Welcome to Book Readers Heaven! Find Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
What can we say on the first day of a new year, when we have had, at least for me, the worst year of our lives? It seems senseless to even realize that a year where we have seen corruption at the highest level of our country, including more violence caused by one man, within our borders, than could ever have been imagined in the United States of America! We have built a country full of diversity, growth, and caring... But we discovered that many people here hated, feared, or just didn't understand that God had created all people and that we were asked to love each one...
How do we have a year where our President of four years full of major accomplishments, especially in Infrastructure which most leaders choose to ignore during their tenure, causing problems for ALL Americans throughout our land... A man who closed each presentation with "God Bless Our Troops..." I could go on, but the heartbreaking part that much of what was accomplished was immediately stopped or prevented in one way or another, and the destruction of our government began based upon Project 2025, which was written by--not the Congress--but by a group of men most of whom none of us even know...and certainly didn't vote for... Yet, Trump declared it his mandate and proceeded without any type of review process as required by law and/or the Constitution... It has been as if a cloud of black thunder/rain has poured out into the streets and countries across our land and blanketed us with hate, violence, and, yes, murder, without control! Like the Journalist above, who speaks out, how can we explain how this has happened? And, how can it continue for nearly a year without much done to stop it?! For me, I'd arrived at the conclusion that Michael Smith recently posted on LinkedIn... The thing is, how can a new year begin...with...madness? Surely, there is hope somewhere... Listen!
Abnormal...
In psychology, "abnormal" describes behaviors, thoughts, or emotions that significantly deviate from typical or culturally accepted norms, often causing personal distress, dysfunction, or harm to self/others, and are studied in abnormal psychology (or psychopathology) to understand, diagnose, and treat mental disorders, though the definition is complex and context-dependent. Key criteria include statistical rarity, violating social norms, maladaptiveness, and personal suffering. Key aspects of abnormality: Statistical Infrequency: Behavior that is rare or far from the average (e.g., extremely low IQ). Violation of Social Norms: Actions that go against the unwritten rules of a society or culture. Maladaptiveness: Behavior that hinders daily functioning, goal achievement, or adaptation to life's demands. Personal Distress: Significant psychological suffering, anguish, or discomfort experienced by the individual. Observer Discomfort: Behavior that causes significant unease or concern for others. The field of study: Abnormal Psychology: The branch of psychology dedicated to studying these unusual patterns to understand, predict, explain, and treat mental disorders. Psychopathology: A less stigmatizing term for the scientific study of psychological disorders, focusing on mental illness.
Important considerations: There's no single, universal definition; what's abnormal varies by culture, time, and context. The goal isn't just to label, but to identify behaviors that may indicate a need for clinical intervention
If the behavior of Donald Trump had been the behavior of one of us, we would have been institutionalized long ago before we hurt ourselves or someone else.
“Don’t blame yourself for having a suboptimal run-in with an egomaniac. They’re hard to beat if you don’t have practice with them. They’re even hard to beat if you do. But you managed to do it anyway.”
“Alex, I think we are all playing checkers and you are playing 3-D laser chess.”
Dear Ms. <firstname> Butler, We regret to inform you that we are not moving further with your application at this time. We appreciate your interest in the Renewable Energy Innovations family, however, we had a large and competitive group of applicants for this position. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Cheers, David Brandt Employee Happiness Coordinator
Zoey sighed into her open laptop. Well, the email addressed to Ms. <firstname> Butler was a new low. It was impressive, really, that her job search had gotten even worse. While Zoey suspected she’d only been receiving form rejections these past several months, it turned her stomach to have it so obviously confirmed. Only a few years earlier, she’d had her choice of extremely competitive offers before even graduating from college. She’d had the luxury of thinking hard about each offer before choosing the opportunity she believed would change her life. Unfortunately, it had.
When Zoey began her career as a materials science engineer for Future State Energy, they had been the newest and most impressive player in the energy storage industry. While her peers had taken jobs with automakers focused on designing stylish electric cars, Zoey was interested in less splashy, but equally impactful, work in the battery industry. Someone needed to create power management solutions for the wind turbines and solar panels that generally garnered more attention in the news. The company she now referred to as “the F-word” claimed their solid-state technology would leapfrog the work of the more well-known players in the battery industry by decades, revolutionizing renewable energy and improving the future of the planet. There was just one small problem with Future State’s technology—the exciting claims made by the charismatic head of development, Ophelia Wagner, were too good to be true. Ophelia loved bragging that the talent at Future State was second to none. That, at least, was true. Zoey’s coworkers were incredibly talented scientists and engineers. Unfortunately for them all, Ophelia had made claims even they couldn’t materialize.
Once Zoey was answering the FBI’s questions in a deserted conference room, it became clear that she’d been hired by Ophelia to buy time and make Ophelia’s exaggerations look believable, even to scientists and engineers within the company. She’d tried to stick it out and make it right, but after a few months of regular interviews with the FBI, uncomfortable conversations with possibly duplicitous coworkers, and a nearly constant feeling of humiliation, Zoey couldn’t take it anymore. Her last straw was when her boss, Marco Ortiz, had defended the quality of the lab’s work, getting into a not-so-subtle yelling match with the then-CEO, JJ Harris. Marco had been right, and JJ was demoted, but it did nothing to ease Zoey’s mind. She’d run the tests. She should have known. She found it increasingly hard to focus and couldn’t sleep. Zoey quit, sure she would receive more offers than when she had no experience at all. Instead, they regretted to inform her. Zoey focused on her current surroundings to pull herself out of the bad memories. Her hand was resting on the rustic kitchen table she’d helped her sister, and roommate since college, paint a cheerful yellow. The smell of the morning’s coffee still hung in the air. Back in the present, she looked at her computer again. She wouldn’t stop being persistent, even if things got hard. Especially when things got hard. She looked down at her computer screen—a new email had arrived. She knew what it would say before she clicked on it, but she couldn’t help looking anyway. They, too, regretted to inform her. Zoey squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying with frustration. It wouldn’t do any good. She’d run that experiment several times in the last few months and her conclusions were utterly repeatable. No number of form-based platitudes ever made her feel better. She needed an actual job. A tear escaped and she gave in to the moment for a few seconds, then wiped it away. There was nothing wrong with crying. She was human and three rejections in one afternoon hurt. She let herself feel it for another minute, then rolled her eyes at the one remaining email, still sitting unread. She shook her head and clicked on it. A representative from human resources at Future State claimed they were back in the game. According to the email, the F-word had evolved into a paragon of ethical decision-making and behavior. And they wanted her back. Was she available for a conversation? She deleted the message immediately. Why did they want her back so badly? They kept asking, even when she’d never responded to their emails. For a brief moment, Zoey considered pulling the email from Future State out of her trash folder. A job was a job, after all. She closed her eyes to resist temptation. Nothing good could come from going back. She’d been lucky she hadn’t ended up in jail. She’d had so many meetings with the FBI, reviewing her meticulous notes, Zoey ended up on a first-name basis with Alexis, the special agent in charge of the raid. Under different circumstances, they might have even become friends, as much time as they spent together. And Zoey had spent a fair amount of time with Alexis’s Labrador retriever, Waffle, whose wagging tail made him friends with everyone, regardless of the circumstances. Without the conversations with Alexis, Zoey would have never realized the extent to which her work was a purposeful misdirect, intended to cover illegal activity and lies to investors. She’d left the company without looking back, keeping nothing from Future State except a free flash drive Marco had given her that he didn’t want. And only because she hadn’t realized she’d forgotten to take it out of her purse. She’d nearly chucked it in the trash when she found it, but she couldn’t bear to be wasteful.
Zoey scrunched up her nose. “Nope, that feels like we’ve taken it a step too far. The real garbage burger—hold the pickles—is that one of the FBI agents had the nerve to tell me she was sorry.” Elise dropped her mouth open in mock alarm. “You’re kidding. That is so rude. Just like that? Wow. I hope you let them know how upset you were. She didn’t thank you too, did she? That would have been awful.” Zoey dropped her head in her hands for a moment, then looked back up into the concerned eyes of her sister. “What good is it to be sorry when I’m unemployed? After years of work, all those late nights studying, I may have to switch careers, Elise. I just paid off my student loans. I can’t afford to live here on unemployment, and you can’t afford to have a freeloading renter forever.” Elise lowered a teabag into a big white mug, poured hot water over the top of it, then brought the mug to Zoey. “Sis, neither of us have ever been good at wallowing and you’ve been doing it for the last half hour. So, what are you going to do?”
She let out a snort. “Besides go complain to the rude FBI agent, of course.” Zoey smacked her hand on the table. “Yes. That’s exactly what I should do.” “Zoey, please don’t get yourself arrested.” Elise’s own mug of tea was frozen in the air, halfway to her mouth. “Or me. I don’t want to get arrested either. This might make me an accomplice. I’m not sure. I could search the internet. Wait. Would that make it premeditated? That’s worse, right?” Zoey took a sip from the cup of tea, flipped open the lid of her aging laptop with her free hand, and waited for it to hum to life. “I won’t get arrested.” She tapped her fingernails rapidly against the ceramic mug until she felt Elise’s hand on her back. “Zoey, what are you doing?” Her voice was cautious, as if she was approaching one of the endangered animals her organization saved. One of the dangerous ones. “I like this apartment and don’t need a SWAT team to break down the door. I just got finished repainting it last weekend. It’s the light purple you picked out. If you promise that you won’t do anything to make them destroy it, I’ll concede that you were right and it’s the perfect color.”
Zoey set down her cup of tea. “Hear me out. The details of what happened at Future State can’t be shared publicly, according to about a billion pieces of paperwork that I signed. But there is one place that knows what actually happened. The only potential employer who has the evidence that I’m honest, hardworking, and ethical is the FBI. Maybe they have something.” Elise looked down at Zoey’s still-full mug of tea. “Do you need something stronger? Maybe we could take a break and get a glass of wine instead?” “I’m good, actually. Thank you. I know it sounds like desperation talking. But I’m desperate.” “Let me get this straight. You would like to quit searching for a job in materials engineering…to go work for the FBI?” Elise grimaced. “Like is a strong word.” Zoey frowned. “I like to eat. I like to drive a car and have a roof over my head. Admittedly, I don’t have all the details ironed out. But it can’t be worse than…” “We regret to inform you?” Elise winced. “Exactly.” She clicked over to her email.
Alexis had given her a business card. She’d seemed sincere. Only time would tell if the agent was as sincere as she’d seemed. A few minutes later, Zoey looked up and found Elise staring at her with concern, her eyes only darting back to the newly painted front door once. “Is this a good idea?” Zoey shut the lid of her laptop. “I mean, even if it isn’t, I sent it. Now we wait.” “Well, if they do break down the door, at least I kept the paint can.”
~~~~
What a cool book! And a wonderful beginning to a new series by K. T. Lee... Starting with a twist, when a dog who had just been pulled back for possible K-9 use, was given a second-chance, with an individual who knew nothing about K-9 activity, but had been personally selected by the dog! More later!
Zoey had worked for Future State Energy as an engineer until an investigation began and determined that they'd committed fraud against their customers. Zoey was a part of the FBI investigation, but had been found not guilty of being part of the scheme... Still she was out of a job and had been trying ever since to find another job in materials engineering. But she had been tainted by the scandal, even though she had been proven not guilty...and could not even get an interview.
Finally in frustration, she wrote to the Special Agent with whom she had been involved and explained what was happening and, more or less, indicated that FBI owed her a job! Quite a gutsy move--and smart too! Indeed, she was called in for an interview and when she arrived was shown into the K-9 Training facility. Zoey knew absolutely nothing about this type of activity, and had never worked with animals...but an interesting thing happened when they all asked her to try it out... But it soon proved to be more than that!
“Morning, Agent Graham. Sorry, I had to say hi to Tank first.” “Just Liam is fine.” He shrugged. “And I can’t blame you. Tank is easy to like. He’s not working, so pet him as long as you like.” He made eye contact and she, once again, noticed the intelligence behind them. There was also a hint of concern. Her breath caught a little, and a feeling strong enough to overwhelm her stress made itself known. Oh no. She did not need this right now. For all she knew, Agent Charming was taken. The dog. The dog was charming. Not the agent. The not-charming agent could be taken. Not that it mattered to her. She had questions to answer. She froze. Liam could be the one with questions. The inconvenient feeling evaporated, replaced entirely with suspicion. Zoey eyed Liam. “Alexis said the FBI might have some questions for me about Future State. You know anything about that?” “Yeah.” Liam jerked his head towards the conference rooms. “A couple of folks from the Chicago office wanted to ask you some follow-up questions. Want to hang out with me and Tank until they’re ready to bring you in?” Zoey winced. “Do you have to say it like that? Bring me in?” She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Not your fault. Bad memories.” Liam took a step closer, and Tank pushed his head into her palm. “I’m sorry. You just seem so confident—I shouldn’t assume you’re alright. Are you okay?” “Oh yeah. Water under the bridge.” Zoey gave Tank a quick pet and shook out her shoulders. “It just took me by surprise, that’s all.” Liam studied her. “Do you normally mind surprises?” Zoey plucked her purse off the conveyor belt and hefted it on her shoulder. “Depends on what kind of surprise it is. I mean, a cupcake is great. I love a surprise cup of coffee. Both at the same time? Amazing. Potentially getting investigated for the second time in exchange for accepting a new job…not my favorite at all. I’m feeling a little like I walked into a trap. And honestly, I don’t have any emotional bandwidth to defend myself right now.” Liam grinned. “How about a bribe?” “Is this some kind of test?” Zoey pinched the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t do it, you know. I was working in the part of the business meant to look legitimate, and no one bothered to tell me that the company was breaking the law. Had they, I would have run fast and far away from them. What’s a girl got to do to shake that? I’ve cooperated with the FBI—” Liam raised his index finger and she waved it away. “—I’m not finished—moved halfway across the country, and have offered to scoop as much dog poop as it takes to repair the totally undeserved hit to my reputation.” Tank nudged his nose into her hand, and she looked down. Obviously, he could tell she was agitated. And she had every right to be.
Out of the corner of her eye, Zoey saw a puff of a dog about half Tank’s size coming towards them at a dead sprint. If she didn’t know better, she’d think the dog was whooping with glee and smiling as it scampered down the hallway. She crouched down to greet the dog on instinct, and the dog ran straight into her. She fell over laughing, and the dog wiggled, waving its fluffy tail in the air and sneaking a lick on her nose. Liam looked over the fluffball at Zoey. He picked up the loose end of the newcomer’s leash. The dog sat perfectly, as if she hadn’t just bolted down the hallway at warp speed. “Sorry, Zoey. Bribe was a figure of speech. This is Tasha. Tasha, this is my new buddy, Zoey.” Heat flooded Zoey’s cheeks and she rose, brushing dust off her pants. She reached down to pet Tasha from an upright position. The medium-sized dog kept sneaking glances at the black lab sitting at Liam’s side. She was a mix of colors but mostly white with a sprinkling of tan and black spots around her eyebrows, giving her what would be a serious expression if her mouth wasn’t open in a doggy smile. If Zoey didn’t know better, she’d think the dog was more than a little bit mischievous. “Well, hello, Miss Tasha. That was quite the greeting.” Alexis jogged over with Waffle in tow. “Sorry about that. I was juggling treats, two leashes, and we had an unexpected bump in the hallway with one of the new puppies. When Tasha spotted you, she was off like a shot.” She looked down at Tasha. “We’re still working on our focus, aren’t we?” She put her hands on her hips, but one hand held a stuffed toy in the shape of a cow that had one ear chewed off. Tasha swished her tail. “If you promise you’ll be good, you can have your cow back.” Tasha lay on the floor and looked up at Alexis, her brown eyes projecting a silent promise to never run off to greet people ever again unless it was really, truly worth it. Alexis threw her the cow with a chuckle, and Tasha snagged it out of the air and began to chew on it. Liam smiled the easy smile that had probably sent Tasha in a beeline his direction. “So, you agree, then?” Alexis looked Zoey up and down. “After yesterday, no question.” Tasha, for her part, loudly squeaked her well-loved cow. “Wait, what does yesterday have to do with Tasha? And me?” Zoey eyed them both. Tasha stopped squeaking the toy at the sound of her name, looking up and swishing her luxuriously fluffy tail against the ground.
Alexis clapped a hand on Zoey’s back. “I knew I liked you. Smart and observant.” “Okay, all this flattery is upgrading my concern to suspicion.” Zoey squatted to scratch Tasha behind one ear and was rewarded with another tiny lick to her hand. Tasha got up to sniff Zoey’s pants more thoroughly, then moved onto her shoes, all without dropping the cow from her mouth. Alexis pulled a treat from her bag and got Tasha into a perfect, focused sit. The cow tumbled from her mouth. Tasha’s back legs quivered a little with the effort, but she earned her reward, catching it easily as it flew through the air. “Tasha was assigned to a trainer who is no longer able to work with us. It’s left us with an extra puppy and no agent to help.” Alexis exchanged a look with Liam. “Full disclosure, Tasha and her trainer didn’t connect.” Zoey narrowed her eyes. “Didn’t connect?” Liam cleared his throat. “We had a dirty agent. He was working with a drug runner and was removed from the program before he ever really got started.” Liam looked at Tasha with pride. “Tasha never quite clicked with him, did you, girl? And he flunked Scarlett’s test.” “What a smart girl!” Zoey smiled at Tasha, whose pointy white ears perked up at the praise. Alexis nodded. “Exactly. So, since we’re an agent short, we don’t have room for her in the program. She has potential. She came in through a dog rescue and I don’t want to send her back. It’s just that I lost the funding when I lost the agent.” “I just got here. I don’t know if I’m qualified for that. I mean, what happens if I say no?” Alexis studied Zoey. “Are you really going to say no to the dog everyone else gave up on? All she needs is a second chance. And we’ll help you out.” Tasha looked up at Zoey as if waiting for her fate, her cow forgotten. Zoey’s face flushed. We regret to inform you…She ran a hand over the soft fur on Tasha’s head and was rewarded with another tail swish. “What kind of dog is she?” Alexis shrugged. “Some Samoyed, maybe a little border collie? Her tail doesn’t curve over her back like a Samoyed’s would, so she’s definitely a mix. It’s hard to say, honestly. She sheds like it’s her job, but she’s energetic and curious. A real go-getter.” “You can tell if a dog is a go-getter?” Zoey eyed Alexis. “You bet. And, trust me, you want the ones with a big personality and energy for this job.” Waffle’s tail began to thump against the ground. Zoey rubbed the back of her neck. “And what would this involve?” Alexis pulled a tennis ball out of a pouch on her waist. Waffle gently took it out of her hand and lay on the ground to start squeaking it. Tasha watched with interest for a moment before pouncing on Waffle’s head. There was a brief scuffle while Alexis coaxed Tasha back into a sit and rewarded her with a ball of her own. She squeaked it twice, dropped it on the floor, then scampered after it when it rolled away. Waffle resumed squeaking his own toy with one eye on the ornery fluffball. “Well, if you agree, we’ll train you for a few days. Then, you can bring her back home with you. You’ll be with her twenty-four seven and train with the agents already in the program. It’s not easy work. She’ll need walked, played with, let out, and trained when you are tired, sick, or it’s inconvenient. And you’ll have to spend more time here than most. We don’t normally throw dogs at untrained people. I just want Tasha to have a chance.” Zoey sighed. Sometimes, you just had to jump in. “Okay. I’ll take Miss Mischievous High Potential home. I can’t say no to that face. You must be really desperate.” Liam smiled. “Or you gave us the chance to take on one more dog. Every dog we train is another nose out there looking for trouble. You’ll have to work closely with Alexis and me. That okay?” Before Zoey could answer, Scarlett popped her head into the hallway from one of the conference rooms. Just the sight of Scarlett sent Zoey’s heart thundering, suddenly remembering that before she was tackled by the bulldozer of fluff, Alexis had some questions about Future State. “Alex, you ready?” “Yep. Let me get Tasha’s crate and then we’ll all join you. She’s not quite ready to lay down and be still around the other dogs yet. We’re still practicing. Liam, why don’t you come in with us? I’d like your thoughts.”
Soon, Tank and Waffle were settled on the floor of the conference room while Tasha sat in her crate, paws crossed and ears perked, as if listening to the humans carefully. The humans sat in chairs and Scarlett delivered a folder to each of them. Zoey eyed Scarlett and Liam shifted in his seat. Well, at least he probably wasn’t in on it, if the TED Talk she saw on body language was telling the truth. With all the secrets around here, she might have to spring for the author’s book. Zoey swallowed. “Am I in trouble?” Alexis shook her head. “The opposite, actually. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to help with a slightly different job than the one you had planned.” Zoey’s face fell. “I don’t get to work with the dogs? That doesn’t make any sense. What about Tasha?” Tasha lowered her head to rest it on her stuffed cow, ears still alert. Alexis held up a staying hand. “No, we’d still like you to do that. We’re just looking for your insight. If things don’t quiet down, we’d like to have you connect with Scarlett’s team every week or so.” “I honestly don’t know what more I can tell you at this point.” Scarlett gestured at the folder and Zoey opened it. A summary of potential threats included familiar names. People she used to consider friends. She closed the folder. “I’m sorry, I don’t feel right about helping you chase down people you’ve already cleared. For obvious reasons.” “I understand that. Let me explain, and you can still back out if you don’t agree, okay?” Zoey crossed her arms. “Okay.” Scarlett looked at Alexis. “We haven’t officially closed the Future State case.” Zoey’s eyebrows shot up. “They’re involved in a major government contract to build energy storage facilities throughout the country. We assumed there wasn’t anything else to find, but last week, someone anonymously called their ethics hotline, worried that the research lab was doing some unauthorized work with flammable electrolytes. Our team has sniffed around the edges, but we’ve found no evidence. There are a few folks that were always pretty high on our suspect list that we had initially crossed off. We’re revisiting that. If you aren’t worried about them, that’s still valuable information.” Zoey ran a hand through her hair. “Okay.” She opened the folder and pointed to a picture of Kendra Pappas, a marketing employee with a big personality and drive to spare. Zoey sighed. “What did Kendra do?” Scarlett tapped her manila folder. “She’s just very well connected to those who committed the crime.” Zoey snorted. “Kendra is well connected to everyone. She’s in marketing and knows everyone and everything worth knowing.” Zoey pictured Kendra in her mind’s eye, whipping out her business card at the end of any interaction with someone new. After one conversation with a new acquaintance, Kendra knew enough to guess at least three of their security questions on any given website. “Kendra can get anyone talking. Although, come to think of it, I don’t know much about her personally.” Scarlett wrote something down. “What about your old boss, the director of the research lab? Marco Ortiz has been responsible for development and testing. Lately, he’s been working on the government project.” “No. I’m sorry. Marco is literally the best person in the labs. He was as clueless as I was.” Zoey pushed the paper away. She directed her eyes to the ceiling. “Look, I get why he’d be on your radar. He’s gruff and a little cynical, and sure, he gets in arguments with management sometimes, but he’s the first person to offer help if you’re in trouble. He’s just a little too blunt. There was one time in the research lab, a manager came in and started trying to operate equipment without reading an instruction manual, and he was so mad—” Zoey looked up at Scarlett taking notes and stopped short, giving her a warning look. “That does NOT implicate him in some kind of crime. You know what, then he forgave them, and it was all okay. They even hugged. They’re besties now.” “And Lynn Sosa? The new CEO? What have you heard about her?” Scarlett looked up from scribbling notes. Zoey frowned. “I don’t know. She came after the raid, and I’d never heard of her before. Apparently, she came through the lab during her interview, but I didn’t see her. We overlapped a bit, but she was busy cleaning up Ophelia’s mess and making sure the old CEO didn’t walk out the door and take all of his knowledge with him. And honestly, I was distracted with my own problems then.” “What do your old friends from Future State say about her?” Scarlett tapped her pen against her open notebook. “I don’t really talk to them anymore. I…I didn’t know who I could trust. Which is fine. It’s absolutely fine.” Zoey cleared her throat. “Lynn replaced the old CEO, JJ Harris. He was demoted after not realizing what was going on right under his nose. I mean, he was upset and trying to find someone to blame, but he got over it. Rumor had it, he was telling people he didn’t really mind getting back to the nuts and bolts of the business. I mean, it’s great he even wanted to stay on. And I understand not wanting to be in charge. I don’t have any desire to run a company either.” Zoey looked up at the three FBI agents listening attentively. She flipped the paper in the folder over, but there was nothing on the back or behind it. “Is that all?” Alexis nodded. “For now. With any luck, the ethics hotline thing was a one-off, but if we need more help to wrap it up, we may ask you, if that’s okay.” “Yeah. Honestly, I was worried something else awful had happened.” Scarlett gave her a gentle smile. “Worrying about Future State is Alexis’s and my job. If I know who I’m dealing with, it’s easier to get them to work with me. I’ll add this to my notes, but I’m glad to hear you don’t think this crew is trouble right off the bat.” Scarlett flipped her notebook closed.
~~~~
It wasn't a surprise that the FBI was still monitoring Future State. They continued to have the original contract, but much more was now involved. There was a new staff and things were progressing, but they had not been able to determine exactly who was involved in the original criminal activities years ago. A new leader had been hired and things were progressing, even to the point that they had begun to advertise more staff for their new project. It was arranged that Liam would go in as undercover while Zoey would be returning as a former employee...
And in order to cover all bases, Liam and Zoey were to be introduced as "involved" and that was why they came in to work together in the same company. As you might have guessed, both Liam and Zoey were quite willing to "pretend..." Especially since Tank and Tisha got along so well! Everything seemed to be going fine, until...it...wasn't...
An accident occurred, and tighter watch was required. Once again, it was Zoey that identified the problem. But this time, Liam was there to support her. Would it be enough, especially if they got separated on the job, with each reporting to a different boss? Because the problem was on the actual construction site and only an expert would be able to determine what the problem was...
With great characters, including the addition of multiple K-9 players, readers will be enjoying the off-duty play time for the dogs, as well as their involvement when "working..." with their trainers! A delightful blend of mystery and mirth, with a bigger touch of romance coming at the end... Enjoy this one!
‘Remember, your work is your character.’ He would, without fail, judge the men under his command by how well the job was done. “His work ethic was unparalleled. His determination was unshakable. He was a living testament to our American armed forces, his core values reflecting those of the United States military.
“Even now, at this very moment, I feel like he’s going to pop up somewhere, laugh wholeheartedly, and say, ‘Hey everyone, I’m still here. This was all just a big practical joke.’” At this point, General Sutherland tried in vain to hide his emotions. His eyes were brimming with tears, and his voice began to break as he uttered, “The love and respect I hold for this man will never end.” He paused, took a deep breath, and tried to clear his throat. But as he continued, his voice quivered with emotion. “Matthew’s story is a testament to the power of dreams, the strength of determination, and the beauty of friendship. As I look out at all of you today, I see the faces of those whose lives he touched. I see the love, the respect, the admiration. “And so, as we say our final goodbyes, let us remember Matthew J. Westerdam the Third not with tears of sorrow, but with smiles of joy. Let us remember him not for his untimely death, but for the richness of his life. Let us remember him not as a friend we’ve lost, but as a friend who will forever live on in our hearts, in our memories, and in our lives. “Matthew, my dear friend, you will be missed. But your spirit, your legacy, your memory will never fade. You may have left this world, but you will never leave our hearts. We will cherish the memories, honor your life, and strive to live by the lessons you taught us. Your journey here may have ended, but your story, your legacy, your presence they will live on. And for that, we are eternally grateful.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the word COVID-19 descended upon our world. It all began rather quietly and without much fanfare on January 3, when the news reported that a mysterious respiratory illness was spreading in Wuhan, China. The rest of January became a blur of government alerts, reports of the first U.S. cases of the virus, and then the WHO declaring a public health emergency of international concern. Despite the mounting alerts, most of us continued on with life as usual. Rudy was thriving at Pensacola State College and enjoying his classes. I wasn’t surprised he was acing every test. With no new clients in the foreseeable future, I asked Melina to fly down from Boston and spend two weeks on the beach with me. Melina. The gorgeous, smart, blue-eyed blonde I’d met on Golden Shores Beach during my work on the Kingsley case last fall. The weather held mild, and time passed too quickly. I didn’t know it then, but it would be the last time I saw her. I keep asking myself if I’d known all that lay ahead, would I have done anything differently? Even now, I still don’t have an answer. Then, at the end of January, the government declared COVID-19 a public health emergency. Travel restrictions were placed on entry by non-citizens who had recently been in China. It triggered immediate chaos and drew heavy criticism. In February, everything changed. Everything stopped. Life became surreal. Rudy’s on-campus classes were abruptly canceled and replaced with virtual learning. Since I had the time and wanted to understand what was happening, I gave him a new assignment to research and monitor everything being published daily about this COVID-19 phenomenon. Being a computer geek, he loved the challenge. His detailed yet concise updates came each evening. We sat over dinner, reviewing and discussing the day’s developments. With each passing day, the news grew more dire. Melina and I continued to talk two or three times a week throughout February. She insisted she was handling all the changes, but her voice told a different story. Thinking about Melina only made me miss her more. I had to stop. Rehashing it all became overwhelming. I shut down my thoughts and kept driving. By 5:30 that evening, I was just south of downtown Birmingham and made an easterly turn onto I-59, which would take me up to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I-59 was just another lonely, deserted road. My mind drifted back to early March, when our governor declared a public health emergency after just two COVID cases were confirmed in central Florida. By mid-March, the WHO had declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Within days, the administration declared a national state of emergency and banned entry to non-U.S. citizens from 26 European countries. Then the restrictions started. Guidelines were issued to avoid gatherings of more than ten people. All discretionary domestic and foreign travel was strongly discouraged. These measures were dubbed: 14 Days to Slow the Spread. I remember one date in particular: March 17. That was the day the government issued a stay-at-home order. Within days, 43 state governors had locked down their citizens. Rudy and I watched the daily briefings given by the administration. There were discussions about potential treatments such as HCQ, Azithromycin, Ivermectin, and steroid inhalation therapies. However, these treatments were quickly and strongly ridiculed, and any further discussion was promptly silenced. In fact, most of what the administration said was either misquoted, taken out of context, or laughed at. Our news broadcasts were no longer fact-based but instead echoed a narrative that I, for one, didn’t believe. In mid-March, our governor ordered all bars and nightclubs to close for 30 days. He also extended school closures to mid-April and canceled state-mandated school testing. Then, to add insult to injury, our Florida beaches including those here in the Panhandle were shut down until further notice. My only source of recreation and exercise was gone. By the end of March, the administration extended the coronavirus guidelines. It now became: 30 Days to Slow the Spread. Rudy reported that the recommended protocols for treating COVID-19 had been finalized after numerous changes and updates. These were the same protocols that the Colonel had expressed deep frustration over. The ones he vehemently opposed and the very reason he had hired me: not only to find his killer, but also to stop what was happening at his hospital. The question haunted me. Were hospitals overinflating the number of COVID-19 patients to receive inflated payments from the government? The compensation was certainly generous, and it was paid solely based on a COVID-19 diagnosis. I certainly wasn’t the only one asking the question. I remember a few days later, Rudy showed me a statement from Washington issuing a stern warning: “You will always have conspiracy theories when you have a very challenging public health crisis, but they are nothing but distractions.” Then Rudy found an article quoting a state senator who was also a family physician. He issued a direct response to the Washington statement, saying that in his opinion, any time healthcare intersected with reimbursement monies, particularly large sums, could negatively influence medical decisions and lead to problems. All that did was reinforce my thinking about hospitals possibly overinflating COVID-19 numbers. Colonel Westerdam believed it was already happening at his hospital. And he went a step further he believed the newly recommended protocols were actually killing patients. How many other hospitals might be engaging in the same practices? I thought about my sister Margeaux and my father’s longtime companion, Deloris. They were under lockdown, trying to adapt to the harsh reality of not being able to go anywhere. My sister had resorted to having their groceries delivered. Keeping busy to ward off boredom was their biggest challenge. Margeaux tried to laugh about how much cooking Deloris was doing, but I could still hear the concern in her voice. As for Melina, our calls became less frequent. She had called twice at the beginning of the month, but nothing after that. When I tried calling, it went straight to voicemail every time. I was worried and felt helpless to do anything about it. At 7 PM, I made another quick stop for coffee. Just before 8 PM, I reached the outskirts of Chattanooga and picked up I-75 North toward Knoxville. I-75 was completely deserted, and the pitch-black night made it even more unsettling. I was dead tired but willed myself to drive just a bit farther. By 10:30 that night, I was on the north side of Knoxville and knew I couldn’t go any farther. I finally pulled over and climbed into the back seat to get some sleep. Laying my head down, I don’t remember anything more. Crazy dreams entered my sleeping brain... lonely highways, no human contact, deadly virus. COVID… COVID… COVID…
~~~~
Note: I've been reading Ben Kaya's books since his first one, I believe. It's been years since I read the last in this series. Since then, I have been merging news to support documentation when the government was involved within a book's plot... This is just a note to point out that this book is fiction and what may be included related to Covid may or may not be correct. We do know many died because of Covid. I am not aware that the financial aspect covered in this book happened. I did not take the time to research the issue. Change of presidency during Covid would have affected any funding activities as well.
Jack Ludefance is one of the best series characters I've read. And his actions and involvement in this book is just as dynamic as ever... But I also enjoyed the development of Rudy, his IT assistant. Clearly he has gained confidence in his areas of expertise, but still depends upon Ludefance--just as he would a father. In fact, Jack has accepted that role and is slowly helping him to understand living in the real world--a world of both good and bad people...
I had to admit that as soon as I saw the first move of a new client, I knew the plot--kinda! I'd seen an episode on NCIS where a man had come into their quarters asking for help in solving a murder--his. But I assure you that this book goes well beyond that brief set of circumstances, in case you remember it too. For indeed, that's exactly what happened! But this was a retired Colonel and now ran a hospital where he was positive he had been poisoned because he knew what was happening there--almost!
Did you ever notice that once some type of tragedy comes, that there are those who will immediately take the time to figure out how they could make money from the situation? Indeed, as we have seen in our government, planning had been made long before the latest election when all Hell broke out... So it was not surprising that for me when Covid was chosen to become a part of a thriller, that there would be lots of activities purely to make money!
Kaya stresses in the book that the government regulations had to be followed and how bad it became. But we who went through this disaster, are not prone to believe Ludefance as he tells what he finds out. And that's quite alright because we know this is an exciting story that presents very well the title--Deception! In all of its forms...
Colonel Westerdam was a respected retired commander in the military service and came home to lead the opening of the Westerdam Hospital. When he'd arrived to meet with Ludefance, he explained all that he knew about his pending death and asked him to not only find out who had killed him but what was happening during this pandemic period in the Hospital.
If Jack had know what he faced, would he had agreed to take the job? No, I don't think so. Because what was to happen to Jack was beyond anything that had ever came into his life--and that's saying a lot! When he agreed to take the job, the Colonel left telling him he would never see him again--that he was heading to the hospital... Days later he was dead. As is protocol, Jack attended the funeral to meet some of the people and get to know who might have been behind the murder...
But nothing thereafter can be accepted as Truth...
With the IT professional support Jack had quickly learned that, in following the government's rigid regulations, there was a large amount of money that was paid back to hospitals... So, how do you make more money than could be expected? Well, you merely "ensure" covid is the cause for most of the deaths--even if the patient(s) had entered the hospital for other reasons...In turn, one particular scientist was involved in research on curing any type of mental health. To do that, one type of drug was used to make people have many types of problems. The goal was to heal all through one other type of drug... In the meantime, he was the one that ensured that most deaths were caused by "covid..."
Ludefance had been doing interviews and merging pieces of information together, trying to gain a foothold into what was happening. It was going slow, too slow for him. He decided to go undercover within the hospital itself. As a maintenance man. Days went by and nothing was learned, but then, Jack's true identity was discovered and the scientist decided that Jack, being in great health, would be an ideal candidate on which experiments could be done...
Indeed it was only through Ludefance's good health that he was able to make it through the hallucinations that were purposely being created and finally able to break free, find the drugs, burn all but a sample of each, and escape! But Jack was to learn that long and extensive use of hallucination's created drugs was not easy to escape! Would he ever be back to what he had been formerly? Could he depend upon his mind being strong enough to continue working as a PI? And, he knew, he still didn't know who had murdered the Colonel...
But time passed and the pieces started coming together... Until the local police had to get the federal government involved... Fraud had occurred at many levels. Could the final one actually be true? Kaya has put together surprise after surprise after surprise into the countless ways in which medical fraud can be made... It's timely, somewhat scary, and yet, we can understand that there are always people like Jack Ludefance and those committed to law enforcement that can meet any challenge! Highly recommended!
What bothered her the most was there was still no apology, even now. Would it have made a difference? Probably not, but it was just one more thing on top of everything else. Leah’s mom had been an avid apologizer—something she’d instilled in Leah as a child. I’m sorry shouldn’t be painful to leave the lips. It was a gift for the giver and receiver. Leah never understood that as a child, but she did as an adult. Maybe that was Damon’s problem: he was more kid than grownup.
What a whirlwind... Everything is spinning at one time! Characters add to the confusion by their actions and dialogue... And yet, there is absolutely no clues to the whodunit! A rare occurrence when an author is able to weave the action into a fully explained plot without revealing clues on the way. And yet, it worked! Kudos to the writer!
Irene was unhinged, not homicidal. The two didn’t always go hand in hand. Or so Leah hoped. Either way, this had to stop. She took a shaky breath, exited the car, and started across the street. She was almost to the door when Irene lifted her head. The panic on her face was instant and unmistakable; so much so, that she almost knocked over her chair as she stood. It only bolstered Leah’s resolve. Leah stepped inside. They sized each other up. From across the street, Irene had looked put together with modest makeup and a nice blouse. Up close told another story. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her skin was ashen under the fluorescent lights. Her left sleeve was stained with coffee. Neither spoke. A radio played something jazzy from the corner, and even though Leah’s eyes never left Irene’s, she noted they were alone. “I saw you,” Leah said before she lost her nerve. “You were at my job earlier, watching me from your car.” She expected Irene to deny it. Irene didn’t. She only sat back at her desk. “And you were at my apartment last night,” Leah said. “My roommate, who was with me at the visitation, saw you in our parking lot. Did you go there to leave more hateful gifts at my door? Or maybe you were looking to spray-paint my car, like you did Damon’s house.” Irene’s jaw clicked. “What?” “Don’t lie to me. I know it was you—” “I haven’t done anything or talked to Damon in forever. He left me a message this morning, but he didn’t answer when I tried to call back. And why would I spray-paint your car or leave you hateful gifts, whatever that means?” “So you are going to deny it.” Irene dropped her eyes. Leah hadn’t been fully convinced it had been Irene in their parking lot last night, but after seeing her at Office Playground this morning, she now had no doubt. “It was me,” Irene said in a small voice. “I was at your apartment, and I went to your work today. But I haven’t done anything to you or your dad.” “I don’t believe you. You’re angry over Amanda, so you’re blaming me for her death, and blaming Damon for getting you pregnant.” Shock filled Irene’s face. “Amanda was the best thing that happened in my life. You think I blame Damon for giving her to me? I only blame you for taking her from me.” And there it was. Irene did blame Leah for the accident. Of course she did. Leah already knew this, but hearing the words spoken made it real. “Amanda called you for help,” Irene said. Her hands were trembling atop her desk. “You got angry and yelled at her. I read the report you gave to the police. I know everything.” Leah didn’t know what to say. She was here to stop Irene’s harassment; not be judged. Irene hadn’t been there that night. She hadn’t heard the things Amanda had said. How unreasonable she’d been. How cruel. But none of that mattered. Irene had lost her only child. Nothing Leah could say would change that. If Leah had simply given Amanda a ride, everything would have been fine. Until the next crisis. “What happened to Amanda was an accident,” Leah said for what felt like the umpteenth time. All the fight had gone out of her. “I didn’t know she was going to freak out and run away and get hit by a car. Blame me if you want. You think I don’t blame myself? I do. But I can’t change anything. All I can do is move on with my life . . . but I can’t do that with you stalking me. So what do you want? Just tell me.” Irene composed herself, if only a little. “I’m not stalking you,” she said evenly. “I’ve been trying to work up the courage to see you face to face so we can talk.” Leah crossed her arms. “And now we’ve talked and you’ve told me how you feel. So are we done with this? Or would you like to berate me more before I go? It won’t take much to make me feel worse than I already do.” Irene’s shoulders sagged. Apparently, all the fight had left her as well. “There’s a part of me that knows Amanda’s death was an accident,” she told Leah, “but every time I tell myself to accept that . . .” She dropped her clasped hands into her lap. “One minute, I think I’m okay, and then I think of you and that night, and I get angry again. I don’t want to be this way, but I can’t help it. I don’t know how to turn it off.” I know the feeling, Leah didn’t say, thinking of Damon. And she did. But that didn’t give Irene the right to harass Leah. If it was Irene doing it. Leah didn’t know what to think now. She was tired and wanted to be done. But there was still one question to be asked. “Someone has been messing with me and Damon,” Leah said. “If it isn’t you, then you could also be on their list. Has anything ‘bad’ happened to you recently?” Irene pursed her lips. “Other than the death of my daughter?” Not Leah’s best choice of words. “No,” Irene said. “I come to work, go home, and lie awake most of the night. Then I do it all over again the next day. Nothing changes.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” She leveled her gaze at Irene. “But if I see you outside my apartment or at my job again,” she said without malice, “I’m calling the police. Maybe they won’t do anything, but please . . . you have to figure out how to move on. You’re only making things worse for everyone.” Leah expected Irene to get defensive or angry, but Irene gave a submissive nod. There was nothing more to say. Leah moved to the door and heard Irene’s chair slide away from the desk. “Jake,” Irene said. Leah turned. Irene stood motionless with her palms on her shoulders, as if she were cold. “I’m sorry for being defensive,” Irene said. “You surprised me coming in here unexpectedly, and then tempers flared, and everything went downhill—” “What about Jake?” Leah asked cautiously. Irene shifted side to side as she spoke. “That’s what I wanted to talk with you about. I saw you with him at the cemetery. Jake’s a good man and a wonderful father. The world needs more people like him . . . and also like you, Leah. You’re decent and moral, just like your dad. Damon had a choice when he learned I was pregnant, and he owned up to what he’d done and asked me what I wanted. He didn’t run away.” Warning bells went off inside Leah’s head. She didn’t know where this was going or what it had to do with Jake, but the one thing Leah refused to do was listen to an explanation about their affair. “This isn’t about your dad,” Irene said, raising a hand. “All I’m saying is that people shouldn’t be alone. I’ve only ever had Amanda, and now that she’s gone, I’m lost without her. But that’s my cross to bear. I’m old and used to being by myself.” Her eyes took on a distant, glazed look. “Jake has his whole life ahead of him. Outside of Drew, Amanda was all he had. That boy needs a mother, and Jake needs companionship.” Leah’s skin tightened. “What are you saying?” “Amanda was your half-sister. If she’d married Jake, you and him would be family. In some ways, I already think of you as part of my family. We’re not related by blood or marriage, but we’re connected through Damon because of Amanda. Jake shouldn’t be alone. You’re young, like him, and single. If you and Jake hit it off . . . it’d almost be like him and Amanda being together. Don’t you see?” Leah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t think Irene even knew what she was saying. “Just get to know him,” Irene said. “That’s all I’m asking. I can only comfort him so much. He needs someone his age to talk to. To commiserate with. He doesn’t have anyone else—” “I shouldn’t have come here,” Leah said, backing away. “You owe me,” Irene said sharply. “After what you did. You need to make it right. I’m not saying you have to fall in love—” “You’re as crazy as Amanda was,” Leah said without thinking. Now Irene was not only angry, but livid. Leah didn’t stick around for what came next. She bolted out the door and across the street to her car, never once looking back.
~~~~
Family Drama always reminds me of what they used to call "soap operas" where you could not watch the program for a year and then go back to find the same characters and easily pick up on the turmoil brewing with this character or the other. I'm not normally a fan, simply because it never concludes... So if you are a fan, this book is for you. I enjoyed it because there was something happening to the main character which actually became quite a mystery... And that is not solved until the very end. I missed it totally, so I was pleased...
As with a family drama, one just starts reading and will get to know the family as the book moves forward. Leah is the main character and is now in her 30s, having been estranged with her father for years, and especially after her mother died from a heart attack... Leah blamed the attack on her father having a one-night stand, which resulted in a child. Her mother said she forgave him, but was dead within three months, so Leah still held the pain of what her mother had gone through... Funny thing, though, the child, who had grown up with her mother had become an acquaintance, almost a friend to Leah. Admittedly Amanda had been thrilled to know she had a father who was also Leah's father...
Leah Chapman was going to die. But hopefully not tonight, she thought as she parked outside Murphy’s Bar. She’d never been inside, but she knew the place. Everyone did. It was your typical dive: no flashy lights or neon signs—just an old, windowless brick building with gravel parking out front and back. Rumor had it you could score everything from crack cocaine to hookers inside. Leah doubted that, as the town of Aurora was far from a bustling metropolis, but she had no interest in finding out. She assumed Amanda would be outside waiting for her, but no such luck. Amanda was lucky Leah had answered the incoming unknown call so late at night. Her reward? You have to come get me right now! Leah checked her phone. No new texts or calls. It’d been almost six months since she’d seen or talked to Amanda, but it wasn’t uncommon for her to resurface when in crisis. It also wasn’t uncommon for Leah to come to Amanda’s rescue, despite Emily’s insistence otherwise. Leah couldn’t count how many arguments with her roommate began with: Your thirty-year-old problematic half-sister isn’t your responsibility. With Amanda, you had two choices: get on board, or get out of the way. The good news was that once Amanda was inside the car, it usually only took a sympathetic ear to calm her down. Usually. Murphy’s front door banged open. Amanda, disheveled and looking as frantic as she sounded over the phone, clawed open the passenger door. “What took you so long?” Amanda fumed. “Drive!” Leah only stared. Amanda’s eyes were bloodshot, and her mascara had bled down her cheeks. She was barefoot—God only knew why—and her red dress clung so tightly to her curves that it was a wonder she could breathe. “Are you hurt?” Leah asked. “No. But we have to get to Deerfield.” “Is that a town?” Amanda ignored her as she tried to fasten her seatbelt. She couldn’t get it to latch, and when she looked up and saw Leah hadn’t started the car, her mouth dropped. “Didn’t you hear me? We have to go before they hurt Drew.” That statement might have been concerning from anyone but Amanda. “I can take you back to your apartment,” Leah said patiently, “but I’m not driving you to some random town for some new boyfriend who’s mixed up in something.” “Drew isn’t my boyfriend. He’s my son.” Leah took a calming breath. She didn’t know much about Amanda’s life before they’d met two and a half years ago, but she knew Amanda didn’t have kids. What Amanda did have was a recreational drug problem that usually involved hallucinogens. Sometimes a girl just needs to escape, was Amanda’s go-to answer when confronted. If Amanda stayed home while she was high, it might have been okay. But she never did, which meant friends and family always had to pick up the pieces. “Let me take you to Damon’s,” Leah said. It was the last place Leah wanted to go, but she wasn’t used to dealing with Amanda this far gone. “I don’t want to go to Dad’s; I need to go home.” “Right. I already told you I’d take you to your apartment. Are you still on Crandall Street—” “I don’t live there anymore. I haven’t for months . . . this is bullshit!” Amanda got out of the car, circled around the front, and made for the driver’s side door. Leah instinctively locked it and drew back. “Open up,” Amanda demanded. “If you won’t drive me, then move over.” “Get back in the passenger seat.” A pickup rolled into the lot and shuddered to a stop beside them. The guy behind the wheel wore an amused expression and a baseball cap that read: SHIT SHOW SUPERVISOR. Just in time, Leah mused. “Can you give me a ride?” Amanda asked the guy. He grinned. “What’s in it for me?” “Amanda,” Leah snapped, climbing out. To her relief, Amanda only swore at the guy before marching off. “Your loss,” he called after her. Leah caught up to Amanda, who was standing in the middle of the road, looking left to right. “What are you doing?” Leah asked. “I’ll find another ride.” “This is stupid. Let me take you to Damon’s.” “I already told you; I’m not going to Dad’s. I have to get to Deerfield.” “I don’t know where that is,” Leah said evenly, “and even if I did, that’s not a good idea. How about this? Let me take you back to my apartment. You can stay with me and Em for the night.” “I don’t need your pity. I need a ride. You think I wanted to call you? I had no choice. Jake didn’t answer, and then I tried Mom, then Dad... everyone ignored me like they always do.” “Who’s Jake?”
But one night Leah received a call from Amanda that she needed her to drive her to pick up her son--that he was in danger... Whoa... First of all, Leah did not know Amanda had a son, so was having trouble trying to piece what she'd said even after the call ended. But Amanda didn't look well and Lena didn't think she should take her... Later that night Amanda had been hit and killed in a car accident... Leah was left feeling that once again, a death had occurred and she didn't understand what had actually happened, so she began to investigate... by going to the funeral and looking to see if she could find a child...
She did see one, saw a man he was with and knew that he was the father. Later, as Leah was seeking answers, she got to know a little about him, discovered that he and Amanda had been living together, but that Drew was the son of his former wife, who had left them... Leah was feeling guilty, even though everybody with whom she talked said that it was an accident. Still, was the little boy really in danger. His father didn't seem to think so...
Adding to her confusion, Leah was soon to meet Parker, a guy that you couldn't help but like, except if he came out and told you that she was now his sister!
Yeah, her father had gotten married--they were on their honeymoon--and Parker called Leah because her father's house had been vandalized with spray paint. He asked if she could come over. He couldn't reach his mother or her father...They had said they would not be using phones... Leah could not believe that, though this was not really an emergency, that if there was they still could not reach them... They called the police and reported it, but, of course, if didn't look likely that whoever did it would be found...
But that was not the end of it, Soon a bouquet of flowers and a doll was left at the door of Leah's apartment... She lived with Em, her best friend, but had conflicting work schedules... There were a couple of guys who worked in their apartment house that maybe would know something... Soon lies were coming, confusing the issue... As Leah thought Irene, Amanda's mother could be involved since Leah had failed to respond to her daughter's call...
Lots of options and Leah was tracking each one down to question. Since Parker had already notified Leah of her father's remarriage, he began trying to reach her. He had cared for Amanda, calling them both his girls, even though Leah resented how it had all occurred...
Thing is, that the entire book was involved with trying to find out who did what to whom... It makes for a suspenseful hold on readers and indeed has a thrilling ending... Yeah, it all came out in the end, but somehow there was not a feeling of completion... a satisfaction that the story was effective. Sure, it was logical and understandable, but so many lies were occurring along the way that I realized that if people had no ulterior motives, then the plot would not have been possible... I felt it was more like today's world, where lies and "spinning" tales were so common that we no longer know what truth is...
Leah and her father did agree to keep in touch, but the family dynamic was left hanging--not for the same reason, but still unsure--not back to normal... Is this what we face in today's world now? Where everybody seems to want to play the blame game and accuse somebody else who had little to do with a situation, just so the aggrieved individual can feel avenged? It's funny, I somehow felt cheated that lies told by various people were what makes it suspenseful and thrilling. A sad commentary, in my opinion, for today's world.
Key criteria include statistical rarity, violating social norms, maladaptiveness, and personal suffering.
Key aspects of abnormality:
Statistical Infrequency: Behavior that is rare or far from the average (e.g., extremely low IQ).
Violation of Social Norms: Actions that go against the unwritten rules of a society or culture.
Maladaptiveness: Behavior that hinders daily functioning, goal achievement, or adaptation to life's demands.
Personal Distress: Significant psychological suffering, anguish, or discomfort experienced by the individual.
Observer Discomfort: Behavior that causes significant unease or concern for others.
The field of study:
Abnormal Psychology: The branch of psychology dedicated to studying these unusual patterns to understand, predict, explain, and treat mental disorders.
Psychopathology: A less stigmatizing term for the scientific study of psychological disorders, focusing on mental illness.