Still mourning the baby she gave away a year before, and feeling distant from her parents, her old friends, and her church, sixteen-year-old Diane believes she has found a supportive friend and lover in her gynecologist, Dr. Zeus. She confides only in an old acquaintance, Woody, who reserves judgment about the affair even as he tries to keep her from taking the opiates that Dr. Zeus continually prescribes. Zeus's marriage deteriorates as his wife, Elena, gradually realizes the depths of her husband's depravity. But she is still shocked at the psychological damage he is willing to inflict on their twelve-year-old daughter to gain an advantage over her in the divorce proceedings. The state medical board has suspicions about Dr. Zeus, but the official inquiry inches forward only very slowly. Dave, the new investigator assigned to the case, is jealous of the accomplishments of his wealthy girlfriend. He begins to take shortcuts to bring the investigation to a head and prove to himself that his life is as meaningful as hers. "A complex, multilayered, and psychologically acute tale about a predatory physician: well done." Kirkus Reviews "Diane comes across as both real and confused, which is absolutely perfect." The BookLife Prize.
