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shannontrombley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.25
kaustin81's review against another edition
2.0
2.5?
This was my first (and probably last) Coben read. I’ve had 2-3 of his books on my list for a while now and was excited to dig into a good ol’ reliable genre fiction thriller. This book was not one of my top picks but it was available with no wait from Libby and sounded good.
The story was… fine which in itself wouldn’t even warrant a review but from the first 2-3 chapters I was seriously shocked by his dialogue and the way he described characters. Embarrassingly cheesy (not in a cute way either!) and unrealistic. I was scoffing throughout. I finished it partly because it was amusing and partly because after anticipating his books for so long: “Wow, his plots must be incredible if his characters and dialogue are this bad”. Nope that was not the case. He’s a better marketer than genre author that’s for sure. I can’t believe all the adaptations made from someone who writes women and gay men with the insight of a ‘Mad Men’ character. Disappointing.
This was my first (and probably last) Coben read. I’ve had 2-3 of his books on my list for a while now and was excited to dig into a good ol’ reliable genre fiction thriller. This book was not one of my top picks but it was available with no wait from Libby and sounded good.
The story was… fine which in itself wouldn’t even warrant a review but from the first 2-3 chapters I was seriously shocked by his dialogue and the way he described characters. Embarrassingly cheesy (not in a cute way either!) and unrealistic. I was scoffing throughout. I finished it partly because it was amusing and partly because after anticipating his books for so long: “Wow, his plots must be incredible if his characters and dialogue are this bad”. Nope that was not the case. He’s a better marketer than genre author that’s for sure. I can’t believe all the adaptations made from someone who writes women and gay men with the insight of a ‘Mad Men’ character. Disappointing.
cecile87's review against another edition
3.0
This is my first Harlan Coben novel. It had all the right elements to keep me engaged. A likeable protagonist along with an interesting array of characters, an interesting number of women. That the lines of right and wrong, the ethical and unethical get blurred is clearly on display here. These days I so want accountability and justice here in the real world. But I guess that has never been the case. The history of the police industry uncovers how it was built to maintain white power after reconstruction, after all.
Anyway, I read this book to escape the issues of current politics, the pressures of COVID and quaratining, the misery of the incessant white-body assaults upon black bodies. Looks as though I can’t escape that. This story ended up not being as much an escape as I’d hoped. I did not avoid the never ending litany of white-bodies attacking black ones and trying to get away with it. This was not the main issue in the story, but it led to some of the woes of the protagonist.
The timely cultural details were overused: music titles in particular. I did like his chief investigator—a strong, very competent woman. Also, I’m not much into learning how much struggle men have around attractive women. Been done to death—not entertaining, especially when repeated over and again.
I may read another one of his books at some point.
Anyway, I read this book to escape the issues of current politics, the pressures of COVID and quaratining, the misery of the incessant white-body assaults upon black bodies. Looks as though I can’t escape that. This story ended up not being as much an escape as I’d hoped. I did not avoid the never ending litany of white-bodies attacking black ones and trying to get away with it. This was not the main issue in the story, but it led to some of the woes of the protagonist.
The timely cultural details were overused: music titles in particular. I did like his chief investigator—a strong, very competent woman. Also, I’m not much into learning how much struggle men have around attractive women. Been done to death—not entertaining, especially when repeated over and again.
I may read another one of his books at some point.
sas_marie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
katietoon's review against another edition
2.0
Well this took forever. Put my right back into the reading slump I’d not long got out of.
Never quite got into it, plot’s kinda eh and ending’s even more ‘eh’.
Never quite got into it, plot’s kinda eh and ending’s even more ‘eh’.
kaisersozee's review against another edition
5.0
Another Coben gem!! Love the way he weaves his characters into a lot of his books. Its like you get to know them more with every book.
gemarky's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
stacis16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
4.0
Got an email from Netflix that the limited series The Woods will be published tomorrow. Looked to me first like [b:In the Woods|2459785|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562761513l/2459785._SY75_.jpg|3088141], which was also filmed and which I saw with a Starz trial membership. Blurb is interesting, so I bought this book and will read it before I watch the series.
Epic story-arc, which goes back in time to WW2 and one harrowing siege in Russia. A bit much, should have been a little less, and maybe a little shorter, to be more suspenseful. And it jumps quite a lot between the different times, which I can do without, a writing stile I dislike in general.
Still, warrants 4 stars, is one of the better books from Coben I read (only a few) and I look forward to the TV-series.
Recommended. Reasonably fast read.
Epic story-arc, which goes back in time to WW2 and one harrowing siege in Russia. A bit much, should have been a little less, and maybe a little shorter, to be more suspenseful. And it jumps quite a lot between the different times, which I can do without, a writing stile I dislike in general.
Still, warrants 4 stars, is one of the better books from Coben I read (only a few) and I look forward to the TV-series.
Recommended. Reasonably fast read.
jrice92's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't read many books recently (thanks to my manga obsession) but this was a really great, if somewhat predictable thriller!