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Cover of The Naked Face

The Naked Face

Sidney Sheldon

First published 1970 · 541 pages

A tense, claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game where the mind is the most dangerous weapon.

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What it feels like

Reading this classic thriller feels like stepping into a shadowy, paranoid world where no one can be trusted and every conversation is a potential trap. The narrative moves with a propulsive, cinematic energy, stripping away the polished veneers of its characters to reveal the dark, tangled psychologies underneath. It is a deeply claustrophobic experience, anchoring the reader in the isolating terror of a protagonist who is simultaneously hunted by a killer and cornered by the law. The prose is sharp and unadorned, designed purely to keep the pages turning as the dread steadily mounts. It will thoroughly delight fans of vintage psychological suspense who love a tightly wound, cat-and-mouse puzzle where the human mind is the ultimate crime scene.

Mood
  • tense
  • claustrophobic
  • shadowy
  • dread-soaked
Tone
  • urgent
  • paranoid
  • clinical
  • cynical
Pace
propulsive
Themes
the unknowability of the human mind · isolation and paranoia · betrayal of trust · hidden darkness
The writing
Direct, cinematic, and unadorned, prioritizing forward momentum and sharp dialogue over lyrical description.
The arc
Moves from sudden, shocking disorientation into a suffocating spiral of paranoia before culminating in a desperate fight for survival.
Who it's for
Readers who crave classic, fast-paced psychological suspense where every character hides a sinister secret.
Content notes
  • murder
  • torture
  • psychological manipulation
  • paranoia

About the book

''The Naked Face'' is Sheldon's First Novel

The psychiatrist's couch holds many secrets. Can it also hold the key to a series of murders? John Hanson—murdered in the street in a gruesome but apparently arbitrary attack. Carol Roberts—tortured and left to die in agony.

In this chilling game of cat and mouse, psychiatrist = Judd Stevens must trust no one, especially none of his patients. Could the killer be Teri Washburn, Hollywood starlet, thrown out of Tinseltown in scandalous circumstances? Or could it be Harrison Burke; a top business man and disturbed paranoiac? Or possibly Alexander Fallon, a crazed evangelist determined to avenge all sin in the world?

ABOUT AUTHOR: Best known today for his exciting blockbuster novels, Sidney Sheldon is the author of The Best Laid Plans, Nothing Lasts Forever, The Stars Shine Down, The Doomsday Conspiracy, Memories of Midnight, The Sands of Time, Windmills of the Gods, If Tomorrow Comes, Master of the Game, Rage of Angels, Bloodline, A Stranger in the Mirror, and The Other Side of Midnight.

Almost all have been number-one international bestsellers. His first book, The Naked Face, was acclaimed by the New York Times as "the best first mystery of the year" and received an Edgar Award. Most of his novels have become major feature films or TV miniseries, and there are more than 275 million copies of his books in print throughout the world.

Before he became a novelist, Sidney Sheldon had already won a Tony Award for Broadway's Redhead and an Academy Award for The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer. He has written the screenplays for twenty-three motion pictures, including Easter Parade (with Judy Garland) and Annie Get Your Gun. In addition, he penned six other Broadway hits and created three long-running television series, including Hart to Hart and I Dream of Jeannie, which he also produced. A writer who has delighted millions with his award-winning plays, movies, novels, and television shows, Sidney Sheldon reigns as one of the most popular storytellers of all time.

Description from Open Library.

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