Helpful Score: 10
Oh my goodness!
What a wild ride this one was! I loved it.
I am not a fan of modern best-seller-style thrillers, and this one has tendencies that way (serial killer of nearly superhuman cleverness, ever-tightening suspense), but it overcomes them. The characters are so interesting!
About a hundred pages into the book, I began to wonder if the authors (a mother-and-daughter team writing pseudonymously) were going to be able to keep track of the plethora of characters they were creating and whether I would be able to process all of them into a meaningful reading experience.
They could and I could. Amazing, yes, but it worked.
This will be a new experience for you--I've certainly never read anything quite like it. The blurbs include the word "funny." I can't quite see that--there were no laughs for me. Plenty of oddball characters and new experiences, but nothing really funny. That's OK, it's a wonderful story--I just didn't want anyone to go in looking for light, funny stuff, because you would be disappointed. Instead, go in looking for unusual people, a fascinating situation, and plenty of good old-fashioned suspense.
Read this book.
What a wild ride this one was! I loved it.
I am not a fan of modern best-seller-style thrillers, and this one has tendencies that way (serial killer of nearly superhuman cleverness, ever-tightening suspense), but it overcomes them. The characters are so interesting!
About a hundred pages into the book, I began to wonder if the authors (a mother-and-daughter team writing pseudonymously) were going to be able to keep track of the plethora of characters they were creating and whether I would be able to process all of them into a meaningful reading experience.
They could and I could. Amazing, yes, but it worked.
This will be a new experience for you--I've certainly never read anything quite like it. The blurbs include the word "funny." I can't quite see that--there were no laughs for me. Plenty of oddball characters and new experiences, but nothing really funny. That's OK, it's a wonderful story--I just didn't want anyone to go in looking for light, funny stuff, because you would be disappointed. Instead, go in looking for unusual people, a fascinating situation, and plenty of good old-fashioned suspense.
Read this book.
Helpful Score: 3
TERRIFIC TALE
What a debut for this mother/daughter team! Many established authors never achieve the scintillating dialogue and captivating characters of these novices. Suffice it to say I finished the book in less than 48 hours. Hollywood, are you paying attention? I can't wait to revisit Leo and Gino in Live Bait.
What a debut for this mother/daughter team! Many established authors never achieve the scintillating dialogue and captivating characters of these novices. Suffice it to say I finished the book in less than 48 hours. Hollywood, are you paying attention? I can't wait to revisit Leo and Gino in Live Bait.
Helpful Score: 2
I picked this up for a friend and couldn't resist reading it first. That silly monkey and the description of the computer group just called to me. Thankfully, despite being a thriller, it's a cop mystery not a gorey one. Gorey books give me nightmares, and are the reason I tend to avoid 'thrillers'-a stance I may have to re-examine.
The plot was unique, and suspensful. You knew what was coming, but just like the cops, you had to wait for it. And the first murders just hung out there, waiting to be tied in. Waiting. Waiting..then finally they were. Perfectly.
I laughed quite a bit at Halloran's antics with the Feds. It was a very short scene, but hillarious. There was just enough lightness put in the book to keep it from becoming too horribly dark. Annie & Diana's dressing, Sharon's comments, and the coffee ladies. (I like the coffee ladies.) But there wasn't so much as to pull away from the suspense.
The ending was a bit chilling, and had me turning pages quickly. I like the ending--everything fit, and it was well brought together. (I'm picky on my endings). Off-hand comments from earlier are not so off-hand later.
The characters are interesting, distinct, and real. Often strange, but real. Even the ones that never show up on camera (wives of officers) feel like they really are there.
The plot was unique, and suspensful. You knew what was coming, but just like the cops, you had to wait for it. And the first murders just hung out there, waiting to be tied in. Waiting. Waiting..then finally they were. Perfectly.
I laughed quite a bit at Halloran's antics with the Feds. It was a very short scene, but hillarious. There was just enough lightness put in the book to keep it from becoming too horribly dark. Annie & Diana's dressing, Sharon's comments, and the coffee ladies. (I like the coffee ladies.) But there wasn't so much as to pull away from the suspense.
The ending was a bit chilling, and had me turning pages quickly. I like the ending--everything fit, and it was well brought together. (I'm picky on my endings). Off-hand comments from earlier are not so off-hand later.
The characters are interesting, distinct, and real. Often strange, but real. Even the ones that never show up on camera (wives of officers) feel like they really are there.
Helpful Score: 2
computer games, software, murder - all the elements that make up an interesting modern day mystery. You figure out how the game and the real-life murders fit together. It kept me guessing.
Helpful Score: 2
Really good book. Lots of action, leaves you wondering who did it until the end.
