The Last Lie [Hardcover]

Dr. Alan Gregory is a durable hero. He's been shot, stabbed, pushed off of cliffs, almost pushed off of cliffs, stalked, variously assaulted, and attacked by at least one wild animal. And yet he remains a mensch - tiresomely physically fit and over-addicted to healthy living, perhaps, but still a mensch. He admires his wife, cherishes his friends, and generally respects his patients. He loves his dogs, present and past. The supporting cast is equally attractive/compelling: Lauren Crowder's independent intelligence and relentless bravery, Sam Purdy's common sense and generosity, Adrienne Arvin's dementedly charming chutzpah and long shadow, Diane and Raoul's wit and whimsy, all serve to anchor the series. And the presence of Grace in the later novels promises to develop into a great child character, possibly rivaling Lucy Karp in the early Gruber-authored Tanenbaums. The incidental characters are vivid and generally believable, almost without exception. Some authors are better at male characters than female, or the reverse, but White is excellent at people, all people. Most of the books are first-person narration by Gregory, but White can shift to third-person with aplomb. Or entirely out of the picture, as with the last novel, which focused on Sam Purdy and Yale secret societies.

Nor are these wonderful people too precious to kill. You never read a Stephen White novel in the sure and certain knowledge that everyone will survive the last page. Makes for great suspense, suspense that gnaws on the corner of the page even in the middle of one of Dr Gregory's lengthy ruminations.

Aside from the great characters, the plots of this series are outstanding. We learn about a private end-of-life corporation, cold-case volunteer groups, the Mormons, DB Cooper, the cult of personality, Grand Canyon adventures, and the fallout from the JonBenet case, all without stretching the seams of the community based in Boulder, CO. When the plots call for suspense, the books are literally terrifying, real white-knuckle reads. White is witty and insightful and the very best craftsperson of the English language I've read in years. His casually correct use of the subjunctive fills me with delight, as do his always-agreeing pronouns, and his elegant but unpretentious syntax. His prose is a pleasure to read.

That said, this book is initially hard to read. The syntax is awkward. The flashback chronology springs up and smacks you, rather than carrying you seamlessly along.

But there's a reason for that. Everyone here is a bit off balance. In the more action-driven novels, it's easy to see what the problem is; it's the solution that's hard. Here, articulating the problem is more than half the battle. White takes the reader along with Alan Gregory and the others on a journey through thickets of uncertainty only to be mired in the muck of doubt. Remember the title.

Rape and all its attendant horrors, rape law and all its gruesome ambiguities, the problem of perception (think Gombrich's duck/rabbit) make this plot both complex and sadly timely.

What is it with male authors making their lead women into the most self-centered, unkind, uncaring, and devious women? I have seen it with several authors and often wondered if they were married to this type of woman. I've never really liked Lauren as Alan's wife, and usually when I come to dislike characters I stop reading the books. Having said that, I do love Sam and Alan. The books that eliminate Lauren are the best. I've often hoped White would somehow write her out...she's already cheated on Alan, so why not? She and Alan's partner are about to move him out of his wonderful home (because of her MS) and the office he's had his practice in for decades. I dislike Lauren more with each book, and now I'm not too fond of his partner and her wealthy money making husband.

Jonathan Kellerman writes quite a bit like White, yet I believe he figured out that his "Robin" character was so unlikeable that he had to change her and finally did. I wish White would do the same.

I'm a big fan of Stephen White's and watch for each new book he writes. Sadly, I can't say I recommend reading this one. It is uncharacteristically dithering. White goes on with more trivia about Boulder, CO than is necessary to the plot, or one would be interested in. And the plot...it meanders endlessly. I made it to the middle of the book and I just didn't care enough about the plot or characters in this one to stay with it. That being said, I have always enjoyed the characters and plot in his other works and will see what his next title brings.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 65 reviews  3.1 out of 5 stars