margenotbutter's review against another edition
4.0
This book was SO TENSE I felt like I couldn't breathe at some points. My main gripe was that it became quite repetitive with all the dangerous situations - I understand that the author put them in to make the villain seem more threatening but at the same time Jack would get into danger, then think that he should be more careful, then get into danger, then think that he needed to be careful...etc. However I did really enjoy it.
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
2.0
I felt that I had walked into the room halfway through a film and I couldn't ever quite get a grasp on it as I read 'Deviant Ways'. I checked a few times as to whether this was part of a series, but I believe that it was just a standalone but with one heck of a back story.
I liked the tortured-by-the-dead-wife storyline and how it fed into Jack's mental well-being and the current killer's M.O. I felt that the Slavitt storyline was one back story too far, and that it shouldn't have been included in this novel at all. It just added another set of names and events that I had to remember, and yet it had no real impact on the main plot, unlike the wife-murder plot.
As a whole I felt that the book was quite repetitive, and though I was absorbed in the early stages by the tension, the high danger situations and the constant exploding bombs, by halfway I was really struggling to maintain interest and put the book down a few times with every intention of not carrying on. I did however, because there were some elements that I did enjoy and despite myself, I wanted to see how it came together.
A lot of my dislike was triggered by a particular bug-bear of mine which is the whole 'everyone in power is involved and trying to cover it up' storyline. I find them pointless and frustrating and I rarely finish books that use it as a premise.
I also didn't take to the dreams and conversations that Jack had with various dead people. It made him feel unhinged and I wondered how we were supposed to champion him when he was little better than all the murderers in the book. Again, it felt like bulk to up the word count rather than to progress the plot.
I also kept finding inconsistencies in the story telling.
There was also a line - that I couldn't find when I flipped back through after - that described Slavitt as an unemployed/out of work plumber. I know that it was in there because it was quite a wordy sentence and I had to read it a couple of times and thought that it was odd phrasing. But later, Slavitt is described as an auto-mechanic. I know that these are only minor points but they sort of undermined the writing and storytelling.
I did finish the novel, but I really had to force myself to go back to it a couple of times. It was just too repetitive and a bit too long. It read like a screenplay for a big-budget American action film where everything just blew up and the 'hero' kept dodging death and surviving despite it all. The back stories were essentially books in their own right, but instead of making them books and just recapping in 'Deviant Ways', we essentially just got three books in one which was confusing and unduly complex.
I liked the tortured-by-the-dead-wife storyline and how it fed into Jack's mental well-being and the current killer's M.O. I felt that the Slavitt storyline was one back story too far, and that it shouldn't have been included in this novel at all. It just added another set of names and events that I had to remember, and yet it had no real impact on the main plot, unlike the wife-murder plot.
As a whole I felt that the book was quite repetitive, and though I was absorbed in the early stages by the tension, the high danger situations and the constant exploding bombs, by halfway I was really struggling to maintain interest and put the book down a few times with every intention of not carrying on. I did however, because there were some elements that I did enjoy and despite myself, I wanted to see how it came together.
A lot of my dislike was triggered by a particular bug-bear of mine which is the whole 'everyone in power is involved and trying to cover it up' storyline. I find them pointless and frustrating and I rarely finish books that use it as a premise.
Spoiler
The fact that at one point the President is called so that he can cover his backside was just ridiculous to me. Was he really involved? Could it not just have been a couple of rogue FBI agents? Then suddenly the head of the FBI has hired an assassin to kill of his own agents who know about the cover-up? I mean… really? Was I supposed to believe all that?I also didn't take to the dreams and conversations that Jack had with various dead people. It made him feel unhinged and I wondered how we were supposed to champion him when he was little better than all the murderers in the book. Again, it felt like bulk to up the word count rather than to progress the plot.
I also kept finding inconsistencies in the story telling.
Spoiler
At one point, a story about Jack is run on the news and Taylor explains to him that the news said he was once in an institute called 'Ocean's Point', yet when Jack speaks to Malcolm a couple of chapters later, Malcolm says that the news never mentioned the institute by name.There was also a line - that I couldn't find when I flipped back through after - that described Slavitt as an unemployed/out of work plumber. I know that it was in there because it was quite a wordy sentence and I had to read it a couple of times and thought that it was odd phrasing. But later, Slavitt is described as an auto-mechanic.
I did finish the novel, but I really had to force myself to go back to it a couple of times. It was just too repetitive and a bit too long. It read like a screenplay for a big-budget American action film where everything just blew up and the 'hero' kept dodging death and surviving despite it all. The back stories were essentially books in their own right, but instead of making them books and just recapping in 'Deviant Ways', we essentially just got three books in one which was confusing and unduly complex.
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
1.0
I’m flabbergasted. Truly I am. How is this book getting such good reviews?
This book sees a serial killer on a mission (he’s trying to embarrass the FBI for reasons that become apparent if you read the book, but if you’re interested, the FBI worked to reprogramme maladjusted youth, making mistakes along the way). On the way, he decides to taunt the local detective. Because reasons, I guess.
Anyhow, the book is beyond daft. The premise for the serial killer’s actions is beyond daft. I won’t bore you with the details, but it is SO FAR BEYOND DUMB, it makes dumb look Mensa material. Oh and there’s like 7 stories in this book. There’s the FBI. There’s the serial killer. There’s the detective, his backstory, and his girlfriend. There’s a retired FBI agent who knows too much. There are psychologists. There are links all over the place. There is lots of backstory. Lots and lots of back story. It’s almost as if the author and his editor couldn’t make up their minds about which story they wanted to use, so threw all the stories in, in the hope that at least one would stick. None did. For me at least.
So all, too busy. I didn’t enjoy.
This book sees a serial killer on a mission (he’s trying to embarrass the FBI for reasons that become apparent if you read the book, but if you’re interested, the FBI worked to reprogramme maladjusted youth, making mistakes along the way). On the way, he decides to taunt the local detective. Because reasons, I guess.
Anyhow, the book is beyond daft. The premise for the serial killer’s actions is beyond daft. I won’t bore you with the details, but it is SO FAR BEYOND DUMB, it makes dumb look Mensa material. Oh and there’s like 7 stories in this book. There’s the FBI. There’s the serial killer. There’s the detective, his backstory, and his girlfriend. There’s a retired FBI agent who knows too much. There are psychologists. There are links all over the place. There is lots of backstory. Lots and lots of back story. It’s almost as if the author and his editor couldn’t make up their minds about which story they wanted to use, so threw all the stories in, in the hope that at least one would stick. None did. For me at least.
So all, too busy. I didn’t enjoy.
amothersmusings1's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book, absolute page turner and couldn't put it down. Just love these type of books, I have read previous Chris Mooney novels and will continue to look for more. Would recommend.
ibeforem's review
3.0
This was merely average for me. Mooney didn’t make me particularly care about any of the characters or their welfare. I kept expecting a twist, like a mole who was helping the bad guy, but it never came.
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