Search - Mortal Fear

Excellent thriller -- and a deeper look into the complexities of the lies, secrets and fears we keep from each other. Iles has never let me down.

Greg Iles proves once again that everyone has secrets. And, it's our secrets that get us into trouble. There is the "perfect" couple with sexual secrets. There is a psychopath whose actual existence is linked to a sexual secret. When they meet, you get a roller-coaster ride with murders, man-hunts, and intrigue. And, of course, it is all set in the rural south.

Whoof! This tale of murder and intrigue with a very heavy over- and undertone of rampant sexuality can best be subtitled 'Mary Shelley meets Nora Roberts'. Yes there's a 'monster' here, engaged in a string of murders and kidnappings with a sinister purpose, but the centerpiece of the tale is the brief affair the narrator had with his future wife's sister. In spite of the fact the couple, Harper and Drewe, were engaged in one of those mutual "I'm sure, but are you?" hesitation dances and had agreed to a year's moratorium on their romance, when Drewe's sister Erin shows up to seduce him Harper feels a wave of guilt which he keeps with him for three or four years, scratching and picking at it like a festering sore. Then, just as things are going to start heating up on the monster/killer scene, and just as Drewe announces she is ready to have a child of her own, Erin drops a bombshell in Harper's lap...he is the true father of her child, his niece. If the tale is marred in any way it lies with Iles' using this plot device to extreme. We are treated to a continual rehashing of the "affair", not only in terms of Harper's own stream-of-consciousness mea culpas but we also get to examine it again and again from the perspectives of every other character, some of whom are told about it and some of whom Harper only imagines telling them 'his deep, dark secret'. But that flaw was not enough to make me want to close the book before finishing (which I have done often...I do not suffer fools gladly) because Iles manages to walk the tightrope just so and I kept right at it, sleep be damned, until the monster was appropriately dispatched and everyone (well, most) lived happily ever after. Good read.

Wow! This 522 page novel is a gripping thriller. Iles excels at this genre. A serial killer gets his victims off a Sex website. After spending time with his victims on the internet, he then meets them and kills them for the purpose of getting their penal gland. He is a surgeon and wants to get longevity. None stop thrills.

Usually Greg Iles bizzare story line but a great twisiting plot.

About a brilliant serial killer. A very good read.

Enjoyed this book

622 pages of pure terror and excitement. Loved it.

Wonderful character development and well written.

Not for the faint hearted! Harper Cole, a commodity trader works from his isolated Mississippi farmhouse with a sideline in erotic on-line services. Someone has murdered six celebrated women and Harper has become the prime suspect. His daring plan to catch the madman places everyone he loves in danger.

This was my 1st read of Iles - content is provocative but it does keep the readers interest

By day Harper Cole trades commodities over the internet from his isolated Mississippi farmhouse. At night, he is systems operator of E.R.O.S.an exclusive, sexually explicit on-line service that guarantees total anonymity to its rich and famous clientele.

But now someone has penetrated E.R.O.S.'s state-of-the-art security.. someone who has brutally murdered six celebrated women. Each time, the weapon and the city are different and each timethe killer has claimed the same horrifing trophy

This was the first Greg Iles book I read. It is very suspenseful from the start and at the end but lags a bit in the middle. Some of the book seems somewhat dated since it was written in the early days of internet message board such as Prodigy, when sending images represented a significant leap in technology. However, the interesting characters and nail-biting ending make it worth your credit... or at least a Book Bazaar BOGO. :-)

Mr. Iles gives great depth to his characters and the story line. It doesn't really come off as a "who - dun -it", but is very fast paced. Intelligently written, with good medical and forensic descriptions. I liked this book as well or better than his other books.

I have not read this book.

By day,Harper Cole trades commodities over the internet. At night, he is systems operator for E.R.O.S.,a sexually explicit on-line service that guarantees total anonymity to its rich and famous clientele. But now,someone has penetrated E.R.O.S.' security and using the info to murder celebrated women and claim the same horrifying trophy from each.

By day, Haper Cole tades commodities over the internet from his isolated Mississippi farmhouse. At night, he is systems operator of E.R.O.S., an exclusive, sexually explicity n-line service that guarantees total anonymity to its rich and famous clientele.
But now someone has penetrated E.R.O.S., s state-of-the-art security..someone who has brutally murdered six celebrated women.
Each time, the killer has claimed the same horrifying trophy,.
For Harper Cole, who has suddently become the prime suspect,there is only one way to lure the elusive madman into the open. But Harper Cole had dangerous sexual secrets of his own. His daring plan will place everything and everyone he loves in the path of a brilliant, unstoppable killer

From the back cover:
By day, Harper Cole trades commodities over the Internet from his isolated Mississippi farmhouse. At night, he is systems operator of E.R.O.S., an exclusive, sexually explicit on-line service that guarantees total anonymity to its rich and famous clientele.

But now someone has penetrated E.R.O.S.'s state-of-the-art security...someone who has brutally murdered six celebrated women. Each time, the weapon and the city are different. And each time, the killer has claimed the same horrifying trophy.

For Harper Cole, who has suddenly become the prime suspect, there isonly one way to lure the elusive madman into the open. But Harper Cole has dangerous sexual secrets of his own. His daring plan will place everything and everyone he loves in the path of a brilliant, unstoppable killer.
Earl H., Meldrim,Ga.

By day, HarperCole trades commodities over the internet from his isolated home in Mississippi. At night, he is a systems operator of E.R.O.S., an exclusive, sexually explicit on-line service that guarantees total anonymity to its rich and famous clientele. But now 6 of the celebrated women have been murdered. The cities are all different and so is the method of murder.........and each time the killer has claimed a gruesome trophy. A good read.

By day, Harper Cole trades commodities over the internet from his isolated Mississippi farmhouse. At night, he is systems operatior of E.R.O.S., an exclusive, sexually explicit on-line service that guarantees total anonymity to its rich and famous clientele.

But now someone has penetrated E.R.O.S.'s state-of-the-art security...someone who has brutally murdered six clebrated women. Each time, the weapon and the city are different. And each time, the killer has claimed the same horrifying trophy.

For Harper Cole, who has suddenly become the prime suspect, there is only one way to lure the elusive madman into the open. But Harper Cole has dangerous sexual secrets of his own. His daring plan will place everything and everyone he loves inthe path of a brilliant, unstoppable killer...