The Good Guy

Book Description

Timothy Carrier, having a beer after work at his friend’s tavern, enjoys drawing eccentric customers into amusing conversations. But the jittery man who sits next to him tonight has mistaken Tim for someone very different—and passes to him a manila envelope full of cash.

“Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she’s gone.”

The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pretty woman marked for death, and her address. But things are about to get worse. In minutes another stranger sits next to Tim. This one is a cold-blooded killer who believes Tim is the man who has hired him.

Thinking fast, Tim says, “I’ve had a change of heart. You get ten thousand—for doing nothing. Call it a no-kill fee.” He keeps the photo and gives the money to the hired killer. And when Tim secretly follows the man out of the tavern, he gets a further shock: the hired killer is a cop.

Suddenly, Tim Carrier, an ordinary guy, is at the center of a mystery of extraordinary proportions, the one man who can save an innocent life and stop a killer far more powerful than any cop…and as relentless as evil incarnate. But first Tim must discover within himself the capacity for selflessness, endurance, and courage that can turn even an ordinary man into a hero, inner resources that will transform his idea of who he is and what it takes to be The Good Guy.

Customer Reviews:

Very good suspense Novel.......2007-10-02

Koontz has been on a roll lately with suspense novels. They have all been good and not involved anything supernatural. This book does not change that pattern.

The story is basically a traditional good against evil type of story. As with all Koontz novels, this book takes off fairly quickly and does not let up until the end. The story is fairly strong through out and the characters are very likable. The villain, though not as good as some of his villains of the past, is interesting and keeps your attention.

If you are a fan of Dean Koontz and or suspense novels in general I would most definitely recommend this book.

Great Book (so-so ending).......2007-09-25

Quick review. Great book .. had me up several nights. If you like unpretentious thrillers, go for it.

However, the ending was lousy. Without giving anything away, the final explanation of the "why's" is just so completely unbelievable (not to worry, it is still a good read ... but Koontz could have spent some more time on a more plausible ending).

The Husband is as good and just more solid.

The Good Guy is a Good Book.......2007-09-23

I was hooked from the beginning but got a little bored (more than usual in a Koontz book) toward the middle. But the character development (good guy and bad guy) kept me engaged. Typical storyline but some goo writing. I recommend this one...

Awesome.......2007-09-20

I find that I like to read anything that Dean Koontz writes. All of his books are hard to put down.

Vintage Koontz.......2007-09-18

I enjoyed this book. It is a quick read and really developes the characters well. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a fast read. The only reason it didnt get 5 stars from me was because I was slightly disappointed with the ending. Only slightly. But other then that, would definitely recommend this book as well as The Husband to anyone who wants to try out a Koontz book for the first time. Both are top notch.

Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis (Aimee Leduc Investigation)

Average customer rating:

Paper Cutouts
A Murder that is literally in Aimee's own Backyard
Another Superb Paris Mystery
Predictable and Trite.
One of her very best

Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis (Aimee Leduc Investigation)
Cara Black
Manufacturer: Soho Crime
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1569474443

Book Description

Praise for the Aimee Leduc series:

"One of the best heroines in crime fiction."-Lee Child

"The Parisienne Kinsey Millhone."- Los Angeles Times

"One of the best new writers in the field today."- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Haunting."- The New York Times Book Review

Aimee is faced with a tight deadline on a computer security contract when a telephone call from a stranger leads her to an abandoned infant. She brings the baby to her home and names her Stella. She expects the mother to reclaim the child, but days pass as Aimee tries in vain to discover her identity. Her partner, Rene, urges her to turn the baby over to the authorities, but for Aimee this is too close to her own abandonment by her mother.

The search brings her among ecological protesters and oil company tycoons, newspapermen and would-be actresses, as demonstrators near her home on the Ile Saint-Louis, in the heart of Paris, march against the pollution of the North Sea only to be dispersed by armed police.

Two murders and an abortive bombing keep Aimee running until, in the sewers beneath the Seine, she finds the woman she has been looking for, only to discover that the man she has just fallen for is a cold-hearted criminal.

Customer Reviews:

Paper Cutouts.......2007-06-28

I always enjoy sitting down with a good mystery that brings unexpected twists and turns with characters who become companions through their ordeals. Nothing in this story stirs or challenges the imagination. The story line is trite, the protagonist is superficial and the novel's other characters don't go beyond paper cutout stereotypes.

A Murder that is literally in Aimee's own Backyard.......2007-06-17

Aimee is woken up by a call from a woman whose voice she is unable to place. The distraught woman begs Aimee to take care of her baby, Aimee as a Mother, zut alors, sacre bleu, nom de dieu, what is she to do? The next morning the body of a young woman is pulled out of the Seine. Like always Aimee is about to get a quick study of both motherhood in the nineties and the new environmental activities.

Fast and furious is the action as Aimee and Rene work on a contract for an ad agency that happens to have the biggest oil company (and polluter?) in France as their client. How does all this tie together? Cara Black once again does a marvelous job in weaving her story and words together, including more information on Aimee's mother's past.

Her description of the Paris of the nineties as it tries to find it's place in the post-Cold War and to deal with the major issues of pollution of both the rivers and seas surrounding united Europe is in itself worth the read. The only questions that I have are Why is the story set twelve years ago and Isn't Aimee getting a little old to be climbing around in sewers and chasing the bad guys through parks? Oh, as an aside, when is Cara going to get a 'new' authors photo, it's the same one she's had for years with the Dorothy Hamil haircut!

Another Superb Paris Mystery.......2007-06-15

Mystery novels historically have had as much to do with the place as the characters and the plots. Cara Black's latest Aimee Leduc novel proves this with its evocative descriptions and historical references about the Ile St-Louis, certainly one of my favorite areas of Paris. The plot here has a few too many contemporary (2007) references for a novel set 10 years earlier, but otherwise Aimee's life remains involving and evolving. I loved it.

Predictable and Trite........2007-05-23

The title says it all. It held no suspense, the thrills were missing, and the characters were wooden. Even the sex stuff was just boring.

One of her very best.......2007-05-12

They don't get any better than this in this genre - her plotting, the details about Paris, the need to know what happens next, and fairly good dialogue all make this a really great read.

Average customer rating:

A disappointment
disappointed
Best I've Read So Far
Surprise! You won't see it coming!
3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club)

3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club)
James Patterson , and Andrew Gross
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446614831

Book Description

Detective Lindsay Boxer and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt are enjoying a quiet afternoon in San Francisco when a townhouse across the street explodes in flames. A sinister note signed "August Spies" is found at the scene of the disaster, and the body of an infant who was asleep in the house at the time of the explosion cannot be found. Soon a wave of violent incidents, all with links to political terrorism and involving "August Spies," sweeps through the city. An upcoming economic summit of the world's most powerful nations will surely be a target. And it's up to the Women's Murder Club to get to the bottom of the violence before it's too late. Delivering the breakneck pace and never-saw-it-coming plot twists that have made James Patterson the most addictive writer at work today, 3rd DEGREE is another searing and unforgettable thriller from the nation's #1 bestselling suspense writer.

Download Description

eBook Special Feature: Includes a chapter excerpt from 1ST TO DIE.Detective Lindsay Boxer and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt are enjoying a quiet afternoon in San Francisco when a townhouse across the street explodes in flames. A sinister note signed "August Spies" is found at the scene of the disaster, and the body of an infant who was asleep in the house at the time of the explosion cannot be found. Soon a wave of violent incidents, all with links to political terrorism and involving "August Spies," sweeps through the city. An upcoming economic summit of the world's most powerful nations will surely be a target. And it's up to the Women's Murder Club to get to the bottom of the violence before it's too late.
Delivering the breakneck pace and never-saw-it-coming plot twists that have made James Patterson the most addictive writer at work today, 3RD DEGREE is another searing and unforgettable thriller from the nation's #1 bestselling suspense writer.

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment.......2007-09-27

After the thrill ride of 1st to Die, I was anxious to read the next in the Women's Murder Club series. 2nd Chance wasn't as exciting as the first and 3rd Degree was even worse. The idea of a socialist-ish radical protest group killing off greedy, inhumane, or rotten businessmen was an interesting premise. But I found my interest in the story decreasing as I read. I didn't really care about what they were doing; it all seemed very random and forced. It was never really explained very clearly why they were doing what they were doing and why they were targeting the specific individuals that they were. Like with 2nd Chance, there was a lot more profanity (i.e. the f- word) than 1st to Die. And there was also some odd punctuation that was disconcerting and just plain odd. There were multiple times where an exclamation point was used almost laughably inappropriately. Talk about trying to put some excitement in the wrong way... I was glad that there was some romantic interest for Lindsay and he was a sweet prospect. I hope that they continue on with her having a relationship. I think she needs someone, for support, to come home to more than Sweet Martha. There is some bittersweet, needless tragedy that is handled very poorly- it should've caused more shock and action than it did. I'm still holding out hope that the series will regain the excitement and momentum of the first. Hopefully it doesn't venture even further downhill than this. I would suggest getting these out of the library before you make the investment and are disappointed.

Maybe the new TV show will be better (Fridays at 8pm on ABC starting October 12, 2007).

disappointed.......2007-09-18

I was disappointed in this book. This does not mean I will not continue to read Patterson books. I just didn't get into this book. Patterson is an excellent storyteller and all his other books I have read have been great.

Best I've Read So Far.......2007-09-07

I had previously read the 4th & 5th books in this series. I went back and read 3rd Degree over the Labor Day weekend. The other two were great and this one was even better. So yes, it is 5-Stars. This series of books by James Patterson is a winner and I see his next one, 7th Heaven, is scheduled to be released in February '08.

Surprise! You won't see it coming!.......2007-09-05

3RD DEGREE is the third book in Patterson's popular Women's Murder Club series. For those who are new to Patterson, let me assure you that this all-female club ain't no Sex in the City. Instead of talking Manolo Blahniks, these women get right down and dirty. Murder, mayhem and intrigue are the things that brought these women together.

In this book, Lt Lindsay Boxer is once again embroiled in chaos that starts off with the bombing of an Internet mogul's home. The only clue they have is a mysterious message from a group that calls themselves "August Spies". With the murder of another business tycoon following days after the bombing, and another cryptic message, Lindsay knows that it is time for the WMC to come together and pool their resources. But as they unravel facts about the so-called "August Spies", the women realize that they are no longer dealing with murder but outright terrorism. And with terrorism comes the involvement of the Federal Government, in which we meet Joe Mollinari, the Deputy Director of Homeland Security. Allow me to deviate for a moment to say that Joe is to die for. Yes, Lindsay gets a new boyfriend for which I am really happy after the death of Chris Raleigh, which saddened me. But do not be discouraged by this, as the romance doesn't get in the way of the suspense. Moving along, with the appearance of these leftist terrorists comes a threat that becomes very personal. And a beloved character becomes an unforeseen target. Boy, I never saw it coming. Lives would be lost, hearts would be shattered, and you would be left wanting to read more about these amazing women.

James Patterson and Andrew Gross' collaboration has once again resulted in a fast-paced and tough-edged thriller that begs for attention. The thing with the WMC series is it is hard to stop once you start. All the books beg to be finished. Although others are stronger and more compelling, you just cannot help but unravel the mystery, find out who the antagonists are and how the story ends.

3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club).......2007-08-27

This is a great summer read, you don't want to put it down. Fast paced and easy reading. I can't wait to read the next book, I like these women...

Key Lime Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

another winning food mystery
Incredibly Dull
Books I can't put down!!!
Another great mystery in a fun, suspenseful series.
Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)
Joanne Fluke
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0758210183

Customer Reviews:

another winning food mystery.......2007-08-12

Ms. Fluke has again written a fun and entertaining book. The story flows well, and keeps you interested right up to the last. The recipes are an added bonus, as most of them are very good.

Incredibly Dull.......2007-08-06

I have enjoyed each of Joanne Fluke's previous Hannah Swensen novels, but this was by and far the worst one I have read yet. It usually takes me about a day to a day and a half to read her books, whereas I spent more than a week and a half plodding through this one.

The plot was slow and I often found myself confused. The author would get ahead of herself, leaving me reading the same sentence several times wondering if I had missed something in the previous paragraph, only to find that the confusing sentence is explained a page or two later. About 125 pages into the book, Willa Sunquist was FINALLY killed-- keep in mind that the book is only 337 pages, which means that it took more than 1/3 of the book to kill someone off! The murder was solved in about 10 pages, leaving me wondering just what happened in all the pages I had read. (I concluded that nothing happened and I had wasted a lot of time reading this book.)

I used to enjoy the murder mysteries of Jill Churchill, until I noticed the decline in quality and my declining interest. One of Churchill's worst books was the one in which her main character discovers the wonders of car alarms and cell phones (I think I reviewed it here on Amazon before). That was the last Churchill book I read, and that's when I turned to Joanne Fluke to entertain me. But now Joanne Fluke has made the same mistake, with Hannah SO unwilling to enter the 21st century, what with not having a computer or a cell phone and yet at the same time stringing along two men.

There was a part in the book where Norman wants to take a photo of Moishe with his cell phone and send it over to someone else's cell phone. All the while, Hannah is confused-- "Are you going to get your camera? Are you going print the picture out and fax it over?" It was just unbelievable! If Hannah is indeed 29 pushing 30, there's no way she could be so dense and confused about modern technology.

Books I can't put down!!!.......2007-07-07

All of Joanne's books are hard to put down once I start them. I love the fact that she writes them without any "juicy" details of the crimes. Key Lime Pie Murder so far is my favorite though I love all of them. The recipes are ones that I can't wait to try. I get disappointed when I know that I have to wait so long until the next book comes out. Thanks, Joanne for writing books that make me forget the real world for at least 2 days. I look forward to finding out what the secret is about Hannah's mother. I have many ideas so I hope one of them is right.

Another great mystery in a fun, suspenseful series........2007-06-24

Each of the books in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series is terrific. Hannah is a very likeable character and very easy to relate to. The mysteries have enough twists to keep you guessing, but give you enough clues to make it fun to figure out "who did it."

As an added bonus, the recipes are great! From this particular book, I've tried the popovers and honey butter. Both were super easy and absolutely delicious. I also highly recommend trying the blueberry muffin recipe from the book of the same name.

My only problem with this book (hardcover edition) would be with the editing/proofreading. Hannah, herself, is a stickler for good grammer and proper word usage. She would not have been happy with the mistakes found in her novel. Most common were extra words in a sentence (an example might be: The girl went went to the store.) I've noticed this slightly in previous books in the series, but it seemed more prevalent this time. Just something the publishers might want to watch out for.

Otherwise, this was a very enjoyable read! I highly recommend it.

Key Lime Pie.......2007-05-09

loved it. all of these books are great. the recipes are great too. i cannot wait to try the deep fried candy bars.

Average customer rating:

Interlude in Death
This is a rip off
Good, but short
Good Reading
Excellent

Interlude In Death
J.D. Robb
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0425210626

Customer Reviews:

Interlude in Death.......2007-09-22

I was somewhat disappointed in the book because it has less than 100 pages, but it was delivered as promised.

This is a rip off.......2007-09-15

This book has only 88 pages but was portrayed as a novel, rather than the novella that it truly is. I returned it unread so as to get my money back. If Amazon wants to keep their customers happy, they should practice more truth in their book summaries. I was completely disappointed with Amazon as well as with the author (why collude in such a sham?). Better to pay full price at Borders than to go through the hassle of a return.

Good, but short.......2007-09-11

I really love J D Robb and this series but this one was way to short. Still a very good read.

Good Reading.......2007-07-19

From the start, I knew this book was originally part of an anthology from the "Out of this World" series Out of this World. I still say even 88 pages of a JD Robb story is worth the price. In this installment, Eve has been given orders by her Commander to attend an off-planet conference and give a talk on homicide. The conference of course is held at the Olympus Resort, one of Roarke's many properties, and most of the gang from Cop Central are in attendance. Seems the big attraction, one Commander Douglas R. Skinner, a police veteran with a 50-year, spotless record is very interested in Eve, mostly because he wants to take her husband down for all the evil doings he had committed in his former life. When Eve is approached by Commander Skinner, she does what you would expect; she tells him to get lost! So begins the adventure of a settling of scores between the police commander and our favorite lieutenant, going head-to-head to balance the scales of justice. Whether you purchase the book by itself for $2.99 + tax or buy it as part of the "Out of this World" series of stories, it IS worth the money!

Excellent.......2007-07-19

Nora Roberts Rocks! what more can I say. Lt. Eve Dallas makes the best protagonist.

Murder of a Botoxed Blonde (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 9)

Average customer rating:

very good!
First time reader of Scumble River Mysteries
Mud and murder at a local spa
A good book to take to the airport or doc's office
Good read

Murder of a Botoxed Blonde (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 9)
Denise Swanson
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451221419

Book Description

A health spa complete with tofu turkey and "Dress for Sexcess" lectures is the last place school psychologist Skye Denison wants to spend Thanksgiving. But when her best friend Trixie Frayne convinces her to take a complimentary weekend at the new Scumble River Spa, Skye accepts her fate and prepares to be slathered, wrapped, and roasted-until a murder ruins the good time.

Customer Reviews:

very good!.......2007-07-01

this was really good and you are left with wondering what is going on in the heroines life, very good mystery. the "redraggers" are always amusing.

First time reader of Scumble River Mysteries.......2007-06-11

I found the story delightful. It is one of the "cozy" murder mysteries, and those are the type I enjoy. I thought the plot was well thought out and I was surprised by the ending. As my first Scumble River Mysteries, I am happy to say I'd read another.

Mud and murder at a local spa.......2007-05-19

Skye Denison is planning on having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with her family in Scumble River, Illinois, but her best friend, Trixie, has other ideas. Trixie convinces Skye that they should accept a free weekend at the newly-opened Scumble River Spa, and try to find treasure which is reputedly buried in the backyard of the old, converted mansion. Skye has her doubts, but soon she finds herself at the spa, wrapped in seaweed and eating tiny portions of inedible food. Soon a murder takes place in the mud bath, and Skye is knee-deep in the investigation. She is also caught between her current boyfriend, Wally, and her ex-boyfriend, Simon, and
her mother and Simon's mother come to the spa to help convince her to return to her old love interest.

According to her biography, author Denise Swanson was a school psychologist for 22 years, so her references to Skye's experiences in the same job always ring true. This book is a welcome addition to an enjoyable series.

A good book to take to the airport or doc's office.......2007-05-18

Okay, the opening scene would have your seatmates in either place scowling at you, but it's probably one of the funniest scenes I've ever read--including the Janet Evanovich. Clearly, a lot of work's gone into developing Scumble River and its people. This is my first in the series and if I need a good fast fun read, I'm going to definitely check more out.

Good read.......2007-05-17

This is another good edition to the Scumble River series. I enjoyed the plot line and the characters. The ending did have a twist I wasn't expecting. Skye and Wally make a good couple and I hope they stay together.

Average customer rating:

Awesome book, but disappointing ending
Intriguing
Just An Okay Entry
Good Read
Wild Ending

The 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club)
James Patterson , and Maxine Paetro
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316159778
Release Date: 2006-02-13

Book Description

It is a wild race against time as Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, attorney Yuki Castellano, lead an investigation into a string of mysterious patient deaths--and reveal a hospital administration determined to shield its reputation at all costs. And while the hospital wages an explosive court battle that grips the entire nation, the Women's Murder Club hunts for a merciless killer among its esteemed medical staff. The newest addition to the topselling new mystery series takes the Women's Murder Club to the most terrifying heights of suspense they have yet to encounter. THE 5TH HORSEMAN proves once again that James Patterson is "the page-turningest author in the game right now " (San Francisco Chronicle).

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book, but disappointing ending.......2007-09-10

The women's murder club is back, and as usual, this was another awesome James Patterson thriller. There's lots of action & two mysteries to be solved & it kept me hooked throughout the whole book. I was, however, a little disappointed with the ending. I was like, that's it? I was expecting so much more. They finally catch the killers, but don't get confessions or why they did it. I am a huge CSI fan, and it would have been nice to understand why they did it to help the story.

Again, Lt. Lindsay Boxer is handling two cases - a girl is found murdered in a car, but wearing someone else's clothes, while there are mysterious deaths happening at a local hospital. The patients are found with buttons on their eyes. Each of the patients shouldn't have died, they came in with pretty simple problems, and in each case, they were given an overdose of medication or the wrong medication. The story & detective work is awesome & really keeps your attention. I just wish there was more to why the murders were happening.

Intriguing.......2007-09-09

Have not read him before, but I like his style. The short little chapters give you lots of places to stop of you get interrupted. Well written and easy to follow the "clues" with the characters. Doesn't overload one's mind with so many characters that a "Who-dun-it" turns into "Who IS that?" I didn't want to put it down, but since life goes on around me, I truly did like that I could finish a "chapter" quickly.

Just An Okay Entry.......2007-09-09

I enjoy the Woman's Murder Club series, but as other reviewers have pointed out, the character development of the four members has really gone downhill. Other than Lindsay Boxer, I don't really feel like I know these women at all.

That being said, the plot of THE 5TH HORSEMAN is incredibly fast paced, and there are plenty of twists and turns that keep things interesting. Patterson knows how to design an intense thriller, and the last hundred or so pages keep you guessing. I certainly wasn't bored with this novel, so I'll give it three stars for its entertainment value.

A major weakness of THE 5TH HORSEMAN is its reliance on two separate serial killer storylines that are totally unrelated. I thought the "car girls" storyline was kind of weak and underdeveloped, and the resolution unsatisfactory for the most part. I would have preferred a subplot involving the personal life of one of the main characters instead.

In short, this novel is good fun, but it's probably the weakest entry in this series. I'm also not pleased that Patterson's publisher is re-issuing this entire series in trade paperback, at a more expensive price for consumers. Not a great way to reward your loyal fans, Mr. Patterson.

Good Read.......2007-09-03

I'm finding myself enjoying this series more than Alex Cross lately and this installment didn't disappointment.

However, it wasn't perfect. I didn't understand the need for the "Car Girls" storyline, which had nothing to do with the main storyline. All it seemed to do was distract from that. I also didn't like how we weren't given any insight into the lead that led Lindsay to wrap things up in the epilogue. Where did that come from?

The series isn't nearly as good since Jill was killed off. Yuki is just not a character I find interesting or care much about, so I can't warm up to her and I don't like how the ending seems to indicate she'll be turning into Jill II even more. I've never cared much for Cindy, so I find it harder to stay interested in the group when Lindsay and Claire are the only ones I like.

I look forward to the next installment.

Wild Ending.......2007-08-30

The last one hundred pages were wild & action packed. A lot of unexpected twists right down to the very last page. Next time I am feeling ill I will just take an aspirin!

Gone: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels)

Average customer rating:

Lacks plot
Reviews by Nan Kilar-This one is so-so
Gone and best forgotten!(1.5 stars)
I don't know.
Gone

Gone: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels)
Jonathan Kellerman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345452623
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

No one conducts a more chilling, suspenseful, thoroughly engrossing tour through the winding corridors of criminal behavior and the secret chambers of psychopathology than Jonathan Kellerman, the bestselling “master of the psychological thriller” (People). Now the incomparable team of psychologist Alex Delaware and homicide cop Milo Sturgis embark on their most dangerous excursion yet, into the dark places where risk runs high and blood runs cold.

It’s a story tailor-made for the nightly news: Dylan Meserve and Michaela Brand, young lovers and fellow acting students, vanish on the way home from a rehearsal. Three days later, the two of them are found in the remote mountains of Malibu -battered and terrified after a harrowing ordeal at the hands of a sadistic abductor.

The details of the nightmarish event are shocking and brutal: The couple was carjacked at gunpoint by a masked assailant and subjected to a horrific regimen of confinement, starvation and assault.

But before long, doubts arise about the couple’s story, and as forensic details unfold, the abduction is exposed as a hoax. Charged as criminals themselves, the aspiring actors claim emotional problems, and the court orders psychological evaluation for both.

Michaela is examined by Alex Delaware, who finds that her claims of depression and stress ring true enough. But they don’t explain her lies, and Alex is certain that there are hidden layers in this sordid psychodrama that even he hasn’t been able to penetrate.

Nevertheless, the case is closed–only to be violently reopened when Michaela is savagely murdered. When the police look for Dylan, they find that he’s gone. Is he the killer or a victim himself? Casting their dragnet into the murkiest corners of L.A., Delaware and Sturgis unearth more questions than answers–including a host of eerily identical killings. What really happened to the couple who cried wolf? And what bizarre and brutal epidemic is infecting the city with terror, madness, and sudden, twisted death?

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

PRAISE FOR JONATHAN KELLERMAN

RAGE

“[Kellerman is] a master of the grab-the-reader contest. . . . The chills start within the first two pages.”
–Saint Paul Pioneer Press

“[An] adrenaline-fueled read.”
–People

TWISTED

“An elaborate, tangled web . . . with unsuspected turns at every chapter break . . . This addictive tale . . . is as intricately detailed as it is tantalizingly page-turning.”
–Entertainment Weekly

“A perfect whodunit–a tale told with gusto . . . a thrilling, engrossing pace from the first page to the last.”
–Orlando Sentinel

THERAPY

“Labyrinthine twists, excellent pacing, and hard-boiled, swaggering dialogue.”
–The Washington Post

“Immensely enjoyable . . . There’s even a shocking surprise.”
–Associated Press

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Lacks plot.......2007-08-31

As in other Kellerman novels, the plot is loose and unconvincing.
If all the pieces come together at the end, it is because of the same old "deus ex machina" Kellerman uses in other novels, not because of the natural, deductive progression one would expect from a police mystery work.
The author uses his signature resources: detailed physical descriptions of characters and their clothes, infinite Californian car drives, discussions about the case over meals, impersonal Los Angeles atmosphere. However, without real plot depth to sustain, these scenes seem repetitive and unjustified.
The action is slow and the outcome is predictable and anticlimactic.
The rendition by actor John Rubinstein is excellent, especially his versatility in switching between the characters' voice registers and timbres.

Reviews by Nan Kilar-This one is so-so.......2007-08-10

Two wannabe actors stage their abduction, get caught, and a few days later the young woman is dead. As homicide detective Milo Sturgis and Alex Delaware try to figure out whodunit, I had a pretty good idea who was responsible as the bodies kept turning up. And talk about a wacko family that's introduced! The story is not exciting; it just plods along and should have ended with the killer's death. But there is a happy note in Alex's life.

Hopefully the author will put some life into his next Alex Delaware story...if there is another one. They just aren't quite as exciting as they used to be.

Gone and best forgotten!(1.5 stars).......2007-06-25

I just couldn't warm up to 'Gone', or Kellerman's style. Maybe it was my relative lack of familiarity with the Alex Delaware series(I'd only read one of them previously, and I can't even remember which one!), or the feling that this was just another 'paint by numbers' police procedural, loaded with characters at the expense of plot. I think something about the overly superficial 'seamy underside' of Southern California put me off, as well.
I wouldn't recommend jumping in on this series in midstream. Kellerman assumes readers have a familiarity,if not a deep understanding, of the previous volumes, and newcomers might be lost. This book seemed like a mishmash, with Alex's romantic 'complications' filling space in the middle of a murder investigation that wasn't very compelling in the first place. The dynamics of Alex's and Milo's partnership could have been intersting, but it soon becomes a tired cliche. I really only finished this book because I don't like to leave anything unfinished.
I might try 'When the Bough Breaks' at some point, just to see how this series began, and if there was anything to recommend the series at the start. However, if Kellerman's later work is similar to this example, I'll most likely skip the rest of the series.

I don't know........2007-05-15

I hate to give a J K a low rate review. Since he is like like my best page turner writer,13 novels i think i read.

So i am not goin to elaborate, it's still a good book, but not like past ones.

for a newbiew Kellerman, do read it. IT's still boiling.

Gone.......2007-05-13

I am never disappointed in a Jonathan Kellerman book. I first read one about five or six years ago, then had to go back and buy all the others that he had written years ago. I am especially like when the author keeps a favorite character around like Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgess.

Average customer rating:

Carr Shines as both Historian and Novelist
Very good read
great story, poorly written
periodic thriller..
The Alienist: A Novel

The Alienist
Caleb Carr
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679417796
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Book Description

The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.

The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before. and will kill again before the hunt is over.

Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.

Customer Reviews:

Carr Shines as both Historian and Novelist.......2007-09-21

Caleb Carr's writing style and historical acumen could have produced a riveting book surveying the cultural trends of New York City during the late 1800's. The fact that The Alienist also tells the tale of a controversially assembled detective squad and its chase to capture a serial killer victimizing young male prostitutes yields an endlessly provocative novel. Carr's aptly describes the sheer beauty and the gritty despair existing in the Big Apple during the time period by entering the psyche of several vastly different characters. The reader is able to connect with the thoughts and visions of the lowly serial killer himself, the controversial "Alienist" psychologist Lazlo Kreizler assigned to the case, and the bodacious New York City police commissioner at the time, Theodore Roosevelt. Carr's depth of research about both New York City in general and about the increasingly popular, though highly doubted, mode of catching killers through psychological examination during the 1890's provides a gripping mystery that both challenges the reader and is hard to put down.

Very good read .......2007-08-08

An interesting read don't tell the grisly subject material put you off. I find myself having much more time to read stuff then I did a year ago this time and I have to say that this is the best book I have read in the last year and probably the year before that.

Basically a serial killer is on the loose and it is up to a collection of fictional and real characters to catch him. The author doesn't go about this simply by having the characters following a predicable line going from A to B it is much more intricate then that. Not only are methods that we would term "modern" used to catch the killer but some thing that would make us go huh? In one instance investigators take pictures of a victims eyes in the belief that the final image captured in them would turn out to be the killer. We know that such an approach would be ridiculous but they didn't know that in 1896 in New York City. Nor does the main character charge right to the resolution in superhuman fashion he has a lot of help.

Overall-The ending is satisfying and the characters have as much life as you are ever going to get in a book. What more could you ask for?

great story, poorly written.......2007-07-28

I wanted to give this 2 stars, but for the interesting storyline (a serial killer's on the loose in 1890's NYC and a group of forensic profilers are hunting him down) I bumped it up to 3.

First of all, the convuluted writing style, an attempt to mimic Victorian writing no doubt, read as sloppy and inconsistent. Also, the characters behaved as 21st C. New Yorkers rather than 19th C. individuals would have. But most annoying was awkward the way Carr infused historical content into this novel. "The Alienist" reads as if the author did loads of research and then made it his business to cram everything he knew about 19th C. NYC in to this book. He used parentheses everywhere to showcase his knowledge - which only proved to take me out of the story and into what felt like a history lesson. Historical fiction should include period details seemlessly, and this quality was sorely lacking here.

That said, the characters were fleshed out and three diminsional, the murders intriguing, and the psychological explanations straight on.

periodic thriller.........2007-04-04

I loved this book...it's a thriller that really makes you feel like you are in New York at the turn of the century..a real page turner with characters that you feel and pull for..it's gory and scary and keeps you on the edge of your seat at times..with a great cameo by Theodore Roosevelt..

The Alienist: A Novel.......2007-03-17

This was great! Kept you guessing and on the edge of your seat all the time! I have to get the next book "Angel of Darkness" I'm sure I won't be disappointed. This was a great mystery to solve!

Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel

Average customer rating:

Not Mosley's Best Work
Disgusting
Brace Yourself
Just OK...
Excellent book, excellent transaction

Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 159691226X
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

This bold new novel from Walter Mosley startles in both its rawness and its honest portrayal of a man on a quest for sexual redemption in midlife. When Cordell Carmel catches his longtime girlfriend with another man, the act that he witnesses seems to dissolve all the boundaries he knows. In that instant, the calm existence of this middle-aged New York City man becomes something unrecognizable: he wants revenge, but also something more. Killing Johnny Fry is the story of Cordell’s dark, funny, soulful, and outrageously explicit sexual odyssey in search of a new way of life. His guide is a mysterious woman named Sisypha, who leads him deep into the erotic heart of the city.

Killing Johnny Fry marks new territory for Walter Mosley, bestselling author of Devil in a Blue Dress and many other books in different genres: sci-fi, politics, literary fiction. It will surprise, provoke, inspire, and make you blush. Above all, it is about a man questioning the rules we take for granted—and the powerful and sometimes disturbing connections that occur between people when these rules are removed.

Customer Reviews:

Not Mosley's Best Work.......2007-07-17

Walter Mosley describes his latest work, Killing Johnny Fry, as a sexistential novel. The protagonist, Cordell Carmel, a middle aged black man, has a sexual awakening after discovering his girl friend of 8 years having a torrid affair. Seeing his lover and only friend in the arms of another man drives Cordell to places and situations that he never imagined.

Mosley invites readers into Cordell's rapidly changing world to witness his emotional odyssey and subsequent sexual metamorphosis. Cordell is transformed from a mild mannered and straight-laced free-lance translator, to a lustfully, wanton artist's agent. Mosley details every aspect of Cordell's transformation including his nearly uncontrollable desire to kill his girl friend's new lover, Johnny Fry.

True to form, Mosley uses words to weave his intriguing tale; however, unlike his other novels, the graphic nature of the sex is atypical of his style. It's quite raw, gritty and somewhat vulgar. I was able to get past the vast sexual content and concentrate on the characters and their development. Mosley did a great job of filling the back story of the interesting cast of characters, many of whom has some form of sexual dysfunction or abuse in their pasts.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Although the sexual content is a significant part of the story, Mosley seems intent upon achieving maximum shock value. The extreme sexual content makes this an adult only read.

Disgusting.......2007-06-07

I read this book because I was told it's different, maybe "Zanest".
I got more than I expected. To me, it is pure porn. The main character lusts after women just for the sake of lusting - if that makes any sense at all. My book club will read it soon and even though I read it a few months ago, I still have a bad taste in my mouth. I won't be able to attend. I absolutely hated this book.

Brace Yourself.......2007-05-22

Be Warned this isn't your typical Walter Mosley book. I found myself drawn into the main characters pain, i really didn't know what to feel at times i was mad, excited and ultimately pleased with the way this book ended. If you are a long time Mosley reader like I am this book may be a little dark for your taste, but if you are going through a relationship that for some reason is causing you delicious pain and just want a way to escape, buy this book i guarantee you'll read it more than once.

Just OK..........2007-05-14

My husband raves about Walter Mosley and this was my first introduction to one of his books. I didn't care for it much but I'm going to read a couple of his other books and see if I like those better. If it hadn't been for the voracious sex scenes it would have been pretty boring.

Excellent book, excellent transaction.......2007-05-14

this book was chosen by my book club to read for the month of April. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Mosley's departure from his standard mystery fare. I was quite pleased. I didn't consider this erotica as Mr. Mosley used sex primarily to progress the story and give an outward reference to the character's inward state of mind, not in a blatant effort to arouse the reader (or the sex scenes could have gone on for pages and pages). The main character had an existential meltdown that manifested itself through sex. That's it. Although not for the faint of heart...this book was a quality read. Those believing it is porn or erotica need to check their definitions.

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