The Session

Avid fan of this author and pit her up there with my other top favorites of Patricia Cornwell, Mary Higgins Clark, and Sandra Brown. Would definitely recommend all her books!

Judith Kelman's refreshing new novel, "The Session," features a troubled protagonist named P. J. Lafferty. She is a therapist on the women's psych ward at the Riker's Island detention center who cares so deeply about her charges that she reluctantly agrees to allow a female prisoner, Jeannie, to stage a "wedding" with another prisoner. When Jeannie is murdered, P. J's overbearing and unsympathetic boss, Chief Calvin Daley, summarily fires her. It seems that Daley prefers his prisons violence-free. P. J.'s troubles don't stop there. She is practically penniless, and without a job, she has no way to pay the rent on her dumpy, overpriced Manhattan apartment. P. J. resents her ex-husband, Rafe, who still loves her and wants her back. In addition, she loathes her famous sister, Caity, who, in spite of being totally deaf, is a best-selling author of children's books. Caity is self-confident, popular, filthy rich, and contemptuous of P. J.'s self-destructive tendencies. Finally, P. J. harbors dark memories of her difficult childhood after her parents died and her brother, Jack, went off the rails. P. J. is a good therapist, but who will heal the healer? Much to Rafe's and Caity's chagrin, P. J. decides to go after Charlie Booth, Jeannie's abusive and sadistic husband. A mental patient on the psych ward saw Charlie in the vicinity of the prison on the day that Jeannie was slaughtered. The police are indifferent to P. J.'s pleas for help, but she is undeterred in her quest for justice. P. J. knows that Charlie has an adorable little boy, Dennis John, whom he enjoys torturing. If Charlie is not put away for good, he just may get around to killing the motherless child. Kelman has populated her book with a vivid and engaging cast of characters. P. J. is spunky but not smart where her own interests are concerned. She is impulsive, stubborn, and often blind to obvious truths. When circumstances force her into therapy, P. J. begins to realize that she has been paralyzed for years by poisonous guilt and hidden rage. Caity, P. J.'s twin, is her nemesis. Caity is overbearing and controlling towards P. J., who is furious that her sister is so successful in her personal and professional life. Since Caity is deaf, the sisters use sign language to vent their hostilities. Other characters include the aforementioned mental patient, Big Millie, who may not be as crazy as she appears, a true-crime writer, Albert Dunston, whom P. J. cultivates for his expertise on violent criminals, and Dr. Groome, P. J.'s soothing and unflappable therapist. "The Session" offers sharp dialogue, laugh-out loud humor, and a fast-paced, involving, and sometimes poignant plot. The slightly pat ending is the sole flaw, but this does not detract from the book's entertainment value. I highly recommend this thoroughly satisfying and original comedy/thriller.

I loved this book! It was an incredibly fast read. (I read it in two days!) The main character was terrific: funny, smart, and endearing. The suspense was great and the ending was a total surprise. Go out and buy this book!

As usual, I got Kelman's new book as soon as it came out. Also as usual, I couldn't put it down. Her main character, P.J. Lafferty, lived up to Kelman's wonderful standards - a witty, insightful, strong woman about whom I grew to care almost immediately. I don't want to ruin any surprises, but suffice it to say that - again - Kelman has provided her fans with a complex, multi-layered plot line with characters to whom one can truly related. Bravo, Judith!!!

She loves her job working as a therapist on Riker's Island and the small victories mean more to her than the money she would make in private practice. After working with Jeannie for months, the inmate who hid under her cot and hardly said a word marches in to P.J.'s office and tells her she is getting married. Seeing no harm in allowing that to happen even though it wouldn't be legal, the ceremony is marred by a fire alarm drill that upsets the inmates. After things calm down and the patients are settled down, Jeannie is found murdered and P.J. is fired for allowing the ceremony to happen in the first place. Through her former boss, she meets a woman who believes P.J.'s talents shouldn't go to waste and refers clients to her until she can get a job in the forensic field of psychology. When she goes to Jeannie's funeral she meet's her late patient's son and Aunt Lottie who believes the husband Charlie Booth killed her. Lottie shows the therapist a scrapbook of pictures chronicling Charlie's abuse of his wife and son. Unable to think of a little boy in that monster's care P.J. decides to find the proof that Charlie is a killer so the little boy will be taken out of his care and winds up almost becoming the murderer's next victim. The heroine will endear herself to readers as she goes against the advice of her twin sister, her ex-husband, her former boss and the police to get justice for Jeanie and freedom from fear for her son. When she finds that she doesn't have the evidence to put Charlie away, she takes the little boy into her home because Lottie is in the hospital and there is no one else to keep him safe. Her courage and determination will insure fans will want to read more adventures starring this heroine. Judith Kelman has written a riveting, exciting crime thriller. Harriet Klausner