Compound Fractures

Dr. Alan Gregory, Book 20

By: Stephen White

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

For more than twenty years, in nearly a score of best-selling crime novels, Stephen White's stories of Boulder psychologist Alan Gregory have captivated millions. Now, Compound Fractures provides a riveting last chapter to the series.

In Line of Fire, Dr. Gregory found himself assailed by danger from every direction as he struggled with circumstances beyond his control. Authorities were closing in on Alan and his friend Sam Purdy for their roles in a woman’s death years earlier. Alan was struggling to deal with the emotional breakdown of his longtime friend Diane after she discovered evidence of her husband’s infidelity. By the end, Alan’s personal life and his career were in danger of complete collapse.

But Line of Fire merely set the stage. In Compound Fractures, Alan is forced to acknowledge that the perils that may bring him to his knees are not the dangers he recognizes, nor are they orchestrated by the nemesis he has long feared. Instead he is confronted by unexpected threats from unanticipated adversaries and by intimate betrayal from those who have been closest to him. He is compelled to reconsider what he has long believed about trust and about love while he is trying to cope with overwhelming loss and grief.

To protect himself, Alan must revisit the cruel ethical dilemma that turned his life upside down as a young psychologist. He has to judge whether the people reentering his life after long absences are friends or foes. He has to make sense of echoes of distant tragedies while he decides if there is anyone he can really trust. And as the clock ticks down, he must solve a deadly mystery in Eldorado Springs that has been brewing for more than a decade.

At times full of pathos, at other times replete with White’s distinctive wry humor, Compound Fractures delivers the entrancing characters, the suspense, the intricately plotted story lines, and the unexpected twists that readers have come to expect.

©2013 Stephen W. White (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Quotation credit from On the High Wire, by Philippe Petit, reprinted by permission of the author. Recorded by arrangement with Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Shock value was most important here

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. This was not his best. Stephen White combined so many elements here and then seemed to have twisted the story line for the best shock value. While the writing style was similar, the content was more for shock value and did not seem to be consistent with the characters actions and decisions from previous stories.

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

In some of his narrations the characters voices are not distinguishable enough and the intonation and word emphasis is not distinguishable enough. In this book Dick Hill did an excellent job.

Was Compound Fractures worth the listening time?

Not so much. I thought about returning it, but didn't because there was some enjoyment in listening to an Alan Gregory and Sam Purdy story.

Much better then the GOT story line.

Will miss Alan, Sam , Jonas, Gracie and DICK HILL! For the final installment I’m gonna wonder how they all fair.

Another winner

Compound Fractures is another winner! Offering mystery and intrigue. Dick Hills narrates it perfectly, as usual. A very good listen.

Not as good as most

Book was okay. Kept changing from character r to character , sometimes hard to bridge.

Good book by Stephen White

Would you listen to Compound Fractures again? Why?

Not quite finished yet but a good read as always.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Compound Fractures?

Always a good story.

What aspect of Dick Hill’s performance would you have changed?

Love Dick Hill

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

Not quite finished yet but a good read as always.

Any additional comments?

The author/editor surely means Sarah Jessica Parker when referring to designer shoes- but keeps saying "Mary Louise Parker' and that doesn't make sense. Seems like I remember that mentioned in the previous book as well.

Disappointing.

For the concluding episode of the Dr. Alan Gregory series, I was disappointed. Do not feel it was nearly as good as his previous works..

It's a WRAP!

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

I disagree with many of the reviews on this one. Chick lit? If only women have brains and hearts and souls - maybe. Steven White's flawed characters are refreshing - and yes they do question themselves ad-nauseum, but don't we all?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Compound Fractures?

Jonas hiding the guns - smart kid

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great narrator

Crushed

Crushed that I’ve read the last one in the series. Amazing story weaver, Sheehan White Grans you from page one. You experience all emotions . Great for shadowing, great false summits, just a brilliant writer. Dick Hill is also an amazing reader who puts you exactly where you should be.. watching it all happen in your minds eye.

Compound Fracture

too many storyline. Reader was too heavy and theatrical. that's not the voice I imagined for Alan.

Wow. What a ride into the sunset!!!

What a ending to this fabulous book serious. I read the reviews about this book and deliberated not to buy it. Glad I ignored my inclination. So many people want pat endings. Everything tied up in a bow. This was fantastic read and kudos to Stephen White in relating this with his first Alan Gregory novel. Maybe I can see this better than most, because I was trained in Alan's occupation. One of my professors said to my class on Ethics, "We, are not the truth police". That about wraps this up in a nutshell. Gonna miss my sessions with Dr. Gregory!!