Editorial Review

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Reviews (3422)

Great book to read on a plane
If you have a long flight, you can probably read it in one setting.It is a "pageturner", but, I think it is kind of hyped up for the publicity (lawsuit and movie).

Just an Over-rated Mediocre Mystery
At best Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code is just a mediocre modern day mystery with religious conspiracy overtones. The characterization seems like it came straight out of a 70's made for TV movies. If you have read any mysteries before the plot is paper thin, the first time the true villain makes an appearance, it is basically a "well isn't that contrite" moment. But it is a fast EASY reading novel. This book is just fine for lounging on the beach or passing the time on a cross country airline flight.
Pulp Fiction
I suppose everything has its fashions, from clothing to cars to literature.The Da Vinci Code seems to be one such literary fashion. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1452-1519    2. Appreciation    3. Art museum curators    4. Crimes against    5. Cryptographers    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    8. Leonardo,    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Secret societies    11. Thrillers    12. da Vinci,    13. Fiction / Thrillers    14. Leonardo    15. Manuscripts    16. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (86)

Another Great one from HC
All of his books are great.The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the standard has been set so high by some of his others.This is another great one definitely read it.

Classic Bolitar
Every time I read a book by Harlan Coben, I say "This is the best book I've ever read!" And it's true -- until the next Coben novel comes along.
probably the best of the Bolitar books so far
I have never been a huge fan of Coben's Bolitar books because they straddle the comic book genre so heavily. Winn and Myron act as mask crusaders and dispatch the bad guys with little emotion. But here in Promise Me, Coben stretches the tired story lines of his previous novels and places Myron into a situation where he is in doubt from one end of the novel to the other. This adds a curious and tense quality that is lacking in the other stories and thus elevates it a notch or two in comparison with similar books. I still don't think that Coben's Bolitar is as interesting or as engaging as the several other characters Coben has created in his stand alone/non-series based books, but its getting better.
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Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Bolitar, Myron (Fictitious character)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Missing children    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Sports agents    9. Suspense    10. Fiction / Thrillers   

Reviews (32)

Great Fun
Takedown is the best book so far, at least in my opinion, by Brad Thor. When Manhatten is thrown into chaos, this novel becomes prophetically scary. The intrigue and suspense that follows is top-notch. Highly recommended.
Takedown
I found Takedown to be one of the most exciting books I've had the pleasure of reading.I liked it so well that I purchased another book by the same author called Blowback.Brad Thor is a wonderful writer with a gift to keep his readers turning page after page.It's almost impossible to put his books down.I'll keep coming back for more as long as he keeps putting them out.
Electrifying thriller; flawed by editing
Quick, exciting chapters keep you riveted to the action. What was very distracting was the frequent lack of spaces between words, and after commas. New York's bridges and tunnels get attacked simultaneously, paralyzing the city. Scot Harvath, with the help of his friend Bob Herrington, and others join forces to find the people who committed these atrocities. President Rutledge is concerned as leader and as a single father for his injured daughter Amanda trapped in the locked-down city. The terrorists in the meantime are meticulously tracking down Mohammed bin Mohammed, a renowned bomb maker. The notorious Troll gets his revenge in the end. An unanticipated ending leaves you wanting more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage/Intrigue    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Political    5. Popular American Fiction    6. Spy stories    7. Suspense fiction    8. Thrillers    9. Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Jack Reacher is Spenser before Robert Parker domesticated his Boston PI--in fact, Reacher's even tougher than Hawk. He can inhale and exhale a few times and pump up his muscles so they make a bad character think twice about tangling with him. And he's spent enough time on the right side of the law to know how to operate in the gray zone if that's what it takes to save the fair maiden, punish the bad guys, and right any other wrongs he happens to encounter in the course of his wanderings. Read more

Reviews (80)

The gentleman is a tramp
Some reviews here were written by reviewers who did not read to the end and therefore misunderstood the story. I sympathize with that attitude. This is my third Reacher, and though I liked it better than the others, I still could not read through to the end. But at least I skimmed the final 50 pages and know what happened.
The First Time is the Best Time
I'm shocked to see the mediocre reviews of this Lee Child/Jack Reacher novel and fascinated to read the reading history of various reviewers. I want to comment on mine and other readers reactions to this series--and offer a theory--rather than really review the book.Often, perhaps, most of the time, the firstbook you read in a good to great series becomes the readers standard.Echoe Burning was this for me.My first by Child-- and out of nowhere never heard of the auther or character retrieved from a discard pile by accident--I began it andwasenthralled, captivated, enthused.Now I'veread many others, some almost as good the current but Irecall it asbrilliantand groundbreaking.Travis McGee meets Lucas Davenport with alot of coffee. Subsequent books in the series almost but don't really measureup.And KILLING FLOOR, my current read isn't on the same level at all. So these reviews are fascinating.Alot of fives.Many 1's and two's perhaps depending on where it has been read in the reader's sequence.Try this theory, for example, with Tom Robbins.I read Even Cowgirls Get the Bluesfirst and consider it the standard and masterpiece.Those who started with Another Roadside Attraction seem to feel the same about that.Theory is fun but in sum, this was a great and worthwhile book.
Needs Deoderant
Ok,I have been reading the Lee Child novels as fast as I could get them... started with Persuader because I got it in the airport.Thought it was a great airplane, vacation read. Found Killing Floor and The Enemy and devoured them in their chronological order and wished I'd read Enemy first. Then bought up to Echo Burning.Finished it today.No complaints other than I kept thinking how attractive can he be in that heat with NO DEODERANT!!PU. But couldn't put it down anyway.Still a great read and I am getting the rest of the books to go with my LEE Child set. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery fiction    5. Thrillers    6. Fiction / Thrillers   

Subjects:  1. English Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Italy    5. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Police    8. Thrillers    9. Zen, Aurelio (Fictitious character)    10. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (5)

A little to much
This book has everything I look for in a read. It has a good plot, hunky hero, gorgeous heroine, witchcraft, warriors, and the fae.Along with that are alot of erotic encounters. However, it also has a word I find offensive. There is an act I find offensive too. I did not see the necessity for the word or the act. IF you are not offended by certain words or acts you will love this book. I didn't and so I will probably not buy any more by this author.
WOW!An author worth watching....
A practicing white witch, Copper Ashcroft was casting a circle when her magic clashed with a Darkwolf, a warlock.Flung into Otherworld, Copper is trapped with several very unhappy magical creatures.Only knowing that she is direly needed back home in San Francisco, Copper can only try to break the shield that is surrounding the meadow that has become her prison.While chanting a spell, Copper accidentally brings a Tuatha D'Danann warrior into her prison with her.
Charmed, with more heat...
I like the 2nd book in the D'Anu Series better than the 1st primarily because Copper and Tiernan's characters are more likable and not as stiff as Hawk and Silver. Tiernan's definitely yummier than Hawk. This book really reads like an episode of the TV series Charmed because it is fast-paced, ever-changing and definitely cute.The only difference is that the book is more blatantly sexual than the TV episodes, definitely not for the faint of heart.
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Subjects:  1. American Light Romantic Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Romance    4. Romance - Fantasy    5. Romance - Suspense    6. Romance: Gothic    7. Crime & mystery    8. Fiction / Romance / Fantasy   

Reviews (8)

Yuck!!!
I have read and loved the Butch Karp series from the very beginning, and I was one of the many readers disappointed when Michael Gruber (the apparent ghostwriter of the books) ended his involvement.Without Mr. Gruber, the series has lost its voice.The last three books -- "Hoax", "Fury" and now "Counterplay" -- have been terrible.I can't really review this book because, for the first time in my life, I actually returned it to the store after reading only the first two chapters.I simply found it too painful to go on -- the plot was ridiculous and the writing about as colorful as an insurance brochure.Like some of the other reviewers, I was horrified by the incorrect references to previous books and extremely depressed by the dilution and distortion of the once rich and zany characters.I would rather "close the book" on the series and grieve the loss of some of my favorite characters than read another lame attempt to keep them alive by someone who apparently hasn't even read the previous books -- and who certainly doesn't have the talent to keep the series going.My advice to anyone else who feels this way is to go back to the beginning and read "No Lesser Plea" -- In other words, get the bad taste out of your mouth and enjoy what was great about this once-brilliant series.

A real disappointment
Before buying this book I read all the other reviews, but I decided to buy the book anyway, as I have long been devoted to the adventures Butch Karp and his family.Please, read the other reviews and resist the impulse to buy this - the writing is haphazard, the plot is extremely disjointed (as well as implausible) and the end result is just plain dissatisfaction.There are much better books out there!

The worst, yet, by Tanenbaum.Bring back Michael Gruber.
I could not imagine that Counterplay would be worse than Fury but oh how wrong I was:a convulted, no, an idiotic plot; ridiculous characters (this book has appearances by almost every character appearing in earlier books;) a pathetic "relevance" by tying the bad guy in Fury to Al Qaeda; plot developments furthered by heretofore hidden Karp relatives who are Russian mobsters explained in tediously long, nonsensical narratives; the Karp/Ciampi duo foiling yet another terrorist attempt at mass murder in the Big Apple; etc.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    3. Legal    4. Legal stories    5. Suspense fiction    6. Thrillers    7. Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Myron Bolitar is a fascinating character--a guy in his 30s who justmoved into his own New York apartment,and who still looks forward to dinner with his parents in New Jersey. A former pro-basketball star and Harvard Law School grad, he now runs his own sports agency, and also dabbles in the private investigation business. He is helped (and sometimes hindered) by his rich, blond, preppy friend Windsor Horne Lockwood III. Win has some awesome lethal powers hidden under his Brooks Brothers suits!Read more

Reviews (40)

Another excellent book by Coben
I had my doubts when I started the first book in the Myron Bolitar series, because some of the dialogue was a little too strained to the ear and the character of Win was a total cliche, like a whitewashed Hawk from Spenser. But Coben writes a great mystery, albeit not always one that can be solved until the hero does. And by book 4, he had turned Win into my favorite character of the series, by far. Coben also makes the violence realistic, and it's nice to see a hero without superpowers.

Love those Myron Bolitar books
I've read them all and Myron is my hero.I wish he were real.

Amazing book-twisted plot
ok, first of all I from israel and read hebrew but recently I start to read book in English only. Anyway, if you buymp into writing's mistake then I am soory- still d'ont write so well.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery/Suspense    5. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (11)

The worst book of the series
I did not enjoy this book as much as the others in the series.There was tooooooooooo much of the two reporters, their romance, their following the women in the sisterhoold, etc. they were annoying and not essential to the book and I hope they are not in the next book.I much preferred Mark from the previous book.
Sisterhood VENDETTA
In Washington DC architectural circles, engaged Isabelle Flanders and Bobby Harcourt are the rising power couple as both are talented and successful.However, everything changes when Isabelle's assistant Rosemary testified in court that her boss ran a stop sign that killed a family who had the right of way.Stunned by the betrayal as Rosemary was the driver, Isabelle takes a second wicked blow when her employee steals her designs claiming them as hers.Strike three occurs when she loses her architectural license and strike four happens when Bobby dumps her and marries Rosemary.
Not the best in the series
I love the Sisterhood series, up until this point. Sweet Revenge was defintely not a favorite. I wouldn't have bought it had I known it wasn't as good as the last four. Honestly, the first book seems to be the best. It seems like Fern Michaels has lost interest in her Sisterhood sisters.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    3. Romance - General    4. Romance - Suspense    5. Romance: Modern    6. Suspense    7. Thrillers    8. Crime & mystery    9. Fiction / General   

Reviews (238)

Thrilling and fast-paced
"Cabinets" is a wonderfully creepy scientific thriller.I especially enjoyed the well-researched historical NYC anecdotes, which don't detract from the scary plot but make it seem more believable.This is one of those books you finish in one sitting---simply because you can't put it down!Highly recommended.

A Great Read!!
This is the second Douglas Preston book I've read, and I much prefer this collaboration with Lincoln Child over his solo act in "The Codex." In "The Cabinet," the focus on early 20th century history and the manner in which the information was presented reminded me very much of another book -- the measurably superior "The Alienist" by Caleb Carr.
Killers wake
Pendargast is terrific, add Nora Kelly and William Smithback Jr. to him, you get a potent explosive mixture that will hurl you across a dark landscape. Add a century-old serial killer to this mixture and ...! You get a Preston-Child curiosity! But I have to confess, somehow the Museum characters are becoming stale and usual "Lavinia Parker" types (remember Relic?), and that steals a star from the evaluation of this novel. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    3. Literary    4. Thrillers    5. Crime & mystery    6. Fiction / Literary   

Editorial Review

John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with Read more

Features

• Abridged
• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Reviews (26)

I must apologize
I wrote that the Broker was not the book I should strongly recommend. Well, I'm astonished now, because Mr Grisham knew about ties between Cia and Italian Telecom. How did he manage? Well, back to the Innocent man. I have read some of the recension before me. I think it could be hard to cope for a layman, but it's very interesting for a jurist, expecially for a no American one. The plot is intriguing, and the style is very dry. I read it in a day, and I learnt very much about American system. System is really good, sometimes men aren't, like everywhere. The clue is: American juries care more about what a convicted should do in the future, then about which crime one actually performed, if then. That's the reason why a dropout like Ronnie was a perfect candidate for lethal injection. He was crazy, noisy , arrogant, he slept most of the time and use to chase boozes and skirts. What's the use of let he in life? Grisham is great when at the end calculates to the penny what's the cost of such a court mistake for the american taxpayer. A cynical could rebuke: right, but only because it happened to be eventually corrected. The correction was the really burden, and not the mistake. I hope to read more nonfiction from Mr Grisham, that could even write a postfaction like Victor Hugo in the Miserables: Italy loves my books, but Italian judiciary ssystem isn't any better ( Hugo said Italy loved les Miserables, but Italy was really a worse country then France ).It's a book about justice, not simply a book about american judiciary system or small countries judicial oddities. I recommend it to all law students.

A Poignant and Compelling Story!
What would you do if you were suspected by the police of the rape and murder of a young woman? Whom would you turn to if you were convicted of a crime based on circumstantial evidence and shoddy legal tactics? Whoever believes we are all innocent until proven guilty hasn't truly been put to the test.
His best book yet
His first Nonfiction book was very well written.It was a major page turner and I finished it in 2 days.I liked it better than any of his other books and I"m a big Grisham fan.Please note, if you don't want to have anything given away I'd not read the captions under the photos because some of the story will be given away.It is a very one sided story and is easy to read his contempt for the the bad part of the criminal justice system, but it also made me think.Before I read this I was a strong supporter of capital punishment, and now I still believe in it, but I see why there are so many appeals etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Capital Punishment    3. Infamous Crimes And Criminals    4. Judicial error    5. Legal System    6. Murder - General    7. Oklahoma    8. Penology    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Trials (Murder)    12. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    13. Social Science / Penology   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (127)

Police procedural and medical thriller wrapped up in a bow!
Boston is trembling under the shadow of a serial murderer with a notably gruesome method of dispatching his victims - brutal, savage rape, an obviously knowledgeable, skillful removal of the uterus while the victim still lives with the coup de grace coming as a slashed throat and severing of the carotid artery! Little wonder the media has awarded him the moniker "The Surgeon". In the course of their investigations, detectives Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli discover an earlier case with a virtually identical MO in Savannah in which the murderer, Andrew Capra, was ultimately killed by a stalwart would-be victim who fought back and shot him before he could finish the job! They are startled to discover that the surviving victim, Dr Catherine Cordell, is a noted cardiac surgeon currently practicing in a major Boston hospital, and beyond all belief in the possibility of coincidences, she appears to be the target of the now active killer!
go read it today!
I started reading the Apprentice before I read the Surgeon.About 5 pages into the story, I knew I had to stop and read the Surgeon first, and I'm really glad that I did! this book got me totally hooked on Gerritsen's series with Jane Rizzoli.The characters are a little rough in this book, compared to the books that follow, but the story is great and very creative.The love theme is a little cheesy, but it seemed to be a good contrast to the macabre story line and was written tastefully.Definitely recommended!

Oh lordy - couldn't sleep for nights >:-l
What a fantastic book.Admittedly this is my first read of any Tess Gerritsen book, but when I heard how scary this was, I couldn't refuse to read it.I do have a morbid streak and this satisfied it a lot.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    3. Medical    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Suspense    7. Fiction / Suspense   

Editorial Review

Daniel Keyes wrote little SF but is highly regarded for one classic, Read more

Reviews (400)

Psychological Sci-Fi
This book is about a 32-year old retarded man, Charlie, who is made smart through surgery.Scientists had previously tried this surgery on mice and though the mice got smarter, they rapidly declined.Finally a mouse comes along that seems to stay smart (Algernon), and the scientists decide it's time to try the surgery on a human.
Breathtaking
I don't know how I missed this jewel until now, but I'm glad I finally found it.I haven't been this moved by a work of fiction in a long, long time.I found myself so drawn to Charlie and to what was happening to him, to his longing for acceptance and love, and to his quest to make sense of his world.The desire for acceptance and love--from oneself and from others--is something all people have in common regardless their IQ.I cried as Charlie regressed, all the while knowing what was happening to him, realizing the profundity of his loss, yet finally being grateful for the short period of intellect and what that contributed to science.
Better acted out?
I have a feeling I would enjoy this story a lot more by viewing the movie or the play. The way the book was written is perfect for a screenplay. I quess I was expecting more pathos. Granted, the story was touching, but I never really felt connected with the writing style. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. General    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Psychological    6. Science Fiction - General    7. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (78)

In Precious Ramotswe, we find the charmed common sense of Africa
In Precious Ramotswe, the proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, we find the charmed common sense of Africa. She is fond of manners and good company. When her adopted orphans misbehave, she seeks advice. When a sexist competitor brails her detective agency, she treats competition as an indispensable part of running a successful business. When a remorseful client asks for help, she shows empathy. When a wronged woman demands answers, she displays discretion. She is the center of her small world.
I want to be Precious!
So many series start to wane by the time the 4th installment comes out, but not so with Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books.This installment, The Kalahari Typing School for Men is directly on the level of the previous three books--delightful, peaceful, witty, charming.
A Wife's Favorite
My wife loves this series.She cannot stop talking about them.She says they are a must read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    7. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (144)

Pompeii: A Novel
This book is a must read for people that are interested in this time in history. It reads like an eye witness account. As I live in volcano country, it makes me wonder if this could happen again today.

Very good historical fiction!
I love good historical fiction.It's a painless way to enjoy a good novel while absorbing some history."Pompeii" satisfied me on both counts.The storyline and characters are well developed, and the backdrop of Roman life and culture were fascinating.As a civil engineer, I especially loved the details of the aqueduct system for transmitting and distributing water, and how water played such a huge role in the Roman Empire.
Pompeii by Robert Harris
I actually read this book for a class.It's a novel, very enjoyable, but is also an excellent introduction to Roman life at the time of the eruption. At least one of the characters, Pliny, really lived, and the others seem real. A very enjoyable read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Historical    3. Historical - General    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Suspense    7. Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is lying low in Key West, digging up swimming pools by hand. He is not at all pleased when a private detective starts asking questions about him. But when the detective, Costello, turns up dead with his fingertips sliced off, Reacher realizes it is time to move on. Read more

Reviews (81)

Early Jack Reacher Has Room for Improvement
Unlike most people, I found Lee Child and Jack Reacher only a short while ago and after reading the two most recent Reacher novels, decided to go back and read the earlier ones. This was the first of the earlier ones I have ventured through and I must admit that the ones I read previously were way ahead of this one. The Reacher character is still there. Tough, resourceful and finding trouble at every turn.
Eillien Lee child Tripwire
Enjoyed this character very much.The tension was palpable.Altogether a fun and exciting read

Tripwire
Enjoyed the CD but wish the unabridged version was still available. Read the book and the abridged version seemed to deprive the listener of too many details. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery fiction    5. Thrillers    6. Fiction / Thrillers   

Reviews (76)

predictable but good
This book lacks the supernatural element in the Sookie books, but it was still a very driven mystery. I enjoyed it, but I felt the ending was too predictable. I didn't feel any real buildup in suspense. I enjoyed learning about Harper and Tolliver more than the acutual mystery. I would definitely recommend this book to any fan of Charlaine Harris.

Interesting New Series
I like Charlaine Harris in her darker mood.This book will probably appeal to fans of her Lily Bard series rather than her Teagarden series.The heroine is pretty screwed up and the power she has is not a comfortable one.