He is shocked at the state of the house. The damage is much more than ordinary vandalism; someone has unleashed a great deal of rage and strength in the near total destruction of everything in the house. Even more disturbing is state police investigator Morgan Ford's theory that the house is somehow linked to the disappearances of several local teenagers. As Paul learns more of the house's, and his family's, history, troubling possibilities begin to occur to him. His family has been the center of violent tragedy several times, and the pattern seems to be continuing.

Skull Session can refer to brainstorming, or solving a puzzle. It also applies to the various investigations of the brain and the power of the brain throughout the book. Paul has spent a great deal of time researching neurological function and disorders, both because of his own problems and because his son seems to have inherited some of these problems.

There are many interesting threads running through the story, beginning with the question of a condition that surely would have been labeled madness in the near past and its connection with extraordinary creativity and enhanced abilities. I was intrigued by the questions about how the brain works, how it defines the individual, and the feeling of "otherness" waiting to break out. There are also issues of fathers relating to sons, as Paul works through his past and his father's suicide and follows through on his determination to do his best for his own son.

Skull Session is an excellent thriller; there is strong suspense and tense, terrifying moments. There is also a lot more. The characters and the emotions ring true, and the research and speculations that lead to the solution to the mystery were fascinating. I felt like I was reading faster and faster as I raced towards the climatic ending, which still managed to surprise the hell out of me. This was one of those impossible-to-put-down novels that I strongly recommend not picking up just before bedtime. Unless, of course, you feel like staying up all night.

--Jeri Wright