The clinic

She was found stabbed to death on a quiet, shaded street in one of Los Angeles' safest neighbourhoods. For 3 months the police have found no clues to the murder of Hope Devane, psychology professor and controversial author of a pop-psych bestseller, an angry indictment of men. Now homicide detective Milo Sturgis, newly assigned to the case, turns to his friend, psychologist Dr Alex Delaware, looking for insights into Devane's life. To both men the cold stalking of Hope Devane suggests calculation fuelled by hate - an execution. They discover why as they unlock the very private compartments of her life. But it is when Alex delves into her childhood that he begins to understand the formidable woman she was - and the ties that entangled her life until the horrifying act of betrayal that ended it. Building to a white-knuckle climax in which Alex sets a trap for the Killer, The Clinic is brilliantly plotted suspense as wrenchingly disturbing as today's headlines.