As a young boy, Davie Oakes witnessed the suicide of his mother after she killed his father and his two older brothers. She also severely wounded his best friend and neighbor, Scottie Glass. When his aunt and uncle adopted Davie, his name was legally changed to Cal Henderson. He is now a successful psychologist with a reputable practice in Washington, DC. Cal has done everything possible to forget his painful past.
With the 25th anniversary of the killings approaching, Scottie shows up at Cal's office in the guise of a new client. Cal is shocked to see Scottie, who is obsessed with proving that there was something more to the horrible incident. Scottie cannot believe Cal's mom was a murderer and easily convinces Cal, who has had his own doubts all these years. Together, they set out to uncover the truth. As their investigation uncovers shocking secrets about Cal's parents and the people they worked for, some very important and influential individuals will do anything to keep the past buried forever. Will Cal and Scottie be able to deal with the truth when it is finally revealed?
THE SURVIVORS, Robert Palmer's debut novel, is a thought-provoking psychological thriller with multifaceted characters and an absorbing plotline. Cal Henderson is an interesting protagonist, and as the first in a series, the conclusion leaves enough unanswered questions to intrigue readers to anticipate the next book.
Successful psychologist Cal Henderson has a busy practice in Washington, DC, good friends, and big plans for the future. But he can’t escape a terrible secret. When he was a boy, his mother murdered his father and two brothers and severely wounded Cal’s best friend, Scottie Glass. Desperate to keep the nightmare at bay, Cal has turned his back on everything that happened that night. Then on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the traumatic event, Scottie shows up at Cal’s office—edgy, paranoid, but somehow still the loveable kid he once was. Though their lives have taken very different paths, they both believe Cal’s mother couldn’t have been a murderer. She loved them too much, no matter what dark place she found herself in. They set off to dig up the real story. In his search for answers he uncovers secrets about his mother’s life involving a defense contractor’s dark dealings, a nominee for U.S. Attorney with a questionable past, and a shady corporate billionaire whose sphere of influence seems to include everyone from the Pentagon on down. Meanwhile, as Cal gets closer to discovering the truth, recovered memories of his childhood push him into a psychological tailspin.
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