Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, all the way up to the last chapter. The ending is awful. It leaves you hanging on so many levels that I have lost count. Geez what a disappointment!
I disliked the first two installments of this series, I didn't like the characters nor the story line. This book which is "supposed" to be the end of the trilogy, was much better and the surprise ending was unexpected.
Yes, you find out who the killer is but you're left in the dark with questions not answered and Duckworth in a bad situation. However, there IS a fourth installment "The Parting Shot" which hopefully ends this series.
I look forward to Linwood Barclay's "stand-a-lones" which I like best.
Yes, you find out who the killer is but you're left in the dark with questions not answered and Duckworth in a bad situation. However, there IS a fourth installment "The Parting Shot" which hopefully ends this series.
I look forward to Linwood Barclay's "stand-a-lones" which I like best.
Horrible, horrible, horrible! The first 150 pages of this book are nothing but death after death in a public health disaster/possible mass murder with little or no character development and no building of suspense.
I loved the 5 or 6 previous Barclay thrillers I had read, and this was far below that standard. Almost as if he had written it racing to reach a deadline and not caring about readers or quality.
Not recommended unless you are a fan of gore and killing for its own sake.
I loved the 5 or 6 previous Barclay thrillers I had read, and this was far below that standard. Almost as if he had written it racing to reach a deadline and not caring about readers or quality.
Not recommended unless you are a fan of gore and killing for its own sake.
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
Book Description
Everything has been leading to this.
It's the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd, and the small town of Promise Falls, New York, has found itself in the midst of a full-blown catastrophe. Hundreds of people are going to the hospital with similar flu-like symptoms--and dozens have died. Investigators quickly zero in on the water supply. But the question for many, including private investigator Cal Weaver, remains: Who would benefit from a mass poisoning of this town?
Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is faced with another problem. A college student has been murdered, and he's seen the killer's handiwork before--in the unsolved homicides of two other women in town. Suddenly, all the strange things that have happened in the last month start to add up...
Bloody mannequins found in car "23" of an abandoned Ferris wheel...a fiery, out-of-control bus wit
h "23" on the back, that same number on the hoodie of a man accused of assault...
The motive for harming the people of Promise Falls points to the number 23--and working out why will bring Duckworth closer to death than he's ever been before...
My Review
I really enjoyed this ending to the Promise Falls Trilogy. What I liked about this trilogy was the very believable characters that seem like people who may live in a small town near you. I also enjoyed the plot which had many twists and turns that keep the pages turning. The ending was such a surprise that I never saw it coming. If you haven't read a Barclay novel, what are you waiting for. His writing is excellent and I love the short chapters that make you want to read on to the next chapter. I look forward to reading my next Barclay book and I highly recommend this trilogy to those who love unique stories with unique characters.
Everything has been leading to this.
It's the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd, and the small town of Promise Falls, New York, has found itself in the midst of a full-blown catastrophe. Hundreds of people are going to the hospital with similar flu-like symptoms--and dozens have died. Investigators quickly zero in on the water supply. But the question for many, including private investigator Cal Weaver, remains: Who would benefit from a mass poisoning of this town?
Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is faced with another problem. A college student has been murdered, and he's seen the killer's handiwork before--in the unsolved homicides of two other women in town. Suddenly, all the strange things that have happened in the last month start to add up...
Bloody mannequins found in car "23" of an abandoned Ferris wheel...a fiery, out-of-control bus wit
h "23" on the back, that same number on the hoodie of a man accused of assault...
The motive for harming the people of Promise Falls points to the number 23--and working out why will bring Duckworth closer to death than he's ever been before...
My Review
I really enjoyed this ending to the Promise Falls Trilogy. What I liked about this trilogy was the very believable characters that seem like people who may live in a small town near you. I also enjoyed the plot which had many twists and turns that keep the pages turning. The ending was such a surprise that I never saw it coming. If you haven't read a Barclay novel, what are you waiting for. His writing is excellent and I love the short chapters that make you want to read on to the next chapter. I look forward to reading my next Barclay book and I highly recommend this trilogy to those who love unique stories with unique characters.
As if things haven't been crazy enough in Promise Falls, the crazy is about to racked up to extreme. Somehow the town's water supply has been poisoned, killing hundreds and making hundreds more sick. On top of that another body is found with a smile cut abdomen, just like the others. With city resources stretched to their limits, police are in a hurry to figure out the water supply, but one detective starts putting the clues together. What does 23 mean? Are the serial killings and the rest of everything related? How many killers are in Promise Falls?
Okay so I have two confessions to make. Confession #1: I did not read the first two books in this trilogy. I deeply regret this now. Confession #2: I have never read a book by Linwood Barclay before this one. That I will be rectifying very soon. This book was fantastic. It was fast pace, action right from the beginning. The POV changed frequently, but I actually liked that in this story. Often I hate POV changes. I loved Barclay's writing style. It was gritty and sophisticated at the same time. His characters leapt off the pages, becoming real people that you know in your community. I cannot wait to read another of his books.
Even though I did not read the first two books, I was able to figure out part of the conclusion. The twists though were mind boggling. The psychological warping of the story made it riveting. I cannot really say any more than this, due to spoilers. I think everything in the book could be a spoiler. If you are a Barclay fan, you need to read this book. If you have not read a Barclay book before, you need to start. If you don't like Barclay, what is wrong with you? Just kidding. A+ book!
*I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
Okay so I have two confessions to make. Confession #1: I did not read the first two books in this trilogy. I deeply regret this now. Confession #2: I have never read a book by Linwood Barclay before this one. That I will be rectifying very soon. This book was fantastic. It was fast pace, action right from the beginning. The POV changed frequently, but I actually liked that in this story. Often I hate POV changes. I loved Barclay's writing style. It was gritty and sophisticated at the same time. His characters leapt off the pages, becoming real people that you know in your community. I cannot wait to read another of his books.
Even though I did not read the first two books, I was able to figure out part of the conclusion. The twists though were mind boggling. The psychological warping of the story made it riveting. I cannot really say any more than this, due to spoilers. I think everything in the book could be a spoiler. If you are a Barclay fan, you need to read this book. If you have not read a Barclay book before, you need to start. If you don't like Barclay, what is wrong with you? Just kidding. A+ book!
*I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
As if things haven't been crazy enough in Promise Falls, the crazy is about to racked up to extreme. Somehow the town's water supply has been poisoned, killing hundreds and making hundreds more sick. On top of that another body is found with a smile cut abdomen, just like the others. With city resources stretched to their limits, police are in a hurry to figure out the water supply, but one detective starts putting the clues together. What does 23 mean? Are the serial killings and the rest of everything related? How many killers are in Promise Falls?
Okay so I have two confessions to make. Confession #1: I did not read the first two books in this trilogy. I deeply regret this now. Confession #2: I have never read a book by Linwood Barclay before this one. That I will be rectifying very soon. This book was fantastic. It was fast pace, action right from the beginning. The POV changed frequently, but I actually liked that in this story. Often I hate POV changes. I loved Barclay's writing style. It was gritty and sophisticated at the same time. His characters leapt off the pages, becoming real people that you know in your community. I cannot wait to read another of his books.
Even though I did not read the first two books, I was able to figure out part of the conclusion. The twists though were mind boggling. The psychological warping of the story made it riveting. I cannot really say any more than this, due to spoilers. I think everything in the book could be a spoiler. If you are a Barclay fan, you need to read this book. If you have not read a Barclay book before, you need to start. If you don't like Barclay, what is wrong with you? Just kidding. A+ book!
*I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
Okay so I have two confessions to make. Confession #1: I did not read the first two books in this trilogy. I deeply regret this now. Confession #2: I have never read a book by Linwood Barclay before this one. That I will be rectifying very soon. This book was fantastic. It was fast pace, action right from the beginning. The POV changed frequently, but I actually liked that in this story. Often I hate POV changes. I loved Barclay's writing style. It was gritty and sophisticated at the same time. His characters leapt off the pages, becoming real people that you know in your community. I cannot wait to read another of his books.
Even though I did not read the first two books, I was able to figure out part of the conclusion. The twists though were mind boggling. The psychological warping of the story made it riveting. I cannot really say any more than this, due to spoilers. I think everything in the book could be a spoiler. If you are a Barclay fan, you need to read this book. If you have not read a Barclay book before, you need to start. If you don't like Barclay, what is wrong with you? Just kidding. A+ book!
*I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
