The Program (Alan Gregory)

I like Stephen White's books (and have read them all) for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that he's not afraid to shift the focus away from psychologist Alan Gregory and his now-wife, prosecutor Lauren Crowder. To compare him to Jonathan Kellerman (as Doubleday does on the flap copy-something Doubleday just loves to do, as if comparison is a huge selling point rather than a risk of turning readers away) is to do White a great disservice. White never, as Kellerman always does, inflicts himself on the material. (One can almost hear Kellerman exclaiming from the pages, "Aren't I clever?" Well, no, actually.) Aside from brief mentions now and then of discredited syndromes (like repressed/recovered memories) he doesn't actually travel down the potentially hazardous road of bad therapy. Instead, he allows the characters to remain in character. And fine characters they are, too! In The Program, not only is the story original and clever, but also he's created in retired hitman, witness-protected, Carl Luppo, one of the most original and well-conceived people I've read about recently.What I also like about White is his plotting skill. Each book seems to get just that much tighter, that much leaner, that much more labyrinthine. And the different "voices" in this book have genuine authenticity, particularly the exchanges between what, for want of a better term might be called, the "contract arranger" and his sundry hitmen/women. No overly technical whiz-bang stuff, just meat-and-potatoes serious business.Kirsten Lord's (the prosecutor in witness protection) whale motif is a tad peculiar, but since the woman never for a moment goes out of character, who's to say it isn't valid? Certainly her concern for her daughter, and her grief over the murder of her husband, ring very true. Maybe people start thinking about whales when they're threatened with the loss of everything they value.Finally, any writer who can endow two dogs with such character that the readers can actually see them, is a writer to be reckoned with. I highly recommend all White's books. They're never less than very good. The man really does get better and better and, in large part, I think it's as a result of his willingness sometimes to let his two central characters play secondary roles.

(Originally submitted 3/18/01)Kirsten Lord was a New Orleans District Attorney before the murder of her husband by a vindictive defendant forced her and her daughter into the federal Witness Protection Program. Transplanted to Boulder, Colorado, with a new identity, her only friend and unlikely ally is a former hit man for the Mob who is also in the Program. Dr. Alan Gregory is a Boulder psychologist appointed by the Program to work with both of them, and it is to Dr. Gregory that Kirsten turns when it becomes apparent that her new identity has been compromised. There is evidence that someone inside the Marshals Service may be feeding information about her to the people looking for her, but there is evidence also that more than one set of thugs has it in for Kirsten Lord. There are many layers to this richly structured story, including a Death Row inmate who might be innocent, a Miami drug lord, bad cops, and rogue U. S. Marshals. I have come to anticipate each new Dr. Gregory novel and this one (with the possible exception of the soap opera-like names) is exceptional.

New Orleans District Attorney Kirsten Lord prides herself on putting away criminals, but when one of the men she puts away tells her "For every precious thing I lose, you will lose two", her life goes out of control.After her husband is killed in front of her, Kirsten enters the Witness Protection Program, to escape the threat that has been put upon her.Changing her name, and relocating to Boulder, Colorado, Kirsten and her young daughter will live each day in fear.While settling in her new home, Kirsten will make friends with a Program veteran Carl Luppo, a former mob assassin, tortured by his past.Sensing that someone inside the Program has been leaking information on Kirsten's where-abouts, Carl takes on the role of protector, for this may be his last chance at redemption.Not sure what to believe, Kirsten suspects that Carl's warnings of the Program's darkside are true, and the only people she could trust are her daughter, Carl, and her program appointed psychologist Alan Gregory, for the survival of her family depends on it."The Program" is a heart stopping thriller, that grabs hold on page one, and doesn't let go until the final page has been turned. Dr. Alan Gregory, star of previous Stephen White novels, takes a secondary role in a novel that is as good, if not better, than any other novel Stephen White has written.Stephen White has written eight previous bestselling novels, and I am sure this will rocket up the list's as well.Thriller fans should not miss this one.Nick Gonnella

Assistant DA Kirsten Lord is on the run along with her eight year old daughter. After Ernesto Castro,s drug dealing conviction, he threatens her saying, "For everything I lose, you will lose twice." When Kirsten's husband is shot down by a professional hit man in front of her, she and Amy change their names and leave town thinking they can relocate with the support of friends in her state but without any real protection. When Amy is nearly kidnapped, she asks for help from the Federal Witness Security Program (WITSEC) The story line continues to develop as the reader learns that Kirsten has been a vocal and successful critic of the program and there are many federal agents who do not think she deserves their protection whatever the danger to her and her child. As she joins the program and is relocated to Boulder, Colorado, she requests the help of a psychologist to help her deal with all the trauma that she is dealing with. The psychologist is Dr. Alan Gregory, and old friend from Stephen White's previous books. Dr. Gregory is also treating a second member of the WITSEC program...a mob hit man named Carl Luppo. Carl and Kirsten meet as the suspense grows and Kirsten realizes that she knows someone wants to kill her, but that she cannot determine by herself if it is Ernesto Castro, someone within the WITSEC program, or a third party from an old case that she had prosecuted. The book is worth reading to find out who all the characters are and whether or not they are the bad guys with the intent to kill. Incidentally Dr. Gregory's wife, Laura, an Assistant DA herself, gets involved with helping solve the mystery even though she is nearly ready to have the baby that she and Alan were waiting for in an earlier book. The old neighbor Adreinne is still next door as well even though she plays only a very minor role. The book is a page turner worth reading and Stephen White is an author I will look for again.

Sentenced drug dealer Ernesto Castro warns New Orleans Assistant District Attorney Kirstin Lord that for every thing he loses, she will lose twice. A few weeks later, Kirstin goes to meet her spouse Robert at the Galatoire restaurant, but sees the hitman wearing the Saints cap assassinate her husband. Though grieving her loss, Kirstin realizes that Castro said "twice" and worries that her eight-year old daughter Amy will be next.Ironically, Kirstin, a vocal critic of the witness protection program hiding killers from justice, enters the Federal witness security program. She becomes Peyton Francis and Amy becomes Landon, and they relocate to Boulder. Needing psychological help to cope with the upheaval and tragedies of her life she begins to see Dr. Alan Gregory, whose other WITSEC patient is former hitman Carl Luppo, a killer of at least 15-20 people. Carl realizes that something is not right with Peyton's disguise and takes the two females under his personal protection whether it is from Castro or someone more sinister.THE PROGRAM is an exciting thriller that provides an insightful look into the pros and cons of the witness protection program. Kirstin and Carl are intriguing characters hiding for different reasons. The return of Dr. Gregory is always a reason to rejoice, but in all honesty his role is a secondary catalyst to the fast-paced main plot starring Kirstin. Still, he plays a pivotal role and his sessions with his two patients seem very real, making the story line feel genuine. Best-selling author Stephen White may have written his best novel to date with this tremendous taut tale.Harriet Klausner