Impostor

One day, an Irishman named Liam Kelly arrives home with his three-year-old daughter to find the body of his wife, Claire, who was bludgeoned and stabbed to death by an unidentified attacker. A month later, in London, Doctor Alexander Gregory, a psychologist who works in a high-security psychiatric hospital, finds his mentor, Professor William Douglas—an expert in abnormal and forensic psychology—waiting for him in his office. Professor Douglas persuades Gregory to travel to Ballyfinny, a small Irish town. Its mayor, Margaret Byrne, wants Gregory to create a profile of the person who killed Claire, since the detectives have no leads and lack useful forensic evidence.

This atmospheric and evocative novel demonstrates what can happen show more when darkness permeates the human soul. In fact, Dr. Gregory has inner demons of his own. He has terrible nightmares that have plagued him for decades. It is clear that, in the past, he survived one or more traumatic events that left him emotionally scarred. Gregory soon realizes that catching Claire's killer will not be easy, since more than one individual fits his profile. Furthermore, Gregory faces resentment from the police and some of the citizens, who do not have much faith in his ability to solve the case.

The author writes lucidly, crisply, and concisely. Her colorful cast of characters is intriguing. Dr. Gregory stands out as an intelligent, compassionate, and devoted professional who does all that he can to alleviate his patients' suffering. After a second corpse turns up, our hero redoubles his efforts to figure out who had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit these murders. Not everyone will be pleased with the abundance of red herrings and the far-fetched solution to the crimes. However, "Imposter" is a suspenseful thriller that concludes with a powerful surprise that will make readers eager to read the next installment. show less

Impostor, by LJ Ross, is the first book in her Alexander Gregory series and it presents both a great case and a powerful ending that helps set up the rest of the series.

This is the only book in this series I have read, apparently this is the first US edition, but I was already familiar with her DCI Ryan series, which is excellent. This one, based on a profiler, walks that fine line between being too dark (we are, after all, plumbing the depths of the dark side of our personalities) and not getting into enough dark detail. In other words, if you're like my housemate and find Criminal Minds or Wire in the Blood too dark you don't spend quite so much time rummaging through the disturbing corners, just enough to understand how a disturbed show more mind works while moving the plot along. That said, if you're like me and find those dark corners interesting there is still some of it and it is written in a way that lets your mind wander a bit, which may or may not be disturbing as well.

Because I came to this with no knowledge of the series or the protagonist, I was gobsmacked by the ending, but in a very good way. It helped give some clarity to earlier scenes that I didn't fully understand as being essential to the plot. They weren't, in some ways, but they were essential to setting up the series (or so I assume, I now have to go and try to find copies, my library doesn't have any and on my fixed income I can't spend too much without sacrificing a meal or two).

Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers as well as well-rounded characters. There is enough police procedure here to satisfy those readers while the psychological analyses both moves the story along and gives us a glimpse at just how thin the line can be between how a trauma can affect a person.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

Well, the whole elite criminal profiling unit shut down because of scandal caught my eye, so I grabbed a copy from NetGalley. I have never read any of L J R Ross's work, so I didn't know what to expect, but I am always open to reading new author's work, especially when they write about murder and mayhem.

Small town mysteries are fun to read. Everyone knows everyone else, so you may think it would be easy to figure out who the murderer is, but I think it would be harder. Just like your neighbor, your friend, or you significant other...you think you know everything about them, but...do you? Everyone has secrets.

L J Ross does a good job of hiding who the villain is. Could it be the police that Dr Alex Gregory is working with? Could it be show more one of the neighbors? And...Dr Alex Gregory has his own secrets. I love watching him work through his own haunted past.

The humor is dark.

I never saw the end coming. I love when an author can surprise me.

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Review of eBook

Liam Kelly and his three-year-old daughter, Emily, return home from the child’s regular swimming lesson to an unimaginable horror. While they’d been away, Claire Kelly, his wife and her mother, had been murdered.

Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory is asked provide a criminal profile for a murderer in Ballyfinny, Ireland . . . the one who’d murdered Claire Kelly.

Can Alex help the police find the murderer before another person falls victim?

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In the Prologue, readers meet a young boy whose mother suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy. This horrific situation pulls the reader into the telling of the tale; the following events keep the pages turning as fast as possible. Relatable, complex, show more interesting characters, a captivating plot, and some intriguing twists and turns along the way keep the reader involved in the telling of the tale.

Tension builds throughout the unfolding atmospheric narrative; the story is both emotional and haunting. Readers who enjoy tales of suspense, psychological thrillers, and who enjoy trying to identify the culprit will find much to appreciate here as the story wends its way to a denouement no one will see coming.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#Imposter #NetGalley show less

Serial killers all have unique profiles that help explain why they commit the heinous crimes they do. Dr. Alexander Gregory once worked as a profiler, helping to solve high visibility crimes. Until a tragedy brought him down. Now he works in a mental health facility that contains many such criminals. He just wants to understand why they do what they do.

Alex gets roped into helping local Garda to solve a murder in Ireland. He’s not sure he wants to do this again, but his ability to understand the minds of these criminals makes him the perfect choice. It’s not a paying job. And the local Garda are skeptical. When he has delivered a profile to them, they are able to focus more on the people who might be capable of such a heinous crime. show more

There are costs to his own mental health, though, and he must confront his old demons along the way. Hopefully he will gather the loose threads and put them all together before another crime is committed.

Great procedural novel with some interesting twists. Alex Gregory is a charming and forthright profiler with his own secrets. The town of Ballyfinny sounds like a idyllic place until these crimes begin. LJ Ross has provided a very interesting tale of psychology, and its use in the field of police work. Thinking this might be a new series, and if so I’m in.

Recommending for those who enjoy crime solving. show less

The first in a new to me series, an Alexander Gregory thriller. This and other series by the author were released years ago in the UK, and now are being slowly released in North America.

Alexander Gregory is psychologist who works at a high security psychiatric hospital. When a woman is found dead in small town Ireland, Gregory is asked by the mayor to assist the local garda in profiling the the killer. Unfortunately, the dead woman is the first in a series of suspicious deaths. Fast paced, and gripping, I look very forward to the next in the series.

Highly recommended.

Impostor by LJ Ross is a very highly recommended investigative thriller. This is the first book in the series featuring psychologist and profiler Dr. Alexander Gregory.

Psychologist Dr. Alexander Gregory is working at Southmoor Hospital for the criminally insane and has one particularly volatile patient called called Cathy Jones who troubles him. Alex previously worked for a criminal profiling unit so it isn't a surprise when he is called in as a profiler for a murder committed in the small town of Ballyfinny, County Mayo, Ireland. There he will be assisting the local Garda, brothers Niall and Connor Byrne, to find the killer. While Alex looks at the evidence for and delves into the mind of a cunning killer, his dreams are also haunted show more by Cathy Jones.

The opening prologue set in 1987 will immediately grab your attention and provides background information for the infamous Cathy Jones. This also sets the atmosphere for this extremely well-written, compelling, fast-paced, and tension-packed thriller. The mystery at the heart of the investigation begs the question for the local Garda, "How could this action be from one of own people?" Alex must use his skills to show them a glimpse into what is likely happening in the mind of the killer to help them figure out suspects.

Alex is a complex, intelligent and interesting fully realized character. The other characters are also developed and given depth beyond just the perfunctory information. They work together in the investigation, uncovering several surprises with some plot twists along the way to the surprising final denouement. There is also shocking reveal at the end of the novel that will insure readers will be anxiously awaiting the next installment. First published October 31, 2019, this is a review of the Poisoned Pen Press edition being released on February 2, 2025.

Impostor is a great choice for readers who enjoy investigative thrillers that feature a profiler. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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