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dotorsojak's review against another edition
3.0
2.9 stars rounded up
I didn't think this was nearly as good as PURSUIT, which I also just read. Not nearly as much killing, which isn't the reason. It's actually kind of refreshing that our protagonists don't kill many people.
One of the things I don't like about the book is actually something that TP does fairly frequently: introduces a character, gives some backstory so that we start to get interested, then kills the character off.
This belongs to the genre of books that introduces an ordinary person, puts him in danger (he is a guy in this case), and then shows how he gets drawn into the mystery and rises to the occasion. There's nothing wrong with this. It's just that our hero is kind of vaguely drawn and not all that interesting. My take anyhow.
Recommended with some reservations.
I didn't think this was nearly as good as PURSUIT, which I also just read. Not nearly as much killing, which isn't the reason. It's actually kind of refreshing that our protagonists don't kill many people.
One of the things I don't like about the book is actually something that TP does fairly frequently: introduces a character, gives some backstory so that we start to get interested, then kills the character off.
This belongs to the genre of books that introduces an ordinary person, puts him in danger (he is a guy in this case), and then shows how he gets drawn into the mystery and rises to the occasion. There's nothing wrong with this. It's just that our hero is kind of vaguely drawn and not all that interesting. My take anyhow.
Recommended with some reservations.
ecari's review against another edition
2.0
Perry writes a good, quick read. This one was ok, but left me wanting in the end - seemed a bit far-fetched for my taste (even for a good, ol' fashioned suspense novel).
gaillinot's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.0
psalmcat's review against another edition
5.0
Really good! About insurance fraud, which sounds terribly boring, but it's his typical adventure story. I need to make sure I catch up on him & his books. This is about, eventually, a small town in New Hampshire that's really frightening in a Stepford Wives kind of way.
grs909's review against another edition
3.0
First half was interesting. I liked it a lot. A so-so last half gets it three stars overall.
zade's review against another edition
3.0
I always enjoy Perry's work and this book is no exception. It is not nearly as absorbing as the Jane Whitefield books, but it has a lot to recommend it--mostly the same elements that make all of Perry's books fun: the story covers a lot of ground geographically and plot-wise and there is at least one character who is quite likable, if a bit eccentric. In this case, the main character was merely ok. I didn't much care for him or dislike him. His mentor, however, really made the book. I only wish he had been in it more as he was the sole source of pithy comments and aphoristic wisdom. Why only 3 stars? Well...the plot drags a bit in several places. I found myself skimming more than once. And the fact that the main character was such a bore didn't help any. Despite those negatives, however, I would recommend reading the novel. It's certainly better than most of what's out there in the thriller genre. Even when he's not at the top of his game, Perry just can't write a bad story. And who else could even imagine making a thriller about the insurance industry, never mind make it work?
ericwelch's review against another edition
4.0
This book is about insurance fraud and claims analysis. Yawning yet? Be in for a surprise as Thomas Perry weaves a terrific investigative tale built around precisely those seemingly soporific plot elements. Max Stillman, a new character for Perry, and John Walker, an insurance analyst who's really good with numbers, team up to discover how a man could impersonate another to make off with millions in death benefits. What they uncover has much larger ramifications and leads them to a town in New Hampshire with a rather sordid past. Mix in Serena, a.k.a Mary Katherine, a delightfully vampish hacker, and all the ingredients are there for a fun read.
Listened to as an audio book that had me sitting in the driveway much too much to hear what was next. Read by a favorite reader, Michael Kramer.
Listened to as an audio book that had me sitting in the driveway much too much to hear what was next. Read by a favorite reader, Michael Kramer.
hazelbright's review
5.0
Supremely engaging book with an insurance company's statistical analyst featured as the protagonist.
Here's a favorite excerpt:
"So far, the only thing I can think of that's worth any unpleasantness at all is a woman who's amenable to your favorite pastimes and whose voice doesn't set your teeth on edge. Would I trade everything I've got for it? Sure. I've done it about four times."
You now know exactly who this character is - he's a clear-eyed, humorous, older guy who spares no one any quarter, especially himself. This is not even the main character, but a side character.
While the story was excellent, the writing - the small details and insights in the asides - is what shines in this novel. Thomas Perry's writing is already head and shoulders above most other authors, and Death Benefits is one of his best.
Here's a favorite excerpt:
"So far, the only thing I can think of that's worth any unpleasantness at all is a woman who's amenable to your favorite pastimes and whose voice doesn't set your teeth on edge. Would I trade everything I've got for it? Sure. I've done it about four times."
You now know exactly who this character is - he's a clear-eyed, humorous, older guy who spares no one any quarter, especially himself. This is not even the main character, but a side character.
While the story was excellent, the writing - the small details and insights in the asides - is what shines in this novel. Thomas Perry's writing is already head and shoulders above most other authors, and Death Benefits is one of his best.
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