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robinhigdon's review against another edition
4.0
good twists in the story. ending was a bit weak, overall very good read
bookdancing's review
4.0
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=The_Two_Deaths_of_Daniel_Hayes_by_Marcus_Sakey
mikedeab63's review
3.0
A nice hook at that start (man staggers, half dead out of the ocean and can't remember anything) loses steam soon after before a nice, unexpected two step at the end redeemed the book for me a bit.
The dream sequences and the odd script interludes just didn't work for me and ground any narrative momentum to a halt. For some reason, I couldn't work up much sympathy or feel the stakes were all that high for the main characters till the very end. I think I needed a little more outward conflict with Bennett and the police (there was inner turmoil aplenty as Daniel tries in vain to recover his memories, but it wasn't much fun to read) to crank up the tension.
A decent, but not spectacular (wanted more from someone of Sakey's talent) addition to the amnesia canon.
The dream sequences and the odd script interludes just didn't work for me and ground any narrative momentum to a halt. For some reason, I couldn't work up much sympathy or feel the stakes were all that high for the main characters till the very end. I think I needed a little more outward conflict with Bennett and the police (there was inner turmoil aplenty as Daniel tries in vain to recover his memories, but it wasn't much fun to read) to crank up the tension.
A decent, but not spectacular (wanted more from someone of Sakey's talent) addition to the amnesia canon.
vkemp's review
3.0
A man wakes up on the beach in Maine with no memory of who he is or why is is drowning. His journey takes him back across the country to California, dodging bad guys and the police as he goes. Everyone in the book could be a threat to the man who calls himself Daniel Hayes. It's a thrill ride to read. One thing I did not like was the cut-outs of Hollywood screen plays, although an effective plot device, I found it tiresome (it could just be me). The ambiguity of the ending is also annoying, but that is again my taste and desire to always have the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Ambiguity is an important part of the plot in this book. Any book by Marcus Sakey is a good read and worth seeking out for those how like fast-paced action thrillers.
mittellos's review
3.0
I liked the book and the authors style. I could predict some of the future actions but not enough to lose interest. I look forward to trying one of his other books.
kellyhager's review
5.0
I’m going to give you the publisher’s summary because that’s the safest way to keep from ruining something.
“A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach.
The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he
finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank
envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel
Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.
None of it is familiar.
What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes,
and if so, why doesn’t he remember? While he searches for answers, the world
searches for him-beginning with the police that kick in the door of his dingy
motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be
Daniel Hayes flees into the night.
All he remembers is a woman’s face, so he sets off for the only place he might
find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.
But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets
there?”
Me again. I’ve read Marcus Sakey’s books since his first book came out, and I’ve loved all of them. I think my favorite is the third, Good People, but they do seem to keep getting better. I say that, because this one is easily the best of the lot. The pacing is relentless and because Daniel has amnesia, we learn things as he does.
Also, the villain in this? Easily the scariest person I’ve encountered in books.
If you haven’t read any Marcus Sakey novels yet, start with this one and then go back and read the other four. (Five, if you have a Kindle and can get the collection of stories.)
Recommended—but only if you have time to read it straight through. This is one you won’t be able to put down.
“A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach.
The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he
finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank
envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel
Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.
None of it is familiar.
What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes,
and if so, why doesn’t he remember? While he searches for answers, the world
searches for him-beginning with the police that kick in the door of his dingy
motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be
Daniel Hayes flees into the night.
All he remembers is a woman’s face, so he sets off for the only place he might
find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.
But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets
there?”
Me again. I’ve read Marcus Sakey’s books since his first book came out, and I’ve loved all of them. I think my favorite is the third, Good People, but they do seem to keep getting better. I say that, because this one is easily the best of the lot. The pacing is relentless and because Daniel has amnesia, we learn things as he does.
Also, the villain in this? Easily the scariest person I’ve encountered in books.
If you haven’t read any Marcus Sakey novels yet, start with this one and then go back and read the other four. (Five, if you have a Kindle and can get the collection of stories.)
Recommended—but only if you have time to read it straight through. This is one you won’t be able to put down.
imzadirose's review
3.0
Took me almost half of the book to really get into it. I did end up liking it, but I really disliked how it was written, between the short choppy sentences and the "script" parts. Those both annoyed me and it seemed to make the book poorly written, like he couldn't figure out how to tell the story without gimmicks. I did really like the last part/end and just wish it was better written and that it wasn't so slow/boring/choppy in the beginning.
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