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ayla44's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
literatetexan's review
3.0
A well-written thriller that would probably make a pretty good movie. The first half of the book seemed a lot more solid than the second half.
sjj169's review
3.0
Decent thriller. The ending was kinda whacked out and disjointed but overall I liked the book.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
skateanddonate's review
3.0
Good story. Interesting day to day but plot moves a bit slow until the end. Gripping story of missing teenage girl.
suzy1131's review
4.0
This is my third Linwood Barclay novel, and they are all uniformly excellent. The author excels at dialogue. He creates a milieu, and he has a unique voice. I highly recommend this author.
weaselweader's review
3.0
An enjoyable thriller based on human-trafficking!
Someday a brilliant author will find a way to make civilian Joe Average’s ability to out-sleuth the professional sleuths, to out-investigate the police force, to evade the predations of armed and deadly criminals, to rescue a victim in the face of overwhelming odds and to build all of that into a brilliant, smooth plot-line without resorting to coincidences that stretch credibility beyond any reasonable breaking point. When that happens, the author will win a Pulitzer Prize for suspense thrillers that will be created for the sole purpose of honoring that achievement. The day on which Linwood Barclay’s FEAR THE WORST appeared in bookstores was not that day.
Tim Blake is the quintessential ordinary guy selling cars, grappling with the problems of being a single father to an angsty, moody teenage daughter, struggling to deal with an ex-wife shacked up with the owner of a competing car dealership and realizing that the woman he’s bedding is an oversexed drama queen who thinks the world is out to get her. And despite the credibility issues that prevent FEAR THE WORST from achieving the lofty heights of a five-star barn burner, Blake’s efforts to rescue his daughter from the grips of a human trafficking ring make for compelling reading. This is especially true with illegal immigration being newspaper headline fodder on virtually a daily basis.
Credibility issues aside, FEAR THE WORST is eminently enjoyable and has much to be recommended. Barclay’s side-bar discussion of parental responsibility considered from multiple perspectives provides interesting food for thought as well – something that is often completely absent in many thrillers.
Recommended.
Paul Weiss
Someday a brilliant author will find a way to make civilian Joe Average’s ability to out-sleuth the professional sleuths, to out-investigate the police force, to evade the predations of armed and deadly criminals, to rescue a victim in the face of overwhelming odds and to build all of that into a brilliant, smooth plot-line without resorting to coincidences that stretch credibility beyond any reasonable breaking point. When that happens, the author will win a Pulitzer Prize for suspense thrillers that will be created for the sole purpose of honoring that achievement. The day on which Linwood Barclay’s FEAR THE WORST appeared in bookstores was not that day.
Tim Blake is the quintessential ordinary guy selling cars, grappling with the problems of being a single father to an angsty, moody teenage daughter, struggling to deal with an ex-wife shacked up with the owner of a competing car dealership and realizing that the woman he’s bedding is an oversexed drama queen who thinks the world is out to get her. And despite the credibility issues that prevent FEAR THE WORST from achieving the lofty heights of a five-star barn burner, Blake’s efforts to rescue his daughter from the grips of a human trafficking ring make for compelling reading. This is especially true with illegal immigration being newspaper headline fodder on virtually a daily basis.
Credibility issues aside, FEAR THE WORST is eminently enjoyable and has much to be recommended. Barclay’s side-bar discussion of parental responsibility considered from multiple perspectives provides interesting food for thought as well – something that is often completely absent in many thrillers.
Recommended.
Paul Weiss
cnorbury's review against another edition
3.0
Well crafted story with plenty of interesting twists. Believable characters and interesting because slightly out of the ordinary (used car salesmen, marginally deadbeat teens, small time criminals). Suffered from slow pacing. Lots of time spent on getting to know characters that seemed pretty well drawn in their first few appearances in the story. Much seemed extraneous and could have been tightened by 10-20%.