Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
In Monterey County, Psychiatrist Dr. Irene Cogan met Max for the first when she interviewed him in jail. Max was arrested after the police found a disemboweled woman occupying the passenger seat of his car. Max knows the psychiatric drill as if he himself is a doctor and is quite the mimic, imitating Irene on first contact as if he knew her all her life. Irene finds the charming Max fascinating even as she recognizes he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).
FBI agent Pender believes Max is his "Casey", a serial killer murdering strawberry blondes over the past few years. Max pulls off the impossible and manages to escape from his maximum-security cell, abducting Irene in the process. Pender follows Max to a remote Oregon farm where his worst nightmare begins.
Lector fans will enjoy THE GIRLS HE ADORED a novel that shows how much Jonathan Nasaw adores Hannibal. The story line is exciting and Max engages the audience in a morbid, but appealing way that somehow horrifies the reader for being attracted to a monster. Mr. Nasaw clearly pays tribute to Harris yet fans of serial killers will read this novel on its own merit.