nglofile's review against another edition
1.0
Another alternating narrative between the good guy (girl, actually) and a bad guy (but one with somewhat redeeming qualities). Initially, Sara's chapters were more interesting than Morgan's, but it seemed like her character should have made much smarter choices than she did. The characters were too flat, the reader isn't given much credit, and a couple of gratuitous scenes seemed both badly conceived and clumsily executed. A disappointment.
gulshanbatra's review
3.0
Two characters from opposite sides of the law come to an inexorable face-off in this slow-burn thriller. What starts off as a (supposed) traffic stop gone horribly wrong, slowly turns into something much more sinister and dangerous, with serious repercussions for all involved.
I found the story interesting enough, with reasonably clear characterization and a murky enough environment to be interesting and intriguing. Eventually, however, the story didn't gather enough steam nor did it have enough pull to keep me invested in the characters all the way through. Especially, the character of Sara Cross is covered from the beginning as if she is a protagonist, but she is painfully inadequate, almost inept at times, at handling what circumstances the author chooses to throw at her. I found her indecisive on some occasions, and ineffective on some other occasions, all in all a somewhat rough package.
Morgan too could have been given more to do. He is supposed to be this "Man-on-Fire" persona, and there's a menace lurking beneath his exterior - we don't get to see any of that. He is clearly a has-been when it comes to fearsomeness, though he is able to project enough of it on others around him, and he is shown as clever enough - to have survived in his line of work well into his later years.
IMO, there is a lot of space used up in the interactions of Sara with Billy, who happens to be her ex. While those worked good - I guess - as far as characterizations is concerned, it did little to progress the story, other than make the stakes (and decisions) more illogical (!) at times.
A satisfying read, but never quite excels.
I found the story interesting enough, with reasonably clear characterization and a murky enough environment to be interesting and intriguing. Eventually, however, the story didn't gather enough steam nor did it have enough pull to keep me invested in the characters all the way through. Especially, the character of Sara Cross is covered from the beginning as if she is a protagonist, but she is painfully inadequate, almost inept at times, at handling what circumstances the author chooses to throw at her. I found her indecisive on some occasions, and ineffective on some other occasions, all in all a somewhat rough package.
Morgan too could have been given more to do. He is supposed to be this "Man-on-Fire" persona, and there's a menace lurking beneath his exterior - we don't get to see any of that. He is clearly a has-been when it comes to fearsomeness, though he is able to project enough of it on others around him, and he is shown as clever enough - to have survived in his line of work well into his later years.
IMO, there is a lot of space used up in the interactions of Sara with Billy, who happens to be her ex. While those worked good - I guess - as far as characterizations is concerned, it did little to progress the story, other than make the stakes (and decisions) more illogical (!) at times.
A satisfying read, but never quite excels.
harmless_old_lady's review
3.0
Another solid, action-packed thriller by Wallace Stroby. Fascinating characters, especially the hitman Morgan.
shannarchy's review
3.0
Sometimes a book is hard to put down, this is one of those books. The writing isn't spectacular, but the story hooked me, and that is half the battle. I appreciate a good thriller both in book and movie form and this is one that really kept me interested. That being said when it comes down to the end, it definitely could have been better. Sarah ends up being a pretty useless character overall, not so much a main character as a prop for the author. She has such a minimal role in the outcome of the novel other than her being a witness to events. It seems a bit of a stretch to have her be considered a protagonist in the story.
No character in the book is given much of a backstory, so the characters end up being poorly developed. The book introduces interpersonal problems that never get resolved, and that leaves something to be desired. I suppose in many ways though conflicts sometimes remain unresolved in the land outside of books. The bigger disappointment is the lack of closure on medical problems that are exposed within the plot. Does Morgan live? Well he ends up chilling by a stream, and ultimately a whole new story could come from Morgan's future endeavors, which may or may not be the point in the cliff hanger of his life.
The ending itself is fairly disappointing and not very well laid out. I suppose killing off the majority of the main characters is one way of ending a book, worked in Hamlet... I just prefer some sort of moral deliverance with my stories.
Ultimately though, the book held my attention and was entertaining. There was just enough drug lord/police tension to make the novel interesting and the violent nature of Morgan's half of the story definitely kept me reading. I also appreciated the fact that the sex aspects were limited to a need to know basis and weren't gratuitous. Sex was used simply as a means of plot development and that is rare. Will I read it again? No, it will likely end up at my local used bookstore.
Apologies for any typos, my computer was across the room and laziness won, so this was typed on my phone.
No character in the book is given much of a backstory, so the characters end up being poorly developed. The book introduces interpersonal problems that never get resolved, and that leaves something to be desired. I suppose in many ways though conflicts sometimes remain unresolved in the land outside of books. The bigger disappointment is the lack of closure on medical problems that are exposed within the plot. Does Morgan live? Well he ends up chilling by a stream, and ultimately a whole new story could come from Morgan's future endeavors, which may or may not be the point in the cliff hanger of his life.
The ending itself is fairly disappointing and not very well laid out. I suppose killing off the majority of the main characters is one way of ending a book, worked in Hamlet... I just prefer some sort of moral deliverance with my stories.
Ultimately though, the book held my attention and was entertaining. There was just enough drug lord/police tension to make the novel interesting and the violent nature of Morgan's half of the story definitely kept me reading. I also appreciated the fact that the sex aspects were limited to a need to know basis and weren't gratuitous. Sex was used simply as a means of plot development and that is rare. Will I read it again? No, it will likely end up at my local used bookstore.
Apologies for any typos, my computer was across the room and laziness won, so this was typed on my phone.
mikedeab63's review
4.0
I actually read this one after Stroby's latest, A Cold Shot to the Heart, and while they share the crime genre, this one is much more meditative in most places. The action pieces still rip and snort, but where ACHttH was a straight ahead caper/aftermath story firmly entrenched in the present with only glancing glimpses of the fuller characters, GtN stretches it's legs and takes its quiet time. Each character and their motivations are more fleshed out. Maybe they're just spelled out more. Regardless, the slow wind up and quiet nature of the first three quarters pay off handsomely (and bloodily) in the final act.
ranaelizabeth's review
3.0
This book played some muscle memory tricks on me. While published in 2010, it (except for the cell phones) is much more like something I read while a teenager and checking things out from the Lancaster Public Library (holla!). The story, the characters, the setting were all very superficial; a crime thriller but yet, I buzzed through it in an afternoon as there were no twists and no turns. Just a straight-forward bad guy drug dealer enforcer vs good girl cop. And of course, the good girl cop has a broken heart from an old relationship with a fellow cop. And of course, the bad guy drug dealer enforcer has a heart of gold. That's the way these things go. And it was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
Also, a good part of the muscle memory was that I think this was an original copy from 2010. The paper had that very distinctive old book smell, a little musty, and was quite soft. Plus, the spine was almost completely broken. This baby's been rode hard and put away wet. Well, not wet, because that really ruins books but put away well read. Or something.
Also, a good part of the muscle memory was that I think this was an original copy from 2010. The paper had that very distinctive old book smell, a little musty, and was quite soft. Plus, the spine was almost completely broken. This baby's been rode hard and put away wet. Well, not wet, because that really ruins books but put away well read. Or something.
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