What do You think about Warning Signs (2003)?
This started out being one of the best Stephen White books--interesting plot, character connections, suspense, twists. Plus the usual zippy, inside-Alan's-head writing.About 85% of the way through the book, White succumbs to Detective Writer Syndrome, however. Events go way over the top, in terms of believability. And then--and this is uncharacteristic for Stephen White--plot threads get dropped (or killed off). Red herrings (a car in the shop) aren't resolved. And the end of the last chapter is just brutal. The book just stops. It's as if the contracted number of pages was written, or the publishing deadline had to be met.A good read, they all are. But disappointing, at the very end--not the way the story turned out, but the writing and plotting.
—Nancy
I am a big fan of Stephen White and usually find his books hard to put down. Although very well written (as usual), this book did drag a bit, only because the in-depth psychological analysis of Lucy is somewhat confusing and deep. The beginning of the book is gripping as Alan works with a new patient, Naomi, a fascinating character, but slows down towards the middle. Sam is rather a minor character in the story, and the book might have been more interesting if he had a greater role. The quality of writing is superb, so I still give the book four stars.
—Laurel Schilling
This is the best book I've read all year. I was captured totally by page 2 and hated to see it end. It's my first Stephen White and what a thrill to discover how many other books he's already published. I can't wait to read them all. In Warning Signs, the Boulder, CO District Attorney is found brutally murdered. Clinical psychologist, Alan Gregory is drawn in on many fronts - his wife is on leave from the DA's office and his best friend's police partner is picked up as a suspect. This is a great story - good plot, interesting characters and just a joy to read.
—Susan
