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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
An enjoyable collection of short stories, some of which had me genuinely spooked or thrilled.
4.5 Great collection of short stories each of which has an unexpected twist.
I had actually read the second of Jeffrey Deaver's "Twisted" collections ([b:More Twisted: Collected Stories Vol. II|28557|More Twisted Collected Stories Vol. II|Jeffery Deaver|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1167947363s/28557.jpg|1036882]) a few years ago so pretty much knew what I would be getting here. All the tales collected in both volumes have a twist of some kind involved, like a sympathetic protagonist victim who turns out to be the bad guy or something along those lines. Both volumes also include a Lincoln Rhymes short story as well.
I enjoyed every one of these short stories but must say that I think it is better to read other material in between each of these stories. Knowing that each tale involves a twist makes the reader prepared for such a twist and it becomes more of a game to figure out what the twist will be rather than just enjoy the story on its own merits. I found myself doing that with these stories and often saw what was coming before I should have.
I enjoyed every one of these short stories but must say that I think it is better to read other material in between each of these stories. Knowing that each tale involves a twist makes the reader prepared for such a twist and it becomes more of a game to figure out what the twist will be rather than just enjoy the story on its own merits. I found myself doing that with these stories and often saw what was coming before I should have.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Rape
I love reading short stories by authors who know what they are doing. Mr Deaver delivers 9 more thrilling stories with twists and turns to delight the reader.
Listened to this in the car on a long drive. It was entertaining for that purpose, but I wouldn't have pursued it otherwise.
3 STARS
"Diverse and provocative, Twisted showcases Deaver's amazing range and signature plot twists: a beautiful woman goes to extremes to rid herself of her stalker; a contemporary of William Shakespeare vows to avenge his family's ruin; and Deaver's most beloved character, brilliant criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, is back to solve a chilling Christmastime disappearance." (From Amazon)
I am not a big fan of mystery/suspense short stories but this collection is okay. I read all but the Lincoln Rhyme story as I have not read the series and don't want any spoilers.
"Diverse and provocative, Twisted showcases Deaver's amazing range and signature plot twists: a beautiful woman goes to extremes to rid herself of her stalker; a contemporary of William Shakespeare vows to avenge his family's ruin; and Deaver's most beloved character, brilliant criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, is back to solve a chilling Christmastime disappearance." (From Amazon)
I am not a big fan of mystery/suspense short stories but this collection is okay. I read all but the Lincoln Rhyme story as I have not read the series and don't want any spoilers.
I'd never thought favourably toward short stories before (they're typically too long for a cookie-bite fiction fix but too short for novel-esque development), but I thoroughly enjoyed these stories by Jeffery Deaver. I like how his style plays on the reader's almost inevitable assumptions and prejudices, so when the twist comes, it's not because he'd been throwing red herrings around until our eyes crossed, but because we would make assumptions about the characters and their motives based on some innocuous detail, and so would simply expect the story to be heading in a different direction. Even when I'd realised this was his style, I would often get caught out.
Expect the unexpected ... and still be surprised!
In his introduction to Twisted, Deaver acknowledges his personal delight with the experience of writing short stories. He suggests that because readers don't invest the same time or have the same emotional involvement in a short story as they would with a full length novel, the author is free to play an entirely different game - to hit like a sniper's bullet, to make the story fast and shocking, to make good bad or to make bad badder. But, Deaver says the most fun he had was to make really good really bad.
But - make no mistake - Deaver brings to the short story all the sophisticated skills that have been the foundation of his success as a novelist. He has a gift for dialogue, vivid characterization and suspense and his stories show deep insight into the emotions, the motivations, the fears and the love and happiness of his widely varied cast of characters. Despite its fundamentally gritty nature, his writing shows uncommonly refreshing humour and a capacity to convey deep feeling.
Doubtless everyone will come away from reading Twisted with their own personal set of favourites. I was fond of Lesser-Included Offense, a crafty tale of shifty, cut-throat legal maneuvers during the capital trial of an accused murderer; Gone Fishing in which a daughter begs her loving father not to go fishing in an area which has been the site of a series of brutal killings; and, finally, Nocturne which begins with the theft of a priceless Stradivarius violin at gunpoint and ends with a ... well, you're going to have to read it yourself!
The dust jacket reviews liken Deaver's mastery of the short story twist to O. Henry and Edgar Allen Poe. I was reminded of Jeffrey Archer's A Twist in the Tale and Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. For some easy going but compelling, rapid-fire, high quality toilet or beach reading that you can pick up and put down without losing the thread, Twisted will be your cup of tea! Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
In his introduction to Twisted, Deaver acknowledges his personal delight with the experience of writing short stories. He suggests that because readers don't invest the same time or have the same emotional involvement in a short story as they would with a full length novel, the author is free to play an entirely different game - to hit like a sniper's bullet, to make the story fast and shocking, to make good bad or to make bad badder. But, Deaver says the most fun he had was to make really good really bad.
But - make no mistake - Deaver brings to the short story all the sophisticated skills that have been the foundation of his success as a novelist. He has a gift for dialogue, vivid characterization and suspense and his stories show deep insight into the emotions, the motivations, the fears and the love and happiness of his widely varied cast of characters. Despite its fundamentally gritty nature, his writing shows uncommonly refreshing humour and a capacity to convey deep feeling.
Doubtless everyone will come away from reading Twisted with their own personal set of favourites. I was fond of Lesser-Included Offense, a crafty tale of shifty, cut-throat legal maneuvers during the capital trial of an accused murderer; Gone Fishing in which a daughter begs her loving father not to go fishing in an area which has been the site of a series of brutal killings; and, finally, Nocturne which begins with the theft of a priceless Stradivarius violin at gunpoint and ends with a ... well, you're going to have to read it yourself!
The dust jacket reviews liken Deaver's mastery of the short story twist to O. Henry and Edgar Allen Poe. I was reminded of Jeffrey Archer's A Twist in the Tale and Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. For some easy going but compelling, rapid-fire, high quality toilet or beach reading that you can pick up and put down without losing the thread, Twisted will be your cup of tea! Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss