Jennifer White is a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon who is going through a very bad patch. She has been forced to leave her prestigious position at a hospital, she is suffering from early-onset dementia, and her best friend Amanda has been murdered. And Jennifer herself is the prime suspect.
The clues to the crime are locked away inside Jennifer's fractured mind, where clarity comes only in bits and pieces. Jennifer's friend Amanda has been found dead from a blow to the head, but a crucial piece of evidence points to Jennifer as the murderer: the fingers of Amanda's right hand have been removed with skillful precision.
Writing the book from the point of view of someone suffering from Alzheimers is a delicate task. LaPlante tells the story through interactions with Jennifer's family, her caregivers, and the police. This enables the reader to infer details about the crime, the various motives, and Jennifer's own state of mind, all through Jennifer's altered perceptions.
More than just a murder mystery, Turn of Mind provides a brilliant glimpse into the world of those suffering from Alzheimers. Jennifer rediscovers her own divorce, her best friend's death, and her lack of career on an almost daily basis, each time with the grief as painful as it was the first time she heard it. Mixed in with this sorrow is the brief awareness of the rapid decline of her disease, which is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking parts of the book.
Turn of Mind ties all the loose ends in a neat bow, but there is no satisfaction in it. For someone suffering from Alzheimers, there can be no happy ending. There is only a slow descent into madness, and eventually, no memory at all.
