This I Would Kill for: A Psychological Thriller Featuring Forensic Psychiatrist Natalie King Paperback -

This I Would Kill For is the third book in the Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist series by Australian psychiatrist and author, Professor Anne Buist. As it follows on almost directly from Dangerous To Know with many characters in common and minimal recap, readers will do well to read both earlier books first. Having prepared what should have been a routine psychiatric evaluation in a custody case, forensic psychiatrist Natalie King is dismayed to find herself in court when the mother, Jenna Radford complicates matters with a claim against her ex, Malik Essa, of the sexual abuse of her eight-year-old daughter, Chelsea. Natalie's qualifications have the magistrate involving her even more deeply in the case. As it becomes quickly clear that Jenna will lie whenever it suits her purpose, Natalie is faced with several questions: is the abuse real, or a fabrication? If so, is Malik the abuser? If not, then who? Knowing that Chelsea's safety and happiness are at stake, Natalie has to tread carefully. Natalie's personal life distracts her from the case: newly pregnant, her baby's paternity is yet to be established, and interactions with the potential fathers are, to say the least, spirited. And is it her pregnancy, or the case, that is making her revisit the mystery of her own father's identity? Against the backdrop of the Royal Commission into Child Abuse, Buist's tale demonstrates how some of the players deciding a child's custody may have their own agendas, be they political correctness and being seen to do the right thing, or keeping to a budget and staying under the media radar. The far-reaching effects of opinion pieces in print media, and reaction on social media as racial and religious prejudices are aired, are also shown as Natalie temporarily enters the Twittersphere. This instalment develops an already fascinating character by expand her backstory: pregnancy adds another dimension and, without her motorcycle and her booze, Natalie gets her kicks from driving a borrowed Lotus, having lost none of her passion for life nor her sexual appetite. That said, none of Buist's characters are stereotypes: each has depth, and some will surprise as the story progresses. Bob the cockatoo in eerily prescient with his misquotes. As always, Buist gives the reader a plot that is original and believable, with more than one twist to keep the reader guessing right up to a heart-stopping climax. Her expertise in the mental health field is apparent in every paragraph, and while she ties up quite a few loose ends into neat bows by the end, fans can only hope that Buist will dream up a few more challenges for Dr King. Buist is certainly setting the bar high for her next literary foray: this one has to be her best yet. Another brilliant read!

a reader