, divorced, also is faced with raising his own son.
In “Line of Fire,” the key characters are: a savant 8-year-old boy who appears out of seemingly nowhere as a witness of a three-years-in-the-past incident directly involving Purdy and Gregory; a beautiful young woman who is a paid escort and torn by years-earlier sexual encounters with her older brother as he was dying of cancer and the life she is now living; and, most troubling, a no-account drifter on parole who, while in a coma in an intensive care unit, overhears a conversation between Purdy and Gregory about the three-year-old incident and moves to bring them down to avoid his potential imprisonment related to the incident that had sent him to the hospital.
An undercurrent of this book are massive wildfires that burning areas near Boulder and threaten the city itself.
White masterfully blends all of these individual story lines into a path with a destination that will bring them to a startling crossroads.
I cannot wait for the finale, Book 20, to be published. I may take a vacation just to read it.
“Line of Fire” is the 19th and next-to-last book about Dr. Gregory, his wife Lauren and their good friend police Detective Sam Purdy. I am already looking with great anticipation to the finale but also with a bit of dread because White’s novels built around these characters have been a huge part of my reading life for many years.
In “Line of Fire” some elements of the past come back with vengeance against Purdy and Gregory. The antagonists are new, but the roots of the primary story line is tied with Purdy and Gregory’s most intense arch villain who is in prison.
The ending is a shocker. But to give any hints of what happens may well be a disservice to what is to come.
In this fabulous series, the confidential aspect of Gregory’s psychotherapy practice often becomes part of the storyline of criminal activity; Gregory’s friendship with Detective Purdy often is strained but still their friendship and trust flourishes. Gregory’s wife Lauren is a deputy district attorney, thus she represents a prosecution office that often is at odds with Purdy’s police department. Lauren, as well, is slowed by having multiple sclerosis and occasionally uses marijuana to ease her discomfort.
Other running characters are Gregory’s business partner Diane and her husband, a rich entrepreneur and investor. Alan and Lauren’s children include their own child, a daughter, and the very bright young son of their neighbors who died gruesomely in separate books. Sam, divorced, also is faced with raising his own son.
In “Line of Fire,” the key characters are: a savant 8-year-old boy who appears out of seemingly nowhere as a witness of a three-years-in-the-past incident directly involving Purdy and Gregory; a beautiful young woman who is a paid escort and torn by years-earlier sexual encounters with her older brother as he was dying of cancer and the life she is now living; and, most troubling, a no-account drifter on parole who, while in a coma in an intensive care unit, overhears a conversation between Purdy and Gregory about the three-year-old incident and moves to bring them down to avoid his potential imprisonment related to the incident that had sent him to the hospital.
An undercurrent of this book are massive wildfires that burning areas near Boulder and threaten the city itself.
White masterfully blends all of these individual story lines into a path with a destination that will bring them to a startling crossroads.
I cannot wait for the finale, Book 20, to be published. I may take a vacation just to read it.
May 13, 2012
Thanks, Dustin. My book arrived yesterday, and I have some extra reading time right now, so I ready to get started!
Oh, my, I didn't see any of this coming! I didn't want this book to end, didn't like to think about what was happening to these characters that I have liked so much--and don't want the series to end! I won't say more, don't want to spoil it for my fellow Alan Gregory/Sam Purdy fans. I was fortunate to receive this ARC of the book since it doesn't release until August, but that means it is just that much longer that I have to wait for the next, and last (boo-hoo) book to be out. This has been a great series; I hope Stephen White has plans to write more great stories when he is through with this series.
Oh, my, I didn't see any of this coming! I didn't want this book to end, didn't like to think about what was happening to these characters that I have liked so much--and don't want the series to end! I won't say more, don't want to spoil it for my fellow Alan Gregory/Sam Purdy fans. I was fortunate to receive this ARC of the book since it doesn't release until August, but that means it is just that much longer that I have to wait for the next, and last (boo-hoo) book to be out. This has been a great series; I hope Stephen White has plans to write more great stories when he is through with this series.
September 1, 2012
Coming into a series at the nineteenth book is not a good idea! This story was filled with allusions to earlier books in the series that would have evoked memories and emotions for fans of the series but I just found them vague and incomprehensible. The protagonist of this story is Dr. Alan Gregory who is a psychotherapist in Boulder, Colorado. He is married to an Assistant District Attorney. He is good friends with a Boulder police officer named Sam.
Apparently, some time about three years in the past, Sam murdered an ex-girlfriend who was threatening his child and Alan's child and made it look like suicide. Alan knew about the murder after the fact but didn't tell anyone. Now, a new witness has come forward and it looks like their carefully constructed tissue of lies is about to be exposed.
Meanwhile, Alan's partner Diane is falling apart from a combination of traumas that occurred in earlier books, marital troubles with her venture capitalist husband, and hatred for her home outside of Boulder. All during the book, Boulder is under threat from various wildfires raging through the area.
Alan also has a couple of new patients. One is the young man who was in a coma in the room where Sam and Alan discussed the new investigation of Sam's murder. The young man - that Sam and Alan call Coma Doe - intends to blackmail Alan into helping him find Sam in order to get some leverage for his own potential drug conviction. Alan's other new patient is a woman who is having a relationship with Diane's husband and who seems to be using Alan for her own purposes.
The story was complex and the different plot threads were entwined in many ways. I will have to say that I didn't like Alan or Sam very much at all. I couldn't understand their decision to force someone to commit suicide and then cover it up. I also thought that Alan was over-analytical. He never seemed to turn off his role as a psychotherapist. He also seemed to skate around his ethics fairly often. Sam was also an ambiguous character.
Some of the vocabulary in the story also sent me to my online dictionary. I am assuming that the word choices were specific vocabulary to psychotherapy. I know there were two or three words that I had never heard of or had never encountered in anything else I had read. This almost never happens to me as a reader and slowed down the flow of the story for me.
This story may well work better for those who have read previous volumes and who have an emotional connection to the main characters. While I thought the story was interesting, I didn't make an emotional connection to it. This one is only recommended to those who have read other books in the series. I didn't find it a good entry point.
Apparently, some time about three years in the past, Sam murdered an ex-girlfriend who was threatening his child and Alan's child and made it look like suicide. Alan knew about the murder after the fact but didn't tell anyone. Now, a new witness has come forward and it looks like their carefully constructed tissue of lies is about to be exposed.
Meanwhile, Alan's partner Diane is falling apart from a combination of traumas that occurred in earlier books, marital troubles with her venture capitalist husband, and hatred for her home outside of Boulder. All during the book, Boulder is under threat from various wildfires raging through the area.
Alan also has a couple of new patients. One is the young man who was in a coma in the room where Sam and Alan discussed the new investigation of Sam's murder. The young man - that Sam and Alan call Coma Doe - intends to blackmail Alan into helping him find Sam in order to get some leverage for his own potential drug conviction. Alan's other new patient is a woman who is having a relationship with Diane's husband and who seems to be using Alan for her own purposes.
The story was complex and the different plot threads were entwined in many ways. I will have to say that I didn't like Alan or Sam very much at all. I couldn't understand their decision to force someone to commit suicide and then cover it up. I also thought that Alan was over-analytical. He never seemed to turn off his role as a psychotherapist. He also seemed to skate around his ethics fairly often. Sam was also an ambiguous character.
Some of the vocabulary in the story also sent me to my online dictionary. I am assuming that the word choices were specific vocabulary to psychotherapy. I know there were two or three words that I had never heard of or had never encountered in anything else I had read. This almost never happens to me as a reader and slowed down the flow of the story for me.
This story may well work better for those who have read previous volumes and who have an emotional connection to the main characters. While I thought the story was interesting, I didn't make an emotional connection to it. This one is only recommended to those who have read other books in the series. I didn't find it a good entry point.
May 11, 2012
bittersweet. Knowing that this is the beginning of the end makes this a hard book to pick up. As if by not reading it I can postpone the ending of this series. Of course I can't, and once I picked it up, it was hard to put down. I haven't read all the books in this series yet, but I was given an oppertunity to read an ARC of this book and I couldn't pass that up. There was a LOT of catching up to do and honestly I had no idea what was going on at the beginning of this book, I was able to catch up and the story was great. I think that for those that have read each and every book it would be a better story, but I really had a hard time putting this one down, I know I may have missed a lot, but I have no doubt that I will read the ones I have thus far not and then reread this one in order, so that I can fully enjoy this one. 4 stars only because of the confusion at the beginning and picking up a lot of the background was hard, this won't be an issue for those that have read all the books, but for those of us that haven't it was hard at the start.
November 24, 2015
Line of Fire is the most compelling Stephen White book I've read in a long time - and I've read them all. I read the book in three or four sittings. Once I started reading, I just couldn't stop, which is unusual for me.
I'd really recommend re-reading Dry Ice, and perhaps Missing Persons, if you haven't read them recently. Line of Fire draws heavily on events from these two books, and my memories for the details of the plots was a bit hazy.
If you receive Stephen White's newsletter, you're probably aware that the Alan Gregory series is drawing to an end. Line of Fire is book 19, and book 20 will be the final installment in the series. This makes me incredibly sad, as this series and its characters have been a part of my life for nearly fifteen years, and I've always been able to count on a new book every year or two.
Line of Fire reminds me why I fell in love with these characters, and it makes me hurt alongside them. I loved this book, though I did not love the ending. I hope I don't have to wait too long for book 20.
I'd really recommend re-reading Dry Ice, and perhaps Missing Persons, if you haven't read them recently. Line of Fire draws heavily on events from these two books, and my memories for the details of the plots was a bit hazy.
If you receive Stephen White's newsletter, you're probably aware that the Alan Gregory series is drawing to an end. Line of Fire is book 19, and book 20 will be the final installment in the series. This makes me incredibly sad, as this series and its characters have been a part of my life for nearly fifteen years, and I've always been able to count on a new book every year or two.
Line of Fire reminds me why I fell in love with these characters, and it makes me hurt alongside them. I loved this book, though I did not love the ending. I hope I don't have to wait too long for book 20.
September 6, 2017
OMG. I was blithely listening to this book thinking maybe it is just as well that the series is coming to an end. Then White draws me back into the life of Alan Gregory with a bombshell--not literally, but enough to grab me. The book ends in such a way, I want to start the next. It will be the last, as it was written in 2013; so I don't think White will write any more. Maybe by reading the book, I'll know why. I really enjoyed this series. Some books are better than others, but overall they have kept me coming back.
March 30, 2015
I got it for a dollar which was 75 Cents too much. At 25 Cents I would have given it 2 stars.
February 5, 2013
In a note the author informs the reader that this is the next-to-the-last novel in the long-running series featuring psychotherapist Alan Gregory. He intends to complete the series on his own terms because of the changing nature of the book industry with number 20. Not many authors reach such a conclusion. Even Ian Rankin had to bring back his popular Rebus protagonist.
And this book definitely sets the stage for that scenario. The novel introduces a new patient, giving Alan some insights not only into that patient, but himself. She also complicates his life in unexpected ways, especially as to Diane, his friend and partner. And as usual, Boulder, CO, plays an important part in the story with brush fires raging and destroying homes. Lastly, his friend, Detective Sam Purdy and he are exposed to unwanted risk as an old secret surfaces.
The novel slowly builds up as the various characters are brought into focus. It is an insightful look at Alan Gregory and provides plenty of factors to consider looking forward to how the series will end. I can’t wait to find out. (Just an aside: the author says this is the right time to conclude the Gregory story. Some readers may disagree. But, after all, it’s his decision alone.)
Recommended.
And this book definitely sets the stage for that scenario. The novel introduces a new patient, giving Alan some insights not only into that patient, but himself. She also complicates his life in unexpected ways, especially as to Diane, his friend and partner. And as usual, Boulder, CO, plays an important part in the story with brush fires raging and destroying homes. Lastly, his friend, Detective Sam Purdy and he are exposed to unwanted risk as an old secret surfaces.
The novel slowly builds up as the various characters are brought into focus. It is an insightful look at Alan Gregory and provides plenty of factors to consider looking forward to how the series will end. I can’t wait to find out. (Just an aside: the author says this is the right time to conclude the Gregory story. Some readers may disagree. But, after all, it’s his decision alone.)
Recommended.
August 6, 2012
Alan Gregory is a Boulder, Colorado psychologist. His friend Detective Sam Purdy committed a murder a few books back. His reasons are unimpeachable and he never regretted it. Alan keeps his secret and sets himself up as co-conspirator. His only worry is that he can’t tell his wife Lauren, who is a Boulder D.A.
Sam and Alan discuss the crime in the hospital room of comatose patient. Whether he was in a coma or not, the patient remembers the discussion when he wakes up. Now that he knows their secret, his plans include taking the Detective Purdy down.
Alan’s business partner, Diane is in crisis mode. She never quiet recovered from some personal problems and is now she’s facing a new disaster. Meanwhile the hills around Boulder are burning. Everything is so dry no one knows where the fires will strike next.
Stephen White is one those writers who never disappoints. He is a master at creating characters. Not one is ever perfect and White pays attention to minute details that make them real. This is the 19th book in the Alan Gregory series and there are still surprises
The original review appeared on Bookloons.com
Sam and Alan discuss the crime in the hospital room of comatose patient. Whether he was in a coma or not, the patient remembers the discussion when he wakes up. Now that he knows their secret, his plans include taking the Detective Purdy down.
Alan’s business partner, Diane is in crisis mode. She never quiet recovered from some personal problems and is now she’s facing a new disaster. Meanwhile the hills around Boulder are burning. Everything is so dry no one knows where the fires will strike next.
Stephen White is one those writers who never disappoints. He is a master at creating characters. Not one is ever perfect and White pays attention to minute details that make them real. This is the 19th book in the Alan Gregory series and there are still surprises
The original review appeared on Bookloons.com
June 9, 2012
In every Stephen White novel, there comes a point when you can't put it down and you have to read until its done. Line of Fire is not an exception to this rule, secrets and fire are here to destroy and unravel the lives of those that live in Boulder. This is the next to last of the Alan Gregory series and I was lucky enough to get a signed ARC. All the elements that make us love the series, Alan's relationships with his family, friends, and patients, his long bike rides, food, and Boulder are in this book, as well as some old story lines that will come back to haunt them all. It is so hard to write about this book because there are events that will be quite unexpected and leave us begging for the next book even though it will be the last of Alan Gregory.
October 14, 2015
Holy. Freakin'. Moly!!
Even more so if you are a fan of the series, which I am. If you aren't, I imagine you'd still enjoy it, but since I know the characters, I can't say for sure!
I read the four previous books to this, and this book, in THREE days. I did almost nothing but read . . . what a RIDE, to do it that way!
This book, though, really . . . well, if you are a fan, you've GOT to read this book! If you haven't read Stephen White and you like this type of book, you've GOT to read this series!
Even more so if you are a fan of the series, which I am. If you aren't, I imagine you'd still enjoy it, but since I know the characters, I can't say for sure!
I read the four previous books to this, and this book, in THREE days. I did almost nothing but read . . . what a RIDE, to do it that way!
This book, though, really . . . well, if you are a fan, you've GOT to read this book! If you haven't read Stephen White and you like this type of book, you've GOT to read this series!
August 15, 2012
I've been reading the Alan Gregory series since the beginning and I will be sad to see it end. Sometimes I get impatient with Dr. Gregory but he always has good intentions. I must say I was surprised by the ending of this book and I can't wait to read the last in the series. It makes me wonder what Stephen White has in store for us next, once he ends this series. If you are new to this series, start at the beginning or at least go back several books to know the back story. You won't be disappointed.
May 8, 2017
Alan Gregory and his police friend Sam Purdy are complicit in the murder of a woman who had threatened to murder both Alan and Sam’s children. Sam committed the murder but Alan knew about it and kept quiet. Sam thought he had committed the perfect crime but, instead, had made the perfect error, he had been seen by a witness. While both men are waiting for the ball to drop, Lauren, Alan’s wife is shot multiple times.
Line of Fire was a long read but a good read. Dick Hill did a great job in storytelling.
Line of Fire was a long read but a good read. Dick Hill did a great job in storytelling.
August 27, 2012
Stephen White, top of form. The beginning of the book lays out the elements of the plot, and it becomes clear that White has a lot of territory to cover in winding up the series--in this book and the one to follow. But he does this with considerable verbal flair, delving into each character's motivations and personality tics. Devastating sort-of ending...
September 5, 2012
I was disappointed in this book. Sure it was nice to hear about the characters that I have been following in all of Stephen's others books but all in all it was readers digest quality story.
Maybe it is good that Stephen is going to move into another direction because it feels like he has lost the momentum to write for his readers - or maybe he is bored with the characters.
Maybe it is good that Stephen is going to move into another direction because it feels like he has lost the momentum to write for his readers - or maybe he is bored with the characters.
March 1, 2016
Years ago Dr. Alan Gregory was an accessory to the murder of a woman who was planning to kill his and other children. He was home free until is case is reopened. Fires rage around Boulder, Colorado, triggered another woman to crack and attempt murder. A terrible price will be paid. This is an interesting read.
October 9, 2012
Returns to the earlier power of the Allen Gregory stories. Great buildup to the closing of the story.
July 15, 2021
After 19 books you'd expect a formula plot and few surprises. Not this series. This one smacked me around more than once. I've no idea where things will go in the finale (#20). Great books.
August 8, 2021
This was a page turner and was so well written that you feel anxious right along with Sam and Alan. What I didn't really understand about this though was Alan's insistence that he was an accomplice to what Sam did. Alan didn't know Sam had it planned, didn't know anything until after the fact. I don't understand his or Sam's concern that Alan would be convicted of murder when he neither helped plan or commit the act. Seems the worst he could be convicted of is failure to report a felony, right? This was one reason I knocked a star off. I just didn't understand that part of the story at all. And for the record, I didn't like how Sam handled the situation. I realize it was intentionally done as a set-up for this book down the road, but it would have been so much more satisfying for the reader if Sam and Alan could have figured out a way to outsmart both Brown and McClellan and gotten her caught too.
The other reason I knocked a star off. I have always liked Raoul but have never liked Diane. She is very flippant about others' thoughts and feelings and very into herself. She sees herself as this amazing therapist yet when she so desperately needs therapy herself, she dismisses it. I have had trouble with another series (Jenny Colgan's Beach Street Bakery) introducing an entirely new, never before mentioned drama late in the series, with so much emphasis on the main character's daddy issues that it prevents her from getting married and moving on in her life for a while, but no daddy issues were ever mentioned in previous books and she was excited at the thought of marrying her fiancé in prior books also. It seemed like Colgan was running out of ideas and needed to create some drama so she invented a new one, but it was too late in the series to make sense for the main character. My point is that in this book, I felt the same way about Diane's and Raoul's marriage. All of a sudden they're, what? Swingers? And Raoul's "heart belongs to Diane" but he sleeps with other women? And all of a sudden Raoul has squandered his massive wealth (which was assuredly not a problem in the previous book which took place only months before this one)? They were going to parties together and planning a big move with Raoul convincing Alan to sell their building so he could Diane the view she wanted? No. Everything about Raoul and Diane in this book was too abrupt and just didn't make sense for these characters, at least not to me. If Alan had written a steady decline through the last few books since Diane's kidnapping in Las Vegas, it might have made more sense. But if it's true that Stephen White's publisher said he had to wrap up the Alan Gregory series in just two more books, then it seems like White had to contrive this random and sudden marital explosion of two of the main characters just to create a new drama and burn some bridges between Alan and other characters. As Peter and Adrienne have already been killed off, and possibly Lauren (it's not clear at the end of this book if she pulled through or not) there is no one left for Alan except the kids and Sam. Can't people just ever move away and that be a good enough send-off???
Lastly, the unanswered questions and other things that didn't make sense. Diane bursts into Alan's office and says "this wasn't how you were supposed to help." But if she didn't send Amanda to see Alan, then what was she talking about? She didn't want Alan's help with anything except agreeing to sell the Walnut building (which was settled in the last book) and convincing her to move into the hideous apartment. (Also, why does he call it a flat? The British call them "flats" because all the rooms are on a single story, so it's a "flat" dwelling. I've noticed White uses a lot of British words and I love British authors and dialect but his use of the word "flat" was wrong and it annoyed me every time.) Other things were thrown out but didn't make sense either. Raoul mentions Diane and a rape but that's never come up before and is never mentioned again. Diane can't finish a freaking sentence but somehow it's determined through her babbling that she might be pregnant, even though she never mentions it, and quite honestly the way she's talking about her "window" makes it sound more like she's not pregnant and further resents Amanda because she IS. Also, if Diane has chlamydia, she's very likely to be infertile anyway. Just everything with Diane and Raoul was so left field. There were other ways to send them off. Like Diane wants to move and start over, so they move out of Boulder and Alan is short a partner. So many better opportunities that would have made so much more sense!
The other reason I knocked a star off. I have always liked Raoul but have never liked Diane. She is very flippant about others' thoughts and feelings and very into herself. She sees herself as this amazing therapist yet when she so desperately needs therapy herself, she dismisses it. I have had trouble with another series (Jenny Colgan's Beach Street Bakery) introducing an entirely new, never before mentioned drama late in the series, with so much emphasis on the main character's daddy issues that it prevents her from getting married and moving on in her life for a while, but no daddy issues were ever mentioned in previous books and she was excited at the thought of marrying her fiancé in prior books also. It seemed like Colgan was running out of ideas and needed to create some drama so she invented a new one, but it was too late in the series to make sense for the main character. My point is that in this book, I felt the same way about Diane's and Raoul's marriage. All of a sudden they're, what? Swingers? And Raoul's "heart belongs to Diane" but he sleeps with other women? And all of a sudden Raoul has squandered his massive wealth (which was assuredly not a problem in the previous book which took place only months before this one)? They were going to parties together and planning a big move with Raoul convincing Alan to sell their building so he could Diane the view she wanted? No. Everything about Raoul and Diane in this book was too abrupt and just didn't make sense for these characters, at least not to me. If Alan had written a steady decline through the last few books since Diane's kidnapping in Las Vegas, it might have made more sense. But if it's true that Stephen White's publisher said he had to wrap up the Alan Gregory series in just two more books, then it seems like White had to contrive this random and sudden marital explosion of two of the main characters just to create a new drama and burn some bridges between Alan and other characters. As Peter and Adrienne have already been killed off, and possibly Lauren (it's not clear at the end of this book if she pulled through or not) there is no one left for Alan except the kids and Sam. Can't people just ever move away and that be a good enough send-off???
Lastly, the unanswered questions and other things that didn't make sense. Diane bursts into Alan's office and says "this wasn't how you were supposed to help." But if she didn't send Amanda to see Alan, then what was she talking about? She didn't want Alan's help with anything except agreeing to sell the Walnut building (which was settled in the last book) and convincing her to move into the hideous apartment. (Also, why does he call it a flat? The British call them "flats" because all the rooms are on a single story, so it's a "flat" dwelling. I've noticed White uses a lot of British words and I love British authors and dialect but his use of the word "flat" was wrong and it annoyed me every time.) Other things were thrown out but didn't make sense either. Raoul mentions Diane and a rape but that's never come up before and is never mentioned again. Diane can't finish a freaking sentence but somehow it's determined through her babbling that she might be pregnant, even though she never mentions it, and quite honestly the way she's talking about her "window" makes it sound more like she's not pregnant and further resents Amanda because she IS. Also, if Diane has chlamydia, she's very likely to be infertile anyway. Just everything with Diane and Raoul was so left field. There were other ways to send them off. Like Diane wants to move and start over, so they move out of Boulder and Alan is short a partner. So many better opportunities that would have made so much more sense!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2018
One more book to go until the conclusion of this series. It's the author's prerogative to wrap up his series any which way he wants. How the reader feels about it is ... not entirely irrelevant, but is another discussion all together.
There is one more book to go in the Alan Gregory series, and this one, #19, is essentially part one of the two part finale. I have opinions about how he's choosing to treat the characters. Who lives, who dies, who's banging who and why. None of that matters.
But the glaring plot holes? Without inserting a spoiler, the entirety of the case at the center of the story boils down to a clue that is so easily explained away that all the hand-wringing angst over it just seems preposterous. And I'm not sure where Alan's... pathological need to assume the burden of Sam's guilt comes from (not a spoiler, trust me, that's there from Chapter 1.)
Two stars is stingy, but three would be too generous. Let's call it two and a half and I'll round down.
There is one more book to go in the Alan Gregory series, and this one, #19, is essentially part one of the two part finale. I have opinions about how he's choosing to treat the characters. Who lives, who dies, who's banging who and why. None of that matters.
But the glaring plot holes? Without inserting a spoiler, the entirety of the case at the center of the story boils down to a clue that is so easily explained away that all the hand-wringing angst over it just seems preposterous. And I'm not sure where Alan's... pathological need to assume the burden of Sam's guilt comes from (not a spoiler, trust me, that's there from Chapter 1.)
Two stars is stingy, but three would be too generous. Let's call it two and a half and I'll round down.
December 6, 2020
I'm struggling between 2 and 3 stars. Too many references to events and White's other 18 books in the past as he closes the final door on Alan Gregory. This is NOT a stand-alone. I started with #1 nearly 15 years ago, missed a huge chunk in the middle, and decided to read the last three that end the series. However, I'm clueless on all the references to Lauren's tragedies in Holland, Diane's Las Vegas hostage story, Adrienne in Israel, McClelland's diabolical involvement from book 1, Currie's threats against Alan's and Sam's children, and Sam's and Alan's involvement in the Frederick suicide. And what was Alan's role? Just that he knew about it? While I was often lost in not being able to put all the pieces together, and wishing I had read all these stories because they sound so interesting, I kept reading because of this book's plot and White's writing. Captivating. I'll read #20 but doubt I'll go back and read all the ones I missed. Too many books. Too little time.
June 3, 2017
I really enjoy this author's skilled and clever use of language; he not only expresses ideas clearly by use of a precise vocabulary, but he also creates a tone of familiarity between the readers and the characters by his naturally conversational writing style. I listened to this one on audio book as I walked for exercise, so I can't quote exact lines. The characters who populate this series of books are some of my favorites; they are developed so fully that they seem like people I know. These books are entirely independent stories, but the ending of this one leaves me wondering if White intends to continue the series.
June 19, 2020
After reading this Stephen White novel,I definitely want to read some more of his work! In this novel,we really see a man balance work and family life,all the while dealing with an unexpected forest fire. Authorities have just reopened an investigation,and when psychologist Alan Gregory and his friend Sam Purdy reveal more details about it,they inadvertently become suspects. As if that weren't enough,Alan soon meets a new patient who has a darker side. Can he clear both of their names? Is his job on the line? Will the raging fires destroy everything? Read it and find out! An unexpected treat book-wise.
July 13, 2018
Great. Standard Stephen White
Enjoyable and fast paced after a slow start. Was puzzled by references to s book that was 4 or 5 back. I just read the book before this and not a single mention whereas it was a major point in the set up here. So I kept wracking my brain about it and that was annoying. The character is very disturbed here with Todd but not in the previous two books?
Enjoyable and fast paced after a slow start. Was puzzled by references to s book that was 4 or 5 back. I just read the book before this and not a single mention whereas it was a major point in the set up here. So I kept wracking my brain about it and that was annoying. The character is very disturbed here with Todd but not in the previous two books?
Read
December 23, 20213 1/2 stars. This review is based on an abridged audio version. I always enjoy White’s books set in Boulder featuring psychologist Dr. Alan Gregory, and this one is more of the same. I usually find abridged books to be a disappointment, and this one is more of the same. The abridgment results in some short chunks of plot that don’t feel complete. I suspect the full version of the book contains plenty of detail that would make it feel more satisfying.
September 13, 2022
My intention was to read the first Alan Gregory book but instead I got the 19th. I am sure I would have loved it had I read it in the right order. There was just to much history that I didn't understand for me to totally enjoy this. I do like the characters although they seem a bit too glib. But again, hard to judge without reading at least several of the priors. I thought it was only fair to give it the stars I think I might give it in the future.
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