readcaffeinated's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
Another twisty and fun read from Linwood Barclay. Happy to be getting to some of his backlist finally
martyfried's review against another edition
4.0
There was a lot going on in this book, and I never guessed the conclusion at all. It was hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys much of the time.
Most of the characters in the story seemed to be average people caught up in situations that they were not prepared for. People living in hard times, trying to make a little extra money on the side, doing things like selling fake designer purses, cheap prescription drugs, knock-off building supplies, etc. What could go wrong? Seems innocuous enough, until people start dying all over. Some unusual accidents here, a shooting or two there, but are they connected? Hard to say.
There were not real super heroes in this story, and sometimes the characters seemed to be a little dumb and annoying, but all in all an enjoyable read and hard to put down after a while.
Most of the characters in the story seemed to be average people caught up in situations that they were not prepared for. People living in hard times, trying to make a little extra money on the side, doing things like selling fake designer purses, cheap prescription drugs, knock-off building supplies, etc. What could go wrong? Seems innocuous enough, until people start dying all over. Some unusual accidents here, a shooting or two there, but are they connected? Hard to say.
There were not real super heroes in this story, and sometimes the characters seemed to be a little dumb and annoying, but all in all an enjoyable read and hard to put down after a while.
bougainvillea's review against another edition
3.0
I started out really liking this, but it defies plausibility that so many people in this guy's life are criminals.
serummel's review against another edition
4.0
Total page turner. I could not put this book down sometimes. I just had to know what happens next. I love the way Barclay writes. It’s thrilling and endearing and suspenseful. Can’t wait to read more from him!
ncrabb's review against another edition
4.0
Sheila Garber is dead; worse still, she has, apparently in a drunken stupor, parked her car on a freeway onramp such that, at night, someone could easily slam into it. Someone did. The occupants of the other car were killed instantly, as was Sheila Garber. Her grieving husband, Glen, is left to raise an eight-year-old girl and try to keep his struggling contractor business from collapse.
Why would his wife, who rarely drinks, behave that way? Within two weeks of his wife’s death Glen gets word that the mother of his daughter’s friend has also died in an accident at a nearby harbor. Glen wonders whether the two deaths are related, and he begins an unofficial investigation that will endanger his life, terrorize his daughter, and uncover corruption on a scary scale.
I didn’t see the end of this coming; it is written such that you constantly move through it without knowing where you’ll ultimately land. You may even begrudge the time you have to spend away from the book. You'll also be forced to think about the consequences of counterfeit items and their impact on all of us.
Why would his wife, who rarely drinks, behave that way? Within two weeks of his wife’s death Glen gets word that the mother of his daughter’s friend has also died in an accident at a nearby harbor. Glen wonders whether the two deaths are related, and he begins an unofficial investigation that will endanger his life, terrorize his daughter, and uncover corruption on a scary scale.
I didn’t see the end of this coming; it is written such that you constantly move through it without knowing where you’ll ultimately land. You may even begrudge the time you have to spend away from the book. You'll also be forced to think about the consequences of counterfeit items and their impact on all of us.
jonetta's review
4.0
Quick Summary
What starts out as a typical ordinary day for building contractor Glen Garber and his family ends very tragically. His wife, Sheila, is killed in a car accident under confusing circumstances. As he begins to investigate the circumstances on his own after the police close the case, Glen uncovers a morass of secrets and questionable activities involving people close or connected to him.
The bottom line
This was a page turner with so many twists, turns and discoveries in each chapter. In the background of the story is the fallout from the recession and how normally upstanding members of this working class neighborhood handled their individual situations. The writing is nimble and well constructed. With so many surprises throughout the book I was impressed that the climax could still squeeze out a few more. Barclay's style in some ways reminds me of Harlan Coben but still manages to maintain his own unique identity. I really liked this story and I've loaded up my reader with more of his titles.
What starts out as a typical ordinary day for building contractor Glen Garber and his family ends very tragically. His wife, Sheila, is killed in a car accident under confusing circumstances. As he begins to investigate the circumstances on his own after the police close the case, Glen uncovers a morass of secrets and questionable activities involving people close or connected to him.
The bottom line
This was a page turner with so many twists, turns and discoveries in each chapter. In the background of the story is the fallout from the recession and how normally upstanding members of this working class neighborhood handled their individual situations. The writing is nimble and well constructed. With so many surprises throughout the book I was impressed that the climax could still squeeze out a few more. Barclay's style in some ways reminds me of Harlan Coben but still manages to maintain his own unique identity. I really liked this story and I've loaded up my reader with more of his titles.
markfeltskog's review against another edition
I like Linwood Barclay's books, but this one causes me to ask: is he writing the same book over and over?
suzyh5317's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
tracyd223's review
5.0
this was a really great thriller!!! It takes a little bit to get into the story because there are so many characters and so much going on. But once you get the people down, it really takes off from there!! So many twists and turns, literally keeps you guessing until the very end!! Highly recommended!!!! I will definitely be checking our some of Mr. Barclay's other works!