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Dennis Palumbo, in another life, was a very successful screenwriter. He wrote the first episode of “Loveboat”, “Welcome Back, Kotter”, and the screenplay for the wonderful 1982 Hollywood comedy “My Favorite Year”. When the high-life in Hollywod began to pale he returned to school and became a licensed psychotherapist. For the past 20 years his practice has thrived and yet he still finds time to write. He has produced a short story collection, “From Crime to Crime”, and a non-fiction book on writer’s block, “Writing from the Inside Out”.
His latest book is “Fever Dream”, the second in a series featuring Pittsburgh psychotherapist Daniel Rinaldi. We were first introduced to Rinaldi in “Mirror Image”. He is in private practice but consults with the Pittsburgh Police Department on cases where his expertise may be helpful.
In both books Palumbo cleverly and in a heart-felt manner, contrasts the Pittsburgh of Rinaldi’s boyhood; the working-class, soot-soaked steelmills versus the new Pittsburgh and it’s nano technology and medical reasearch centers. Much like James Lee Burke turns the bayous of Louisiana into a living, breathing character, Palumbo does the same for the “Steel City”.
“Fever Dream” takes place a year after the first case Rinaldi consulted on in “Mirror Image”. I enjoyed his first effort as a taught psycho-thriller. It was quite accomplished for an initial novel and was well recieved and well reviewed. However I feel the new book is a real leap forward. The story is a page-turning, anxiety inducing guessing game that chugs along on parallel tracks full of sharp turns and surprises.
Rinaldi, called out of a therapy session, faces a bank robbery gone awry. Hostages are murdered and the only survivor is too traumatized to speak. Brought in to treat her and try and elicit information, Rinaldi finds himself caught up in the lives of the investigating officers, Lowrey and Polk, a D.A. running hard for governor, and the suicide of a young patient of his. All these seemingly disparate elements meld into each other in a totally surprisingly way. “Fever Dream” is a doozy of a thriller. We have kidnappings, mistaken identity, a growing attraction between Rinaldi and Detective Lowrey, and increasing enmity between our hero and the other dective on the case, Harry Polk.
The richness of the many characters, especially Daniel’s psycho friend, musician and bar owner, Noah Frye, makes this a richly rewarding read. The plot is as twisty as a strand of dna and the curves in the storyline are like a roller-coaster ride. Palumbo has done a great job in presenting us with a complex, well-crafted and intelligent piece of writing. This is thriller writing of the highest order. Buy a copy, buckle-up, and enjoy the ride.
-Steve Shadow Schwartz
Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter (“My Favorite Year,” “Welcome Back, Kotter,” etc.), DENNIS PALUMBO (dennispalumbo.com) is now a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in creative issues. Author of “Writing From the Inside Out” (John Wiley), his first novel was a sci-fi thriller, “City Wars” (Bantam Books), before he turned to crime. His mystery fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Strand, and elsewhere, and is collected in “From Crime to Crime” (Tallfellow Press). His first mystery novel, “Mirror Image,” is just out from Poisoned Pen Press.
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