THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S SHADOW, by Laury A. Egan

 

The Psychologist’s Shadow is a portrait of Dr. Ellen Haskell, a compassionate, introspective therapist who finds herself in a dangerous struggle with an unknown stalker. The novel is a simmering suspense, one in which tension accumulates as the reader gains insights during sessions with clients—one of whom may be the psychologist’s shadow—and through the stalker’s journal entries, which serve as a discordant counterpoint.

The inspiration for the novel originated in my college interest in psychology. During my later years at Carnegie Mellon University, I selected all of my course electives in that field. Upon graduation, the head of the university’s counseling center and one of my professors approached and urged me to embark on a career as a therapist. I was tempted but didn’t go that route, yet I continued to read books and to follow changes in psychology. When I began this manuscript in 1992 (a second novel), my goal was to meld my interest with my writing, depicting how a therapist would react in sessions and what her thoughts would be then as well as afterward, as she dealt with her own life.

            A second inspiration was the chance to write a “bad guy.” Like Robert Louis Stevenson, the creator of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, many writers find it interesting to immerse themselves in  a disturbed character. I’ve heard several authors admit that creating a dangerous persona is more interesting than writing about a “white hat.” When I hear this, I think of Patricia Highsmith, who loved her sociopaths, probably because she was on the sociopathic spectrum herself. For myself, though definitely not in this clinical category, some of my favorite characters have been killers or emotionally unbalanced people. For example, in my forthcoming novel, Jack & I, about a boy with dissociative identity disorder, his alternate personality is amoral and manipulative in contrast to the honest, introverted host—the story is told from both perspectives. So, yes, I enjoy slipping into the minds of people I definitely wouldn’t want to meet in person, but it’s fascinating to delve into their thoughts and feelings and to understand what impels their behavior—I believe readers and film viewers are also drawn to these characters.

For the novel, I was attracted to this light/dark dichotomy as I wrote the parts of the therapist and the disturbed, obsessive follower whose identity is unknown—both narrated in first-person. In addition, the plot allowed me to compose a sampler of diverse characters, each of whom suffers from mental health issues; to imagine their histories, personalities, and problems; how they would speak, behave, and dress, a process which was similar to writing case studies at university. The novel also let me don a psychologist’s hat to treat each person, thus giving the reader a voyeuristic perch to observe, analyze, and to search for clues during therapeutic conversations. Wrapping Ellen’s story around her clients’ lives and interspersing the enigmatic journal entries by the stalker, was like being granted a chance to perform all the roles in a drama. What a challenge!

Throughout the years, I continued to revise the manuscript—over forty times—and then, last winter, after publishing a number of other novels, I rolled up my sleeves, sharpened my red pencil, and attacked the manuscript with fervor, finally finishing the project.

For those who have been in therapy or are therapists, for those who love solving mysteries, I hope this psychological suspense will be an intriguing read!

Blurb: The Psychologist’s Shadow is a portrait of a compassionate, introspective therapist who finds herself in a dangerous struggle with an unknown stalker. The novel is a simmering literary suspense, one in which tension accumulates as the reader gains insights during session with clients—one of whom may be the psychologist’s shadow—and through the stalker’s journal entries.

Bio: Laury A. Eagan is the author of eleven novels, a collection of short stores, and four volues of poetry. She lives on the northern coast of New Jersy.

Website: www.lauryaegan.com

Available in paperback: $14.99

E book $4.99

https://mybook.to/therpsychologistsshadow

Laury A. Egan is the author of twelve novels, including several psychological suspense titles, such as A Bittersweet Tale, Doublecrossed, Jenny Kidd, The Ungodly Hour, and numerous short fiction as collected in Fog and Other Stories. Her other titles range from literary, comedy, and coming-of-age novels. She lives on the northern coast of New Jersey. Website: www.lauryaegan.com