The year is 1927. Nathan Bolton is a quiet but ambitious young man working as an accountant for Harper Pearson & Company, hoping to rise through the ranks as he catches the attention of Mr. Pearson and his family. While things are working well for him on the surface, tensions brew within his friendship circle, fueled by secrets and the need to hide their true selves from society. Nathan becomes particularly concerned about Henry Grindle, his childhood friend, who has recently named a stranger as the beneficiary of his trust. This strange decision kickstarts Nathan's journey through threats, conspiracies, and murders in The Bizarre Case of Dr. Grindle by Will Bashor.

This novel seamlessly intertwines mystery, social issues, interpersonal drama, and psychological conflict. The crimes kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the end, but I was equally engaged in the characters and their relationships. Will Bashor excels at injecting whispers of discomfort, antagonism, and duplicity into seemingly polite and friendly conversations, suggesting a world only a few know about beneath the veneer of normalcy and societal expectations. Nathan is a great protagonist whose increasingly frazzled and paranoid mind mirrors our own as we navigate this complex world. Like most other characters, he also has secrets and seeks an escape from the past, making him incredibly compelling. The portraits and illustrations throughout the book also help us place ourselves in the story, evoking the ambiance of the 1920s. I strongly recommend The Bizarre Case of Dr. Grindle if you enjoy mystery or historical novels.

Set in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1920s, The Bizarre Case of Dr. Grindle by Will Bashor centers on Nathan Bolton, a hard-working accountant who has successfully worked his way up Harper Pearson and Company’s promotion ladder to become vice president of the firm. Things started to go wrong when an unsavory character and a homicide were connected to his closely knit circle of friends and people he thought he knew intimately. Nathan realized that he had to unravel their pasts not only to safeguard his image and profession but also his secrets. As more bodies piled up, the authorities started to believe Nathan had the motive to commit these crimes. Is he truly the most wanted serial killer leading a double life of deception and secrecy, or is he an unfortunate victim of circumstantial evidence?

Will Bashor's The Bizarre Case of Dr. Grindle is a masterfully written and atmospheric period drama with suspenseful plot twists that lead to eagerly awaited revelations and resolutions that tie up the loose ends. The author uses descriptive language and imagery to create a dramatic and psychological thriller that paints a disturbing portrait of mental disarray, deception, narcissism, cold-bloodedness, and evil. The reader is further captivated and immersed through the detailed depictions of settings in either impressively rich or abhorrent surroundings in the events, grim scenarios, and tragedies that befall the multi-faceted and deeply layered characters. Dealing with friendship, ambition, wealth, societal pressures, duplicity, scandal, revenge, and 1920s police procedure and scientific studies are just some of the themes. Fans of historical true crime and mystery will love this highly recommended, well-paced, and unputdownable story.