Line of Fire

Dr. Alan Gregory, Book 19

By: Stephen White

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Dr. Gregory is starting to feel settled, hopeful that a long period of upheaval in his private life is behind him. He refocuses his energy on his clinical psychology practice, where a beguiling new patient captivates him, but the interlude of calm doesn’t last. Devastating fires are threatening Boulder. Alan’s dear friend Diane is showing signs of a long-simmering emotional collapse. And Alan’s most pressing fear - the exposure of a dangerous secret - has become a peril too real to ignore.

A new witness has surfaced, causing the police to reopen their investigation into the suicide of a woman named Justine Winter Brown. When Alan and his equally culpable friend, Sam Purdy, inadvertently disclose their involvement in her death to a stranger, any confidence they feel about riding out a renewed investigation evaporates. The trail that leads to Alan and Sam, once cold, has turned white-hot.

With his vulnerability mounting daily, Alan suspects that his mesmerizing new patient may be the catalyst that could cause everything he treasures - his marriage, his family, his friendships, and his future - to implode. As flames lick at the city, the story hurtles toward a shocking conclusion that leaves the stage set for a jaw-dropping last act - the upcoming final book in the two-decades-long Alan Gregory saga.

©2012 Stephen White (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Wow! Had me guessing until the end.

This was a fantastic Alan Gregory story. The best I've read. It starts with something new (or at least something I don't recall from previous books) about the past involving Sam and Alan. A crime from a few years ago. Just when things seem to be going so well for Alan and Lauren and their two kids. The different threads of the crime, Diane & Raul, Alan's new clients, and Lauren's involvement really came together in a way I simply couldn't predict. Fantastic. I'm interested to see what happens in the future. Has Sam crossed a dangerous line for a police detective? What does the future hold for the Gregory family? What about the two guys in prison? Are they a future threat for Alan and Sam? I can't wait for the next one.

Whew! Twists & turns with the familiar characters

As long as Dick Hill narrates Stephen White's books, I'll only listen (instead of read). This one was another excellent book and there were twists and turns throughout. I am counting on there being another book, and I'll buy it the minute it comes out.

Worth listening to - but just don't start here. Go back to the beginning of the Alan Gregory series and lead up to this one. Imagine! You'll have 19 books to read while I have to wait for the next one....

Disappointing outing.

Perhaps the problem is that I'm starting this series in the middle. I get the impression that momentous events happened in the previous volume so perhaps the slow start of this story is a welcome breather for fans of the series.

Be that as it may, the deal breaker for me was the incredibly stupid behavior of the main character. Dr. Alan Gregory and his cop pal are implicated (possibly) in the suicide/homicide of a woman who threatened to kill the children of Dr. Gregory & the cop but nobody knows this except Dr. Gregory & the cop pal. There is a rumor that the case may be opened on the basis of new evidence, a possible witness the night of the woman's death may have seen a visitor prior to her death.

On nothing more than the possibility of a reopened case, Dr. Gregory decides it would be a good idea to go to the town where the death occurred (on a bicycle no less) and start lying about who he is and generally messing about. Why??? This guy is supposed to be smart! Why not just paint himself red and hang a sign around his neck saying 'suspicious character.' I got so annoyed by this idiocy that I quit listening. So the story may improve later, I don't know (may try it in print where you can skip over especially annoying parts).

Dick Hill is a wonderful reader and kept me listening even though I found the early part slow going (as mentioned above.)

Great story - narrator is not right fit for Alan

What made the experience of listening to Line of Fire the most enjoyable?

I have been a fan of Stephen White's series for years. Very disappointed at how poorly the narrator's voice works for the Dr. Gregory character. He sounds just right for the older, jaundiced cop sidekick, but not for the fit, youthful, vigorous Alan.

How could the performance have been better?

Younger sounding narrator.

Any additional comments?

I will continue to follow Stephen White. He is a super story teller and always has done enough research in whatever related topic (in this case, suicide) the story brings in so that you really learn something besides being entertained.
Really really wish they would find a narrator that fits the Alan Gregory character. This guy doesn't deliver as a young, vigorous, intelligent Doc.

I Miss the Crazy Patients

It is a new twist (kinda) on the usual Dr. Gregory story. Instead of a patient who is tangentially connected to Alan, It is Alan and his pal, the police officer. The story had its unsual great mix of characters from different walks of life ( a specialty of this author) and the various twists and turns ( another specialty) but the total burden of the stuff he keeps from his wife and how much Alan has to go through to get to the climax of the story was frigging endless. Never did I want an end to come more quickly in an audio book. I usually want my money's worth, but this time I felt the end was near but someone kept snatching it away. That being said - don't want this review to mess up the ending for others - I truly didn't see it coming and it was a surprise ending.
So how to do I go back to my headline? Why would I miss "the crazy patients"? Be-
cause this time, as it is Alan with the problem, the quess work is gone. True, other characters intervene and make for surprises but mostly I found the window to the story from Alan's point of view ruining the story. I want to go back to analyzing each word of the patients to figure out how they will impact on the story.
Dick Hill is an amazing reader and I will continue to read this author, but just like most people my age, I crave the good old days...

I want another and another!

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

Dick Hill does a great Sam and Alan and even women. He's one of my favorite readers.

Any additional comments?

Stephen White gripped my attention from start to finish. He knows people and weaves amazing story lines until they collide! I want more Alan Gregory!

Great road trip book

What did you love best about Line of Fire?

We've been listening to this series for years. The stories are just right for our road trips.

Enjoyed the book very much

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book. Even though I have read all the Alan Gregory books this one had lots of twists and turns - not same old, same old that's for sure!

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I have to say that although I have read all the Alan Gregory books, this is the first one I've listened to and I didn't feel that the voice of the narrator matched the Dr. Gregory I had in my mind. The narrator's voice sounded much older than Dr. Gregory is in the story. It threw me for a bit until I got used to it.

One of the best in the series

If you could sum up Line of Fire in three words, what would they be?

True to the characters I have come to know

What other book might you compare Line of Fire to and why?

Some of the other Alan Gregory books

Which character – as performed by Dick Hill – was your favorite?

Sam

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Realizing what Sam & Alan did to protect their children

Any additional comments?

Wish this series was not coming to an end

A Few Loose Ends

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book. Stephen White does an excellent job of developing his characters and making the reader care about them while building a suspenseful story. The way he describes people and events is skillfully done.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alan Gregory carries the story in this book and shows us many sides of a complex personality.

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

I thought this performance was one of the best I've ever listened to. When a narrator makes you forget that he's providing the voices for all of the characters, both male and female, that's a job well-done!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

My husband and I listened to this book on a long road trip and were anxious to get back to it after every stop.

Any additional comments?

Although the ending took me by surprise and was a very interesting way to handle one of the story lines in the book, it left me wondering about a few of the other story lines that seemed to be left hanging. Of course I'm sure the intention is to keep the reader coming back for the next book, but I would have preferred a little more resolution to some of the other characters' issues.