Privileged Information by STEPHEN WHITE

"Stephen White's "Privileged Information" kicks off his series of thrillers featuring Alan Gregory, a clinical psychologist based in Boulder. Alan is a successful therapist in private practice with one partner. His career is thriving, although he's going through a rough separation from his wife. Alan is hit with what therapists perhaps dread most - a client suicide. The client was an attractive young woman whom Alan had no inkling was suicidal. He begins to doubt his clinical acumen and then things deteriorate even further; specifically, Alan is accused of having a sexual relationship with this client that precipitated her suicide. However, because of therapist-client confidentiality, Alan cannot release information about the client's treatment that would help clear his name. That is, he cannot release this "privileged information" until he is sued. So Alan sits back and watches his clients flee. When more of his clients wind up dead, Alan realizes that it's more than bad luck. Thus, our neurotic therapist is drawn into the world of intrepid crime solvers"  "コロラド州ボルダー在住の心理学者Alan Gregoryを主人公とするシリーズの第1作。彼の若い女性患者が突然自殺し、彼女の残したノートから、彼はあらぬ疑いをかけられる。さらに、別の女性患者が事故死したり、殺されたりで、彼は患者に次々逃げられ、地位も名誉も失いそうになる。そんな中で、彼の患者の一人が一連の出来事に関わっていると疑われるのだが、法律上警察にさえ患者の秘密を漏らすことが禁じられている彼は、秘密を守れば自身の潔白が証明できず、秘密を漏らせばその行為によって地位を失うかもしれないというジレンマに苦しむ。苦悩する主人公の心理状態、女性検察官との葛藤など心理面はよく描かれているが、ストーリーはテンポが遅く、じれったい感じがする。また、犯人についても意外性がなく、今ひとつ面白みに欠ける。このシリーズでは、前に読んだCritical Conditionsの方がよく書けているが、まあ、1作目だからこの程度で仕方ないのかもしれない。同じジャンルのAlex Delawareシリーズ（Jonathan Kellerman）と比べるとやや劣る感があるが、一応もう1作は読んでみて、このシリーズの評価をしようと思っている。英語はやや難しい"

비슷한 주제의 다른 책들을 읽은 사람이라면 좀 실망할 수도 있을 듯싶다. 큰 반전은 없는 책이고 중반쯤 읽다 보면 대충 내용을 알 수 있다. 다만 살인사건에 직면한 심리학자의 고뇌는 잘 보여주는 책이다. 작가가 보여주는 복선이나 글의 서술방식에 대해서 살펴보기 위해서 읽고 난 뒤에 다시 처음부터 훑어 보았다. 문장은 원서 경험에 따라서 읽는데 어려울 수 있다.