HOMICIDAL INTENT

Drawing on her experience as a forensic psychiatrist, Chern weaves an intricate debut thriller that addresses issues such as child violence, prescription drug use and family relationships. Dr. Tamsen Bayn always longed to be a famous forensic psychiatrist who would serve as an expert witness in high-profile trial cases. When her fiancé, assistant Manhattan D.A. Greg Jolson, asks her to evaluate the parents of a 12-year-old killer, Tamsen seizes the opportunity to examine the roots of child violence while boosting her career. At the same time, Tamsen lands a cushy position at Grandines Pharmaceuticals as the spokesperson for their new drug, Curixenol, an antidepressant that also treats alcoholism. As Tamsen learns more about Grandines, she slowly realizes that the company's miracle drug may have deadly side effects. Chern's prose is detailed, graced with a splash of humor and liberally sprinkled with technical terms such as suicidal ideation, vascular dementia and seizure disorder. The novel's pacing is sluggish, however, and readers will figure out what Grandines is plotting long before Tamsen begins to doubt the company's integrity. A far-fetched conclusion ties up loose ends too neatly, and although this isn't a spine-tingling, psychological thriller, it's a solid first attempt. (Sept. 11)