The Epitome of a Page-Turner
585358
WOW! I whipped through this book -- couldn't wait to see what was coming next. Great writing from different points of view. I'm very surprised to see some low ratings from other readers. My guess is that ...

SPOILER

SPOILER

SPOILER

... these readers didn't like the ending because it could be construed as vague and wasn't what they may have expected. But I wholeheartedly recommend the book for readers who are looking for a well-written and unique story. Can't wait for the movie version!
2192268
Not being too familiar with the crime genre in general but scanning the library fiction isles for a good read to take my mind off of my mind-numbing job, this book pretty much jumped off the shelf and invited itself home with me. The synopsis sounded riveting, and I had enjoyed three of Frank (RIP) McCourt's memoirs. Frank's brutal endorsement on the cover sealed the deal. "Unputdownable" has been used to describe this book by many reviewers, and I'd have to agree. Michael Forsythe is an endlessly engaging character: a flawed action hero with a brilliant, literary mind--by the way, how did he get so well educated in the tough neighborhoods of Ireland before he made it to NYC as an ambitious and relatively fearless teenager? It doesn't matter because the intellect and poetic eloquence is all McKinty's doing, and one is helplessly attached to Michael and his mission of hubris and revenge. I love this book so much that I buy used copies online whenever I can find them and give them to my friends and insist that they read it. You should to. Whatever fool has allowed this one to slip out of print should be fired.
4317567
This book was so much fun to read - a total page-turner - but also had real depth and sharpness in its story of lurid tabloids, media culture, our obsession with celebrity, and unintended consequences. I don't want to reveal too much because the story has some great twists, but what I liked was that they were different from what one might expect with a story about the British tabloids... the (light-touch) foreshadowing was cleverly woven in so that I wasn't able to predict each plot twist, which was delightful. I was continually surprised (in the best ways), and Ilett's writing makes even the less-likeable characters understood (even occasionally sympathetic). His development of the female characters in particular - especially the amazing(ly awful) Valerie Pierce - is wonderful, and her arc was my favorite part of the story. The LGBTQ+ dimensions of the story remain as relevant as when the book was first written 4 years ago, and the moral dimensions relating to media and social media have only sharpened in relevance since then. I have heard a sequel is coming and i will be at the top of the waitlist to buy it!!
4554453
A page turner where the reader cannot not wait to see what happens next while at the same time saying been there ALMOST done that
4496552
Whatever flaws we might identify or frustrations we might feel are trivial in comparison to a reader's pure joy in losing himself/herself in a narrative. When all the elements come together: an intriguing plot, thoughtful, profound themes, complex, troubling, characters, and language that make us shudder for its honesty, clarity, and confidence; we gratefully set all analysis aside and give ourselves up to the sheer magic of a great book. And for me, It's About Time is such a book.

The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. Theres an abundance of well illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that's something I really look for in a good book.

The book description says it all; Angela Mercy, a highly trained elite bodyguard, tragically fails her chief assignment: protecting the life of the countrys leading quantum physicist. Her life is about to change, as someone else is taking over her future.

In Japans infamous Devils Triangle, a small fishing boat disappeared in a swarm of crimson fireflies. A leading quantum physicist is assassinated before his keynote speech. While in pursuit after his killers, his highly trained bodyguard, Angela, is caught in a cloud of turquoise fireflies and vanishes. A tyrannical ruler will go out on a merciless quest for immortality, and will use any measures necessary to guarantee his success. Even if it means altering the course of history...

Now, if thats not enough to whet your appetite, I don't know what will. But if you want to find out what happens next, youll just have to turn the pages for yourself to find out!

This captivating and commendable work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flows from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional skill when it comes to storytelling. There are attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a thrilling journey! Theres no doubt that this author is a gifted storyteller.

Its one of those stories that come along once in awhile that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. Im giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!

Ill certainly be looking forward to reading more from Lyle Howard in the future. I would definitely recommend this book. Five stars from me.
4677855
This elegantly written page-turner has a lot to offer. It has mystery: Is Karolina the long lost Jewish child who was hidden by her father, Jake Landau, with a Polish family during the Holocaust or is she a conniving Pole trying to gain the recently deceased Jake's inheritance?. It has international intrigue: The Landaus assign Jake's cynical, skeptical nephew, Philip, to unearth the truth of Karolina's story which takes them to Poland where they meet surprising resistance from both the Catholic Church and the Communist Party.  It has romance: Can the strong attraction between Karolina and Philip blossom into a love affair despite their enormous differences in background--she brought up as a Catholic in antisemitic Poland, and he, a New York Jewish lawyer who was brought up to believe that the Poles were as bad as the Nazis?  And it has moral significance: Can a Jew and a Pole overcome the terrible history of suspicion and hatred that has characterized their peoples for so many centuries? Most readers will, I believe, be moved and enlightened by this book, and have a good time along the way to an ending that is unexpected, even shocking, yet true to the lives we've come to know so well.
3963332
This is the perfect book to devour in a day or two. I couldn't stop thinking about the story once I set it down. The pace of the novel is perfect. Switching back and forth between the first-person viewpoint of the lone survivor of a family massacre in the present day, and third-person viewpoints of the other characters involved during the day of the murders, 24 years ago.

The prose is powerful, descriptive, and provides a voyeuristic and indulgent glimpse into the human experience. The characters are fleshed-out and humanized so well that you ultimately feel sympathetic towards then all. You spend the entire book feeling as though you understand each one of them, guessing at their guilt or innocence, and all the while wanting what the main character wants: answers.

Just read it. It will not disappoint.
4940992
This thriller is a truly suspenseful page-turner, as agents and profilers race against the clock to stop a heinous killer from taking more lives in a most unforgettable way. Full of twists and turns and all the politics that get in the way of investigations, with characters so real and believable they leap off the pages, DIE LAUGHING is no joke. Backstory, intriguing plot, and captivating writing style will take you from the stage to the crime scene to the media frenzy to the case files, in a way that will leave you wanting more from this brilliant new author.
483361
For anyone who knows Kemp's other works, this book is, unsurprisingly, a terrific, fun page turner. The pace is quick but never feels rushed. The end brings a satisfying conclusion that can't help but make one chuckle.

Though I enjoyed all of the characters, the nicest surprise I had was how much I loved the character of Egil. He is the co-star of the book but we never read from his perspective. Kemp delivers incredible depth and intrigue of the character without ever using him as a view-point character, which is an impressive trick.

If you like Kemp's previous stuff, or sword and sorcery in general, pick this book up. It's more than worth your time.
474741
Do not begin your reading of this novel the night before you have an important morning meeting: you'll never get there. Dan Brown has crafted a classic page-turner. The Prologue has geologist Charles Brophy trudging across a glacier. Within moments, a plot involving the White House, NASA, the NRO, a power hungry Senator, various scientists, Delta Force commandos and a couple of very interesting young women begins to unfold like a series of hammer blows.
  Brown has the knack of painlessly leading the reader to suspend credulity. His writing is that smooth, his facts (yes, the novel is based on scientific fact) flowing together seamlessly.
  Heroes and villains are believable, even in the most extreme scenarios. The plot twists and weaves and the bad guys aren't who you first think they might be.
  One of the more unique elements of the novel is that two of Brown's main actors are young women. Though both are strikingly attractive, refreshingly Brown treats them as people, not sex objects. It's a nice touch.
  I am deliberately avoiding a description of the novel's actions and plot lines: it's just too much fun to discover them as they occur.
  The action is non-stop. Page-turner, pulse-pounder, all the cliches apply. Brown, who subsequently authored "The DaVinci Code," is a master of the craft. Deception Point is wonderfully worthwhile.
Jerry
1913079
There will be no spoiler alerts in this review. I'm simply going to say that we all know, are, or have been the characters in this book, which makes the adventure more personal. The story is told in a compelling fashion that makes this book a page-turner (or tapper) and I read the entire book in one sitting. It blends fantasy, reality and actual scientific theory into a tale that may be far-fetched if you put it down and analyze it, but while you're reading all you can do is wonder what happens next as you greedily devour each page. Some adventures may drone on in spots, but the characters move this story with purpose as they encounter surprises and challenges around every corner. I would highly recommend this to anyone, age 12 and up. This was Mr. Polito's first book and I fully intend to be one of the first to read his next.
2918695
A great read and a real page turner, highly recommended
4801435
From the first chapter this book had me absolutely hooked.  I read it on my kindle, so I never knew how long it was, nor did it matter, the fast paced story of daring fights and scandalous villains keeps this book a page turner from the first to the last.  All three of the main characters are painted in exquisite detail, with witty dialogue and feelings that are explained in such a relate-able way you can't help but smile, having known the sensation yourself.
One of the largest criticisms of the book is its complexity with a large cast of characters.  There is some confusion as to all of the members of the cabal early on, but by the fourth chapter you have them all sorted out.
My only criticism of this book was the ending.  Half of me wanted it to go longer, the other half felt like the ending was a little anticlimactic, if only because the rest of the adventure had been so dangerous and exciting.
One of my very favorite books now, I eagerly await any other novels, should the writer try his hand at them again.
2426776
Atwood's novel begins a little slowly, but quickly becomes a page turner you don't want to put down.  Despite the fact that the "ending" (the suicide of the narrator's sister) is given away in the first two lines of the book, Atwood still kept me on the edge of my seat.  She weaves together the present, the future, and several alternate universes completely seamlessly and smoothly.  Her characters are well-rounded and have strong, distinct personalities.  The book is hugely enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
3491253
This book is a page-turner... and the  main character - Matthew - is as appealing as he is convincing.  But this is more than just a good read. Like the most rewarding fiction, while immersed in the plot we come, through fabulation, to think about larger questions... among them, our expectations about the environment.. what we take for granted and what has been already lost.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-moving story, written with verve, that will take you to a very special imagined world and back again.
4563249
As soon as you read the opening pages you'll be hooked.  Dan Chaon's intricately-plotted novel opens in the middle of the night with a father rushing his son to the hospital.  "Listen to me, Son:  You are not going to bleed to death."  The son's hand is in a cooler on the front seat.

Elsewhere in the night, freshly-minted, eighteen-year-old grad Lucy Lattimore has just surreptitiously left town with her former high-school history teacher, George Orson.  They're making "a clean break" together.

The final narrative strand is the story of Miles Cheshire and his--Dare I say it?--evil twin.  Miles has been looking for his twin brother, Hayden, for more than a decade.  As the novel opens, he's approaching the Arctic Circle in far northern Canada on this latest quest.

What do these people have in common?  All of them have huge mysteries in their lives.  Many of them appear to be engaged in illegal activities.  From the start, the reader knows that there are connections.  They are tantalizingly close, but nothing in Chaon's novel is obvious, and revelations don't come easily.  The author plays with time, like an artist playing with perspective, to further obfuscate connections.  Not all of the stories are told in a linear manner.  Meanwhile, the characters explore the very concept of identity.  And so many questions are raised...  Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

Constantly while I read Await Your Reply, I kept thinking, How did he do this?  He, being Dan Chaon, who has written a complexly-plotted and compulsively-readable thriller that is also a work of incredible literary beauty.  Await Your Reply is an amazing accomplishment.  You won't be able to put it down.  Once you've followed all the trails and unraveled the last clues, you'll be blown away!  What are you waiting for?
723059
A tightly-written detective story with a a master-work of a plot and Connelly's trademark gift of characters so well-defined and real that one expects to meet them on the street. Series protagonist Harry Bosch is particularly appealing in this one, showing a depth of feeling and compassion not as evident in some previous books in the series.

The book is a real page-turner with many surprising turns and twists, yet (with one exception, which I won't give away) all are so thoroughly natural that each time I was left delightfully wondering how I hadn't seen them coming. It's a true plot musician's verbal literary sleight of hand that never leaves the sour taste of a forced plot twist or sudden, unforeshadowed "magic" plot resolution.

All in all, The Black Box the work of the reigning master in his field at the top of his powers. It's a read not to be missed, even if you're not big into detective thrillers.