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A review by ccgwalt
Object of Desire by Dal Maclean
4.0
Story B
Excellent narration by Gary Furlong 4.5 A-
Edited: After a day of thinking about it, I realize there is a pretty big plot hole around the method of murder. The method used should have been easily traced by the police. Big Spoiler Alert! Even though the method of murder is detailed early on in the book, this spoiler may impact your enjoyment.
What Object of Desire is, is an extremely well-written, tense, edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a somewhat unreliable narrator as the POV character. Tom, a near supermodel, is shallow and self-absorbed, even though Maclean softens his edges and makes him, if not likeable, at least someone the reader can sympathize with. Tom has pretty much cavalierly used everyone in his immediate circle. He alternates between complete self-absorption and letting himself be used so he doesn't have to confront his own feelings. I admit, even though he's a supermodel, I didn't get why he was so obsessively desired by all these people. Will, Pez, Nick, and others are also described as incredibly handsome, so I'm not sure why Tom was special.
What Object of Desire isn't, is a romance. Yes, there are romantic elements, and a sort of HFN, but this isn't a romance. In fact, I'm quite surprised by the reviewers who point out the "great balance" of romance and suspense. I want to know how it can be balanced when at the 2/3rds mark the two MC had only had a handful of conversations, a quick grope, were definitely not a couple, nor working towards being one. In fact, Tom, and probably Will, were both sleeping with other people, multiple people in Tom's case, including Nick, his supposed boyfriend.
So, read it for the twisty, clever (and a bit graphic) suspense plot, and for a look into the psychology of (often) toxic relationships. Don't read it for the romance or you could be very disappointed.
After reading several reviews from respected reviewers (who all liked the books), I realize the romance plot line for book three is as thin, or thinner than this one, so I'm bowing out. If I wanted to read psychological thrillers, I would pick this up, but I want ROMANTIC suspense and these books don't do it for me.
I'm giving it a B because I can't deny these are well written suspense books.
Excellent narration by Gary Furlong 4.5 A-
Edited: After a day of thinking about it, I realize there is a pretty big plot hole around the method of murder. The method used should have been easily traced by the police. Big Spoiler Alert! Even though the method of murder is detailed early on in the book, this spoiler may impact your enjoyment.
Spoiler
Insulin is not easy to obtain. The point is, insulin-dependent diabetics need insulin to live. They couldn't use huge quantities of their insulin to kill people. And if someone stole their friend's insulin, that friend definitely would have noticed and reported it, because they would need the insulin. The insulin bottles were left at the scene and could possibly be traceable, and even if they had their labels removed, the police should have realized they needed to actually prove Tom, or anyone else, could obtain the insulin for them to have a case. It would be almost impossible to obtain that amount of insulin, even for a diabetic.What Object of Desire is, is an extremely well-written, tense, edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a somewhat unreliable narrator as the POV character. Tom, a near supermodel, is shallow and self-absorbed, even though Maclean softens his edges and makes him, if not likeable, at least someone the reader can sympathize with. Tom has pretty much cavalierly used everyone in his immediate circle. He alternates between complete self-absorption and letting himself be used so he doesn't have to confront his own feelings. I admit, even though he's a supermodel, I didn't get why he was so obsessively desired by all these people. Will, Pez, Nick, and others are also described as incredibly handsome, so I'm not sure why Tom was special.
What Object of Desire isn't, is a romance. Yes, there are romantic elements, and a sort of HFN, but this isn't a romance. In fact, I'm quite surprised by the reviewers who point out the "great balance" of romance and suspense. I want to know how it can be balanced when at the 2/3rds mark the two MC had only had a handful of conversations, a quick grope, were definitely not a couple, nor working towards being one. In fact, Tom, and probably Will, were both sleeping with other people, multiple people in Tom's case, including Nick, his supposed boyfriend.
So, read it for the twisty, clever (and a bit graphic) suspense plot, and for a look into the psychology of (often) toxic relationships. Don't read it for the romance or you could be very disappointed.
After reading several reviews from respected reviewers (who all liked the books), I realize the romance plot line for book three is as thin, or thinner than this one, so I'm bowing out. If I wanted to read psychological thrillers, I would pick this up, but I want ROMANTIC suspense and these books don't do it for me.
I'm giving it a B because I can't deny these are well written suspense books.