By Liz Soares
Frieda Klein leads a quiet, solitary life. Her psychiatry practice is successful, and if she can’t sleep at night, well, she has the whole city of London to explore--on foot.
Then a man who is having strange dreams is referred to her. A carpenter falls through the ceiling of her office. Her teenage niece needs her help. And Frieda’s mentor is on the skids.
As if this wasn’t enough, the psychiatrist suddenly finds herself in the middle of a child abduction case. There are eerie parallels to a similar incident 20 years before. How ethical is it for Frieda to use a patient to solve a crime?
Blue Monday is the first in a new series by the thriller-writing duo who call themselves “Nicci French.” It’s a page-turning mystery, though not without a few flaws.
The novel starts with the first kidnapping, and it’s a while before the second one takes place. In between, the reader may feel like there’s a bit too much setup for future books in the series.
The last third of the book, though, is worth the wait for intrigue and excitement. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a promising start to a new series.
