Altered by Rob Kaufman | Review, Guest Post & Series Spotlight
"The psychological depth of Altered kept me glued to the page long into the night, while its final twists left me eager to continue the series."
Today I am joining iRead Book Tours to feature Altered by Rob Kaufman, the first book in the six-book Justin Wright Suspense Series. Along with my review, Rob is sharing a guest post about the character he would most like to be, and we will take a spoiler-free look at the complete series.
Altered is an emotionally intense psychological thriller centered on a psychiatrist, a challenging new patient, and the increasingly dangerous intersection between professional compassion and family life. Its emphasis on psychology, human behavior, and the lasting effects of trauma made this one of my most compelling reads of the year.
Details
Altered By Rob Kaufman
Series: Justin Wright Suspense Series, Book 1
Published by Independently Published on October 2022
Genres: Adult Fiction 18+, Psychological Suspense, Thriller
Formats: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 270
A suspenseful story driven by emotion, angst, and the ultimate revenge, Altered brings readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games, leaving them questioning what could possibly come next.
When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright's office, the renowned New York City clinical psychiatrist makes the decision to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.
Justin is determined to help Frank, a young man with multiple personalities ("alters”), live a happier, more fulfilling life.
Little does he know that Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into Justin’s life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.
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I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through iRead Book Tours and chose to read the Kindle Unlimited edition. All opinions and thoughts shared here are entirely my own.
Reader Resources
Review at a Glance
| Best For | Readers who enjoy character-driven psychological suspense, family drama, mind games, and unexpected twists |
| Pacing | Steady and tension-building, becoming increasingly difficult to put down |
| Psychological Focus | Prominent; the story emphasizes psychology and human behavior more than a traditional mystery |
| Themes | Trauma, identity, trust, family grief, revenge, compassion, and consequences |
| Overall Feel | Emotionally intense, unsettling, compassionate, and impressively twisty |
| Rating | ★★★★★ - 5 stars; weighted CAWPILE score: 9.3 |
- Sensitive themes. The story includes family grief, a missing child, and subtle, non-graphic references to childhood abuse and trauma.
- Opening violence. An early violent scene establishes the story's darker circumstances without prolonged graphic detail.
- Language. The book contains a few profanities.
- Connected series. This is the first of six interconnected novels, and its epilogue leads directly toward the next installment.
Here's what kept me turning the pages.
My Thoughts
The first book I remember reading about what was then commonly called multiple personality disorder was Sybil in the 1970s. That story stayed with me for decades, so I was immediately intrigued by the psychological premise of Altered. I have a feeling Frank Devlin and the Wright family will remain with me for a long time, too.
Although Altered is described as a psychological thriller, it leans more heavily into the psychology than the mystery. That was one of its greatest strengths for me. Frank enters psychiatrist Justin Wright's office seeking help for his alternate personalities, or "alters," and what initially appears to be a challenging patient-psychiatrist relationship gradually develops into something much more complex.
Justin is intelligent and compassionate, but he is not emotionally detached or infallible. His determination to help Frank sometimes makes him vulnerable, particularly as the boundaries between his professional and personal lives begin to blur. Justin and his family are also surrounded by an underlying sadness connected to the disappearance of one of their children years earlier. That grief adds considerable emotional depth to the story and influences the way the family members respond to everything unfolding around them.
This is not always an easy book to read. It deals with abuse, trauma, violence, and circumstances involving children. However, Kaufman handles the most difficult material without becoming graphic. The opening contains violence that establishes the darkness behind the story, but the author does not repeatedly dwell on explicit details. The emotional and psychological consequences remain the focus.
The story is well written and moves at an excellent pace, with a diverse group of characters who feel distinctive and important to the plot. The psychological aspects fascinated me and kept me reading far too late into the night. I was constantly evaluating what I thought I understood about the characters, only to have another revelation shift my perspective.
Several twists caught me completely by surprise, yet they made sense once the pieces began falling into place. Then I reached the epilogue. Without revealing anything, it was an incredible ending that changed how I viewed parts of the story while setting up the next book beautifully. I finished Altered knowing that I needed to continue the Justin Wright Suspense Series very soon.
Final Thoughts
Altered is an emotionally intense psychological thriller filled with complicated characters, family grief, unsettling questions, and twists I did not see coming. Its emphasis on human behavior and the lasting effects of trauma made it especially compelling for me.
With a weighted CAWPILE score of 9.3, this is easily one of my best reads of the year and possibly one of my highest-rated books since I adopted the system. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven psychological suspense that keeps them questioning what they know until the final page.
Guest Post by Rob Kaufman
I am delighted to welcome Rob Kaufman to the blog today. When invited to choose the character from Altered he would most like to be, Rob selected psychiatrist Dr. Justin Wright. His answer offers an interesting look at Justin's compassion, vulnerabilities, and importance throughout the six-book series.
The Character I Would Most Like to Be
Writers are occasionally asked which character they resemble most.
That can be a dangerous question for a psychological-thriller author.
Answer incorrectly, and people may begin backing away from you at book signings.
The character I would choose from Altered is Dr. Justin Wright - not because I am claiming to possess all his admirable qualities, but because I would like to.
Justin is a successful New York City psychiatrist who has built his life around helping people. When Frank Devlin enters his office struggling with alternate personalities, Justin does not see him as a curiosity or a collection of symptoms. He sees a young man whose life has been damaged and who deserves the chance to become whole.
That compassion is Justin's greatest strength. It may also be his most dangerous weakness.
I did not want to write a psychiatrist who remained emotionally detached while effortlessly analyzing everyone around him. Justin is knowledgeable, but he is also a husband, father, and human being. His concern for Frank affects his judgment. His desire to help makes him vulnerable. When the boundaries between his work and family begin to collapse, he cannot simply retreat behind professional terminology.
That is what makes him interesting to me.
Kind characters are sometimes mistaken for uncomplicated characters. In reality, goodness can create enormous internal conflict. How far should Justin go to help a patient? When does trust become recklessness? If protecting one person places another in danger, what is the right decision?
Justin does not always know. He makes mistakes. He misses warning signs and sometimes believes what he hopes is true. Yet he continues trying to do the decent thing, even when decency comes with a terrible price.
That is why I would place myself in the story as Justin. I would like to believe I would show his compassion, loyalty, and determination. Of course, knowing what I know as the author, I might also install several additional locks on the office door.
Justin's choices in Altered reverberate throughout the entire Justin Wright Suspense Series. Later books broaden the story beyond one psychiatrist and one patient, showing how trauma, love, revenge, and family loyalty can affect generations. The characters continue to evolve, the emotional consequences become more profound, and the suspense builds from book to book. Readers tell me they cannot put the series down - partly because they care about what happens, and partly because I have developed an unfortunate habit of ending chapters where no reasonable person would stop reading.
Thank you, Rob, for sharing why you would choose to step into Justin Wright's complicated life. After that ending to Altered, I am especially eager to discover how Justin's decisions continue to affect his family throughout the rest of the series.
Justin Wright Suspense Series Spotlight
Altered begins Rob Kaufman's six-book Justin Wright Suspense Series. The interconnected psychological thrillers follow psychiatrist Justin Wright, his family, and the lasting consequences of the choices made in the opening novel.
Each installment expands the family's story through new patients, psychological challenges, secrets, and threats while continuing the emotional and suspenseful threads established in Altered. Because the characters and consequences carry from one book to the next, the series is best read in order.
Justin Wright Suspense Series in Order
- Altered -
View on Goodreads - Jaded -
View on Goodreads - Avenged -
View on Goodreads - Scared -
View on Goodreads - Deceived -
View on Goodreads - Revealed -
View on Goodreads
Revealed, the sixth book, completes the Justin Wright Suspense Series. After the epilogue of Altered, I am eager to continue with Jaded and discover where Rob Kaufman takes this complicated family next.
Before we wrap up, here's a little more about the author behind the book.
Meet the Author
Rob Kaufman is a psychological thriller author with a degree in psychology. His emotionally intense novels explore human behavior, trauma, love, and the fragile line between good and evil through complicated characters and thought-provoking suspense.
Learn more:
Website | Amazon | Goodreads | Author Hub
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