I've liked other books in the Alan Gregory series but this one not so much. My main complaints were:

1) It was hard to grasp what was going on at the beginning because two stories - one about a bunch of 20-somethings hiking in the Grand Canyon and the other about psychologist Alan Gregory - are told in alternating chapters. Exactly how these stories relate was not clear until several chapters in.

2) Several of the characters are oddly developed. Kanyn's sole purpose for being in the book, for example, seems to be so the author could use the term trichotillomania.

3) Alan Gregory’s marital issues perhaps make sense if one has read the preceding book in the series (I have not), but otherwise it’s hard to grasp why he is putting the moves on every woman he meets while his wife, Lauren, is practically absent from the book, having embarked on a trip to Europe. ( )

Psychologist is asked by his ex-wife to help her find the missing surrogate who is carrying her baby. She secretly believes that her fiance has something to do with it since they were together on a camping trip years before when a girl went missing. ( )

Love all Stephen White books. They are probably best read in the chronological order as they are all about Dr. Allen Gregory.
'Dead Time' was an excellent read. ( )

Dead Time, by Stephen White finds the main character, Dr. Alan Gregory is a state of flux. His wife and daughter are heading to Europe in search of her long lost daughter, his newly adopted son, Jonas, is heading to New York to spend time with Jonas' maternal uncle's family, his old friend Sam is drifting away. Alan's ex wife enters the picture, a slightly narcissistic news producer and asks Alan for his help. Our good Dr. spends a good portion of this book with a slightly confused, bemused air. He seems to have some difficulty following what is happening all around him and this gives the book a mildly distracting flavor.

The book was set in Boulder, New York and LA, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the cities. However, due to the confused demeanor of the main character, I found myself slipping into a sort of daydream mode myself. Perhaps because I live in Southern Cal and am familiar with the locations in the book, I couldn't help but wonder how interesting it might be if Mr. White teamed up with Jonathan Kellerman for a novel. I'd sort of love to see the interaction between Drs. Gregory and Delaware, and I'd love to see how Sam Purdy and Milo Sturgis would get along.

Not the best White, but pretty good. Worth the time to read, especially if you're a fan of the series. It moves the series along nicely. ( )

It was an okay book. He has written better ones. ( )