catdogcatdog's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this up because of the intriguing premise, but found myself hating the main character even before the he started dropping homophobic slurs. Man who resents his perfectly lovely wife is a trope I particularly dislike. The writing style isn’t my favorite, a bit overly descriptive in some ways.
I hate to leave negative review, so to be fair, here are the positives: it was an interesting mystery that kept my attention. There was a good balance of twists that were hinted at so I could figure them out prior to the reveal, and components I didn’t guess.
I hate to leave negative review, so to be fair, here are the positives: it was an interesting mystery that kept my attention. There was a good balance of twists that were hinted at so I could figure them out prior to the reveal, and components I didn’t guess.
pintura's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
andrewjstillman's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 STARS
"Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.
What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.
Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.
In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense." (From Amazon)
so slow!!!!!!!!!! I almost gave up 3 times during part 1. Every time I shut the book I would see great authors grand reviews...again I opened it. After part 1 the book did get better.
"Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.
What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.
Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.
In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense." (From Amazon)
so slow!!!!!!!!!! I almost gave up 3 times during part 1. Every time I shut the book I would see great authors grand reviews...again I opened it. After part 1 the book did get better.
glitterbomb47's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The sense of place (upstate NY) was great and reminded me of home. Making the DA an idiot so Verdon could describe law enforcement terms was quite irritating. The mystery was engaging enough, though I guessed some key plot elements long before the supposedly insightful main character did.
afox98's review against another edition
4.0
Great debut novel. I bought it on the recommendation of the book cover (it said if you like Baldacci, you'll like this book), and the employee at Murder by the Book. It was a great thriller with several twists and good back-story as well. Great characters and the author's style of writing was very descriptive and almost melodic. Hard to put down!
dyerra's review against another edition
2.0
I had very mixed feelings while reading this book. The plot was fast-paced and the puzzles at the crime scene were different and intriguing. However, whenever the plot moved away from the crime scene, I found myself bored with one-dimensional cliched caricatures instead of fleshed out characters. All of the police officers except for our main character were flawed and unpleasant people, and the main character was Mr. Do-Good whose only flaw was that he gets too involved in his job and is still haunted by the loss of his son. Overall, I probably would NOT recommend this book. You can find better.
natcommon's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
A fun read, but a little predictable because of my many hours watching Criminal Minds. lol
A fun read, but a little predictable because of my many hours watching Criminal Minds. lol
josie95's review
4.0
This was, in my opinion, the best book of the series on Gurney. Absolutely loved the story line. A bit boring with the long sections where Gurney is just talking about his garden, but that aside such a good book. That is all.
sueda5868's review against another edition
5.0
je suis wahhhhhhh, le livre il ma manger le cerveau, il est vraiment incroyable, si vous voulez commencer les thrillers franchement foncé, c'est une pépite