Dreams in the Key of Blue (Lucas Frank)

Recently I had the pleasure of reading John Philpin's latest effort "The Murder Channel." I was so pleased with the writing style and imaginative verve of that novel that I made a point of ordering his previous book "Dreams in the Key of Blue." I am entirely delighted with my decision. In the serial killer genre there are many imitators, but few minds as innovative as John Philpin.The 'investigator' in the Philpin tales is Lucas Frank, a retired forensic psychiatrist. He lives in the Michigan woods and avoids unnecessary contact with modern civilization. He dislikes technology with the passion of a Luddite. Only occasionally can he be lured out, and never to hunt. This time he finds himself the guest of Harbor College, an exclusive liberal arts school in Maine. His task there is to teach a seminar on gender and serial violence for the Woman's Studies Program. Frank is iconoclastic, irreverent, and even a bit insufferable, but the reader will find him perfect company.Lucas Frank's class has barely started when one of the students and her two room mates are murdered in their apartment. Frank senses the touch of a psychotic, but the crime presents a bewildering array of possibilities, none of which quite makes sense. As Frank struggles to fit the pieces together the murderer continues killing. Frank works closely with Chief Herbert Jaworski, a sincere and thoughtful man with whom he develops a natural rapport. When the news breaks that Stanley Markham, a killer that Frank helped convict, has escaped, the state police seize on him as the likely suspect. But Frank is not convinced, and one clue after another leads him to a completely different conclusion.As the case develops Lucas Frank finds himself under double attack, threatened by the killer and under suspicion by the state police and the FBI, who resent his interference. As he pursues clarity you will me an extensive and rich cast. In this heady concoction each character, major and minor, plays a particular and gemlike part. There seems to be little waste in a Philpin novel, but there is still a rich supply of the key ingredients that make an excellent suspense tale. Philpin does an excellent job of creating and maintaining a sense up mystery that persists until the very end. Several big clues are revealed right up front, and readers worth their salt will have made their guesses and felt very smug, only to retreat in dismay as Philpin unveils layer after layer of deception and misdirection. But he never cheats, or pulls rabbits out of a hat. If the killers progress is pure horror, Frank's hunt is pure detection. Recommended

Lucas Frank, retired psychiatrist and criminal profiler, is a curmudgeon pure and simple. He hates technology. He has no use for the FBI, and less for government task forces. He's irritable and acerbic. So why do I like this guy? Nothing gets in his way when he's tracking a killer. Dr. Frank agrees to teach a course at a small college in Maine. Three woman are killed. Chief Herb Jaworski, who has read Dr. Frank's book on crime reconstruction, calls on Lucas to help. The story takes off from there, snakes its way through a myriad of twists and turns (even Lucas becomes a suspect, AND he becomes a target), and roars to the most startling conclusion of any psychological thriller I've ever read! The beauty of this book is that it's so real. The chills are also real! I may never eat an orange again.

Forensic psychiatrist Lucas Frank has come out of his self-imposed retirement to teach a course on serial violence at the college in Ragged Harbor, Maine. The farthest thing from his mind is getting involved again in the profiling and tracking of a serial killer. But his work is cut out for him when the 3 female students who had given him an impromptu welcoming party at his home are murdered in their rooms as they slept. The college is heavily funded by the mysterious Martin International, though no one has ever seen its elusive CEO, Melanie Martin. As Lucas works with local law enforcement on the student murders, other people are systematically murdered, all of whom had some link to Martin International. Lucas's investigation leads him directly to an old lover of his who is living in Ragged Harbor. The mentally ill Katrina Dorman was once married to one of the murder victims, the one whose body was torn literally apart. Katrina has a daughter, Lily, who might have information about the killings -- if only she could be found. And Lucas particularly wants to locate her when Katrina admits that she told Lily that Lucas was her father. As the victims keep falling and the list of suspects grows, the state police liaison officer insists on putting Lucas at the head of the list.The pace is positively breakneck as the killer plays cat and mouse with Lucas and intends to make him the final victim. This is a fascinating, intelligent glimpse into psychopathy written by a former forensic psychologist and profiler who obviously knows his subject well. The writing is top-notch and the sheer suspense will keep you turning pages all the way to the stunning conclusion.

In his pre-retirement days, Lucas Frank was a psychiatrist bored with treating the same ailments. Lucas developed personality profiles of rapists, murderers, and serial killers that made him a pioneer back in the seventies. However, two decades of exploring the minds of killers forced Lucas to finally retire seven years ago. Now his brain recharged with vigor, Lucas travels to Ragged Harbor, New England to teach a forensic psychology class at Harbor College.The enthusiastic students are interested in what Lucas teaches, which leaves him feeling euphoric. However, happiness turns into horror when someone kills three of his students. The local chief of police knows he is out of his depth dealing with a serial killer and asks Lucas for help. Lucas dives headfirst into the investigation, but even he cannot stop the body count from rapidly mounting, nor realize he is the ultimate target.Anyone fascinated by the mindset of serial killers will want to read the exciting Dreams In The Key Of Blue. Fictional charcaters are cleverly employed to educate and entertain the reader on the various profile types. The edge of your seat story line teases the audience by making it difficult to decide what is happening and who is orchestrating the events. Sub-genre readers will profile John Philpin as a winner. Harriet Klausner