In Mary Ann D’Alto’s He Counts Their Tears, Aaron Stein, a successful fertility doctor at Harbor Hospital, hides behind his handsome looks and charming demeanor. The son of rich and famous artists, he has had a troubled past, going to jail as a juvenile for the death of a truck driver that he claims was killed by his friend. He grows up with Constance, a cousin who was orphaned at a young age, who always protects him when he gets in trouble. Now married to the docile Ruth, with two children from his previous marriage, Aaron develops what he calls The Method. It is a process whereby he ensnares beautiful women, makes them believe they are each other's soul mate, controls them and suddenly drops them out of his life. He collects them like toys and drops them as fast as he finds his next prey.

He Counts Their Tears by Mary Ann D’Alto is the chilling story of a man who finds great satisfaction in psychologically destroying women. Obviously a psychopath, Aaron Stein’s satisfaction in life is to wield power and control over them. Like a hungry predator perpetually looking for prey, he goes from one relationship to the next, breaking hearts and lives along the way. There is absolutely no compassion in his heart. His behavior, even towards people close to him, is simply inhuman. In spite of this, the author developed his character in a way that the story is believable. The stories of the women he has had relationships with are varied but they have something in common - they are all highly vulnerable to his charms and maneuvers. How many Aarons are there in our midst?

He Counts Their Tears by Mary Ann D'Alto is a terrifying psychological thriller that looks at the causes of evil and asks the question: does it matter to a killer's victims how or why he became the monster that he is? Aaron Stein is a successful fertility doctor with a dark secret. A secret so huge it is about to be found out. His life will be ruined, but the lives of his many countless victims will be saved forever from future torture and abuse. Constance, Aaron's devoted cousin (and perhaps lover in a long ago lifetime), tries her best to protect Aaron's secret as always. But it is hard to know Constance's motivations. Does she protect Aaron because she is in love with him, or because she has created him? Is Aaron Constance's monster, pieced together the same way Frankenstein created his monster? And what happens when the monster is set free?

This is an edgy, disturbing story that may not suit all readers. It is about love and power, especially the power a man has over a woman (or vice versa). It is about how a person can love and hate someone at the same time, or forgive and forget heartbreak and torture for a simple smile or a sly "I love you." It is about a man who can lull someone into believing that they are loved so much, but not remember their name when he is trying to kill them, and how that same person can forgive him for his attempt and say she loves him back. Very dark, very disturbing, but also asks interesting questions that demand scary answers.

Great read. Compelling story of manipulation.