Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1932
Genres: Short story collection, Mystery, Crime, Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
''The Thirteen Problems'' is a short story collection by Agatha Christie, featuring Miss Marple.
Several guests have gathered in Miss Marple's house: her nephew, Raymond West, Joyce Lempriere (an artist) , Sir Henry Clithering (ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard), Dr Pender (a clergyman) and Mr Petherick (a solicitor). Each of them decide to tell stories of unsolved mysteries--- the solution of which are generally only known to themselves, and the other guests have to figure out the solution. In each case, nobody, except Miss Marple, can figure out the solution. The first six stories are told in this setting. The next six stories are set several months after the first six stories, when both Miss Marple, and some other people, are staying as guests in the house of Colonel Bantry. The last story is about the investigation of a suicide that is perhaps a murder. Sir Henry Clithering does the investigation, though Miss Marple already guesses the solution...
Sir Henry Clithering and Miss Marple are the two characters who appear in all the chapters. I'd first met Sir Henry in ''The Body in the Library''. In this book, this character gets more, much more depth. I liked this character. And Miss Marple is excellent as always. Her village parallels are really interesting!
I enjoyed this short story collection, a lot. The first few stories were actually quite predictable, but the last seven or eight stories are really unpredictable and absolutely puzzling! Though the first few stories are predictable, there is a kind of atmosphere in them, a kind of charm in them, that makes them really very delightful and really very enjoyable to read. All the stories in this collection are wonderful! My favorite stories in this collection are ''The Companion'', ''The Affair at the Bungalow'', and ''The Blue Geranium''. They were really delightful reads, these stories. There is atmosphere, there is suspense, there are so many puzzles.
4 out of 5
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1949
Genres: Novel, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
Of all the Agatha Christie novels that I've read, ''Crooked House'' has one of the most unexpected, surprising endings. Not only this, ''Crooked House'' is a delightful read, from the beginning to the end. It is a suspenseful novel, with well developed characters and a wonderful narrator.
The narrator of this novel is Charles Hayward. He loves Sophia Leonides, granddaughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, Aristide Leonides, who is of Greek origin. Charles and Sophia meet after a long time. But Sophia tells Charles that they can't marry right now. Why? Because Sophia's grandfather, Aristide, has recently died, from poisoning. It is apparent that Aristide has been murdered.
Charles's father is an Assistant Commissioner of the Scotland Yard. Charles decides to figure out who actually did the crime. He visits Three Gables, residence of the Leonideses. A gigantic house with a lot of family members living peacefully.
Charles gets acquainted with the members of the family. Brenda, Aristide's second wife, who is more than fifty years younger than her late husband. Sophia's parents, Phillip (who keeps an impassive expression and keeps himself busy with his books), and Magda (an actress). Roger, Aristade's other living son, and his wife, Clemency. Edith de Havilland, an elderly spinster and the sister of Aristade's first wife. And Sophia's siblings: the moody, handsome, Eustace, and the intelligent little Josephine. There's also Laurence Brown, the children's tutor. And there is an elderly Nannie.
Every member of the family seems to suspect Brenda, Aristide's young wife. Brenda seems to be the one with the strongest motive and opportunity. But Charles finds Brenda to be a helpless, lonely woman who can never be capable of committing a murder.
Who has murdered Aristide Leonides?
This is a novel that has deep, well developed characters and a lot of suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the solution came so unexpected. It surprised me. Surely it has one of the most unpredictable endings, among the Agatha Christie novels. An excellent novel, highly recommended! It is probably, right now, one of my favorite Agatha Christie books.
4 out of 5
(On a separate note, I'll not be very active in blogging for the next few weeks, as my exams are approaching! I'll be active once again from early December, after my exams end).
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1939
Genres: Novel, Mystery, Horror, Crime, Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
And Then There Were None... ah, it was such an intense,
baffling, scary mystery!!! It was so impressive and overwhelming! It was so
very suspenseful and scary, and it is certainly the best among the Agatha Christie novels
that I've read till now. It was SO intense, so powerful and psychologically intense! I LOVED it.
And Then There Were None kept me tensed and guessing. It was so intense, suspenseful.
The plot is about an island, the Soldier Island. Eight people are invited to the Soldier Island. The eight guests are: Justice Wargrave, Vera Claythorne, Anthony Marston, General MacArthur, Phillip Lombard, Mr Blore, Dr. Armstrong, and Miss Brent. After
their arrival there, they find out that there are no other people in
the island, except themselves and two servants, Mr and Mrs Rogers. There are just these ten people in this island. Nobody else. The owner of the island is apparently a Mr. Owen, whom nobody (not even the servants) has ever seen.
Atmosphere in the house, and the island, is somewhat odd, strange. All the guests find a paper in their room, where the nursery rhyme ''Ten Little Soldiers'' is written. Everybody is startled by the atmosphere of the house, but this turns into dread and fear when the guests start dying, one by one... And within a short time, all the guests come to guess that none of them will leave the island alive... and a constant fear arises: who will be the next victim? Along with many other questions. Who is the murderer? Is he one of them?...
''And Then There Were None'' builds up an excellent atmosphere, an atmosphere that is filled with scares, intensity, suspense. The psychological impact on the characters because of the events, is portrayed very well. Some of the characters, and the situations, have so much depth. The novel kept me guessing. And the solution was so excellent.
I loved this one. ''And Then There Were None'' was extremely suspenseful, thrilling, and an absolute page turner.
5 out of 5
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1941
Genres: Novel, Mystery, Suspense, Adventure, Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
N or M? is the first Tommy and Tuppence novel that I read. I absolutely loved the two detectives, Tommy and Tuppence. They were so pleasant, charming characters. Especially Tuppence, who has such a warm personality!
The novel is set during the World War II. Tommy and Tuppence are feeling bored because they have no work to do. But very soon they get a difficult task. Their work is to find an enemy agent. N and M are two enemy agents. One of the agents, or someone in connection with them, is living at the Sans Souci hotel. Therefore, Tommy and Tuppence go to the Sans Souci hotel, with false identities. Tommy stays in the hotel, introducing himself as Mr Meadows. Tuppence introduces herself as a widow, Mrs Blenkenshop.
Anyone, among the guests, can be ''N'' or ''M''. There are several guests: Mrs O Rourke (a scary-looking woman), Miss Minton, Carl von Deinim (a refugee who escaped Nazi persecution), Major Bletchley, Mr and Mrs Cayley, and Mrs Sprot, who is staying with her little daughter, Betty. Who, among them, is actually the enemy?
N or M? was such an exciting, suspenseful thriller! I enjoyed every moment of it! Tommy and Tuppence are wonderful, and Agatha Christie builds up the suspense, the thrilling situations, excellently.
I loved how the two detectives solve the case, the steps they take, the plans they make, that would lead them towards the identity of the enemy. The characters were developed very well. There were plenty, plenty of clues. The book kept me guessing! The solution to the mystery was really very good.
And the suspense that the novel had! It was excellent. N or M? was definitely a very, very wonderful, really very entertaining, suspenseful mystery.
4 out of 5
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1940
Genres: Novels, Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 3 out of 5
Review
Sad
Cypress is the first courtroom drama in Agatha Christie's Hercule
Poirot series. In this novel, Elinor Carlisle is accused of murdering
Mary Gerrard. All the evidences are against Elinor. It is apparent that
only Elinor had the motive and the opportunity of committing the
murder. But Peter Lord, a doctor, loves her so deeply that he does not
care if she is really innocent or not. He just wants Elinor to be saved
from the gallows. For this, he asks Poirot to investigate the case, find
evidences that might be used in Elinor's favor. When Poirot starts
investigating, he realizes that things are not as simple as they seem to
be.
I
didn't really love Sad Cypress. I expected more from it, after coming
across so many positive reviews. But however, I enjoyed it. I didn't
feel boring while reading. The first part, told from Elinor's
perspective, was really quite entertaining, deep and even intense at
times (Elinor's thoughts were really intense). The second and third
parts were well-paced and nice as well. The characters, especially
Elinor, were well developed. But it didn't have the suspense that I have
found, so far, in Christie's novels (there was a lot of suspense, though, in the first part).
The solution of the mystery was okay, I didn't think it was bad. It was
a compelling read, but it could have been better with a little more
suspense.
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1937
Genres: Novel, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
The first chapter of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile
is a bit confusing. A lot of characters are introduced. A lot of
suspense is built up. And the first chapter contributed a great deal to
the excellent development of suspense.
I
really loved Agatha Christie's ''Death on the Nile''. Not only is it an
excellent mystery, but it also has so much emotional intensity. The
large cast of characters is so well developed, and the situation,
suspense and mystery... oh well, so excellent! The book waits for a long
time until the real crimes take place. Within that time, the characters
and incidents are developed, they get deep... And that was absolutely
necessary for the excellent depth found in the story.
Linnet
Ridgeway is a famous, wealthy, beautiful woman. One day her friend
Jacqueline de Bellefort comes to her and tells her that her boyfriend,
Simon Doyle, is badly in need of a job. Linnet agrees to employ Simon,
and within a short time, Linnet and Simon fall in love, and soon they
get married. Jacqueline is furious because her best friend and her
boyfriend betrayed her...
On
their honeymoon, in Egypt, Linnet and Simon come across Jacqueline. It
becomes apparent that Jacqueline is following them, to annoy them, to
make them uncomfortable, to take revenge. Linnet and Simon decide
that they have to get rid of this problem.
Linnet
and Simon are traveling on the boat Karnak. Also present in the boat is
the famous detective, Hercule Poirot. Linnet and Simon ask Poirot for
his help. They ask him to talk to Jacqueline. He does so. Things get
rather complicated with several situations... until one midnight, Linnet
Doyle is shot dead...
Who
could have shot Linnet? Apparently, Jacqueline didn't, because she had
alibi. Who could have then murdered her? And from what motive?
This time, Hercule Poirot is helped by Colonel Race, who is also traveling on the boat.
Death on the Nile will
certainly remain among my favorite Agatha Christie novels! I adored
it... I loved it. I loved the way the characters were developed. I loved
the way the suspense was developed. I really admired it's depth. I
admired how, while Poirot investigates the murder, backgrounds of so
many characters are revealed. And the solution to the mystery was
extremely, extremely satisfying as well. The setting was also really
wonderful (most of the story is set on the boat, Karnak). I loved how
each of the incidents were so cleverly constructed and solved.
5 out of 5
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1926
Genres: Novel, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
The narrator in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is Doctor Sheppard. One evening he is invited to dinner to Fernley Park, the residence of Roger Ackroyd. Ackroyd reveals to Sheppard a hidden fact, centering the late Mrs Ferrars and her late husband. Doctor Sheppard leaves the house after conversing for some time with Ackroyd.
At his house, Doctor Sheppard gets a phone call. It is from Parker, the butler at Fernley Park. Parker informs him that Ackroyd is dead! Sheppard runs to Fernley, but Parker denies having made any such phone call. They break into Ackroyd's study, and discover that Roger Ackroyd is... dead.
The magnificent Hercule Poirot steps into the case, and taking Doctor Sheppard as an assistant, he starts investigating.
Who can have murdered Roger Ackroyd? In this case there are so many suspects. A stepson who has been missing since the death of Ackroyd. A butler with mysterious behavior. A maidservant. The housekeeper. Ackroyd's sister-in-law and niece, with whom he was never generous with money.
I was amazed with the twisted ending. Just AMAZED. I could have never even guessed it! It was so unpredictable. So unexpected. So amazing. Great twist, great ending!!!
I enjoyed reading the book. Well, Agatha Christie is always amazing. And so is Hercule Poirot. I guessed now and then throughout the book, but none of my guesses actually matched. Just as I was so amazed and delighted with the ending, it also took me some time to accept the twist. But however, the whole novel is excellent, and it brings me again and again into commenting about the ending, which was just unpredictable and excellent.
4 out of 5
Author: Sidney Sheldon
Published: 2001
Genres: Novel, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 3 out of 5
Review
While I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sheldon's The Sky is Falling, I won't really say that it was a great read because it wasn't. However, it's an exciting, suspenseful and adventure-filled quick read that would be worth a read. However, don't expect anything too good from this book because it can be very predictable and sometimes slightly silly. But despite that it is a fun, exciting and suspenseful read!
The Winthrops are one of the most prominent and famous families of America. However, great tragedies occur- within a year, all five members of the family is dead, apparently because of accidents.
Our protagonist is Dana Evans, a famous anchorwoman for the press. Viewers simply love her. She has just returned from Sarajevo and has adopted an orphan, Kemal, whose family members had been killed because of a bomb.
After coming to know about the co-incidental death of all the five members of the family, Dana is curious to know more, and becomes suspicious that it might be more than accidents, that it might have been murders. Her growing suspicion leads her to personally investigate more about the matter, and she herself falls in danger. Because of her investigations, someone is planning to have her killed. She can understand that she is being watched all the time. Her life is in constant danger. Who is innocent and who is not? Who is against her life and who is not? She continues her investigations, even with the grave perils lurking everywhere around her, and ultimately comes across revelations- revelations that has dangerous results.
Obviously I enjoyed reading this novel! It was a fast paced and quick read! But however, as I mentioned before, it was very predictable and slightly silly. For example, I could easily understand who were the villains and who weren't just by seeing the incidents and the behaviors of the characters. Characters are well developed, but it was easy to guess who was evil and who was innocent. Really.
Last month I had read another Sheldon novel, The Stars Shine Down, which I liked but also felt was irritating at times. However, The Sky is Falling was absolutely not irritating! Rather, it was really interesting and enjoyable!
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1927
Genres: Novel, Adventure, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
The Big Four takes place over a rather vast time- more than six months, I think- and deals with a rather complicated plot. While I've come across several negative reviews about this book, I must say that I really admired this one. I liked the structure and style of The Big Four. I liked the overall story.
Captain Hastings travels from Argentine to England to meet his dear old friend Hercule Poirot. Poirot, however, is himself planning to go to South America in order to deal with a case that offers him a generous sum. While Poirot and Hastings are talking, a mysterious person appears at Poirot's residence, who is very sick and weak, and tells Poirot about The Big Four, which is, apparently, a vast criminal organization. The man tells Poirot about the four people who run in this organization. Very soon, while Poirot and Hastings are absent, the intruder dies, apparently murdered.
The Big Four, as Poirot tells, is a vast and powerful organization that plans to take over the world, that is planning to control the world and change the world in an adverse way. The four people who control the organization are: Number One, Li Cheng Yen, a Chinese man who is the head. Number 2, an American man. Number 3, a Frenchwoman. And there is the curious Number 4. It is Number 4 who repeatedly keeps meeting Poirot and Hastings, but every time with a different, genius disguise- disguises that are so genius that even Poirot has difficulty guessing who the person actually is.
Poirot decides that he will unravel the identity of the Big Four. He cancels his trip to South America. He takes a dangerous decision...
In this novel, Poirot takes the responsibility to solve several cases- and each case is, in some way or other, related to the Big Four. Poirot works to unravel the identities of Number 2, 3, and 4. Will Poirot be able to solve this huge problem? Will Poirot be able to save the world from such an incidence?
The novel is filled with wonderful adventures! Hastings narrates the adventures in a superb way. And the presence of Poirot is wonderful as well. The disguises of Number Four were also quite interesting. The novel has some interesting twists.
The novel is more a suspenseful adventure than a mystery. We see our two dear old characters, Poirot and Hastings, involved in dangerous adventures in order to unravel the Big Four. It also has some scares and a lot of suspense and thrills.
The organization, the Big Four, was itself very scary! As Hastings notes, the Big Four seems to have some ''superhuman'' qualities, as it comes to know about every actions and decisions of Poirot.
Overall, I really liked this adventure-filled novel.
4 out of 5
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1963
Genres: Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 3 out of 5
Review
I enjoyed reading Agatha Christie's ''The Clocks''. Yet, I wouldn't say I was fully satisfied because of the lack of clues.
The mystery is built up well yet a very, very few of my guesses matched; I really liked the solution to the problem and couldn't even imagine the story would come to such a point. The book had a very creepy scene (which I'm not describing!!) and some excellently developed characters.
But more of that later. At the beginning of the novel, Miss Martindale, owner of the Cavendish Secretarial Bureau, receives a phone call from a blind woman, Millicent Pebmarsh, to send a typist to her home, asking particularly for the young Sheila Webb. Sheila goes to Miss Pebmaresh's house. The blind woman is not home. Instead, Sheila finds something else: the body of a dead man at the sitting room! And then, Miss Pebmarsh enters the house, and is about to tread on the body...
Terrified after seeing the dead man, Sheila runs screaming out of the house. A passer-by, Colin Lamb, learns about the incident from her, and after seeing the dead man, he phones his friend, Detective Inspector Hardcastle.
Investigation starts. The blind woman, Miss Pebmarsh, denies having made any calls to the Cavendish Secretarial Bureau. On the other hand, no one seems to identify the dead man. The neighbors deny having seen anything weird on the day of the murder. And another surprising thing is that, there were several clocks in Miss Pebmarsh's house on the day of the murder; and, only two of them shows the correct time, 3 o'clock, and the other four of them shows fifteen minutes past four. And Miss Pebmarsh says, none of these four clocks belong to her. What is the mystery behind these clocks?
In the midst of the confusions about the clocks, identification of the dead man, and neighbors' statements, Colin decides to take help of his friend, the great detective Hercule Poirot, who certainly will help him.
The novel also gives some importance to the works of Colin Lamb. Colin, who is actually a Special Branch agent, is investigating about a spy case. This case is given some significance.
The novel is told in two forms: first person narration by Colin Lamb, and also sometimes third person narration.
I liked this novel. I liked the mystery, the suspense. And then, of course, we have two wonderful characters, Colin Lamb and Hercule Poirot, who just make this story amazing. Colin is a wonderful character. It is he, who gives us most of the clues, though there are a very few of them. Actually, this novel has very few clues, and it is only after Poirot explains everything that the matter becomes clear to us! It was indeed a very puzzling story, and the solution was amazing.
As for the characters, they were well developed. I like Hardcastle, Colin, Poirot, Sheila, Miss Pebmarsh, and of course, Geraldine, the intelligent 10-year-old girl with whom Colin converses and who gives quite a few hints about the incident. A great deal of humor is also present.
However, I didn't love this one, because the clues didn't seem to lead somewhere, which is partly interesting, while on the other hand, partly unsatisfactory. There should have been enough clues for the reader to guess something, guess some tidbits, at least. But the clues are not even strong. The solution was simply a bolt from the blue...
Though I wasn't fully satisfied, I won't say that it was unsatisfactory because it wasn't bad. It is well-written, but the lacking of clues lets the reader suspect nothing, which is, certainly, a drawback. Overall, the novel was decent and likeable.
3 out of 5
Author: Agatha Christie
Published: 1920
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 3 out of 5
Review
The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first novel by the great Agatha Christie- and the novel where she introduced one of her most famous characters, Hercule Poirot. This novel was an enjoyable and appreciable read, but I must say that I didn't think it was an excellent read. I liked it, BUT didn't love it.
The novel is set during the First World War. Captain Hastings arrives at the Styles Court, a manor, upon the invitation of his old friend John Cavendish. The household consists of John and Lawrence Cavendish's stepmother, Emily Inglethorp, an amiable and generous socialite; John's beautiful wife, Mary; Cynthia, the orphaned daughter of Mrs Inglethorp's friend; Evelyn Howard, Mrs Inglethorp's constant companion; and Alfred Inglethorp, Emily's new husband, a sinister-looking man who is decades younger than her. Everybody of the house is displeased at Mrs Inglethorp for marrying the man. Particularly, Miss Howard thinks that Alfred Inglethorp is a dangerous man, and is after Emily's money, and may even cause harm to dear old Emily. She gets into a quarrel with Mrs Inglethorp about this topic- and then angrily leaves the house. Hastings (who is the narrator) comments that with Miss Howard's departure, a secure feeling has also left the house.
Then early one morning, everybody of the house are shocked to learn that Mrs Inglethorp is very sick. They run into her room, and minutes later, she dies. This shocking tragedy leaves everybody puzzled. How, why, did it happen? The doctors conclude that it was because of poisoning. Hastings asks his detective friend, Hercule Poirot, to investigate the case. Poirot happily agrees. Suspicions go to Mr Inglethorp... But Poirot seems to believe that Alfred Inglethorp is innocent. Questions arise: How was the poison taken to Mrs Inglethorp? On a coffee cup or on cocoa? And the most important question of all: who did it?
This was a book filled with suspense and mystery. The mystery is quite puzzling. But however, I have to admit that I couldn't just suspect somebody (except maybe Mr Inglethorp, whom the characters also had suspected) because it was presented in such a way that it was difficult to suspect anyone. And the story took such sudden turns which make both Hastings and the reader confused (which can make everybody confused, except Poirot, who, until the ending, kept silently and cleverly working on the mystery). The clues didn't solve much. It was only the ending which made me really understand what really had happened. But I also have to say that I thought that the solution was not that satisfying. The overall novel was pleasant, enjoyable, yet not as suspenseful as to make this novel excellent. The overall novel wasn't confusing, rather the story was simple and really unpredictable.
Overall, it is a good mystery novel, the mystery is quite puzzling, and I'd recommend it.
3 out of 5
Author: Sidney Sheldon
Published: 2004
Number of pages: 337
Genres: Novel , Thriller, Suspense, Romance, Mystery, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Crime
Rating: 3 out of 5
Review
I really enjoyed reading Sidney Sheldon's last novel, ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' Not just that, I liked it so much that I would have loved to give it a 4 out of 5, but I cannot possibly ignore it's faults and flaws. Really. But however, despite it's flaws, it seemed a wonderful novel to me- both an emotional and suspenseful novel. Amazing book!
The story has a blend of suspense thriller, adventure, drama, sci-fi and romance. Really. Four scientists, working for the KIG (Kingsley International Group), have recently been murdered in different places of the world; their death seems like an accident... Diane (widow of Richard Steven) and Kelly (widow of Mark Harris) are summoned to New York by Tanner Kingsley, the owner of the company, who asks them if their husbands shared anything with them about their professional matter. Both of them don't have any idea about their husbands' recent projects.
Then we understand that the lives of Diane and Kelly are in danger; someone is trying to kill them, thinking that they might know something about their husbands' last projects. Diane and Kelly team up, running away from the attackers, using their mind, wit, and intelligence, but how long will they run? And who is after them? And why are they being chased like this?
I liked the way Sheldon developed the characters. By means of repeated flashbacks, we are told of the past lives of these two people, their upbringing, career, their wonderful moments with their husbands, adding elements of drama and romance to the plot. I really liked the characterization. I also liked the deep friendship that Kelly and Diane develop. Although at first they are somewhat hostile to each other, gradually they develop and warm friendship which made me very emotional. Their friendship somewhat reminded me of Theo and Nell of the 1963 film ''The Haunting''.
Every time Kelly and Diane ran away from the attackers, I smiled and laughed! I became so delighted! I cheered for them, ''Run! Run!'' Really, it was a wonderful reading experience. The adventures, suspense, thrills, curiosity, and the ''what will happen next'' were really wonderful. The emotional intensity- beyond remarks!
It is also filled with humor. For example, have a look at this:
Diane was thoughtful for a moment. 'I know a place where they can't touch us.'
'Let me guess. The space ship that brought you here.'
But ''Are You Afraid of the Dark'' is flawed as well. For example, why did so many of the characters have to turn into a villain? I know, this was for the development of the story. But at one point the villains were really predictable.
And it has some errors as well. At one point Diane tells Kelly that the battery of her phone has finished. But how did she pick up her phone just some time after this?
But I must mention again, it was a very wonderful read filled with suspense, adventure, thrills, humor, and emotional intensity. I liked it very much. I wish I could ignore it's faults.
3 out of 5
Author: Dean Koontz
Published: 1973
Genres: Novel, Suspense, Mystery, Horror, Thriller
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review
Dean Koontz's well-written suspense/horror novel is a very likeable one. Alex Doyle, a newly-married 30-year-old man, is, along with his 11-year-old brother-in-law Colin, traveling from Philadelphia to their new home in California on a Ford Thunderbird. Doyle's wife, Courtney, had gone to California before them to decorate their new home. Doyle is a reserved person with only a few friends. Colin is studious, intellectual, creative.
It all starts as one of Colin's games. While they start their journey, Colin notices a van behind them, and makes up his mind that someone must be following them. Both Colin and Doyle take it lightheartedly at first, but the van doesn't stop moving away from them, and... is it actually following them?
The person driving the van is George Leland, ex-boyfriend of Doyle's wife Courtney. They had broken up some years ago, but now George's plan is to get Courtney back again... to be near her again. But for that, he must remove all the obstacles from his way. AND the obstacles preventing him to get together with Courtney again are Alex and Doyle themselves.
I really liked ''Shattered''. The suspense is built up well, and Koontz is successful in writing a wonderful thriller. Another wonderful thing is, the novel never forgets human emotions. Doyle becomes very attached to Colin because when he was of Colin's age, his personality matched that of Colin. I loved the way how Doyle loves Courtney and Colin, how without these two people, Doyle's life would be meaningless. The parts dealing with the bond between Alex and Colin are extremely sweet.
But I didn't really feel attracted to the parts dealing with George Leland. An unpleasant character he is, and it's more unpleasant to read about him. Dean Koontz is successful in presenting a nasty character like Leland in a nasty way, and the sweet characters like Doyle and Colin, in a sweet way.
I didn't really like the car chase scenes. My least favorite genre is action, and the thing I dislike about action films are the meaningless action scenes without any art. Not that all action films are like that. Anyways, action scenes in ''Shattered'' are well written, but they are lengthy. That's what makes them so irritating.
Detective Ernie Hoval's investigation about who murdered a policeman (who was actually murdered by Leland himself) is brought into no noticeable conclusion, and that's another displeasing thing abut this book.
But the scary scenes are well-written, the sudden shocks are well-presented, and overall, it's a wonderful novel. It is also very touching, especially the character Doyle, whose emotions for Courtney and Colin is sweetest thing in this novel.
3.5 out of 5
