Hammond's Choice

In Hammond's Choice, Ruth and Larry Hammond have been forced to relinquish custody of their son, Tommy, in order to obtain services for his serious emotional and behavioral problems. The Hammonds turn to Marty Fenton to discover what happened the night Tommy was accused of stabbing to death Kevin Landry, another resident at Possum Ridge School. As Fenton, a graduate student in psychology and part-time private investigator, delves into this case, he learns a lot about the child mental health system and becomes aware of its questionable policies and practices. He encounters skillful counselors as well as individuals whose problems rival those of the children they serve. Join sleuth Marty Fenton as he uncovers another dark secret buried in this strange place of healing and discovers unsettling truths about the mental health care system.

Bob Cohen is Professor and Vice-Chair in the Department of Psychiatry, as well as Director of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Syracuse University. Cohen is engaged in research and program development in child mental health, youth violence prevention and autism, and is extensively published in his field. He is also the author of Majorski's Ghost, and is at work on a third Marty Fenton mystery. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.