Mark Schorr, Borderline

Borderline

Mark Schorr

Dunne, Sep 2006, $23.95

ISBN: 0312359152

In Portland, psychologist Brian Hanson talks over the phone with his patient twenty-eight years old parole Tammy LaFleur, who has missed her last two appointments because she insists the men are just outside waiting for her. He warns her that one more missed session and he will report her; she turns angry insisting he does not care. Brian, a recovering alcoholic, feels sorry for himself having to put up with this diatribe.

Not long afterward, Brian feels guilty when he learns Tammy committed suicide. However, as he goes over her time with him, he concludes she was either compliant or defiant, but never suicidal. Fearing he will return to a violent reaction as he has done under pressure since his Nam days, Brian informs his police contact Detective Robert McFarlane to make sure he harms no one as he has a violent history. To satisfy his culpability, he investigates the death of his client, the daughter of the former police chief. When others inside of Tammy's circle die, Brian believes a human wolf is killing people.

Clich d absolutely! Stereotyped for sure! So what; readers will not be able to put down this exhilarating amateur sleuth investigative thriller. The action never slows down even when Brian's banker wife, fed up with his antics, turns to someone else for solace. The contest between the Wolf and the shrink is fun to follow as both shares so much in common as either one will OVERKILL to achieve their objective.

Harriet Klausner