I listened to this on audiobook and found it to be an enjoyable enough psychological thriller elevated by a superb narrator.

This is the third book in the Alexander Gregory Series. This stands up readily as a standalone book, although more is gained if you have read the other books.

This book is quite intense in places as Alexander Gregory goes up against a leading American mob family, and goes undercover in a mental institution. At times it becomes like Alexander’s worst nightmare and leaves the reader gasping for breath.

In this book we find out much more about Alexander’s past and how he has to face up to some issues which may have severe consequences for him. A great ending!

I love LJ Ross’s DCI Ryan series but am growing to increasingly love this series, and fe,t this one had more depth than the previous ones in the series. There is no doubt this s series is a very good read and I happily recommend it. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.


When I spotted Bedlam on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. I've listened to the other books in this series and they're so fast paced so I had high hopes for this one.

Dr Alexander Gregory this time finds himself going undercover in a private psychiatric hospital on behalf of the FBI. I won't give anything away...but I did guess the twist as it was pretty obvious if you've read enough crime/thriller type books. This didn't stop me enjoying it though and I was pleased to whizz through it quickly whilst on my COVID walks (ha).

Definitely would recommend this if you like a thriller type book.

OMG I don't half love this series. Bedlam is the third book in the series which I couldn't wait to get my hands on.

I felt that the second book dipped in enjoyment compared to the first book. But I am happy to report that we are back on track with Bedlam. It is exciting and filled with tension when Alexander takes on a case in Quantico and goes undercover in a psychiatric hospital!

When I listened to the story on audio, I found myself saying holy shit no way when I learned this. This story was exciting right from the word go and I was so addicted to it. This book is as good as the first one if not better. LOVE LOVE LOVED it.

You can feel the tension unfold throughout the story as the narrator spoke. Bedlam is so gripping and addictive. I love Dr Gregory and I do think he is giving Ryan Mystery a run for his money.

This story works well as a standalone but this series is too good to miss.

Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd for giving me the opportunity to listen to this on audio. All thoughts are my own and not biased in any way.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The story caught my attention straight away. However, I felt that the narrator did not excite me enough at the sections where I feel my emotions should have been heightening. I found his tone rather flat and it was narrated a bit slow for me but when I sped it up it was just too quick.
I didn’t realise this book was in a set before I listened to it. So, I intend to go and listen or read the earlier books.

In Bedlam we catch up with Dr Alexander Gregory this time on a visit to Quantico with his friend, Bill. Soon after arriving he is persuaded to take part in an undercover operation. Alexander finds himself swiftly being admitted as a patient to a private psychiatric hospital in the Catskills to find out about a certain patient. What could go wrong?!

Bedlam is book three in the Alexander Gregory series however I do think it can be read as a standalone. L J Ross weaves in a few details from the previous books to help with any background information. So I really don’t think there would be any confusion. I have to admit as soon as Alexander agrees to go undercover I felt like shouting. Don’t do it! So there is tension from the beginning as I wondered if things would go to plan.

Bedlam really was the perfect escape for me whenever I was listening I was right there with Alexander and the other patients of Buchanan Hospital. I thought the setting of the Catskills was great especially as it provided an imposing and isolated place to be transported to. There was also a brilliant set of characters that made the story even more engaging. Even though there was tension within the plot I have to admit I was left smiling to myself on a few occasions as there was also a little bit of dark humour dotted throughout too.

The story itself moves pretty quickly and kept me intrigued throughout. Making me eager to spend as much time as I could listening just to see how it would all turn out. Once I had dropped my children off at school the walk back home was really brightened by this book. This leads me nicely to the narration because Richard Armitage really did bring the characters to life and made the book even more enjoyable for me. His narration completely immersed me in the story as Alexander gets to know the patients and tries to get to the bottom of things. All the while struggling with his own personal issues and past.

Now that I have read Bedlam I have to say that this book is probably my favourite out of the series so far. I really do hope we get to catch up with Alexander again!

Have read L J Ross's DCI Ryan books so this one for me is different. and I understand this is the 3rd book in this series and all 3 can be read as a standalone as with all LJ Ross books. Dr. Alexander Gregory and Prof Bill Douglas are about to engage on a job helping out the FBI, and as a mafia's wife is to testify against her husband so she must be kept safe at all cost, so she has been put into Bedlam a psychiatric hospital so Alex goes undercover just to make sure she is kept safe as her husband will find ways to get to her. He goes in as a patient perhaps that was his first mistake and has a phone number for his "cousin" so he can get and give information but Bill Douglas has an accident, was it deliberate? or just bad luck and Alex can't get hold of him and not one of the medical staff believes him to be a Dr and working for the FBI, as he has gone in under an assumed name as and all the patients are delusional at the best of times. who would you believe? It is well written and above all well narrated by Richard Armitage have, only ever read this author but will be using audio again, as it does bring the book alive. Would like to thank Netgalley and WF Howes for a copy to listen to, brilliant performance.

This is the third book in the new Dr Alexander Gregory series from the best selling author of the Holy Island stories. It was the first one I have read and worked fine on its own, although I am eager now to go back to the start and read the first two books. In this story, Gregory, a forensic psychologist and criminal profiler and his friend and colleague Professor Bill Douglas travel to Quantico, Virginia, to attend a conference at the FBI base there that they have been invited to. Whilst there, they are approached by two agents who tell them that their star witness at the trial of a notorious Mafia gang boss has been made to disappear. Lorena, the wife of Paolo Romano, is believed to have been admitted to a private psychiatric hospital and they need Gregory to get himself in there and find her. It’s their only option as Paolo has eyes everywhere and they don't even trust their own colleagues in the FBI let alone the hospital staff. Eventually Gregory agrees, since his profession will give him the added advantage of knowing how to present as a patient (of course he is halfway there himself, due to certain events that have taken place recently only known to the reader) whilst hopefully being able to tell if Lorena is there for genuine health reasons or by force. Gregory reveals details of his secret past to Douglas that includes a change of name and a violent family background. The FBI already knew this and they see this as him being the perfect choice to play the part of a man having a mental breakdown. He and Douglas head off to the spectacular Catskill Forest and the luxurious Buchanan Hospital. To protect his true identity he using his former name, Michael Alexander Jones. Douglas is to remain outside the confines of the hospital as an external contact for Gregory along with one of the agents also checking in by telephone. Once there he meets an assortment of rather wonderful characters and his professional self can’t help analysing each one. His female psychotherapist is attractive, leading to some fun interactions as he tries to play his part and hide the fact he knows exactly what methods she is using to treat him. Strangely, after a while he starts to believe he is actually suffering from those very symptoms he is trying to ape, and wonders if his past is catching up with him. Meanwhile on the outside things are hotting up between the Mafia families who are making plans of their own. There’s lot of tension and suspense in this story, and also lovely little bits of dark humour, such as his conversations with some of the other patients and his later failed attempts to convince his doctor that he is actually sane, something very credible as you could imagine dozens of other mental patients trying to do the very same thing. Overall a highly enjoyable story that drew me in and kept the pages turning throughout the twists and turns to a bit of a surprise ending. I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio book version of this, read by the wonderful Richard Armitage who is one of the best narrators in the business and who brought the whole book to life superbly. I do hope he will be the choice for future stories.

'Bedlam' by LJ Ross

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Alexander Gregory and Bill Douglas are psychologists from the UK, proficient in criminal profiling . While visiting the US for a professional seminar, they are approached by two FBI Officers who ask them to support the FBI in solving a classified case linked to the Romano crime family. UK practitioners who are only visiting the US cannot be coerced into working for the FBI except that, in this case, FBI knows of a dark secret about Alex Gregory's past which can jeopardize his career, and also makes him the best fit into the FBI's plan. Alex Gregory agrees to become 'Michael Jones' and enter the Buchanan Hospital as a patient. The task assigned to him is to find if Lorraine Romano, wife of Paulo Romano, the head of the Romano crime family, is at the Buchanan hospital, and if yes, is she really ill or is faking mental illness. At the sprawling Buchanan facility, situated in the picturesque Catskill mountains, Alex aka Michael is faced not only with the task of helping the FBI, but also confronting the demons of his past.

🏥🏥🏥

The book starts with a tight plot, however, soon skids off track. Inspite of an interesting premise, the story did not work for me. For a large part I kept going back to DiCaprio starring Shutter Island. There was an unnecessary romance thrown in and I am not sure if I can say that the 'twist' was good enough. Also, this is the third consecutive crime/thriller I am reading which is somehow connected to mental illness. I don't quite like it.

🏥🏥🏥

P.S- Do you know the history of the "Bedlam" hospital in England?

Okay. (Aug 2020)


#bedlam
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This is the 3rd book in this series but I haven't read the other 2 which are free on Amazon with Kindle Unlimited. I didn't feel lost at all and really felt that this book read like a stand alone book. Working with the FBI Alexander Gregory agrees to go into the upscale mental hospital posing as a patient, using his past to help protect the wife of a mafia boss and the only living person who could help them take him down.

Only a handful of people know who Dr. Gregory really is and what he is doing there but when he isn't able to contact them he finds himself attempting to get help from the doctor treating him. Of course this doesn't go well.

I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. I loved the narrator who did a great job with the different accents and really made the characters come alive.

L J Ross – Bedlam
Narrated by Richard Armitage
Dr. Alexander Gregory is sent by the FBI to work undercover as an inpatient at an asylum – what’s not to love! A great plot indeed that kept me turning the pages. This is number 3 in a series, but I found it ok as a stand-alone. I will be looking to read the rest of the series.
I listened to this on audio, It was read very well at a good pace, it also helped that the narrators voice was perfect – smooth and easy to listen to.

Dr Alexander Gregory and his colleague Prof Bill Douglas take a trip to the US to attend a conference at Quantico, and Dr Gregory ends up going undercover in an upmarket psychiatric facility to find the wife of a mafia boss who is due to give evidence against the mob.

One of the great things about this series is that all the books are in different locations - first Ireland, then France and now the US. Dr Gregory is a fascinating character with a difficult past, which we learn a little more about in this book. The inmates at the hospital are very well described by Ms Ross, bringing them to life. The story is fast paced, and quite tense at times.

It's a shame that there is a change of narrator with this book (Hugh Dancy did a great job narrating the previous books) but Richard Armitage does a fantastic job with the different accents. I certainly won't be disappointed if he narrates future books in the series.

I was really looking forward to this book. I was really pleased when I received it as one of the new audio books Netgalley is offering (thanks, and thanks to WF Howes, publishers). Richard Armitage is the narrator and his voice is lovely. But I’m afraid, in the end, I thought Bedlam was a bit...meh…

I just glanced at other people’s reviews and I noticed one person said that Ross churns out so many books that her writing is affected. I tend to agree the book felt really rushed and there certainly were some parts which could have had some additional editing applied.

Alexander Gregory, our forensic psychiatrist hero, goes undercover for the FBI at an expensive private psychiatric hospital to make contact with one of the patients -- a mafia boss’s wife whom the FBI is hoping will testify against her husband. Unfortunately the plot had just far too many holes.

For starters, Gregory is a psychiatrist and yet they send him in as a patient. Er… Why not just send him in as a consulting doctor? He would have been able to talk to the mafia wife just as easy, if not easier, if he was treating her. Instead, they use his own tragic backstory. I haven’t read the first two books in the series (I don’t think you have to, it’s pretty standalone with only the briefest mentions of past romances and cases) but I still felt like this newly revealed backstory for the main character was out of left field. (I mean, I could be wrong but it’s definitely written like Gregory has kept it all a secret up to now.)

The backstory might have been okay if it didn’t shimmy into the ridiculous more than once. The mafia works out Gregory's real identity in 5 minutes flat, so there seems little point to it from early on. And even if they hadn't on their own, Gregory confesses to the resident doc at the hospital he’s working for the FBI on about the second night there. Not so super secret then... Luckily, she just thinks he's delusional and she needs to up her therapy game.

Yes, obviously, even though Gregory was a voluntary admission, I expected some type of misunderstanding to pop up and was waiting for some tense moments with our hero wrapped in a straight jacket. This does happen but it’s all too brief. I think this should have been 80% of the book - it’s all what we signed up for - but instead, there’s a lot of weird ‘padding’ to raise the wordcount. For example, we learn all about Gregory’s sad back story via his inner thoughts during an early chapter and then, a couple of chapters later, we get to learn all about it again when he tells the sad back story to Bill with almost the exact same wording.

Another prime example of a filler was the scenes where the FBI approach Gregory. It should have been a couple paragraphs at the most, a recap of some sort or other, but no, we get a blow by blow for several chapters and it’s excruciatingly boring.

I also have an issue with Ross’s head hopping. We get Gregory’s point of view for most of the time and then -- bang, they'll be a random thought from one of the other characters. It was most distracting. Only thing more distracting (and not in a good way) was the romance between Gregory and his (conveniently) female doctor, Naomi Palmer.

To be honest, up until Dr Naomi’s inclusion, I’d assumed Gregory was gay and partners with Bill (who must be one of the main characters of the first two books of the series). He certainly had more chemistry with Bill (although Ross is quick to point out once or twice or a hundred times it’s almost a father/son relationship).

For the most, the narration was good. I wasn’t always on board with Armitage's choice of accents though. I also noticed he mixed them up occasionally. His tone, also, was not always what I thought it should have been -- too humorous, not humorous enough, etc etc.

I really can’t think of too many positives. 2 out of 5

This is the third book in the Dr Alexander Gregory series, and the first one that I have read. This did not seem to put me at a disadvantage and it works perfectly well as a stand-alone read. Reading the book’s description of “ murder and mystery” along with “fast paced thriller”, I was rather looking forward to Bedlam. I’m sorry to say that I was somewhat disappointed to find that there was no murder/s to solve and the pace of the book was rather slow. Saying that the overall experience, though slightly flawed, was entertaining and enjoyable.
I listened to the audiobook version, wonderfully narrated by Richard Armitage.

Not all is as it seems in Bedlam.
Forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr. Alexander Gregory finds himself lured by the FBI go under cover at a private psychiatric facility in the Catskills to find out if their key witness, the wife of a Mafia boss, has actually had a breakdown.
The thoughtful and intelligent main character brings a cerebral sophistication to this murder mystery that is fuelled by a series of unexpected twists and turns, including Dr. Gregory's own troubled past that begins to catch up with him as he portrays a man in the midst of a mental health crisis.
An array of interesting characters who are patients at Buchanan — author LJ Ross acknowledges an interest in psychiatry sparked by regular encounters with a woman at a bus stop outside a psychiatric institute during her university years — and a budding romance with the hospital's psychiatrist add enjoyment and entertainment to the suspenseful story.
A series of quickly developing events — it must be said a couple did seem somewhat implausible — catapult Gregory into a nightmare situation that is entirely gripping as the tension builds.
With this third book in the Dr. Alexander Gregory series, LJ Ross will keep fans coming back for more, with new depths in her main character explored, and likely has gained new devotees with this fast-paced thriller.
I enjoyed listening to the Bedlam audiobook, read superbly by English actor Richard Armitage. However, I found his Scottish accent for minor character Professor Bill Douglas lacked in authenticity. Though admittedly, as the daughter of genuinely Scottish parents, I can be a tough critic in that respect.

Bedlam by LJ Ross is a clever, twisting thriller which opens with two psychologists from the UK visiting the FBI headquarters in Quantico for a guest lecture appearance. Very quickly, their trip becomes much more than they anticipated. Two FBI agents approach Douglas and Gregory to assist with a highly confidential investigation into a mafia family where Gregory must enter a psychiatric institution undercover to obtain information about a patient they hope will testify in a future mafia trial. Dr Gregory is coerced into assisting on the basis that they have information from his history that could be used against him.

Gregory has a complicated past which is revealed as the story progresses and further character backstories provide further shocks.

There are quite a few additional twists towards the end which I had to pay close attention to.

I listened to the audiobook version which was very well narrated; I look forward to reading more by this author.

I have read most of L J Ross' books, and listened to many of her audiobooks too. I have found that her style has greatly improved from her first novel, she seems to be growing her writing style with each new book.

I had already read the first book in this series and so was familiar with the main character, whom I liked enormously. I listened to this one, the third in the series, via an audiobook. Firstly let me say that Richard Armstrong is an inspired choice of narrator. He is one of my favourite actor/narrators, and his rich tones make listening to this novel an absolute pleasure.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, and the writing made it exciting and fast paced. We had all sorts of situations arising throughout, from Mob hit men to fires, throwing my emotions about all over the place.

It was a thrilling read, and I hope the series continues, as I am enjoying getting to know Dr Alex Gregory and his complex history. Having now read /listened to books one and three in the series, I have already bough book two, so I can catchup on the full story.

These books can be read/ listened to as stand alone novels, but as with all series, they shine when viewed as a whole, and I recommend the whole series wholeheartedly.

Dr Alexander Gregory, a forensic psychologist and criminal profiler, has been invited to attend a conference at the FBI base at Quantico, Virginia. He sets off for a trip he expects to last a couple of weeks (there’s some holiday time built in) with his friend and colleague Professor Bill Douglas. Once there it quickly becomes apparent that the FBI has other plans for the ‘holiday time’. In essence, Gregory is persuaded to check himself in to a psychiatric hospital with the aim of identifying and, if possible, befriending the wife of a mafia boss who was set to spill the beans on the criminal activity of her husband and his cohorts. But she’s gone missing and it is believed that she has now been checked in to this hospital.

It becomes apparent that Dr Gregory has long been concealing a past that includes not only a former name but also a violent family background. His secret past is, however, known to the FBI and they see this as a way of using his real long-term issues concerning events in his life to play the part of a man with a mental breakdown. Once persuaded, and to protect his true identity, it is using his former name that he agrees to play along with the plan. Douglas is to remain outside the confines of the hospital as an external contact for Gregory.

The set up is actually very well laid out and quickly had me hooked. The initial meetings between Gregory and the attractive in-house psychologist are also fun, as the ‘patient’ tries to conceal the fact that he really has no current symptoms and also hide his knowledge of the techniques being adopted by his inquisitor. But soon he is starting to genuinely start to suffer some of the very symptoms he’s been trying to ape. What’s going on here, is his past truly coming back to take a grip over him?

Unfortunately, after a good start some issues started to creep in. <spoiler> The whole mafia thing going on in the background – disputes between families, overt homophobia etc – just felt way too stereotypical and trite, and the developing relationship between Gregory and the in-house psychologist really didn’t make sense, it seemed to jump from nothing to something without any in-between. Surprise twists started to land with startling regularity and one very convenient interruption felt so contrived that I almost gave up on the spot. And the final straw was witnessing Gregory’s belated attempt to reveal his true current identity fall on deaf ears when this should have been simple to confirm for anyone with a mobile phone and a working thumb. <end spoiler>

When all is said and done this is still an entertaining yarn, as long as you don’t take any of it too seriously. It’s flawed, seriously flawed, but in a slapstick kind of way it still works. It’s not, however, a book that would draw me back to read others in the series (this is book 3) as for me, despite the good bits, it’s just too clumsily stitched together with way too many flaws.

I listened to an audio version of this book, read by English actor Richard Armitage. He does a excellent job here, despite what felt like a dodgy Scottish accent employed for a minor player in the story.

My thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for supplying a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I want to note that I read this (listened) as a stand alone having never previously read others on the series or by this author. I really enjoyed the different settings in this book, the hospital was so easy to picture and though I have never been I could really envision The Catskills. I really felt an impending doom as Dr Gregory entered the hospital. It takes some seriously good writing to be able to set the mood in such a way. My one criticism was that I didn’t find myself connecting with Dr Gregory, I was keen to know the outcome of the book but didn’t feel too strongly about what happened to him. I do however feel this is my fault for not reading previous books and I’m sure those who have would have a totally different feeling towards the character.

The narration of this audiobook was perfect. The tone was just write and the different accents were accurate.
A great listen .

I have enjoyed the DCI Ryan series by this author so I thought I’d give this a try. It is the third featuring Dr. Gregory but can be read as a stand alone. Dr. Gregory is approached by the FBI and asked to masquerade as a patient at a private clinic to see whether the wife of a mob boss (who was about to testify and go into witness protection) is there and whether she is genuinely ill. Alex agrees, partly because they have found out his real identity (no spoilers). Whilst in the clinic, can he protect Lorena and can he escape with his own sanity? This book is beautifully read by Richard Armitage and a good, short length. At one point. I needed to listen until the end as it was tense. This didn’t grip me as much as the other series, however. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Also, the new Netgalley app needs some work!