Editorial Content for Impostor: An Alexander Gregory Thriller
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Reviewer (text)
Psychologist Alexander Gregory has been part of a criminal profiling unit in London for years. But now the unit has broken apart. While somewhat dismayed, secretly he’s looking forward to more personal time. He still has patients at Southmoor High Security Psychiatric Hospital, a facility that houses some of the most damaged --- and dangerous --- people in the country.
One morning, after handling an especially difficult emergency, Gregory returns to his office at the hospital to find his old friend, Professor William Douglas, waiting for him. Douglas wishes to talk to him about a homicide in Ballyfinny, a small village in County Mayo, Ireland. The circumstances are so outlandish that the mayor, Maggie Byrne, has put out a rare plea for outside help. Douglas thinks that Gregory is the best person for the job.
"Alexander Gregory, the one who can root this individual out, makes a grand sleuth, unlike many amateur detectives of today’s novels. This is a highly intelligent read that is thrilling at the same time."
But Gregory initially drags his feet, arguing that profiling isn’t an exact science. There is no denying that he has an uncanny ability to understand the mind of a killer and recognize traits and background that has led to numerous arrests. While he still has his doubts, he agrees to take a look.
Upon arriving in Ballyfinny, Gregory quickly learns how small-town politics plays into working a local case. Mayor Byrne’s two sons, Niall and Connor, are leading the investigation into Claire Kelly’s murder. They make it clear from the start that they do not welcome outsiders, most especially a man like Gregory with such a famous name. They accuse him of chasing glory rather than applying his skill in an effort to catch the killer. Gregory has faced skeptics like the Byrne brothers before. Their insults roll off his back, and he begins putting together suspect profiles.
As the mayor introduces Gregory around Ballyfinny, he finds no shortage of suspects in the town. Niall and Connor truly don’t want to believe that it’s one of their own. But when Gregory points out his reasons for suspecting someone local, they begin to see things his way and have to admit that his logic is sound. In the face of his reasoning, they look at him with a new respect.
Meanwhile, Gregory struggles with his own battles. Spending a career inside the minds of horribly broken people has taken a heavy toll on him, and nightmares constantly plague him. He hopes that, as soon as he wraps up this case, he can take a much-deserved break. Despite its lush, green, unimaginable beauty, Ballyfinny has a dark side. It sits on a lough --- in itself spectacular with emerald waters --- but its depths hide evil secrets. And Gregory must dredge them up.
The setting of IMPOSTOR is a perfect one for the killer it harbors. Ballyfinny is a place no one would expect that a mind so sick could thrive. It hides a person whose crimes are at extreme odds with the wholesome atmosphere of the area. Alexander Gregory, the one who can root this individual out, makes a grand sleuth, unlike many amateur detectives of today’s novels. This is a highly intelligent read that is thrilling at the same time. Well done, LJ Ross!
Teaser
Dr. Alexander Gregory, a psychologist recovering from the collapse of a high-profile criminal profiling unit, wants nothing more than a quiet life to finally sit and think things through. But his rare ability to understand the minds of violent offenders makes him hard to ignore --- especially when a small town is shaken by a brutal murder. Reluctantly pulled into the case, Gregory finds himself confronting not only a cunning predator, but the darker corners of his own mind.
Promo
Dr. Alexander Gregory, a psychologist recovering from the collapse of a high-profile criminal profiling unit, wants nothing more than a quiet life to finally sit and think things through. But his rare ability to understand the minds of violent offenders makes him hard to ignore --- especially when a small town is shaken by a brutal murder. Reluctantly pulled into the case, Gregory finds himself confronting not only a cunning predator, but the darker corners of his own mind.
About the Book
From internationally bestselling author LJ Ross comes a tense, atmospheric thriller that explores how far we'll go to understand --- and survive --- the darkness around us.
In the remote hills of western Ireland, fear spreads as the locals struggle to make sense of a killer who is seemingly one of their own.
Dr. Alexander Gregory, a psychologist recovering from the collapse of a high-profile criminal profiling unit, wants nothing more than a quiet life to finally sit and think things through. But his rare ability to understand the minds of violent offenders makes him hard to ignore --- especially when a small town is shaken by a brutal murder.
Reluctantly pulled into the case, Gregory finds himself confronting not only a cunning predator, but the darker corners of his own mind.
Audiobook available, read by Hugh Dancy
