I had not heard of Karen Rose or read any of her books before Count To Ten, but was in the bookstore one day idly browsing, and couldn’t make up my mind on choice of reading matter for the weekend – and I wanted something I could get my teeth into. So looking through the thriller paperbacks, I saw a selection of books by Karen Rose that seemed to dwarf their neighbours on the shelf, so I picked on up and took a look, and it happened to be Count To Ten! With almost 700 pages, I figured I was getting my money’s worth, if you calculated by word count at least! So avoid if you don’t like substantial reading matter!
It turns out I had a bit of readers’ serendipity going on, as Count To Ten is in fact Karen Rose’s UK debut – although she has been popular in the US for some time now, and I can see why. In Count To Ten, a murder-arsonist is stalking Chicago, with a series of murders and fires that at first don’t seem to make sense – maybe the fires are to cover up crimes? Then it turns out that the victims are actually being burned alive, to sate some apparently crazy bloodlust. As the story unfolds, however, motive becomes apparent through a web of past history. In charge of the investigation is Reed Solliday, of the Chicago Fire Department (it is interesting to have the main investigator a fire chief rather than a cop, although Solliday does team up with Mia Mitchell of the Chicago Police Department – and could there be a romantic interest there too?).
In all this was a great read, with plenty of back story and twists and turns with the characters, including a glimpse into Solliday’s tortured personal life and its eventual resolution. If I had one complaint it would be that the villain is portrayed in quite a villainous way, when in fact he turns out to be a pretty damaged individual – then again, perhaps Rose is making the point, as argued through Solliday, that people make choices – and being damaged doesn’t give you the right to choose to damage or kill others!
Enjoyed this book, and kept me going through a long weekend, so I look forward to more Karen Rose books soon!
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If you read my last couple of Koontz reviews you’ll know I was pretty disappointed with The husband, but felt some of the spark returning when I read The Good Guy. So it was that I bought Darkest Evening of the Year on release date, and despite a busy schedule made the time to read the first few chapters, feeling strangely that this book was going to pack the punch that had been lacking in Koont’z previous two offerings.
I’m happy to say I was not wrong! The Darkest Evening of the Year sees Dean Koontz back on form as far as I am concerned, with a spooky and mysterious novel that I was happy to lose myself in over a few nights (I used to read such books over 1 or 2 sittings, but circumstances are different at the moment!). In any case, I was hooked on the plotline, and was pulled forward into the narrative, wanting to know what happened next, and somewhat seduced by Koontz’s sharp, crystal-crafted prose (whatever criticisms are levelled at Koontz, his descriptive powers are second to none)
So, what is the story about? Central character, with a mysterious past, Amy Redwing, dedicates her life to saving endangered Golden Retrievers, and has founded an organisation for just this purpose. Even among dog lovers, she’s a legend for the risks she’ll take to save an animal. One night she ends up at a home where an abusive drunk is doing his thing with wife and daughter, and offers him a large sum for the dog, as the wife and kid are getting out of there – in fact Amy puts herself at considerable risk, but there appears to be an immediate and uncanny bond between this new dog, Christened Nickie, and Amy.
But these happy dog rescuing events are thrown into doubt by some sinister and eerie incidents. An ominous stranger is following Amy, and her home is invaded and robbed of certain items – it appears Amy’s mysterious past may be catching up with her, and her boyfriend Brian has secrets of his own too. As the story progresses, the mystery unravels chapter by chapter, and it was this rush of wanting me to find out what was behind it all that kept me turning the pages.
This novel has a lot of stuff going on, twisted plotlines, shocking events – random murder, sexual perversion, child torture and infanticide; but somehow the characters of Amy and Nickie the Goldren retriever offer some kind of redemption. I will not be forgetting the supremely evil but beautiful Moon Girl in a hurry, one of the baddest girls I’ve come across in a book for a while, and the cold and merciless Harrow also makes the blood run cold. There’s also a strange hybrid character in the form of Billy Pilgrim, who despite being a cold blooded cyncial killer, also appears eminently likeable in a lot of ways, and I love one bit where Koontz, highly aware of plenty of recent criticism on the boards and book reviews sites, muses through the character on some of the benefits of not having become a writer, which was the killer’s initial ambition 
The novel does suffer slightly, I feel from an ending that seems rather rushed, and the introduction of deus ex machina may detract from its success to an extent (then again it is nice to see the supernatural element return to Koontz, where it belongs) but like they say, it’s the journey, not the destination that matters, and Dean Koontz’s The Darkest Evening of the Year took me on a narrative ride that I haven’t enjoyed so much in ages.
Just one word of warning, if you don’t like dogs, and have a gripe against dog lovers, this may not quite be the book for you!
I look forward to the next in the Odd Thomas Series, Odd Hours, to be released this summer!
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If you read my review of Dean Koontz’s The Husband, you’ll know I was pretty disappointed with that offering in the canon of Koontz latest works. Nevertheless, I still felt a frisson of excitement when I picked up the latest Koontz books (I will be reviewing the Darkest Evening of the Year no sooner than I have read it!) and settled down the read The Good Guy with a mixture of hope, trepidation and anticipation!
I am glad to say that The Good Guy by Dean Koontz is a far superior offering to The Husband, although I will stop short of saying that it’s Koontz back to his imimitable best (the guy has written some 90 novels, so he can perhaps be forgiven if they are not all up to magnum opus standards!). In any case, this was a book I really did enjoy reading, and if it doesn’t go back to Koontz’s creepy suspense roots entirely, it is steered in that direction by a pretty nasty and creepy antagonist in the form of killer for hire Krait.
The premise of the novel is a simple enough one of mistaken identity. Tim Carrier, a simple enough on the surface stone mason, is enjoying a quiet beer after work, when a stranger enters the bar and mistakes him for a killer for hire, giving him an envelope stuffed with cash and a photo of the victim, a woman named Linda Paquette. Perturbed, Tim tries to abort this mission by waiting for the real hitman to show up, and telling him the deal’s off – which buys him some time to get to the intended victim, and warn her. What ensues is a thrilling cat and mouse chase, with the dangerous and crazy contract killer determined not only to kill Linda and Tim, and end their blossoming relationship, but also to make them suffer.
I did enjoy reading The Good Guy (which seems to be a new Koontz sub genre, the good, quiet man with a simple life but a secretly exciting or dangerous past) and the prose was a pleasure to sit through, clean and crisp. The characters were interesting and not too simple, and Krait, the cold blooded, creepy, insanely civilised and yet death hungry killer, was a dark joy to experience. If you can forgive one or two substantial holes and some slightly frayed loose ends (one wonders how these get past the publishers’ editors, as they are spotted right away by amazon reviewers and everybody who reads the books), then this is a good old cat and mouse chase type thriller that will occupy a good chunk of your reading time
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Michael Palmer’s Miracle Cure is just one of several Michael Palmer books I’ve read lately, so I have a stack of reviews to add to this blog! This medical thriller is among the best Palmer books I have read so far, although they are all fantastic, and I eagerly await a few spare hours to read the latest releases!
The story of Miracle Cure is told, in third person narrative, largely from the point of view of its central character, Dr Brain Holbrook, a cardiologist who is on his way back from alcholism and addiction to prescription painkillers. Given a second chance, Holbrook starts work at Boston’s most prestigious heart unit – rapidly gaining even more Kudos for its involvement in drug testing for the new cardiovascular miracle cure, Vasclear, a substance the reportedly reverses arterial plaque and virtually eliminates heart attack risk within weeks. Holbrook is especially keen since his father has already had one bypass operation, and is deteriorating.
Holbrook is not in a position to risk his new job, afterall, it may be his one and only chance to still be a doctor. But he cannot help but notice when Vasclear patients begin to die – and not always from natural causes. Holbrook appears to be on to something sinister, and his suspicions are confirmed when first come the warnings, and then the threats, leading him to discover the sinister truth behind Vasclear…
I really enjoyed escaping into this long novel, and spent a couple of pleasant afternoons sunk into the story. Holbrook is a very believable character, certainly not two dimensional like many fictional character, with his own problems and foibles. The story is at times tragic, but always exciting, with plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned thriller reader guessing!
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In some ways Michael Crichton’s Next mixes genres in a way that Jurassic Park never did, unless you found that novel as funny as this one is! A mixture of scientific thriller and comedy satire, Next takes a glimpse into the very near future (or is it already the present?) into the post-cloning world, where Dolly the sheep is a mere step along the way to a more bizarre and surreal world than we might care to imagine – a world where the legal, moral and spiritual implications of genetic engineering and scientific progress take on confusing, annoying and at times sinister shades! For in this world, genes are patented, and you will have a legal battle on your hands if you claim your genes as your own personal property! I will never forget the bizarre thoughts of the genetically modified parrot Gerrard – and who could forget Dave, the part human, part Chimpanzee hybrid who gets adopted by his creator’s family, and tries to pass as a (severely deformed) human child…
A very good read, although some may find the lack of action and the humour a little hard going compared to other Michael Crichton novels. However, while Jurassic park is probably some way off in the real future, Next, as the title suggests, might be looking into a world of terrifying ramifications that is only round the corner!
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Another crime fiction thriller hot on the heels of my last book review, and in this thriller crime fiction guru James Patterson teams up with old partner Andrew Gross to smelt another scorching story from the word processor! Judge & Jury stars features the unlikely heroine of a reluctant member of a jury Andie DeGrasse in a mob case, and in Nick Pellisante, FBI Agent, we find the hero, as they end up pursuing their own brand of justice when the system fails them and Dominick Cavallo escapes punishment from the law…
Whatever literary purists may say, James Patterson’s (and his co authors’) thrillers are incredibly accesible books and make fiction available to those who might otherwise not have an hour to site and wade through lengthy chapters of interminable prose! The books are fast paced and incredibly easy to read – on the train, in a lunch hour, even while a bowl of pasta cooks! I love escaping into these novels for short dips or long chunks, and am always ready for the next James Patterson!
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Been getting into reading thrillers again lately, and in this field James Patterson needs no introduction as perhaps the master practioner of the genre at this moment in time! Cross stars (for I like to think of these books as written in a very cinematic style!) that stalwart old favourite Alex Cross in what is billed as the most terrifying and most emotional Cross ever, weaving together elements of the past and present to create a mixture of intrigue, tragedy, shock and resolution. As you might expect from a Patterson novel (I won’t add the the number of superlatives such as unputdownable, or the lightsocket image) the pages turn fast, and I was as intrigued by the story of the vicious Butcher, Michael Sullivan, as I was disturbed by this callous, terrible villain.
All in all a jolly good read for these cold winter nights, and the next Cross novel is already out in hardback! Cross is high octane, high adrenaline fiction, one of the best Alex Cross novels to date – read and see what you’re missing if your unfamiliar with the Cross series!
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Michael Palmer’s Fatal is a brick of a book and a rollercoaster of a read, taking us through sinister intrigue, political conspiracy, 2 love stories, extreme violence and plot twists that keep on on coming! It took me a few nights to read this excellent book, and I was hooked from the first few pages as the very believable and complex central character Matt Rutledge drew me into the narrative from the outset, as I cared about what happened to him, which is quite unusual sometimes with modern fiction. The novel begins with an explosive prologue, as a cafeteria worker with flu-like symptoms suddenly begins haemorrhaging from every part of her body, and then in Boston a brilliant musician of sound mind develops acute paranoia which proves fatal. In Matt Rutledge’s West Virginia town of Belinda, a mine worker suddenly goes berserk in the mine causing death and injury. What can the connection be between the mine, its owners, and the deaths from strange causes across the country, which appear to have no connection? And how does the new super vaccine, Omnivax, fit into the picture? Matt Rutledge is determined to find out, enlisting help from some unexpected quarters – but will his quest for the truth prove fatal?
All these question ran through my mind, and finding the answers was an enjoyable journey through the eyes of the central characters as they put the pieces of the puzzle together at great risk to themselves. This was the first Michael Palmer book I’d read – but just now I’ve been to Amazon and ordered 5 more, that’s how good a read this was, it was a book I could totally escape into and enjoy the story, looking forward to my next instalment each night, and in a way I was sad to finish it. Michael Palmer’s Fatal comes highly recommended by this book reviews blog!
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I don’t know why it is, but I haven’t read much for the last few months, and so haven’t had much to write in the way of book reviews! Still, the reading bug seems to have caught me again, so I thought I’d just post this little review of Paul Adam’s Unholy Trinity, which I picked up in a bookshop some time ago, and recently got around to reading. It’s not a particularly recent book, first published in 2000, but it was well worth turning the pages.
The plot revolves around Andy Chapman, an Italian correspondent for a British newspaper, who becomes intrigued by the brutal murder of a priest. He goes on to discover that an emissary from the Vatican had cleared his apartment of papers when his body was discovered but before the police were called. This information is turned over to an investigating magistrate in the form of Elena Fiorini, who accidentally reveals to him that she is under pressure from her superiors not to pry too deeply into this case. But these circumstances serve only to whet Elena’s and Chapman’s curiosity to find out exactly what happened and why, a quest which leads them into the Vatican’s archives, to a secret meeting of a banned political party and back to the last days of Mussolini’s dictatorship…
Normally I wouldn’t enjoy the historical flashbacks and detail which are cleverly woven into this thriller, but in this case they do add atmosphere and intrigue, especially with the mention of Mussolini and the surfacing of right wing fascism in modern times. The relationship between Fiorini and Chapman is also kept subtle and doesn’t distract from the main workings of the plot.
All in all a good read with some nice historical detail, well paced and with some unexpected twists to keep the reader on their toes
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This is a great little psychological thriller on the “revenge theme” – and shows that the emotions involved in revenge can often lead to clouded thinking and misguided actions. Tom Clone is convicted of the murder of a young woman in this Alan Gregory novel, but years later a brilliant FBI agent uncovers new evidence that casts doubt on his case, and he is released. But release into a changed world withi his missing years of freedom signals the beginning of his problems, and as he unravels these with psychologist Gregory and event unfold, it becomes clear that someone from the past believes Clone is guilty, and they are about to exact a terrible revenge…
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