~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BLURB~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manhattan, 1909. On the morning after Sigmund Freud arrives in New York on his first - and only - visit to the United States, a stunning debutante is found bound and strangled in her penthouse apartment, high above Broadway. The following night, another beautiful heiress, Nora Acton, is discovered tied to a chandelier in her parents' home, viciously wounded and unable to speak or recall her ordeal. Soon Freud and his American disciple, Stratham Younger, are enlisted to help Miss Acton recover her memory, and to piece together the killer's identity. It is a riddle that will test their skills to the limit and lead them on a thrilling journey - into the darkest places of the city, and of the human mind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was another book that wasn't entirely what I expected. I though this would concentrate more on the psychology and the efforts to get Nora to speak again, but what I got was a murder mystery with many twists and turns. I particularly like the description of New York at the time and also the little snippets of information about Freud - things I remembered from my psychology A Level!

Not my usual genre of book but one I would definitely recommend to all readers.

The book will be off on its travels as an international bookray! The order is below (shipping preferences in brackets):

6of8 - US (Anywhere)
silvia-pco - Portugal (Europe)
Colombina - Germany (Anywhere)
Libera13 - Portugal (Europe)
-JAFFA- - UK (Anywhere)
Sherlockfan - New Zealand (Anywhere)
nat4lee - US (Anywhere)
SonnySnail - US (Anywhere)
jenm82 - Australia (Anywhere)
Hayes13 - Italy (Anywhere)
Tinina67 - Australia (Anywhere)
kiyoitsukikage - UK (UK)

I've tried to keep it in the order people signed up so long as postage preferences allow as I think that's the fairest way but if anyone has issues with the shipping order please let me know and I'll see what I can do!

Sent out to 6of8 to start the ray

This not-so-little gem arrived in yesterday's mail. It looks every bit as intriguing now as it did when I signed up (always a good thing to know I wasn't carried away by book fever). Sounds a little like a Caleb Carr, which I enjoy. Am currently in the middle of 2 others, but should get started on this over the weekend. May take me a little time, since it is 500+ pages, but will journal and then forward to silvia-pco when I finish it.

It was a compelling read, but there were definitely some scenes in it I could have done without. All in all, though, I enjoyed it, and I did not solve the mystery although the solution made sense when you got there. Was a little concerned when they started going on and on about Freud's Oedipal complex notion, as I have never believed in it, but ended up feeling much more favorably towards Dr. Younger's "anti-Oedipal" complex theory that he comes up with. Was surprised to find myself somewhat liking Freud -- the old mysogynist -- and being surprised by Jung's virulent anti-Semitism and near psychosis. Did really like the explanation/solution to the "To Be or Not To Be" problem that Younger came up with -- not sure I agree, but I studied Critical Approaches to Literature and it would have made a very compelling thesis.

I will try to get this in the mail to silvia-pco this week, as I already have her mailing info. Did send a PM to alert her to that fact.

Put this one in the mail to silvia-pco this morning. Happy travels, little book.

It's here! Thanks for sending it along, 6of8. It's not one the small side, that's for sure, but I'll try to pass it on in a timely fashion. :)

First of all, I'm sorry it took me so long to read this book.

It was an extremely interesting read. I would have never thought of putting Freud in the midst of a mystery story, but it worked really well as far as I'm concerned. The mystery itself was very compelling, and kept me wondering up to the last pages; the whole relationship between Freud and his "followers" was very well put together, and I quite liked it too.

A great book, not so easy to read, as it is on the big side, but I recommend it. A truly original story.

Thank you so much for sharing. The book's already on its way to Colombina!

This enticing looking book arrived today in Wuppertal, Germany. Thank you very much! I am looking forward to reading it :-)

It was very fascinating for me to travel back in time and see how fast and thoroughly the world changed even back then long before the invention of computers and the internet. This novel changed some of my long-held views, especially on Freud and his ideas. Though I still disagree with him on many aspects, I now feel like rereading his work and reflecting about it with a more open mind. Likewise, I always hated cars since I have seen so many cats killed by them when I was little but now I realize that the invention of cars actually brought an end to the suffering of many horses...
Really a compelling read with a brilliantly woven murder mystery, thank you very much for sharing!

(28th october: I am very sorry that this book has to wait so long - unfortunately, I did not receive any reply to my PMs/e-mail to Libera13, I will now contact the next person on the list:-(...
-JAFFA- wants to be skipped, so I'll contact Sherlockfan)

The book is now on its way to New Zealand. Thank you very much for the wonderful book ring!

The book arrived here today. Thanks Colombina, and specially for the wonderful bookmark.

To Fairydust, Colombina and others on this thread - 1,000 apologies. Somehow this book got misfiled and has only recently revealed itself.
I'm not only sorry but hugely embarrassed that I have so let the side down. As a dedicated, experienced and committed Bookcrosser this is just not acceptable.

I've marked it an 8 although really wanted 7.5 because although it is, as the Guardian said, "...fiendishly clever" some of it was a trifle obscure. There was so much to think about but every now and again I'd be tempted to stop reading. That didn't happen though as I like to see what will happen next. Some of the theories put forward were almost beyond my comprehension and I tend to be a little sceptical about parts of Freud's approach but then some distardly events take place in real life that can't easily be explained without resort to Freudian psychology. My husband has read it but became equally flumoxed at times although he did read it right through. Wish I was a little more erudite so I could give a more meaningful comment like some of the ones before me on this thread.

I will contact nat4lee who I met at the Washington Convention and who was a delightful companion when we were the only two scheduled on a tour of the Capitol. Gosh I loved that convention, and the one in Dublin on the following year. Who can be tempted to come to Melbourne in April 2014?

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTE

I now have nat4lee's address and will post this book off in the next couple of days. It is a Public Holiday in the Wellington Province today.

I received this book today, and am delighted to have the chance to sit down and start reading this tonight. Thanks sherlockfan!