Whispers by J. Herman Kleiger

WHISPERS

by J. Herman Kleiger

July 14 – August 8, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Tale of Madness, Betrayal, and Revenge

What if one phone call could change your entire life?

With the page-turning suspense of Ava Strong’s FBI thriller Not Like He Seemed and gritty realism of Douglas and Olshaker’s New York Times Bestseller MindHunter, Whispers promises readers a nail-biting journey into the search for a serial killer and a window into the troubled mind of the agent who pursues him.

“They’re killing all the shrinks!” cries Nicola Kitts, now a special agent with the FBI’s storied Behavioral Assessment Unit. But why are prominent psychiatrists being targeted, and what secrets did they share?

In this sequel to Tears Are Only Water, Special Agent Kitts leads the hunt for a serial killer who leaves obscure mathematical formulas and twisted poems of retribution by the bodies. The FBI thinks they’ve figured it out, pointing to Raevyn Nevenmoore, a former gymnastic champion with a history of mania and delusions. But Raevyn hints that her twin brother Finch is involved in the killings. The only problem is, Finch died years earlier. Is Raevyn clinically insane or a clever psychopath? Haunted by her own traumas and hidden scars, Kitts struggles to piece together the clues and separate Raevyn’s madness from an even more troubling reality. Can she silence her own demons long enough to find the killer … and save herself?

Are you ready to uncover the truth? Dive into the chilling world of Whispers and experience a psychological thriller that intertwines madness, betrayal, and relentless suspense.

Grab your copy of Whispers today and join Special Agent Kitts in a race against time to piece together a puzzle that bridges the gap between madness and reality.

Praise for Whispers:

“J. Herman Kleiger’s new novel is equally gripping, moving along at a fast pace, as Kleiger’s sophisticated understanding of human psychology is on full display.”
~ Richard M. Waugaman, M.D., Let’s Re-Vere the Works of Shakespeare

“An expert on the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder as well as on the Rorschach test, J. Herman Kleiger is also a fiction writer, author of the acclaimed novels The 11th Inkblot and Tears Are Only Water. His riveting new novel, Whispers, is a psychological whodunit that will maintain the reader’s interest from beginning to end. Readers will learn much about bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, conversion therapy, malignant parenting, and the lifelong impact of shame while trying to figure out the serial killer or killers responsible for the deaths of four psychiatrists. Just when readers believe that the diabolical murders have been solved, they are forced to think again. As with his other novels, Whispers instructs as it entertains, reminding readers that ‘Hope is important for all of us who have walked in the shadows.”
~ Jeffrey Berman, Distinguished Teaching Professor, University at Albany, and author of Clinical Fictions: Psychoanalytic Novels and Short Stories

“With Whispers, J. Herman Kleiger makes it a trifecta of his fine, psychologically astute novels. Picking up on several very interesting characters from his second book “Tears Are Only Water,” as well as introducing a host of fascinating new ones, Kleiger takes us behind the scenes of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit delving into a series of confounding murders. The writing is taught and there are no easy answers in unravelling the mystery.”
~ F. Barton Evans author of Harry Stack Sullivan (Marker of Modern Psychiatry)

“J. Herman Kleiger’s many fans will be thrilled to learn that they can now read this sequel to his second novel, Tears Are Only Water. His new novel is equally gripping, moving along at a fast pace, as Kleiger’s sophisticated understanding of human psychology is on full display. Readers who are new to this talented novelist will also enjoy it.”
~ Richard M. Waugaman, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University; Training & Supervising Analyst Emeritus, Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, author of It’s Time to ReVere the Works of Shakespeare

“Kleiger’s third novel, Whispers, re-introduces us to Nicola Kitts, who we know well from his outstanding previous book, Tears Are Only Water. In this excellent new novel Kitts joins an elite FBI profiling team trying to solve a series of brutal murders of well known psychiatrists. Not a sequel, Whispers is a stand alone, gripping psychological drama that builds intensity and urgency as it flows inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion. With Kleiger’s deep knowledge of psychological theory, and interpersonal relationships, the book comes alive as the team of experts collaborate and compete to refine a workable theory about who the murderer might be, what might motivate him or her, and what hidden meaning the cryptic notes left at each crime scene might hold. We come to admire Kitt’s personal struggles and her ability to challenge her own demons even as she struggles to help solve these mysterious serial killings..”
~ Stephen Lerner, Filmmaker, Strangers in Town

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Whispers

Coming Soon!!

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Author Bio:

J. Herman Kleiger (Dr. James H. Kleiger) is a board certified clinical psychologist and trained psychoanalyst living in Maryland. Born and raised in Colorado, he received a BA from Harvard University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. He served as a staff psychologist in the Navy and received postdoctoral training at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, KS, where he became Training Director of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. He completed his psychoanalytic training at the Topeka Institute for Psychoanalysis and later relocated to Maryland. Dr. Kleiger opened a private practice and served as President of the Washington-Baltimore Society for Psychoanalysis in 2010. He lives with his wife and is blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren.

Writing about people and their struggles has been integral to his professional life. Dr. Kleiger has authored six professional books – Disordered Thinking and The Rorschach, 1999, followed by Assessing Psychosis, 2015, 2024 (coauthored with Ali Khadivi), Rorschach Assessment of Psychotic Phenomena, 2017, Psychological Assessment of Disordered Thinking & Perception, 2021, and Psychological Assessment of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders, 2023 (coedited with Irving Weiner).

Unable to resist the play of imagination, J. Herman Kleiger published his debut novel, The 11th Inkblot in 2020, followed by Tears Are Only Water in 2023, and Whispers in 2025.

People and their stories amaze and inspire. As a psychologist and psychoanalyst, his passion for listening to people tell their stories ripens with time.

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To sign up for the tour please complete the form below. If you have questions or problems email Wendy at wendy@partnersincrimetours.com. Thank you for your interest in this tour.