A Deadly Affection
In the “orderly society” of New York in 1907, when women are not considered competent to become physicians, spinster Genevieve Summerford obtains her doctorate degree and sets up practice in the new field of “scientific psychotherapy.” Just as her father fixes things, she wants to “fix people.” She begins work with a group of women prone to depression and becomes embroiled in a police investigation after her advice leads to a killing. In attempting to prove her patient’s innocence, she has to deal not only with the many prejudices of the day but also with her own unresolved conflicts. For a book filled with murder, madness, and medical mystery, Cuyler Overholt’s A Deadly Affection was a real pleasure to read. Its only drawback: I had to put my life on hold until I’ve finished it. What a satisfying finish … and what a smooth, complex, enlightening, riveting journey – worth every moment. First-time novelist Overholt has done her research, and the historical facts are slipped in so unobtrusively that the flow of the story is never impeded. A Deadly Affection is masterfully crafted, a delightful combination of suspense and romance. I cannot wait for Overholt’s next novel.
