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sandin954's review
3.0
This a hard book to rate because, while it was well written and very compelling, it was also very dark and disturbing. The plot was perhaps somewhat far fetched, especially the set up, the narrative though moved along at a brisk pace and the ending was well executed.
buffee's review against another edition
5.0
this book has stuck with me for years. now that i found the author again, i intend to read the rest of his books. the characters were well written and their dramas are compelling - all of them. the story has a more psychological bent than most mystery novels. if you enjoy delving into characters and their motivations, this book should keep you thinking about it even after you finish the book.
sksingh's review against another edition
4.0
First from Thomas H. Cook for me. An engaging psychological mystery with a noir theme.
psalmcat's review against another edition
4.0
Good, but creepy. About a mystery author hired to uncover the truth about a 50-year-old murder; actually, he's hired to write a story that will provide closure to the victim's mother. The catch is that he has suffered for 30 years the guilt of being present at his sister's torture and murder and unable to stop it from happening. A dark mess of moral decrepitude, but well-written.
punypunny's review against another edition
5.0
(No Spoilers.) For once, the reviews and praises boasted by the book are true. This is a great book; disturbing and emotionally evoking. The conclusion gutted me and lingered on. I re-read the last two chapters and savored the impact. Thomas H. Cook - what an author! In the last two months, among other mystery novels, I have read Michael Connelly's 'The Black Echo' and Minette Walters' 'The Sculptress', both award-winning books and highly praised. And Thomas H. Cook's 'Instruments of Night' ranked above these, hands down.
intplibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book so much, I went out and got another by the same author the day after finishing it.[return][return]Having read some other reviews, I agree that it IS graphically violent in parts, though that violence is a large part of why everything else happens the way it does and how the characters become the people they are. [return][return]There are (at least) two big twists in the plot. One could have been predictable if I'd put the book down long enough to really think about it, but the other is just completely out of left field. Wait... I really shouldn't use sports analogies. lol. It's completely unexpected but it doesn't seem contrived. (Although I guess everything in a novel actually *is* contrived.) [return][return]It's part mystery, part horror/thriller, and I got tears in my eyes at the end. I'm so glad I picked up this book randomly and that the author has written enough other books to keep me going for a little while.
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