The Naked Face by Sidney Sheldon
Release: 1970
Format: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Source: Amazon
Synopsis:
Judd Stevens is a psychoanalyst faced with the most critical case of his life. If he does not penetrate the mind of a murderer he will find himself arrested for murder or murdered himself.
Two people closely involved with Dr. Stevens have already been killed. Is one of the doctor’s patients responsible? Someone overwhelmed by his problems? A neurotic driven by compulsion? A madman?
Before the murderer strikes again, Judd must strip away the mask of innocence the criminal wears, uncover the inner emotions, fears, and desires, to expose…The Naked Face
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Naked Face Review:
Sidney Sheldon is my all-time favorite author who got me into reading. I am in a phase where I am re-reading all his novels, and thought I would start chronologically. “The Naked Face” is his debut novel that came out in 1970.
Let me start by what I liked about the story. I thought the book was very suspenseful for the most part. Firstly, I liked Judd Stevens as the main character. You start to see the protagonist going crazy and suspecting all his patients as to who would want to kill him. Moreover, most of the characters/suspects are distinctive, mysterious and intriguing. Also, the author throws a lot of red herrings on some people that keeps you guessing as to who the villain would be. All in all, for the most part, this was actually a very decent suspense novel.
However, sad to say, this book has not aged well at all. To begin with, the main problem with the story is on how the author says that homosexuality can be cured. It’s interesting to see how the mind-set behind gay people was back in that decade, but it just feels ridiculous reading it now. The first victim who dies is apparently a gay man who has been cured and is happy to be back with his wife again, which just sounds illogical. Secondly, I really did not like the ending. There are so many red herrings thrown in the story as to who the criminal could be. But, when it is revealed as to who is behind it all, it is so far-fetched and disappointing that came out of nowhere. Also, there are so many outdated phases like “groovy” and “rad” that make this book feel so old.
Having said that though, I still really enjoyed reading this book. The book is relatively short and easy to read. Sidney shows his talents in this novel by his captivating characters and building the suspense perfectly. Overall, this is definitely NOT the best Sidney Sheldon novel in anyway, but is worth reading if you are a fan of the author and want to read his very first novel. I would give this book a rating of 3/5 stars.
Purchase this book from: [Amazon]
