Aaron has a problem. Aaron likes to play a game, a sick game, with women's minds. Aaron is a psychopath. You would never guess as much, because he is so handsome, so captivating, and so very charming. Yes, Aaron seems too good to be true, because, of course, he is. Enter the world of Dr. Aaron Stein, and learn just how this perfect gentleman toys with women's minds, and plays with their emotions. Each woman is a new chance to play his game. Time and again he will gain a woman's trust, creating the facade of the "perfect relationship". Each woman will think she has found "heaven on earth". But it is evil that seduces her, and evil that lures her, right towards the brink of insanity. Slowly, Aaron will begin to take over her psyche, using covert hypnosis and mind games to control her. Because power and control is everything to Aaron. And the game must be played, each time, right through to its devastating end. Time and again Aaron will have his fun, making his "new love" believe she is his "one and only", his "soulmate", "his true love". It will be delightful, and deceptive, and deliciously, dangerously wonderful, until Aaron becomes bored. Then, abruptly, he will simply discard her. She will be left shocked and confused. She will feel as if she were mentally skinned alive. And Aaron? He will simply move on, to a new game, as if she had never mattered. Because, of course, she never did. Even so, she will continue to miss him, and want him back, in spite of everything. She will never forget him. Aaron knew this from the first "hello". He will smile, and count her tears.
Alexandre A. Loch, psychiatrist, PhD:
Four Stars for He Counts Their Tears
Author Mary Ann really puts us inside the mind of a psychopath. Aaron, the main character, shows the reader an incredible complex personality. We get to know how his mind works, and this is both fascinating and frightening. <i>He Counts Their Tears</i> is dark, it provokes our curiosity, and addresses the fragility of women, when facing a seductive psychopath. I enjoyed very much this reading, would definitely recommend this book for friends of the psychological thriller genre.
PUBLISHERS DAILY 5 STARS In this superb psychological thriller, author Mary Ann D'Alto takes the reader inside the twisted and utterly sick mind of a physician whose sole aim is to control and bring harm to others. Through this taut, extremely well-written and well-edited story, you'll feel the pain and suffering of his victims first-hand -- almost as though you were there yourself.Dr. Aaron Stein is a top fertility specialist at Harbor Hospital, and, as such, he always has a ready supply of women whom he can manipulate and control in every aspect. For Aaron is predatory in his practice of seeking new partners to experience The Method -- Aaron's unique way of subjugating each victim to his will.And yet, Aaron finds himself in trouble early in this tale of torture and cruelty. When we first meet him, he is standing with the soles of his shoes half over the edge of the hospital's roof, contemplating the unthinkable act of suicide. His split personality carries on a bizarre debate, one side of his mind urging him to jump, in penance for his misdeeds. But the other aspect of his persona -- the very private one -- coos words of reassurance, coaxing him back from the ledge.His latest victim, a fellow doctor at the hospital named Luisa, lies locked in a coma, the direct result of his negligence the night before. He can't risk exposure as police search for the reason Luisa was at the office building where she was found, bleeding and in shock. Aaron will go to jail -- again -- if the authorities trace the trail to him. A brief stint in juvenile hall many years before will indict him out of hand, threatening his freedom, his exalted position at the healthcare facility, and his marriage.It's an almost-unheard-of situation in which Aaron finds himself. Usually, he prides himself on being the one in control of others and, ultimately, his own destiny. Indeed, up until now, his series of carefully choreographed liaisons has only served to stoke his voluminous ego, and left him free to dominate his victims -- physically and mentally."Over time, Aaron would break his victim's will. It was much like severing a person bit by bit; first the digits of the fingers, then the limbs, and eventually the person would be nothing more than a heap of disconnected parts, even though she still appeared whole and much the same to the world."Sophia, Lily, Marie, Diane, Jasmine, Marcia, Meg, Janine, Celeste, Ruth -- and now Luisa. His list of conquests is long and his ability to escape consequences has made him feel invulnerable. And then, there's his cousin Constance, who's always been devoted to him. Could their relationship be something other than what it appears?This extraordinary novel examines minutely the background of each well-drawn character and how they interrelate to each other -- and to Aaron. He's a monster, all right. But what does the future have in store for him?
5 Stars *****
Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite
He Counts Their Tears by Mary Ann D'Alto is a riveting story that revolves around Aaron Stein who is the epitome of perfection to the outside world; but actually he is not. Behind the facade he projects there is a monster who craves to control and destroy the people who fall for his charm. Most of the women he meets get carried away by his appeal. His cousin Constance always protects him from everything that happens in his life. But a lot of things happen unexpectedly and things change. Will it finally expose the real Aaron Stein? And what is Constance's actual role in his life?
The story has an aura of mystery and suspense that will keep readers glued till the very end. The many dimensions in the plot are engaging and the author cleverly brings out the various faces of Aaron with her expert storytelling. What is going to happen in the story is unpredictable, which makes readers guess and wait with bated breath as they turn the pages. I like the way Aaron has been portrayed in the story - he has everything in him that attracts women to him and they fall for his lies.
The book exposes the minds of people who can conceal their intentions by being charmers, putting on good behavior, and the psychological games they play to manipulate others. Constance is another interesting character in the story whose relationship with Aaron has many layers and will make readers think. A compelling story that will keep readers riveted to the very end.
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Review Rating:
5 Stars *****
Reviewed By Maria Beltran for Readers’ Favorite
In Mary Ann D’Alto’s He Counts Their Tears, Aaron Stein, a successful fertility doctor at Harbor Hospital, hides behind his handsome looks and charming demeanor. The son of rich and famous artists, he has had a troubled past, going to jail as a juvenile for the death of a truck driver that he claims was killed by his friend. He grows up with Constance, a cousin who was orphaned at a young age, who always protects him when he gets in trouble. Now married to the docile Ruth, with two children from his previous marriage, Aaron develops what he calls The Method. It is a process whereby he ensnares beautiful women, makes them believe they are each other's soul mate, controls them and suddenly drops them out of his life. He collects them like toys and drops them as fast as he finds his next prey.
He Counts Their Tears by Mary Ann D’Alto is the chilling story of a man who finds great satisfaction in psychologically destroying women. Obviously a psychopath, Aaron Stein’s satisfaction in life is to wield power and control over them. Like a hungry predator perpetually looking for prey, he goes from one relationship to the next, breaking hearts and lives along the way. There is absolutely no compassion in his heart. His behavior, even towards people close to him, is simply inhuman. In spite of this, the author developed his character in a way that the story is believable. The stories of the women he has had relationships with are varied but they have something in common - they are all highly vulnerable to his charms and maneuvers. How many Aarons are there in our midst?
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Review Rating:
4 Stars ****
Reviewed By Janelle Fila for Readers’ Favorite
He Counts Their Tears by Mary Ann D'Alto is a terrifying psychological thriller that looks at the causes of evil and asks the question: does it matter to a killer's victims how or why he became the monster that he is? Aaron Stein is a successful fertility doctor with a dark secret. A secret so huge it is about to be found out. His life will be ruined, but the lives of his many countless victims will be saved forever from future torture and abuse. Constance, Aaron's devoted cousin (and perhaps lover in a long ago lifetime), tries her best to protect Aaron's secret as always. But it is hard to know Constance's motivations. Does she protect Aaron because she is in love with him, or because she has created him? Is Aaron Constance's monster, pieced together the same way Frankenstein created his monster? And what happens when the monster is set free?
This is an edgy, disturbing story that may not suit all readers. It is about love and power, especially the power a man has over a woman (or vice versa). It is about how a person can love and hate someone at the same time, or forgive and forget heartbreak and torture for a simple smile or a sly "I love you." It is about a man who can lull someone into believing that they are loved so much, but not remember their name when he is trying to kill them, and how that same person can forgive him for his attempt and say she loves him back. Very dark, very disturbing, but also asks interesting questions that demand scary answers.
