Friday, January 23, 2009

Nutcase-Charlotte Hughes

Nutcase
Charlotte Hughes
Jove, Feb 24 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780515145939

Psychologist Kate Holly is having a miserable week starting with the fact that her firefighting ex-husband Jay walked out on their first marriage counseling session. Although they still love one another deeply, she fears his occupation because her father was a firefighter who died in the line of duty; he is afraid of her job as some of her patients tend towards violence as proven by her need to find a new office after a nitro incident in her former shrink pad.

Her landlord is evicting her and she struggles to find a new location. Her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Thad Glazer asks her to join his practice, which a desperate Kate reluctantly accepts. Meanwhile she is worried sick about Jay who is dealing with a serial arsonist that can only mean more injuries from entering burning buildings. She councils a con man dating her secretary; works with a disassociative identity disorder person, and a teen accused of beating a collaborate press. Kate hopes Jay won’t get hurt chasing down the arsonist while fearing he is involved with Mandy; he hopes she won’t get hurt by one of her patients while fearing she is back with Thad.

Charlotte Hughes writes a very jocular and charming romantic suspense thriller filled with eccentric characters starting with the lead duo; supported by series regulars like her mom and secretary, Thad and Mandy and unconventional newcomers especially her patients. However with all these odd players, the zany story line is owned by Kate. She is tough as a shrew but vulnerable like a child; yet she is also strong but somewhat unconfident especially when it comes to dealing with the regulars in her life. Though the plot is thin, fans will enjoy this amusing zany tale starring an interesting individual.

Harriet Klausner

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