and Mother Makes Thirteen — Harold L. Klawans

When Dennie Cater embarks on a search for evidence in a lawsuit, she little realizes that she is opening the doors to an inferno. The murder of a psychotherapist who had a shady practice and a bizarre interest in witches' covens and satanic rituals, along with a bloody videotape of his corpse, foreshadowed more horror. The brilliantly inventive chain of plot twists involves Dennie in a mugging, another murder, and an attempt on her own life. Despite the help of handsome police lieutenant Tom Ward, the puzzles surrounding Dennie mushroom. What lies behind the disappearance of Dennie's sisters? Jessica has stopped showing up for work. Beth's bed hasn't been slept in for weeks. Where is Beth hiding? And most disturbing of all--what is Beth's role in the killings? Through the bizarre yet utterly believable events emerges a fully realized portrait of the multiple personality disorder that forms the core of this chilling novel. But it is not until the very last sentence that the author's total mastery becomes crystalline and his tale reaches a gripping and thoroughly satisfying conclusion.