Deviant Identities


Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
290 Pages
Reviewed on 07/26/2023
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Stephanie Chapman for Readers' Favorite

Michael McDonald-Low and Frank Mantua combined their expertise in creating Deviant Identities. This psychological thriller opens with Marcus Graham and Stephanie Courtland. The latter suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder, which caused her to have two other personas who wanted to kill Marcus. Her first attempt on his life failed because Avalanche Investigations intervened as she was about to hit him on the head with a rock. Stephanie was confined to a mental hospital under the care of Dr. Galloway. Marcus still hoped that she would recover and later had her placed at Hope Lodge, a high-end psychiatric facility. Aiden and Liam freelanced under Powell at Avalanche Investigations. Aiden’s wife Alexis was Dr. Galloway’s receptionist. She noticed that some patients that Dr. Galloway treated were notorious for their violent behavior. When Stephanie escaped from Hope Lodge, Avalanche assigned Aiden and Liam to track her down. However, Stephanie’s escape left Marcus, Dr. Galloway, and Powell on high alert.

Michael McDonald-Low and Frank Mantua described every moment through the perspectives of the various characters. Stephanie’s personas showed the extent to which her mental illness influenced her actions. Galloway’s treatment method of hypnotic suggestion was intriguing. The vivid details of each person’s thoughts placed me in their psyche. The suspense heightened with the smooth transitions from one scene to the next. The unpredictable actions of Stephanie, Harold Bettencourt, and Michael Moulthu kept me engaged in the plot. I never put the book down. The moment I thought I knew what was going to happen, an unexpected change would emerge. The intrigue increased when police officers became involved. I liked the way that the supporting characters were essential to the outcome. I enjoyed Deviant Identities and I hope this turns into a series featuring Avalanche Investigations.