Mortal Fear

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Raymond Chandler once proclaimed that the first-person narrator should never turn out to be the villain in a good mystery or thriller. Luckily, the excellent writer Greg Iles has seemingly ignored Chandler's advice. Iles has created a character--Harper Cole, a futures trader and online pornographer--who could very well be the person killing off subscribers to his Internet sex service. Or is it Miles Turner, Cole's very odd colleague? If you thought that stalking a killer on the Internet had been done to death in books and bad movies, this one will have you pushing the reload button on your browser. Other Iles books in paperback include Black Cross and Spandau Phoenix.

Customer Reviews:

Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister .......2007-08-12

Greg Iles was born in Germany, raised in Mississippi, and and spent several years on the road with a band Frankly Scarlet. After marrying, he settled down and started writing and saw his first novel - "Spandau Phoenix" - published in 1993. "Mortal Fear" is his third book, and was first published in 1996.

Harper Cole, was born, raised and still lives in Rain, Mississippi. A former musician who now makes his living trading futures, Cole is married to Drewe, his childhood sweetheart. Drewe, a doctor, has a sister called Erin and a very well-connected father. She also has hopes of starting a family very soon, something that Harper himself isn't quite so keen on. Harper also works as a sysop for an online computer service called EROS - as the name would imply, it provides an outlet for those who need a certain spark in their lives. The service is very expensive, but makes certain arrangements to protect the users' anonymity. Harper was brought into EROS by Miles Turner, an old friend from childhood and a very highly qualified IT expert.

Karin Wheat, a high-profile author, had been a member of EROS. Unfortunately, she has also been recently murdered. The book opens with Cole contacting the police, believing he has some information which may prove crucial to the case. Harper not only suspects that Wheat was the victim of a man called David Strobekker - another EROS client who, Cole believes, is using EROS to target his victims. Having studied his account, Harper believes that Strobekker has possibly killed six other women - however, this would involve Strobekker somehow having gained access to the company's master client list. This list, which contains the contact details for all EROS's users, is not very easy to acquire - only very few people have access to it, Harper and Miles among them. Following a meeting with the police and the FBI, Harper learns that the six missing women he'd identified were, indeed, murdered. Unfortunately, it turns out the 'real' David Strobekker has also been dead for nearly a year - with the killer, presumably, taking over his account at EROS. This means that a new suspect is required - and Harper and Miles appear to be the leading contenders...as a result, Harper finds himself working the case unofficially, in an attempt to prove his innocence and protect his family.

This was the first book by Iles I've read and I certainly enjoyed it. Despite its size, I was able to race through it at a fair pace - some sections were a little overlong, but I've read shorter books that were harder work. It's also nice to read a book, once in a while, where the hero has a few skeletons in the closet. (There's one of these skeletons that's putting Harper under a great deal of pressure). The villain, meanwhile - who Harper and Miles refer to as 'Brahma' - is as intelligent as he is dangerous : not only an IT expert, it becomes clear he also has a medical background. Easily good enough for me to keep an eye out for more of Iles' books.

Up till 4am on a work night !!!.......2007-08-07

My title pretty much says it all. I couldn't put it down. Not the best thriller I've ever read -- but darn close. I'm ordering a few more of his books right now. Hope they are as good.

One of Greg Iles' Best Novels.......2007-04-29

I'm a fan of Greg Iles, who I believe is one of the best thriller writers around. MORTAL FEAR is one of his first novels, and I think it's definitely one his superior efforts. I typically read hundreds of thrillers a year, and this is one of the most exciting novels I've read in quite some time.

MORTAL FEAR has a fairly standard serial killer plot, but Iles elevates this book through his rich prose and great characterization. All of the characters, including the supporting ones, are fully fleshed out and have remarkable depth. This book is overlong (over 600 pages!), but Iles is a great plotter, and I finished the novel in just a few sittings. It gets better and more involving as it goes along, which I find a rare achievement among thriller books.

The flaws in this book are typical for Iles. The book drenched with a lot of sex and verges on the melodramatic in some scenes. The protagonist of this novel is highly flawed, and makes some serious eye-rolling mistakes. But this is the way Iles writes nearly all of his books, and these flaws didn't really detract from the storyline that much.

Overall, MORTAL FEAR is a great thriller. In addition to this novel, I recommend Iles' THE QUIET GAME, 24 HOURS, and DEAD SLEEP.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-27

I'm a big fan of Greg Iles. The way he covers different subject matter makes his books very interesting, because you never really know what to expect. Although I would have liked to find out what happened to Eleanor Rigby - she just disappears.
If you like Greg Iles, you'll like this one.

I read this book.......2007-01-22

About 3 years ago and I could not put it down he had me riveted.

I also saw that he used to be in a real band called 'Frankly Scarlet' and I found an old CD here on Amazon by them but he wasn't mentioned in the credits on it when it arrived so I don't know if it was/is the same band.

laughingpig1@yahoo.com

The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas

Average customer rating:

A foodie's best friend!
Great as a gift!
"Mere Mortals Guide to (Knowing What to Do!)"
Oh My God. Turns Out I'm a Total Doofus...
Perfect. Really really perfect. The best refresher course in dining & civility out there.

The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas
Colleen Rush
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767922034
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

From aperitif to digestif, approach every meal with savvy and grace.

We’ve all experienced Fancy-Pants Restaurant Jitters at some point – the fear that you will unknowingly commit some fine-dining crime, whether it’s using the wrong fork, picking an amateur wine, mispronouncing foie gras, or gasping when your fish entrée arrives with its head still attached. Relax. The Mere Mortal’s Guide to Fine Dining is the ultimate antidote to restaurant anxiety.

Where does your napkin go when you leave the table? Should you sniff the wine cork? And why, pray tell, are there so many forks? This comprehensive and accessible primer answers these and dozens of other questions and offers the basics on every aspect of fine dining, including:

* How to navigate a place setting
* Speaking menu-ese and the language of fine food
* A refresher on polite and polished table manners
* 911 for wine novices
* A carnivore’s guide to beef, pork, lamb, and veal
* What local, sustainable, and organic really mean
* Japanese dining dos and don’ts
* Who’s who on a restaurant’s staff
* How to be a regular—or get the perks like one
* Top restaurants across the country
* What the food snobs know (and you should, too)
* And much more…

With a little help, any Mere Mortal can order wine with confidence, get great, attitude-free service, decipher menus, and finally, truly, savor any dining experience.

Customer Reviews:

A foodie's best friend!.......2007-05-04

My mother gave me this book after I had gone to dinner at Gibson's Steak House in Chicago, IL. I had felt like a fish out of water, and quite unworthy of the experience. After reading this book, I agree with Colleen's statement in the opening chapters--it will not make you a snob, but will certainly put you at ease! My viewing of menus have changed completely since reading this book, and I'm noticing small nuisances while dining that make the experience far more enjoyable, and far less uncomfortable! Even in my home cooking, when I go to the grocery store, I'm looking for the freshest and most seasonal ingredients, and branching out and trying things I never thought I'd like (which isn't much, being a foodie and all...) I lent this book to my boyfriend, who could burn toast by looking at it, and he too is experiencing food and dining on an entirely new level! This book is an absolute MUST across the board! Give it to a friend, keep a copy for yourself, it doesn't matter, just spread this book!

Great as a gift!.......2007-03-07

This book is a fun gift for friends and family who aren't perfectly comfortable when they eat anywhere "fancier" than the Olive Garden. It's also helpful for young adults who are new to dinner-party planning and aspire to greatness as a host/hostess.

"Mere Mortals Guide to (Knowing What to Do!)".......2007-01-07

This book made me feel more comfortable with all of the in's and out's of preparing, dining, and not looking like a schmuck in front of my friends. Having not tried hummus or even guacamole until I entered college, my culinary knowledge and skills were at a very basic level. Ms. Rush clearly explains "what to do" and "how to do it" without making me feel intimidated. In particular the wine section was extremely helpful when buying a bottle of wine either at a restaurant or for home entertainment. It expanded my knowledge of regions, tastes, and most importantly names of wines that I liked. In fact, friends now come to me for recommendations and I confidently share my knowledge. I would recommend the "Mere Mortals Guide to Fine Dining" to anyone and has made a great gift on many occasions.

Oh My God. Turns Out I'm a Total Doofus..........2007-01-03

I eat out frequently, on a lot of business dinners. I read about this book in a magazine and ordered it. A fun, fast read with easy-to-digest information about tipping, wine, becoming a "regular" at a restaurant (how to score perks), and... table manners.

This is where my doofus-ness comes in. My napkin is supposed to be folded to the left of my plate (not on my chair) if I get up to pee? Utensils can never touch the table (not even the handles) once you pick them up?? I was wincing over and over as I learned all the little habits I had wrong.

On the upside, I've got it pretty much straight now. In fact, fun fact: I went to dinner after reading just the intro/first chapter, and scored a FREE glass of fancy wine... Already recouped the cost of the book!

Perfect. Really really perfect. The best refresher course in dining & civility out there........2006-10-27

When I got my copy of Mere Mortal's Guide I found myself flipping through this book on and off all evening as I thought of questions about corked wine, aged beef and the like. Without exception I came to quick, clear (and at times hilarious) answers. I think I fell in love with the book when I used the break down in the table of contents to find every bit of info I sought right off the bat. I'm buying it for every fellow food lover I know. And some others whom I think may benefit from a robust and irreverant resource detailing the rules of civility in dining. Especially the ones who place their forearm on the table just north of the plate in the 'I'm guarding this' pose.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Average buffy book
I had problems right off the bat
Dwindling the mood for reading..
The New Age Of A Dawn

Mortal Fear (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Scott Ciencin , and Denise Ciencin
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743427718

Book Description

Control Issues

Buffy Summers is being run ragged all over Sunnydale these days. Working from clues some mysterious power is providing her with, the Slayer's chasing down different baddies to gather pieces of a soul sword before it can be reassembled and fall into the wrong hands. While she resents following someone else's orders, at the same time it is oddly comforting to her to have a clear goal, and someone else making all the plans. Without Giles around, and with her relationships a mess, Buffy's at a point in her life where she could use some direction.

Her friends are also searching for control in their lives, looking for areas they can excel in -- without magick or destruction. Xander and Willow figure there has to be a better way to get by, to get ahead for a change. But just when it seems as if their dreams are coming true, both are felled by a strange virus that has been sweeping through Sunnydale -- and thus "poisoning" the food supply for the local vamps.

With lives at stake, Buffy must broker a truce with the vamps, find the rest of the sword, and locate her mysterious benefactor. All while fending off a rash of vicious attacks from the resident population -- and her friends and family! If Buffy was looking for a goal, she has one now: survival!

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-06

For a Buffy book, this is an epic. Quite long. People are starting to act very strangely in Sunnydale, and gain superhuman abilities on top of being whacky. When this includes Xander, Willow and Dawn, Buffy has a ton of problems. So many problems that she gets help from a group of vampires, because having a crazy diseased superhuman food source is not good for them, either.

Also, Buffy has to go all Ilyana Rasputin, as what the master AI digital type bad guy who is using nanites to control everyone wants, is the ancient Soulsword.

Average buffy book.......2004-05-25

Id say that this book is a little mediocre for a Buffy book. Some of the character's personalities just arent the same in this book as they are on the show. The storyline isnt really all that original either. Buffy's on her own because all of her friends are betraying her. It couldnt have possibly taken that long to write this.

I was a little disappointed because I have seen much better from these authors before. I would recommend borrowing this one from the library. It's not a keeper.

I had problems right off the bat.......2004-03-15

I always check what season i takes place iin and it said season 6 then i started to read it and got really confused because they were talking about season 7 stuff. But overall it was a good book.

Dwindling the mood for reading.........2004-03-02

the series are damn great..the games are cool but when it comes to the books..i think the story's a little slow and uninteresting...to be precise...i really don't think the writers of the Buffy book series should put up longer plots to make the book more appealing since I think it really dwindles my mood to read the book. However, the settings and characters are immense and totally coincide for each circumstance in the book. Keep up the good work and I definitely think there are remedies to rectify the error.

The New Age Of A Dawn.......2004-02-23

Season Seven must present some extraordinary difficulties to the scribes of the Buffyverse. While the names are the same, almost every character has no resemblance to their original appearances before Season 4. Problems of character development are complicated by having to ride shotgun on an underlying story that resembles a Chinese fire drill. That the Ciencins have managed to overcome the dangers of plot drift and produce a coherent and even original story is a compliment to their skills.

Taking advantage of the frayed nerves of all the season 7 Scooby-ites a mysterious mage named Simon manages to trick Buffy into collecting the bits and pieces of a magical sword that, naturally, could bring about the end of life as we know it. As part of the scheme he unleashes a weird magical nanovirus that completely erases fear as well as any compunction to do good. The big victims are Xander, Willow and Dawn (not that Dawn ever needed an excuse to be obnoxious). These three become part of the overall scheme as well as a means to torment our humble Slayer.

Well written, and tightly plotted despite its length, Mortal Fear is one of the better Buffy books to appear in the past year or so. Even so, there are a few devices that stretch ones ability to believe. Especially what has happened to Willow. While the idea is not original to the Ciencin's, I find the device of a split personality Willow a bit tedious. After all, the is only one Willow - one whose naturally sweet nature is unable to contain her anger when her world falls apart. This is a natural, human thing - only larger than life because of Willow's powers. I find Willow-in-denial a bit hard to accept. On the other hand, Xander's anger at Buffy may be irrational, but it is appropriate to the character. And, as I've mentions Dawn was already irritating, so her characterization here is exactly right.

Almost every other character puts in a spot appearance as Sunnydale once again starts to slip into chaos. Once again (for the umpteenth time) Buffy must handle the impossible and save the world. There is a part of me that misses the old Buffy, when the stories were mostly about finding an killing vampires. Yet we all know that Buffy's attraction is that it is far more than hacking and staking. Mortal Fear manages to tread the same thin line between horror and comedy that the best of the TV show does. Certainly worth reading if you are a fan.

Average customer rating:
Greg Iles Collection 2: Mortal Fear, Sleep No More, and The Footprints of God
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Greg Iles Collection: The Quiet Game, 24 Hours, Dead Sleep

ASIN: 1597370479
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Book Description

Mortal Fear (Narrator: Jay O. Sanders): By day, Harper Cole trades commodities over the internet. At night, he is systems operator of E.R.O.S., an exclusive, sexually explicit online service. But now someone has penetrated E.R.O.S.'s state-of-the-art security...someone who has brutally murdered six celebrated women. For Harper Cole, who has suddenly become the prime suspect, there is only one way to lure the elusive madman into the open. His daring plan will place everything and everyone he loves in the path of a brilliant, unstoppable killer...

Sleep No More (Narrator: Dick Hill, Director: Laura Grafton, Engineer: Russell Byers): John Waters is a husband and father happy with his lot in life, though he has not always felt that way. Years earlier he escaped an obsessive love affair, which he feared might consume him. The woman in question disappeared after Waters married, and later he heard that she was killed in New Orleans. But now, Waters has an uneasy feeling that she has resurfaced to trouble him - and entice him - once again.

The Footprints of God (Narrator: Dick Hill, Director: Laura Grafton, Engineer: Melissa Coates): In the heart of North Carolina's Research Triangle, America's top scientists work around the clock to attain the holy grail of the twenty-first century - a supercomputer that surpasses the power of the human mind. As ethicist to Project Trinity, Dr. David Tennant finds himself in a pressure cooker of groundbreaking science and colossal ambition. When his friend and fellow scientist is murdered, David discovers that his own life is in danger.

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Mortal Fear (Nova Audio Books)
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio Paperback Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1590861299
Release Date: 2003-11-10

Book Description

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 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 in the path of a brilliant, unstoppable killer...

Average customer rating:

Good but typical Cook fare
When will be your next check-up?
DEATH RATTLES
IF YOUR ONLY GONNA READ ONE BOOK IN YOUR LIFETIME...
This IS the Weakest Link

Mortal Fear
Robin Cook
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399133186

Book Description

"A chilling odyssey into the origins of life-and death." (USA Weekend)

Customer Reviews:

Good but typical Cook fare.......2005-11-27

Contrary to Forrest Gump's popular euphemism about life... when you read a Robin Cook novel you know what you're going to get. First, you're going to get a book concerned with a medical ethics issue. Secondly, you're going to get a quick read with somewhat shallow character development. Lastly, the book is going to be mostly modest lacking any gore, invigorating sex scenes, or harsh language. With these things being said Mortal Fear doesn't stray from the mold. The ethics issue here is concerned with science specializations like genetic engineering and the grave possibilities these have for mankind when used for less than noble purposes by humans playing God. The main character in this book, Dr. Jason Howard, struggles to find out why so many of his patients are dying somewhat prematurely after getting clean bills of health not that long ago. Has something gotten out of hand at the hospital where he works? Is there a new deadly infectious disease on the loose? The book takes you down this path until you eventually figure out what is going on and why the sudden deaths of patients. The shallow character development comes into play with first Dr. Howard and then secondly with other characters he interacts with. Primarily a stripper whom he is attracted to but never has the nerve to approach in any gritty way. We also know that Dr. Howard suffered a devastating loss with the death of his wife but never really see or feel his emotional grief over this grave loss. Where the book does succeed is in keeping the reader interested enough to read through till the end to unravel the mystery of the medical disasters taking place and also to find out the other tiny mysteries related to the main mystery. If you read this book knowing what to expect from Dr. Cook and realize it's going to be like most of his works-good but not great-you'll leave this with your expectations fulfilled but not exceeded.

When will be your next check-up?.......2004-08-19

As many books of Dr. Cook, you won't be able to understand many parts of the book unless you are a doctor, but this book is a complete medical thriller, I am agree that at the end of the book the story is a little bit boring and predictable, but as always with these kind of books, you will think twice before going to a doctor or hospital.
The book is really easy and fast to read, maybe you will stop doing things just to finish it.

DEATH RATTLES.......2004-02-19

Cook once again serves us up a hero who decides to become a private investigator and research things he should leave to the police. At least in this one, the police are one step behind him. Cook gives us his standard sciene gone wrong plot, although fascinating at times and extremely readable. Cook is no great writer, but he manages to hook his audience, and enable us to root for the good guy even though most of the time they act like juveniles.
Readable.

IF YOUR ONLY GONNA READ ONE BOOK IN YOUR LIFETIME..........2003-01-21

I'm not exactly a huge fan of Robin Cook. I actually never heard of him until I read this. I read a lot of books, and I think this is the best I've ever read. I'm not even into the whole medicine thing but I found this book most interesting on many levels. He slowly builds up the suspence until you just can't take it anymore! I finished reading this book in less than a day. I couldn't put it down! That's never happened to me before!!!

I definatley recommend this book to anybody, even if you don't like reading! It's guaranteed to hold your interest. Someone should make a movie out of this! WOW!

This IS the Weakest Link.......2002-09-30

This is the most disappointing Robin Cook novel I've read. The novel's protagonist, internest Dr. Jason Howard, is a middle-aged widower who sold his practice and signed a contract with an HMO organization after his wife's death. Unfortunately, this backstory is the most interesting part of the novel. The premise is smart, but the plotting is inexplicably weak. Howard is a nice, hardworking, affable doctor who contends with the plethora of daily outpatients in an HMO-owned facility. Suddenly, a colleague invites him to dinner, says he discovered something incredibly and then dies. The reader is then thrust into the story. The villain is sorrily predictable. Once you read the description of this character in the early part of the book, it's obvious that they're the evil mastermind behind Howard's colleague's demise and the strange course of events that follow. The most interesting character in the novel is Carol Donner, an exotic dancer who had a fling with said dead colleague. She's fascinating, but little is revealed about her and you wonder why she's there at all.

Product Description

Psychosexual thriller about a serial predator who finds his victims on the Internet, by author Greg Iles, narrated by Richard Ferrone. Unabridged. 22.5 hours on 15 audio cassettes. Library Edition.

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Mortal Fear
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Value Priced
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1423331834
Release Date: 2007-06-28

Book Description

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