MY REVIEW
Four ‘for the price’ of one.
I like the cool cover for Altered by Rob Kaufman, and when I read the blurb, I had to have it. I mean, a guy with four personalities, or alters, who, when threatened will defend themselves…or at least one of them will step up.
Justin Wright, a clinical psychiatrist, has no clue how Frank Devlin, a man with multiple identities, alters, will change his life. Frank had a dad who didn’t care about him and was now dead, a drunken mother who gave him to his uncle…for a few months…who, when he entered his room, Frank would go to his safe place. I figured he had to have an awful childhood if he has multiple identities. He has to have some way to escape the horror. The only good thing was a window, where he could look out on the street and watch the kids and dogs play.
As Justin and Mary share their mystery, her words bring tears to my eyes, a very well written scene. The guilt people carry for the death of a loved one is not always rational, unless they pointed a gun at the person and killed them.
A mystery solved. Love and loss shared. Happiness and anguish shared.
I love psychological thrillers, delving into a damaged mind. Whenever I deal with a mystery, a thriller, I am many times more in love with the villain than the victim. I don’t care so much about how they did what they did, but I want to dig into the whys of their actions. All too often that is never known, so let’s see how Rob Kaufman deals with Frank Devlin’s actions…and the other three identities. I will be sticking around for Book II.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Altered by Rob Kaufman.
About the Book:
Title: Altered (Justin Wright Suspense Series – Book 1)
Author: Rob Kaufman
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 276
Genre: Psychological Suspense Thriller
When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright’s office, the renowned New York City clinical psychiatrist decides to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.
After their first session, it’s obvious Frank has multiple personalities (“alters”) and each one couldn’t be more different than the other. Justin must get to know each individual alter in order to discover the best route to take so that Frank can live a full and happy life. He must also delve into Frank’s past, one filled with mystery, darkness and trauma — the true causes behind his personality split.
As Justin deals with Frank’s issues, he’s also confronted with his own demons: the kidnapping of Michael, his youngest son, seven years earlier… a wife he adores, Mandy, who refuses to accept her son is gone… a constant struggle with his oldest son, Dylan, who was watching over Michael the day the boy was taken. And his problems get worse as, unbeknownst to Justin, Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into his life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.
A suspense-filled story driven by emotion, angst and the ultimate revenge, “Altered” brings readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games — leaving them shocked, heartbroken and questioning what could possibly come next…
“Crazy-good plot lines and shocking information that had me gasping for breath at every turn!” – Anne F., Amazon Vine Reviewer
“It was an amazing ride with tension building throughout until the final twist ending.” – Patricia G., NetGalley Reviewer
Release Date: November 15, 2022
Soft Cover: ISBN:979-8358757523; 329 pages; $13.99; Kindle $7.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BlpCjs
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdLxyAEoQY4
Book Excerpt:
The frigid breeze whipped across his face. He ran up the city blocks, wiping melted snowflakes from his eyelids so he could see where he was going. By the time he reached 49th Street, he was out of breath and had to stop. He leaned against the steel pole that held both the street signs and traffic lights. After a few deep breaths, he wiped the liquified flurries off his cheeks and walked as quickly as he could until he reached 50th.
He made a right off Park and because the office was so close to the corner, he could see a glow of light coming from the window. Breathing a sigh of relief, he went through the building’s glass front door and made a quick left. He didn’t stop long enough to ring the bell to let anyone know he was about to enter. Trying to catch his breath, he opened the office door.
The first thing he saw was a man holding a gun up to his own temple.
He yelled, and before he could say a coherent word, he watched the man turn toward him and heard a loud bang. And then another.
His legs wobbled, then his head banged on the wooden floor. He brought his hand up to his throat and felt warm liquid oozing from a hole in his neck. He was surprised at the lack of pain and how rapidly numbness was spreading throughout his body. His throat felt like it was swelling up, closing his airway. He fought out a gasp and heard a soft gurgle. Did he just make that noise? Was blood filling his throat?
He tried to take another breath and heard the same sloshing liquid. His mind went void of thought, his body, frozen.
Suddenly there was muffled yelling, unintelligible screams. Something that felt like a hand cupped the back of his head and soft skin brushed his cheek. As time passed, seconds… minutes… hours… he couldn’t be sure, everything faded except a weightlessness enshrouding him, a gentle sense of calm. He closed his eyes and listened to the blood pump, with each heartbeat, through the opening in his neck.
From some obscure corner of his mind, reality edged its way back in and he struggled to open his eyes one last time.
Through the haze of his dissolving vision, he saw a familiar face hovering over him. Anguish twisted it, and as if from a long distance away, he heard the cries and moans falling from the man’s mouth.
He wanted to cry, grieve for them both, but once again his heavy eyelids fell down. The weeping and mumbling became a fading hum and then ultimately silence.
His final thought was not about this man who sobbed above him, his killer or the “why” behind what just happened. It was the hope that he’d see the loved one he’d lost — a hope that made him smile inside as a comforting warmth enveloped his body like the most snug of blankets warmed by the sun itself.
About the Author
Rob Kaufman novels are known for having characters with whom people can relate, while at the same time, bringing them on a journey from which most people would crumble.
His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from everyday events.
Rob’s books are perfect for those who enjoy thrillers but also need strong emotion to keep them deeply involved with the characters.
“All my books hit home for me,” says Rob. “There are always parts that make me laugh out loud as I write them… and many, too many, that make me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of my books experience the same emotions.”
Rob’s books receive both national and international praise with most reviews noting that his storylines are extremely “unique” and “sobering” and the twists and turns are “masterful”.
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