Reviews

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

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squirrelmonster's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

shawto's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

3.75

madtapa's review against another edition

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3.0

I received a free ARC from a Goodreads giveaway, which does not affect my review.

3.5/5

This book was an enjoyable read, but mostly not the un-put-downable one I was expecting from the blurb. This may be on me - I wouldn't be surprised if the pacing of this novel is standard in this genre. It felt as though the first third or more was devoted to introducing everyone and everything and not to revealing anything surprising. And honestly, none of the reveals "took my breath away" - possibly due to things being built in ways that made sense, possibly just due to the pacing of presentation (things didn't just jump out, for the most part). Again, all this might be very standard in this genre, and still made for an enjoyable read. There just wasn't anything earth-shattering, memorable, or gripping here for me.

chazmo1431's review against another edition

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4.0

Take Your Breath Away is the 6th Linwood Barclay book I have read, and let's just make it official, I'm a fan. The pacing in this thriller is good as it felt like there was some type of new development in most of the chapters. So my interest level was high throughout as I just didn't know what I would possibly find out next. It makes for a fun read when the writer keeps you on your toes and has you constantly trying to come up with theories as to what exactly happened and what direction the story will go in.

The premise is fairly simple. Six years ago, Brie Mason vanished without a trace. Her husband, Andrew, was the primary suspect but police were unable to build a strong case against him. Now get this, a woman has been seen around town with a striking resemblance to Brie. But so far nobody has been able to get her to stay in one place and sit down for questioning. So, is this woman Brie?

The story bounces back and forth between many of the key players, including Andrew. You really don't know who to trust so you basically are suspicious of everyone. Lots of twists make it an entertaining read. I was reasonably satisfied with the conclusion. I maybe side-eyed a few things but for the most part it stayed within normal thriller parameters. We live in a crazy world so just about anything seems like it could happen, right?

I recommend this book if you are looking for a thriller that will keep you interested without taxing your brain. Perfect as a vacation read.