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3.22 AVERAGE
3.22 AVERAGE
It was ok. Some mistakes bothered me but a good story and a good read
Great, fast-moving thriller, with a subtle conceit at the core. How far would you go to get back your possessions... and how far would you go to reclaim your soul?
Well, that was awful. The one good thing about it was that it had an interesting premise. The subject matter, however was unedifying, the two main characters fairly unlikeable, and the action of the book was almost nonexistent, as it was overrun by the rather boring thoughts of the characters.
Noia, noia, noia. Sono arrivata alla fine solo perché mi disturbava lasciare una storia a metà dopo averla iniziata, e soprattutto perché ancora speravo diventasse un minimo avvincente a un certo punto. Invece mi sono ritrovata a saltare paragrafi per arrivare al finale il prima possibile. Non c'è un mistero da risolvere, non c'è suspance, forse solo nelle ultimissime pagine la storia ha un ritmo decente, prima di allora è solo un susseguirsi di scene preparatorie di un'azione che non arriva mai. Farei fatica a definirlo un thriller.
I'd probably give this 3 1/2 stars. the concept/plot is great - a con man steals people's possessions that are moving. However this time he messed with the wrong person, a 72 year old survivor from Germany.
The book is pretty well written, but there are times where it just seems to ramble on and there isn't a clear picture of why the author chose that moment to flash back.
There are some surprises with Peke's kids, one that I never suspected near the end, that's for sure!
The book is pretty well written, but there are times where it just seems to ramble on and there isn't a clear picture of why the author chose that moment to flash back.
There are some surprises with Peke's kids, one that I never suspected near the end, that's for sure!
This would have been better served as an exceptional short story rather than in novel form. An interesting story with interesting characters that was altogether too tedious of a read, this book rehashed the same sentiments over and over to the point where I was often skimming pages because I'd all but read them already. If it had been stripped of the repetitiveness and pared down the narratives (told almost all through descriptions of feelings and musings), this would have been an impressive, thoughtful, action-packed short story. In this iteration, it was tedious and a little self-important.
Audio version: This is one of those books you have to pay attention to, not so much because the plot is complicated, but because the narrator is telling you things about life, giving you insight into the characters, and showing you how and why they're making the decisions they do. I love that! The story is good too. I listened to it in 2 days because I just couldn't stop listening! Oh, and the narrator, he was great. He was like listening to one of those old Twilight Zone movies. Perfect!
I acquired Jonathan Stone's new thriller via the Amazon first program. Prime members are emailed once a month with several books to choose from and get to make that choice to the tune of a free book. This was the June offering and I am glad of it. I felt that the book started out a little slow, although I was hooked mainly because the title said "A Thriller" and there was nothing, in my mind, that was thrilling about the book at first.
At first. Yes, those are the key words. What felt like a slow start was truly a brilliant building process on Mr. Stone's part. The reader needed to be methodically introduced to both Stanley Peke, our protagonist, and to Nick, the antagonist. We had to fully understand the need and intelligence of each of these men and a little of where they came from. We need to know this so that when the final third of the book arrives, that we know and feel the thrill of the conclusion of this book. Mr. Stone does not disappoint!
I found myself more and more drawn into this book with each moment. With every moment that passes between the time when the Pekes' belongings are stolen and Stanley Peke starts to form his plan to get them back is methodical on the part of the author. I kept thinking "When is the thriller part going to happen?" Yet, what I realized was that I wasn't merely thinking that, but that I was beginning to physically feel the tension the author was building. I enjoyed the twists and turns to this story and the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars was that there was a certain predictability to the way this book resolved the plot points. Overall, a great book and quick read.
At first. Yes, those are the key words. What felt like a slow start was truly a brilliant building process on Mr. Stone's part. The reader needed to be methodically introduced to both Stanley Peke, our protagonist, and to Nick, the antagonist. We had to fully understand the need and intelligence of each of these men and a little of where they came from. We need to know this so that when the final third of the book arrives, that we know and feel the thrill of the conclusion of this book. Mr. Stone does not disappoint!
I found myself more and more drawn into this book with each moment. With every moment that passes between the time when the Pekes' belongings are stolen and Stanley Peke starts to form his plan to get them back is methodical on the part of the author. I kept thinking "When is the thriller part going to happen?" Yet, what I realized was that I wasn't merely thinking that, but that I was beginning to physically feel the tension the author was building. I enjoyed the twists and turns to this story and the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars was that there was a certain predictability to the way this book resolved the plot points. Overall, a great book and quick read.
a really good thriller, kept the pages turning and burning...
This was an odd book to me in many ways. Primarily, it seems off that I really liked it at all given that I didn't like either of the main characters. One of them though (the old man) I found intriguing. I didn't like him, but I could understand him. I enjoyed the insight into his character provided by flashbacks to his childhood and descriptions of the way he ran his business. I appreciated the back and forth nature of the conflict between them and that I was not sure how it would end up until the very end. I did find myself slightly disappointed with the ending; I felt there was too much left unresolved.
I initially started reading this book because it had apparently been recommended to my 5th grade niece who is an advanced reader even though she doesn't overly enjoy reading. This resulted in an almost immediate call to my sister. Let me be clear...this book is NOT for young readers. Too much reference to sexual preferences and activities, too many twisted psychological impacts and too much violence...and just too much meanness. Not so much to be a problem for an adult reader, but it should never have been recommended to a child.
I initially started reading this book because it had apparently been recommended to my 5th grade niece who is an advanced reader even though she doesn't overly enjoy reading. This resulted in an almost immediate call to my sister. Let me be clear...this book is NOT for young readers. Too much reference to sexual preferences and activities, too many twisted psychological impacts and too much violence...and just too much meanness. Not so much to be a problem for an adult reader, but it should never have been recommended to a child.