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nanajo's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed some of the short stories and for the most part liked the remainder. I think it is a great concept to have two different authors work together to create a story using the characters from their previous novels that are known and loved by readers.
dustin_o's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
mato's review against another edition
3.0
This was a great concept but the collection was a bit uneven. The "bookend" stories were fantastic but others were a bit meh. Highly recommended for fans of _any_ of the authors listed on the cover.
endlessdelirium's review against another edition
3.0
A good 3.5. Faceoffs I enjoyed: Ian Rankin/Peter James, Steve Martini/Linda Fairstein, Jeffery Deaver/John Sandford, Raymond Khoury/Linwood Barclay, John Lescroart/T. Jefferson Parker, and James Rollins/Steve Berry. I was surprisingly meh on the Michael Connelly/Dennis Lehane pairing and liked Lee Child/Joseph Finder more than I thought I would as though I love Reacher as a character Lee Child's plotting leaves much to be desired.
booksmy's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
The problem with a collection of stories like this is that if you already like the author/character, you will like the story, and if you don't, you won't. Unsurprisingly, that's what happened. I did get to sample some new-to-me authors and found a couple that I liked (Gardner, Graham, Wilson) and some of the others I wasn't as interested in.
Some good, some ok, all were too short to really dig into the characters and story. Overall a nice sample.
The problem with a collection of stories like this is that if you already like the author/character, you will like the story, and if you don't, you won't. Unsurprisingly, that's what happened. I did get to sample some new-to-me authors and found a couple that I liked (Gardner, Graham, Wilson) and some of the others I wasn't as interested in.
Some good, some ok, all were too short to really dig into the characters and story. Overall a nice sample.
davidpaige's review against another edition
4.0
This is a series of stories donated by thriller writers. It's what would happen if, say, Hercule Poirot met Nick Charles. There are 11 short stories in this anthology. Some of them I know, and some of them are new to me. I already know I want to explore some of these characters the next time I run short on books to read.
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
The premise of the FACEOFF collection is one sure to intrigue any fiction buff; pit popular characters from best-selling series together or against one another and see what falls out. As Baldacci explains in his introduction, it is more of a headache than two authors teaming up to create a crossover, thanks to the legalities of publishing contracts. While I choose not to summarise each of the stories within this collection, I will admit that seeing the likes of Nick Heller and Jack Reacher, Patrick Kenzie and Harry Bosch, and even Sean Reilly and Glen Garber working in tandem opens the reader's mind to many interesting possibilities, all of which are realised in a number of short stories. This collection of authors have spun some wonderful tales, all filled with thrills and spills, with twists that keep the action growing from start to finish. While I am not familiar with a number of the characters, each has some interesting traits sure to intrigue readers familiar with at least a handful of them, as they live out short adventures on the page. A wonderful collection featuring many interesting characters living and working in their own respective elements.
While this collection was full of wonderful stories, each unique in its own right, there is a downside of bringing so many authors together. Learning about new characters and their individual nuances has looped me into wanting to discover more about them, as well as read about their stand-alone adventures. With a pile of books sure to drown me already, I cannot afford to add new authors to my overflowing quiver. I will keep this collection close at hand, as there were some characters who piqued my interest and left me wanting more.
Kudos, Mr. Baldacci, et al. for all your hard work and dedication to this project. I had a blast reading these short stories and hope a similar collection comes out again soon, perhaps from other members of the thriller guild.
While this collection was full of wonderful stories, each unique in its own right, there is a downside of bringing so many authors together. Learning about new characters and their individual nuances has looped me into wanting to discover more about them, as well as read about their stand-alone adventures. With a pile of books sure to drown me already, I cannot afford to add new authors to my overflowing quiver. I will keep this collection close at hand, as there were some characters who piqued my interest and left me wanting more.
Kudos, Mr. Baldacci, et al. for all your hard work and dedication to this project. I had a blast reading these short stories and hope a similar collection comes out again soon, perhaps from other members of the thriller guild.