Expert witness, suspect, sleuth

Bill Koch’s book Hired Gun has a gripping plot with an interesting story that holds your attention until the very last page.

As an experienced psychologist himself, Koch is easily able to draw his readers into the life of his protagonist, psychologist David Lipman. As the debut novel begins, Lipman is slowly recovering from the loss of his wife with the help of his two overprotective daughters, Amanda and Rachel, who always seem to be worrying about him and fussing around him. His work colleague and friend, Jin (Tony) Tang, gives him additional support at work, and he finds himself drawn to another work colleague, Julie, who is much younger than him. She has problems of her own that Lipman is happy to listen to, but he thinks a relationship with her might also be happening as she seeks out his company more often.

But just as he appears to be coming out of his own grief and looking forward to a brighter future on all fronts, he experiences some ethical professional problems when Melissa, one of the patients he had been treating for depression, dies mysteriously. He thought she was improving under his counselling, so he starts to wonder if it really was suspected suicide—or perhaps it was murder? 

Lipman was well-known in his field for a book he had written years earlier about professional misconduct, but now he thinks he might have crossed a line himself by becoming too involved in Melissa’s life. Did he become too close to her by caring about her too much? When the sharp-eyed detective on the case interviews him extensively, Lipman realizes he has now become a suspect in her murder. And when Sarah, a second patient of his, goes missing and is found dead, the tension builds to fever pitch.

Meanwhile the real killer is still out there and Lipman must connect all the clues he has been left with to find the truth. He is then brought into the legal case and trial of the suspect as a “hired gun,” an expert witness, and by mistake discovers evidence he should not legally be allowed to see.

The West Vancouver author’s characters are compelling, especially Lian, another patient of Lipman’s, in the final scenes as she gives evidence about her previous psychiatrist, Dr. Wollf.  

Throughout the book, Koch’s descriptive prose is strong with passages such as, “One of those clear, dark nights on the West Coast when inky skies merge with the soft orange haze above Vancouver. Lights from sleeping freighters off English Bay’s black surface. The mountainside on the north shore is dark, aside from muted streetlamps.” And: “You never forgive anybody. Like a dog with a bone. That’s why it is so hard to live with you.”

This stood out as well:

It was a chilly evening, dampness seeping into her skin. Twilight transitioned quickly from midnight-blue en route to black. The happy hour crowd had bumbled out of bars. Couples huddled outside with their collars turned up as they studied menu boards. A savory scent of roast lamb hung in the air.

And this moment too: “David raked leaves under the red maple, the bottoms of his gumboots coated with mud. Despite the cool air, he’d stripped off his jacket and worked in his T-shirt. Sweat glistened on his forearms. He was tossing another armful of leaves into the bin when he sensed movement behind him.” In a novel of strength such as this, passages like these draw a reader in and enable them to visualize the scene clearly.

But it would be totally unfair to dig deeper and reveal more of this plot in a review. It is complicated and should only be enjoyed one page at a time by the reader. Anything else would spoil the surprises and ruin the pleasure of discovery. Suffice to say, there are many red herrings along the way of this thriller that all lead up to the court case and trial at the end of the book with scenes that are magnificently carried out and lead up to a surprising crescendo.

Does David Lipman find the truth? Does he help the case against an innocent man? Does he stand by a colleague? Do his daughters accept a replacement of their mother in their father’s life? And does David find his own peace at the risk of losing his own license and reputation? These are questions and answers readers will discover for themselves in this very enjoyable, fast-paced thriller that does not disappoint.

Professionally, the author has conducted research in anxiety disorders and trauma and was “a highly credentialed cognitive-behavior therapist.” Having given assessments for the courts with respect to psychological consequences of trauma himself, he was easily able to bring the court scenes in Hired Gun alive for his readers’ enjoyment. I hope he has further novels in the works.