Her best friend wants her to hide. Her lover wants to protect her. Michael needs to defend her fiercely-held privacy and handle the problem on her own terms. She recognizes the irrationality of her position, but remains determined to deal with Willy herself.

At the same time, her professional life is offering some difficult cases, and Michael wonders if she is short-changing her patients because of her fears about Willy. Willy is out there, somewhere, letting her know that he knows a great deal about her. About her patients. About her life. He's setting up an attack on a front she is quite unprepared for ...

This was a fast, intense read. I particularly enjoyed learning about Michael's work, including some of the cases she handles and the problems she faces. Michael Stone is a prickly, hard-headed, and very interesting protagonist, and the details of her profession made for fascinating reading. Even her occasional moments on a soapbox (and she does have them) on issues such as false memory and community care for the mentally ill were enjoyable, given that I tend to agree with her positions.

The characters are real, the story fast-paced and compelling, with some real surprises along the way. As with Salter's first novel in the series (Shiny Water), some of the subject matter is grim, even painful, but it is handled in a way I didn't feel bombarded with it. I'm interested in seeing more of this character, and recommend Fault Lines as an excellent psychological thriller.

--Jeri Wright