A missing child. An eccentric mother. An obsessed and troubled investigator. A police psychologist trying to help them all—at her own peril.

"I've been thinking of Grafton while writing about Ellen Kirschman, a mystery writer whose work is just as fresh and relevant for her time." —Pat Holt, former book editor and critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, host of Radio BookMobile

"Great mystery, interesting characters and dynamics.... a difficult subject sensitively handled."—Colman Keane, Col's Criminal Library

"A deftly crafted and riveting read from beginning to end, The Fifth Reflection clearly reveals author Ellen Kirschman's genuine flair for originality and mastery of the genre."—MidWest Book Review

Police psychologist Dr. Dot Meyerhoff is pulled into the vortex of a terrible crime involving an eccentric photographer whose images of children make her a prime suspect in the disappearance of her own daughter. The principal investigator in the case is a young officer whose dedication to work and obsession with finding the missing child is tearing his own family apart. Trapped between her allegiance to the investigator, her complicated connections to the photographer, and her unstable relationship with the police chief, Dot must find a way to help everyone involved. As Dot's psychological expertise and determination contribute to solving the mystery, her involvement with the missing child's extended, dysfunctional family brings her face-to-face with painful psychological issues of her own. The Fifth Reflection delivers an up-close look at the psychological strain of police work, the complexities of being married to a cop, and the deadliness of jealousy.