Child psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware is having a rough time. He has broken up with his girlfriend, Robin, and is having some difficulties with his patients. They appear to have abandoned him, and he is feeling the need to be needed. He manages to get access to an exclusive party where he bumps into Sharon, a woman he loved but ended up leaving because of her crazy behavior. When Sharon asks Alex to get together with her a few days later, he decides not to meet her. He discovers the next day that she is dead—an apparent suicide. Wracked with guilt and confusion, he is compelled to find out what happened to Sharon. With the help of a friend, he digs up Sharon’s wild and sordid past and the truth behind her suicide.
Ande Parks and illustrator Michael Graydos effectively transform Jonathan Kellerman’s psychological drama into a graphic novel. The high-contrast black-and-white illustrations convey the darkness and disturbing aspects of the thriller. The intense shadows on the characters’ faces, visually stressful and disturbing, really bring home the psychological distress in the plot, though at times the contrast is straining and the faces are difficult to discern. The stark contrast in the somewhat graphic sex scenes adds tension and conveys the chaos and unhealthy world that consumed Sharon’s past.
Silent Partner is psychologically taunting and visually stimulating. Due to graphic content in the illustrations, this is recommended for adult Jonathan Kellerman fans. Four stars.