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Death of a Thousand Cuts, Barbara D'Amato, Forge, $24.95.

Barbara D'Amato is by far one of the most underrated writers around - every year she produces a suspenseful, well written and thought provoking novel, to little fanfare and publicity. This year is no different, and Death of a Thousand Cuts is one of my favorite books of the year. One of the things I especially enjoy about D'Amato's books is that I never know quite what to expect - along with a good story, I will usually have learned something when I'm finished with the book. In this book, the central character is a thinly disguised Bruno Bettleheim. For those of you unfamiliar with Bettleheim, this was the man who was able to dupe a generation of mothers (or two) that their autistic offspring were their fault - that their autism sprang from a cold, uncaring and rejecting parent. Of course, this theory has been completely disproved today, and therein lies the crux of the book.

Using a more or less locked room location (worthy of Margaret Maron at her best, and this may remind the alert reader of a Sigrid Harald novel or two), D'Amato sets her story on Chicago's south side - near the University - in an old restored mansion that was used by this Doctor, Dr. Schermerhorn, as a "school" for autistic children in the 60's. The scene is a reunion of sorts - old staffers, doctors, counselors and a few of the former patients turn up to celebrate the life of Dr. Schermerhorn. D'Amato fine tunes her story by telling some of it through the lenses of the various autistics - their take on what they call the "normals" may have you feeling a bit less normal yourself. Their thought patterns may be foreign, but by the end of this novel, they are somewhat understandable.

The cops are of course called in when the good doctor is found brutally murdered in the basement of the old mansion the first night of the reunion. The cops in question, Emily and her partner Ollie, are a terrific pair, and this is another thing D'Amato does really well - police procedure. Emily is a woman on the way up with her first big - and politically charged - case. Her laconic partner Ollie seems to have something personal going on which of course comes out in the course of the book - the scenes where this problem is dealt with are especially moving. Lightly including department politics into the mix, D'Amato also takes the reader on a tour of the different autistic children treated by Dr. Schermerhorn, creating a steadily darkening picture of his behavior and methods. The atmosphere is enhanced by an endless heat wave (this book is set during an actual heat wave in Chicago in 1995 when hundreds of people died).

Most effective is the character of Jeffrey Clifford, a very "high functioning" autistic - he's the brains behind a successful computer company; he's a software and woodworking whiz. The viewpoint of Jeffrey is beautifully expressed and heartbreaking at the same time - you as a reader feel so helpless. You want to help this man, yet for all his problems, his life is a good one. This novel is strong on not only characterization, plot and setting, but has a suspenseful story for good measure. It's also a thoughtful look at what a "normal" outlook on life really is - you may have slightly changed your own view when you're finished with this wonderful book.

 

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