Official Review: The Midnight Shrink by Edward A. Dreyfus

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CataclysmicKnight
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Official Review: The Midnight Shrink by Edward A. Dreyfus

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Midnight Shrink" by Edward A. Dreyfus.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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I always find a book to be extra awesome when the author pulls from personal experience - it makes a book feel more relatable and even feels like connecting with some version of the author that very well may have existed under different circumstances. That's what Edward A. Dreyfus has done with The Midnight Shrink; Edward's 50 years of real life experience as a clinical psychologist is injected into the titular character, also a clinical psychologist named Dr. David Edminson. Like Edward, the fictional David was born and raised in The Bronx, and both also end up finding themselves in California, with David taking up residence in Skid Row, downtown LA. It's a rough area populated by strippers, gangs, prostitutes, murderers and thieves, but not only does David not want to get out, he actually befriends, works with and lives to treat them, often for free or very little pay as they can't afford his services.

The Midnight Shrink kicks off with a mystery - a woman is found dead, and it's not long before another is found murdered the same way. There's the making of a serial killer, and they prey upon white, blonde strippers. Unfortunately, David's girlfriend just happens to fit that description perfectly. Like David, she's stubborn and refuses to quit just because of one psycho, which David reluctantly understands as he, too, has chosen a dangerous line of work. David has friends on the police force as well as on the streets, and keeps in touch as things progress.

What I found really interesting, though, is that the much deeper and more fascinating mystery in the book is something David is much more attuned to - his own family. His beloved grandfather, Solly, the family member he spent the most time with growing up, has had his past questioned thanks to a session David has with one of his patients. As Solly has long passed away, he must return to New York and investigate things himself to discover if Solly was the perfect, loving newspaper stand owner he seemed to be or if his parents and brother are right and he has a more sinister past.

Going into the book, I was a little concerned that David would be this perfect jack of all trades that would single handedly solve the mystery while getting a slew of women and beating up dozens of people. I was pleasantly surprised to find just the opposite - David is a very competent, kind person but he has his flaws, he has guilt and he has issues throughout the book. His girlfriend, despite being a stripper, is a woman he met at UCLA and is actually working on a Master's Degree, simply using the job to pay for her schooling. His friends on the force, his friends on the streets, his "day people" and "night people" (patients who live their lives during the day or night) are all interesting in their own ways.

The book's main concept is conveyed very well - the idea that people are often misjudged based on race, religion or social status, that just because someone is wealthy doesn't mean they don't have their own eccentricities and just because someone is a stripper or broke doesn't mean they're just garbage. This concept comes up throughout his sessions as well as his dealings with his family, and it doesn't go out of its way to do the opposite either - the poor and downtrodden aren't just miraculously saints or anything. Instead, their situations are briefly explained, making them believable and worthy of support, and some terrible things still happen on the Row.

There really wasn't much of anything negative about the book - I only found 5 errors and it had sex but it wasn't overly vulgar or anything - but I just wish the initial mystery had more meat to it. It had a page or two of suspense, but the book as a whole only had a couple moments that made me worry for anyone's safety. I still happily give the book 3 out of 4 stars, and it's still an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys commentary on life and the situations we all face in an enjoyable, easy to read fictional story. For those wanting an edge-of-your-seat mystery full of suspense and danger, however, it's not going to fit the bill.

******
The Midnight Shrink
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kimmyschemy06
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like an interesting book with multiple backstories. I'm particularly interested with David's girlfriend, the stripper working on her Master's Degree. I think I'm going to enjoy this book. Great job on the review.
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CataclysmicKnight
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Post by CataclysmicKnight »

kimmyschemy06 wrote:Sounds like an interesting book with multiple backstories. I'm particularly interested with David's girlfriend, the stripper working on her Master's Degree. I think I'm going to enjoy this book. Great job on the review.
Yes! I love a good female character, and her strength and resolve (even if, yes, she's a stripper, at least she has a goal and she refuses to earn extra by sleeping with people). She was a surprise bonus here :)
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