Book Review - By Sneha Khepar - The Naked Face

Book: The Naked Face

Author: Sidney Sheldon

The winner of the Edgar award and his debut novel, The Naked Face is a witty psychological thriller, artistically formulated by Sidney Sheldon. Known for his literary speech, mind boggling plots and strong protagonists, Sidney has portrayed a fruitful essence of the ‘mystery’ theme. The book dawns on the murder of John Hanson in the middle of the street, a patient of Dr. Judd Stevens, a psychoanalyst. Grieving yet not putting much thought to it, Dr. Stevens encounters a gruesome, cinematic orchestra of the killing of his assistant. Utterly shaken up, he is accused of the two murders by detectives Morgen and Angeli. With the pressures of their accusations pining up on him and severe efforts by someone in taking his life, Dr. Stevens juggles between the reality of true and untrue.

With volumes of tries in inculcating psychological theories in mystery books, Sidney Sheldon has earned the pedestal with his simplicity. The book portrays psychoanalysis of not only his patients but also himself to figure out the facts behind these attacks. If he does not penetrate the mind of the killer, he will find himself arrested or murdered himself. At every point you feel you have it all worked out, another twist arises, making you question everything again.

The book also involves a tinge of romance that brims between Dr. Stevens and one of his patients. Built, handsome and chival, almost all of his patients; male or female, felt attracted to him at a certain point, making many doubt his intentions and activities inside the room. However, Dr. Stevens claimed to have stayed professional throughout the lifetime of his career, which is definitely shown in the book.

With no rock hard evidence and any sort of explanation on the killer, the doctor’s analytical skills are put to use. “Sanity is the simple ability of the mind to adjust to reality. If we can’t adjust, we either hide from reality or put ourselves above our life, where we’re super beings who don’t have to follow the rules.”The Naked Face is simply written, comprehendible and exciting for new readers, stepping foot into the crime thrillers. I was definitely struck by how the book turned out, amazed by Judd’s application of his learnings into reality and the unbearable suspense that followed.