Book description
“MIRROR IMAGE, “a complex, erotic novel of suspense, is the first in a
series of mysteries featuring Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, a psychologist who
consults with the Pittsburgh Police. His specialty is treating victims
of violent crime-those who've survived an armed robbery or kidnapping,
but whose traumatic experience still haunts them. Kevin Merrick, a
college student and victim of an armed assault, is one of these people.
A fragile, troubled kid desperate for a role model, a sense of identity,
Kevin has begun dressing like Rinaldi, acting like him, mirroring his
appearance. Before Daniel has a chance to work this through with his
patient, he finds Kevin brutally murdered. Stunned, he and the police
suspect that “he, “not Kevin, had been the intended target. Feeling
responsible, Rinaldi is determined to help find the killer, who's begun
leaving death threats for the psychologist. His journey takes him
through a labyrinth of friends and colleagues, any one of whom may be
the killer. It also includes an affair with a beautiful, free-spirited
Assistant DA with secrets of her own. And when Kevin's identity as the
estranged son of a Bill Gates-like biotech giant is revealed, the
investigation of his murder turns into a national story…even as another
person turns up dead. A page-turning novel of suspense, “MIRROR IMAGE
“weaves together a puzzling mystery, full of unexpected twists, with an
intense, erotic love story. This debut novel from psychotherapist
Palumbo features a psychologist, Daniel Rinaldi, whose client, a college
student, is murdered. But here's the twist: the victim, for therapeutic
reasons, has lately been imitating Rinaldi's appearance and manner of
dress. So naturally Rinaldi believes that he, and not his client, was
the intended victim. Wracked with guilt over the incident-he believes
his encouragement of the victim's behavior got him killed-Rinaldi sets
out to find the killer. Palumbo, a screenwriter with credits as varied
as Welcome Back, Kotter and the classic film My Favorite Year, does an
excellent job of building suspense, and Rinaldi, who comes off as
likable if a bit self-absorbed, makes a complex protagonist. A solid
first novel, especially recommendable to fans of Jonathan Kellerman,
Keith Ablow, and Meg Gardiner. DENNIS PALUMBO, MA, MFT, is a licensed
psychotherapist in private practice, specializing in creative issues. He
co-wrote the screenplay for the award-winning My Favorite Year and other
films, numerous TV episodes and pilots, and the novel City Wars. Palumbo
writes the highly popular “The Writer's Life” column in Written By, the
magazine of the Writer's Guild of America, and his work helping writers
has been profiled in Premiere magazine, the LA Times, and on CNN.
