hisdarkmaterials's review against another edition
4.0
Well, this was a quick read (literally a couple of hours). Really enjoy Cross's writing style. Did not expect the ending at all. It wasn't the most gripping or terrifying novel I've ever read but it was decent and well written, I got a real feel for Kenny - he was well fleshed out. I liked reading about how desperation can drive people to do things out of character.
readbydusk's review against another edition
2.0
More like 2.5. Neil Cross might be my new favourite crime fiction writer at the moment; his stories seem simple but the characters feel authentic, and his no-nonsense prose makes for some vivid scenes. I had no idea who the 'captured' in the title referred to and the reveal was done pretty well. But I felt for none of the characters, because they are either unredeemable or clueless as hell. There are some brilliant moments of suspense but by the end it was hard for me to care. Would make for a great movie though; it reminded me of 'Prisoners' at times.
mandi_m's review against another edition
3.0
An unusual thriller with the protagonist being a dying man. This moved quickly although you did need to suspend disbelief a little. I stayed up way too late to finish this.
kirstyreadsandcreates's review against another edition
3.0
I had mixed feelings about this book. It tells the story of Kenny, who has just been diagnosed with a brain tumour and has been given weeks to live. He decides that he wants to make amends with people he's let down in the past, however when he tries to trace an old school friend, he finds she disappeared years earlier and has never been found. He decides that he has to find out what happens before he dies.
This book kept me turning the pages - It moved fast and was an easy read. The writing wasn't great though and the plot, whilst exciting, was far from believable in most parts. That said, I still enjoyed it. There was a little more gore than I was expecting and there some sex scenes which could be considered graphic. Neither of these facts bothered me, however some people may find it offensive. The characterisation wasn't bad, Kenny's brain tumour changed his personality quite a lot, which I believe is reflective of real life, and the author took care to include other symptoms of the tumour and made these integral to the plot.
In all, I liked this and would probably read more of the author's work.
This book kept me turning the pages - It moved fast and was an easy read. The writing wasn't great though and the plot, whilst exciting, was far from believable in most parts. That said, I still enjoyed it. There was a little more gore than I was expecting and there some sex scenes which could be considered graphic. Neither of these facts bothered me, however some people may find it offensive. The characterisation wasn't bad, Kenny's brain tumour changed his personality quite a lot, which I believe is reflective of real life, and the author took care to include other symptoms of the tumour and made these integral to the plot.
In all, I liked this and would probably read more of the author's work.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
3.0
Captured by Neil Cross is a 2015 Open Road Integrated Media publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This dark, thought provoking psychological thriller is brought to us by Neil Cross, the author perhaps best known as the creator of “Luther”.
When Kenneth Drummond is informed he has brain cancer and only weeks to live, he begins to put his affairs in order. One thing that is very important to him, is setting things right between himself and those who have touched his life in one form or another. An old classmate who was very kind to him in school, is a woman he would like to reconnect with, just to thank her for her friendship. However, when he discovers she has vanished and perhaps there was foul play involved, his makes it his mission to find out what really happened to his friend and see that justice is served.
While brilliant on one hand, the story is strangely lacking on the other. This is certainly an interesting read. It is a sad commentary on Kenneth's life, is darkly humorous is some ways, and kept me wondering if Kenneth is really on the right track or if his health has caused him to go around the bend a little... or a lot.
I believe we were to assume there was some kind of dark karma at work here, but I was left feeling kind of puzzled by how things were wrapped up. The ending comes to a rather sudden stop, even though all our questions are answered. I felt like there should have been more than what was offered, leaving me with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
There are several twist and forks in the road along the way, so there was nothing at all predictable about the story, which is what kept me engaged in it. I was quite worried about Kenneth the entire time and felt like shouting at him to stop this madness and enjoy your time left. What are doing? What are thinking? Especially, as things continue to spiral more and more out of control.
To sum it all up, I think the book is worth checking out. It's a little offbeat and is a somber story, but I believe you can appreciate the effect the author was going for and appreciate the talent and imagination behind it. Overall this one is 3 stars
This dark, thought provoking psychological thriller is brought to us by Neil Cross, the author perhaps best known as the creator of “Luther”.
When Kenneth Drummond is informed he has brain cancer and only weeks to live, he begins to put his affairs in order. One thing that is very important to him, is setting things right between himself and those who have touched his life in one form or another. An old classmate who was very kind to him in school, is a woman he would like to reconnect with, just to thank her for her friendship. However, when he discovers she has vanished and perhaps there was foul play involved, his makes it his mission to find out what really happened to his friend and see that justice is served.
While brilliant on one hand, the story is strangely lacking on the other. This is certainly an interesting read. It is a sad commentary on Kenneth's life, is darkly humorous is some ways, and kept me wondering if Kenneth is really on the right track or if his health has caused him to go around the bend a little... or a lot.
I believe we were to assume there was some kind of dark karma at work here, but I was left feeling kind of puzzled by how things were wrapped up. The ending comes to a rather sudden stop, even though all our questions are answered. I felt like there should have been more than what was offered, leaving me with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
There are several twist and forks in the road along the way, so there was nothing at all predictable about the story, which is what kept me engaged in it. I was quite worried about Kenneth the entire time and felt like shouting at him to stop this madness and enjoy your time left. What are doing? What are thinking? Especially, as things continue to spiral more and more out of control.
To sum it all up, I think the book is worth checking out. It's a little offbeat and is a somber story, but I believe you can appreciate the effect the author was going for and appreciate the talent and imagination behind it. Overall this one is 3 stars
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