A psychological mystery involvement
354629
Croft makes Callie seem like a really introverted person constantly questioning what other people are thinking of her.  Towards the middle of the story, Callie likes to hide her strategies from even her husband and best friends so that as the story is drawing towards the close we think that Callie is capable of any black deed.  What an ending though!  A complete surprise!  But a psychological involvement in personality development that makes you feel creepy about knowing a person like Callie.  No matter how you think you've outwitted Croft for a perfect ending, you'll find out she's outwitted you!
3210312
A very well written and enjoyable read. A psychological study within a thriller. The characters are well drawn revealing strengths and weaknesses. Emotions are complex and explored. The presentation of a mans efforts to cope with his wife's kidnapping feels authentic with well sustained drama. A satisfying ending. An author worth watching.
2299171
From page 229 to 353 I enjoyed this novel a lot.  I didn't do enough research before choosing this book because it simply must have been part of a series.

I had read the description and was expecting a thriller with some mystery aspects also.  For the most part what I got was the inner feelings of rage, anger, and despair for character after character with very tenuous links to keep them connected with the overall story.  Now retired from the police force Jones Cooper was spending all his time hiding from all kinds of psychological problems which had persisted throughout his life.  There was something awful which happened in his past which was constantly alluded to but never explained.  Bethany Graves was filled with all kinds of hangups because of her failed marriage and her decision to move from New York City to The Hollows.  Willow Graves has the depths of angst usually associated with a 15 year old girl who doesn't want to be living where she is so she repeatedly acts out.  Eloise Montgomery is a psychic who is allowing her gift to completely take over her mind and body.  Kevin Carr is a sociopath, his wife Paula is trying to present to the world the appearance of the perfect wife.  Michael Holt is filled with rage and anger and wants to find out what happened to his mother all those years ago when she disappeared.  The list just goes on and on.  And yet the character who could have given the most information was, for the most part, left sitting on the side lines.

The first 225 pages of this novel are included as Part One and it seems to consist mainly of delving into the psychology of each person in the novel and coming up with rage and anger.  When Part Two finally began the story actually became interesting, thrilling, and the mystery was solved.  Up until then it was not the style of novel I like to read.  I think Lisa Unger is probably a writer whose work I would normally enjoy, provided all her books aren't like this, but I like to focus much more on the solving of a mystery and not so much on finding out about what went on in therapy sessions.  If you are looking for psychology, this is your book.  If you think you might be more interested in the thriller aspects, I would suggest that you check it out very carefully to be sure of what you will find here.
3172384
I think Into A Mystery is McLauchlin's most under appreciated song - a fun song about looking up into the sky and wondering what or who may be up there.

On another level, this song makes me wonder about the mystery within.  As I understand it, experiencing the mystery within is really about allowing feelings to do their thing (ie:  sending felt messages to a person, pointing towards long ago unmet needs, allowing a person to feel embodied and real, communicating to a person about learned patterns, expressing paradox, allowing the body and mind to be united, etc).  The more a person sets the intention to ponder how the body is in the mind and how the mind is in the body - the bodymind connection, the more likely, it seems, the person will not feel alone.

The degree in which a child missed out on maternal love and support seems to be the main reason for the use of defense mechanisms to cope with the pain of not having had the chance to internalize a parent's ability to self regulate/buffer emotions, leading to an overdependence on the stress response system.  A child may also need to react, for survival purposes, by creating a narcissistic entitled grandiose false self power driven personality pattern.  The core feeling under this mask is shame according to some authors and according to others, a combination of rage, panic, helplessness/hopelessness, depression, guilt and emptiness.

For those with the narcissistic pattern, the mask is constantly polished in order to maintain one-up control in order to preempt and avoid any possible exposure to the psychic pain inside.  Codependents who lived with those with the narcissistic pattern often express great sadness and regret over having spent so many years of life and love with an emotionally unavailable person.

Signs of "maternal libidinal unavailability" include:  guilt tripping the child; emotional blackmail; using the other parent, relatives, the child's siblings as metaphorical "flying monkeys" to do the emotional abuser's bidding, etc.

If we "regress under stress," and discover the immature/"primitive" defense mechanism of splitting at work (ie:  avoidance of empathy,  intolerance to "every coin has three sides," etc) and discover unmourned losses and emotions overriding reason and maturity, then looking up at the stars as a reminder to turn to the mystery within, may offer a return to, or advancement towards, an inner-guided/directed focus as a choice for accepting, loving and re-parenting "the inner child of the past" as part of the mystery.
3119742
Getting inside the head of Aza, the main character, was very enlightening to understand these thought "invasions" of anxiety/OCD. It actually reminded me of how the audience got a glimpse of what thoughts occur when you have schizophrenia as in The Center Cannot Hold. Similar themes were present in both including the argument about whether these "thoughts" are part of the real person and if taking medication to alter/remove the thoughts are a violation of the person's identity. Starting the book, I was hoping that John Green would take us on a mystery adventure following the Pickett disappearance. However, the book was set up to follow the romance between the main character and the son of the disappeared man as well as celebrating the friendship of Aza and her best friend all the while showcasing Aza's life with severe anxiety. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it could have gotten 5 stars if it providing more thrilling adventure with solving the disappearance.
4022052
This short novel is really three stories, each narrated by the psychologist. In one, he is treating a stripper whose anxiety attacks keep her from the stage. In another, the psychologist is a teacher, imparting wisdom to his students and making connections with them. Finally, the psychologist is haunted by his relationship to a married colleague, a woman whom he fathered a child with many years ago. There are parts of each story which seemed a little unrealistic, but the stories each were so interesting that I chose to just enjoy them. This book did impart good food for thought about living. Like the TV show, In Treatment, each story is cycled throughout the novel. I recommend this fun novel!
2556087
It took me a while to finish this book, but I'm glad I did as the author is one of my favorites.  It's a psychological investigation of the hows and whys of a one night stand between a married woman and a divorced man and the sudden death of the woman.  The reaction to her death by the man leads to uncovering secrets in his past

The author's description of both the novel's characters and the surrounding streets, alleyways, etc. made me feel as if I was there.

 Highly recommended.
1903166
That family systems play a role in psychopathology is an idea that stretches back to Freud and has been championed by V. Satir. The difficulty with this attractive idea has been the lack of measurable mid level constructs that enable systematic study of family dynamics. This book suggests a series of those constructs and a possible measurement strategy that enables reliable investigation.  New researchers in this field will find this book an attractive starting point.

Mark-David Janus, PhD.
2367249
Next of Sin is a psychological thriller about a woman named Gaby. Shes a newlywed, has a great life, and by all accounts should be happy. Something happens on her honeymoon that triggers a depression seemingly out of nowhere. Gaby takes steps to figure out whats causing the nightmares only to realize that she was repressing a deep dark secret from her childhood. She sets out to solve the dangerous mystery.  I like how the author set up the story. At first, I wasn't sure who was behind the murders, but I like the way the mystery came to light. A good book for those who enjoy a good psychological thriller.
4750688
This is a murder mystery with a fascinating twist.  The question is not only who the murderer is, but who is being murdered.  The answer lies in who's philosophic premises you agree with.  The book brilliantly explores the psychology of the murderer and the murderer's motivation.  The author provides ample clues and psychological insights, and as it builds to a climax, interruptions to reading cannot be permitted.  I think the book would make a riveting movie.  I look forward to Ms Peikoff's next novel.
2941871
****
"Is it possible for a psychologist to hear just a few words from you and immediately know what makes you tick? Could this psychologist use cutting-edge science to detect your inner desires from subtle patterns in your use of language--beyond anything you were conscious of saying? The answer to both questions is Yes." --Daniel Wegner, Harvard Psychologist & author

Since we learn to speak very early in our lives, enjoying our interactive communication skills, that reflect the core of our human tradition and social intelligence, in talks and discussions. In recent years, we struggled to match the an unprecedented innovations and virtual speed due to the communication ingenuity advancement of cell phones to I-phones, and explosive use of text messages and tweets, generating a massive rush of words within each hour of the waking day. Utilizing computational analytic tools, Pennebaker exposes all sorts of writings from advertisements on E bay, to our writings, in quizzes, we can take to yield so many unexpected insights. What was hiding inside our unconscious mind, could now be identified in the deluge of language, and exposed with analytical insights into ourselves on how do we think, and make sense of our own feelings.

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. It indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence. Our most forgettable words, pronouns and prepositions, can be revealing; their frequency and patterns are as distinctive as our fingerprints, and are capable of conveying our identity. In his book, "The Secret Life of Pronouns," eminent social psychologist, and philologist James Pennebaker, utilizes computer-aided information processing in his insightful original research, of intrinsic linguistic analysis, to identify, and count certain words recurrence. He employs such statistics to show, with certainty, that our language usage reveals few secrets about our unconscious feelings, and personal concept.

Social psychologist and linguistic philologist Pennebaker uses his analytical auto-research techniques of computational linguistics, to identify, and count the recurring frequency of some words, we habitually use. He demonstrates that our daily use of language hides personal secrets about ourselves, our feelings, and self-conception. Pennebaker, using penetrating psychological rays, on every writing from E-bay advertisements to our own, could normally reveal some unexpected personal secrets. What seemingly alike characters have in common, and how President Obama and King Lear appear among the figures who make brief appearances in this surprising tour of what our slipping words are disclosing, even if we do not mean them.

Dan McAdams, of N. W. University gave the book a fine review: In this entertaining and sharply illuminating book, James Pennebaker shows that the words you use in everyday talk reveal surprising insights into personality, social relationships, status, leadership, sex, and human nature. I suspect that he could decode the pronouns and the functions words I write now to describe him in such a way as to reveal deep secrets about me! But I will write them anyway, and here they are: He is one of the smartest, funniest, and most creative psychologists you will ever meet.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Language-Literature-and-the-Learner-Creative-Classroom-Practice-Applied-Linguistics-Language-Study/dp/0582293235/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Language, Literature, and the Learner: Creative Classroom Practice (Applied Linguistics & Language Study)</a>
907417
Well written and obviously very well researched on how a person with the medical and psychological problems would behave in the circumstances with which they are confronted. Characters well developed and believable and the story delivered with sufficient increasing tension to keep the reader guessing. I found it enjoyable.
2434998
A unique mystery centering on a troubled family of brilliant mathematicians.  The author does a fine job of developing the interesting characters as they weave through the mysteries left behind after the death of the family patriarch.  The overall theme relating mathematical probability and human behavior is thought provoking.
4975090
The fear of haunted houses in the literature has been explored in many different ways. In this instance, Gary Fry presents us with a psychological thriller with a supernatural twist. He delivers an atypical haunting of a house with tones and subtleties of Lovecratian horror. The book is interesting and in the end I liked it but it left me if but a bit wanting. There was fear but not at the level I was expecting. It was interesting and kept me reading but found the second half of the book to arrest the momentum of the story. In the end, if you enjoy psychological thrillers with supernatural tones then this book will be enjoyable.

I warn you, the next section of this review contains information that could potentially spoil your reading.

The book is set in a small town not far from Leeds, England. The plot centers on the Conjurer's House, an old abandoned house with a rumored dark history. Our protagonist is a psychologist with a troubled family past that returns to his hometown with his family after the death of his parents. The Conjurer's House was the last place the protagonist ever saw his younger brother and it still remains a mystery as to the why's and how's his brother disappeared 15 years ago. The author sets a connection between the house and our protagonist from the very beginning that keeps the reader interested in the happenings around this house. Our protagonist is though not alone and the author explores the character of his wife and his kid, both having supporting roles in the story. The story of these three characters is told from a first person perspective and it does help to help understand how different people in the same family perceive the issues around the Conjurer's House and the disappearance and death of our protagonists brother and parents respectively.

The story builds momentum as our protagonists keeps finding evidence that connects the events of the past to things that are happening to his son and his "new" friend in town. The book reaches a point where the protagonist brings his old friends from 15 years ago back to town with the intention of solving these mysteries once and for all. Up to this point in the book, I felt the book had a solid premise with characters that are going to kick some evil butt. But then something happened, the second half became a bit repetitive. The supporting characters, our protagonists friends, do not fill the roll I was expecting. They were not necessarily instrumental in the development of the second half. The hints of something strange happening kept coming but already at this point I had a good idea that evil was there and that we need to beat it before something terrible happens. Momentum got arrested until the end of the book. Lovecraft-like monsters, art vs science and the perseverance of our protagonist are key elements of the end and I did enjoy them. But I felt that the second half of the book could have been - well just more.
3055866
Engaging and proves that all isn't always as it seems, even for a psychologist. Enjoyed the twist revealed at the end which seemed perfectly normal throughout the story. The perception of reality coming from a psychologist made even more of an impact.
2225588
The Murderer's Daughter is not the usual J. Kellerman novel in which good-guy psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and his policeman friend Milo analyze the clues and save the day.  I like those characters and want to read about them again.
  Alex is mentioned in passing, but the main protagonist this time is Dr. Grace Blades, a new-to-Kellerman psychologist with a troubled past and a troubling life.  Grace is a very intelligent psychopath with sociopath tendencies, according to my amateur analysis, who has tricked other intelligent psychologists into thinking she is "normal."  Creepy.  As the novel progresses, she moves from being a foster child and ward of the state to being a successful professional with high income and significant inherited financial assets.  And, she's a killer.  Grace is not a likable character, but I was eager to turn the pages and find out what she would do next.
  Murderer's Daughter contains graphic scenes of sex and violence.  It is not for folks who wouldn't watch R-rated movies.  The book is well-written, but my rating is 4 out of 5 because of the creep factor and the graphic nature of many scenes.
1240273
In "He Who Fears the Wolf", Ms Fossum delves into the world of a troubled individual afflicted with schizophrenia. Errki has spent a great portion of his life in and out of mental institutions, and on the day he escapes from his latest confinement, an elderly lady living in a remote location deep in the woods is found brutally murdered. The only witness apparently is a troubled, obese young delinquent, Kannick Snellingen who informs the local police chief. Because of the gravity of the crime, Chief Insp Konrad Sejer is brought in to investigate the case. Matters are complicated by another crime - a bank robbery, in which the chief murder suspect from the previous case, Errki, is found to have been taken hostage by the unidentified robber.

This a tautly-written suspense and psychological thriller - one of the most interesting story arcs in this novel is the dynamics of the relationship between the robber, Morgan and Errki. Though Morgan holds a weapon and seems to be the one in charge, the reader gets the sense that this is not really the case, especially as the story progresses. The way these two individuals interact really drives the story and makes for interesting psychological analysis.

Meanwhile, Insp Sejer tries to solve the case in his usual style - calm, intuitive and deliberate, leaving no stones unturned, and in the process even experiencing a romantic epiphany [Sejer has been widowed a number of years and has been leading a rather quiet existence].