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RATING: |
Date of Release: August 2003 |
Publisher: Penguin / Time Warner |
Review Source: |
In Best Revenge, a young FBI agent reviewing DNA studies discovers that a death row inmate's DNA is not a match to the weapon used at the crime scene. She sets about a chain of events with her discovery that ultimately frees the inmate from prison.
The FBI agent, Kelda James and the former inmate become friends with each other as the story proceeds. They are also each -- unknown to each other -- patients of Dr. Alan Gregory.
Kelda suffers from some psychosomatic disorder that places her in tremendous pain and she seeks Alan's assistance to understand what is nearly paralyzing her legs. Tom seeks Gregory's assistance in returning to life outside prison walls.
Without giving away the rest of the plot, White has set the stage for an interesting psychological mystery that continues to escalate as someone starts to try to hurt Tom Glone after his release. Kelda, Alan and detective Sam Purdy, another continuing character in White's stories, work on putting all the pieces together to bring about a somewhat surprising conclusion.
Fine character development and excellent use of ethical dilemmas are presented throughout the story.
In addition, Alan struggles to balance the challenges of helping out his wife when her Multiple Sclerosis is at critical points. Further, with a new baby in the house, Alan has his hands and his life full adapting to fatherhood. Finally, Gregory himself struggles with a midlife crisis and where his psychology practice fits into his personal fulfillment at this point. A good set of real life and pretty unglamorous issues add a nice sense of realism to the story.
A fine, thoughtful read.
