Stephen White - Alan Gregory discussion

Boulder California! Some editor was asleep on the job :-) I never got through book 2, Private Practices - all I know is that there is a major Colorado Blizzard going on. Feel free to start a discussion topic on Private Practices if you'd like. How long did it take you to get through Privileged Information?

Hi again Bry :-) I just turned this into a discussion for Private Practices, I hope you don't mind. Please share any favorite passages/quotes or insights or whatever while you're reading. Thanks!


Private Practices by Stephen White, book 2 in the Alan Gregory series.

I first read Stephen White's books at random, whenever I saw one at the library I would pick them up. Over the last year I have gone back and read the series in order, and I have come to appreciate the way the story line is developed throughout the series. I also like how individual books may go into the past and tell you more about a particular character's childhood or early adult, and you continually learn more about the people who inhabit these pages. I think it is a good idea, Bry and Janice, to read from the beginning of the series forward.

I will be starting Private Practices later on today. I finished Privileged Information kind of in the middle of all the holiday craziness so I really haven't commented much on it. It was better than ok and I am looking forward to more of Alan Gregory and the gang. I really like Sam Purdy but I think that is because the first book I read of Stephen White's was The Siege

I had to run an errand in San Francisco today so that meant approximately 2 hours of uninterrupted reading time on the BART train. I started Private Practices finally. What an action packed beginning. I'm hooked! I really do like Alan Gregory!

**Spoiler Alert**
I finished it! It was quite suspenseful throughout the entire novel. I was kind of surprised that White could keep it going right up to the end. I found this novel a real page turner. A couple of things I wonder about: Lauren, his girlfriend/fiancee. She seems so mean at times to Alan. I know she is a favorite of many who read the Alan Gregory books but I am having a hard time warming up to her. Also White writes a lot about food. I had to crack up over Sam Purdy's breakfasts. Sam reminds me of Pete Marino in the Patricia Cornwell books. And Adrienne makes me laugh. I hope to see more of her as I keep reading the series. i really like Alan Gregory as a character and I like the way White is developing him. He is a very caring professional and his treatment of Randy is admirable as well as his own personal code of ethics. It is a common thread I have seen in both novels I have read in the series.

Christine wrote: "Sam reminds me of Pete Marino in the Patricia Cornwell books."

I thought the same thing :-)

So, Christine, are you going to read another Alan Gregory book next or take a break from the series?

Sam is less intense than Pete Marino.

I'm going to take a short break. I'm in a couple of book clubs and I need to read those books before I can get back to Alan Gregory. I also want to read Still Life. Have you read it yet? I noticed you read a lot of Dean Koontz. Any recommendations? I have book 1 of the Frankenstein series, Prodigal Son.

Christine wrote: "Sam is less intense than Pete Marino.

I'm going to take a short break. I'm in a couple of book clubs and I need to read those books before I can get back to Alan Gregory. I also want to read S..."

You sound a lot like me... I've joined all these groups and keep saying I'm gonna read the group reads but I honestly, I'm a slow readers so I can only read so many. I haven't read Still Life, but the good thing on that one is we have 3 months to read it.

As far as Koontz, Hell yeah! Koontz is my favorite. I'm currently reading Watchers and The Good Guy. You should come join the new Dean Koontz group that I created. I am only a moderator for these two goodreads groups, Stephen White and Dean Koontz. My top 3 favorite authors are in order: Dean Koontz, Stephen White and Tess Gerritsen.The Dean Koontz Group is called Koontzland - Dean Koontz. I really like fast-moving fiction and Koontz is the best as creating Thrill Ride novels! One of my most favorite Koontz books is Cold Fire (1991) and I also really enjoyed Relentless (2009). If you check out the group - you'll get lots of ideas, opinions and recommendations :-)

Christine wrote: "Sam is less intense than Pete Marino."

I must say, I prefer Sam Purdy as a character over Pete Marino :-)

I've read Cold Fire, From the Corner of his Eye and Strangers but its been a while. I will definitely check out Koontzland.

I'm a slow reader too. I think I also have ADD when it comes to books because I jump around so much and usually have more than one book going at a time. I think that is why I like fast moving novels is because they hold my attention and that is why I liked Private Practices so much because all sorts of stuff was happening every time you turned the page. Did you finish it?

I need to try to read Private Practices again :-) I tried to read it a couple of years ago. Now that we have this thread for it and you speak so highly of it, I'll try to read it again soon. Right now I'm reading Manner of Death by Stephen White (slowly of course)

There are quite a few books between Private Practices and Manner of Death. I doubt I will catch up to you any time soon. I'm one of those people that HAVE to read them in order. Our library doesn't have all of them so I may make a trip to one of the used book stores around here. That's always dangerous for me. I have no will power when it comes to books!

I haven't been reading the Alan Gregory books in order, obviously. I'm crazy. So, when you start your next Alan Gregory book, just let me know and maybe I'll join you :-)

Sounds like a plan!

Is Higher Authority told from Lauren's point of view?

Christine wrote: "Is Higher Authority told from Lauren's point of view?
"

Pretty Much. She goes to Utah to help a friend I think. Alan & Sam come into the story & help her solve the mystery :-) I'd love to re-read Higher Authority but I can't right now.

btw, there is already a discussion thread set up for Higher Authority. It began as a discussion thread for Dead Time but turned into both :-) please check it out & feel free to comment

I will as soon as I start the book. I'm really intrigued to start it now that it is told from Lauren's point of view. She's not one of my favorite characters but I know a lot of you fans of Alan Gregory do like her.