Saturday, February 11, 2023

Review: Boundary Issues by Thomas Boxleiter


Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

“Hank Pressman, MD has lived a messy personal life marred by infidelity, alcoholism, and a surprising lack of self-awareness.

His professional life as a psychiatrist has been unblemished, until now. When he meets a sad, young woman who somehow reminds him of his dead wife; a downward spiral begins that threatens his career and the safety of those he loves. Murder, blackmail, and violent assault force him to make a decision...one that he doesn't want to make.”

Author:

Thomas Boxleiter is a semi-retired psychiatrist who lives in Dubuque, Iowa. He and his wife have two grown children and a grandson. While at first glance the protagonist of this, his first book, may make you think it is based on him or one of his fellow psychiatrists he wants to ensure readers that this isn’t the case, that the story truly is fiction.

Appraisal:

I’m amazed this is the author’s first book, at least the first book that he’s published. The story has all the qualities you’d expect from a psychological thriller, but in some ways it breaks or at least stretches the norms. It’s a bit longer than a typical thriller, yet I never felt as though it was bogging down, always eager to keep reading and figure out where the story was going. There were surprises, as things the typical reader thinks they understand turn out to not be reality. Hank, the protagonist, spends a lot of time considering his life thus far, recognizing and coming to terms with mistakes he’s made, and trying to change his life direction where it makes sense. The changes and struggles Hank went through were a major part of the story and a bit atypical of a thriller.

The pieces that made up the thriller part of the story have a bit of a mystery element, as the reader watches Hank figure out the reality of what’s going on and then is faced with a decision as to how he should proceed based on what he knows. Things are complicated by Hank’s own personal demons, a desire to make corrections in his own life, and a need to protect those important to him. Some of those most important to him might be negatively impacted by his decision which only complicates things more. Hank’s major choice and how things shake out for all concerned is put off until much later than a typical novel, but the story kept me engaged the entire time, eager to see how it all shook out in the end.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

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