If it were a book, I would call it a "page-turner"
587352
The two previous reviews (August 1st and September 10th) give a good description of this series.  They give it four stars; I give it five.  Granted, it is not as good as Wallander (what is?), but it is just as good as Spiral, though very different:  because it takes place among the upper classes, the murders are not as gross, and the characters not as scruffy; they also do not have sex while you are watching (I know: sex is supposed to keep viewers interested; but if the plot is any good, it should not be necessary).  As for the coincidence (on disc 4) which helps solve the mystery, it may be improbable in real life, but in a TV series what is wrong with some suspension of disbelief?

For more reviews, go to Amazon.co.uk.  Of the 53 reviews to-date (October 11, 2014),  67% give it five stars, and 20% four stars.  The less favorable reviews are not marked "verified purchase" (I don't know if that means anything to you).  These are zone-2 DVDs, so you will need a zone-free or a zone-2 player.  The current price at Amazon.co.uk is 13.40 pounds (under $25, or about $2 per 45-minute episode).  You get four discs, about 565 minutes over 12 episodes.  Each episode is preceded by a summary of what happened before, and ends with a preview of what will happen in the next one (marked: "next week").
4833983
I order this book after reading a rave review and read it in 2 sittings (even though it's 360 pages), which is a good indication of what a page turner it is. I looked up the author and found out this is his first novel, but was not surprised to learn he is a successful screenwriter. The book is very 'cinematic,' a super-fast read, and I wouldn't be surprised if this book ended up as a Hollywood film some day.

The book is structured by intercutting between various stories that converge. It's about a son (ex-LAPD) who investigates the disappearance of his intellectual but emothionally distant father (a philosophy professor - hence the title!). Over the course of the investigation, the father and son come to learn about each other. That might make it sound like a drama, but the story is really a page-turner suspense/mystery.

Anyway, there are lots of great twists to the story, so that's all I will say. But I hope the author writes another book.

Highly recommended!
2271196
This book started off with enough mystery to draw me in, then its pacing and down-to-earth experiences kept me returning until the very end. I could feel this guy struggling to find himself, and being completely honest with the reader. He hasn't glossed the truth or even lied to himself, though it's been years since the events he narrates. It's the kind of book I would have written in the same situation if I had the kind of courage he displays.
If you're looking for a good book, you've found it. It was easy for me to see through his eyes. I think the book is as special as the young woman it was written about.
3358602
This book had all the makings of a true page turner - a madam, her girls, political corruption, a hot steamy setting and more, it just didn't read like a page turner. Yes, there were parts that held me captive on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened, but then there were vast sections that were about as interesting to read as the telephone book.
Gleaned from her own taped memoirs and other previously written articles as well as interviews with friends and accquaintences the professional life of Norma Wallace, New Orlean's last madam, seemed rather lack luster. With so much raw material, what went wrong? Oddly the later parts of the book, after Ms. Wallace's retirement from the business seemed to hold much more interest for me than those dealing with her working days.
From a historical perspective I think this was a good read as Ms. Wallace's life in the French Quarter spanned quite a long period of time. This is not the stuff you learn about in Louisiana history. I learned alot more about our past mayors from this book than I ever did in a history class. I particularly liked that addresses of the houses where she was a "landlady" were given. I will definately spend some afternoon in the near future scouring the French Quarter for these addresses.
All in all it was a fairly decent book. I think it will hold particular interest for New Orleaneans like myself, but would not be as appealing to the rest of the general popluation.
600861
REVIEW HAS SPOILERS WITHIN THE SPOILER MARKERS

Let me start the review by saying that if this had been priced a little lower, I might have given it a 4 star rating.  It was entertaining, but I don't know if it was $5 of entertainment.  I agree with the other reviewer, that I definitely wanted to know what happened after the end, and I'd more than likely pick up a sequel.

The good: The book is fast-paced, and the writing is suspenseful.  The author definitely chooses his wording to keep you in the dark about some things, it keeps the pages turning, if only to find out what crazy thing happens next.  Also, without giving too much away, I've read a few books with the "ultimate reality show" setup lately, and the setup for this one had logic - even if it kept you guessing to the end.  There were also several pieces of information that were presented, and then gave you the a-ha moment at the end when it became clear what had been done.  There was plenty of hinting at the what was going on, but nothing too heavy-handed.  The opening has plenty of tension, and mostly keeps it up through the book.  I did not see the plot twist regarding the Dealer coming - thought it would be something else but it kept things tense and tight.

The not-so-good:
1. Earl's dialogue.  That got old fast.
2. I don't mind sex in a story, but I'm pretty sure females were not the intended audience for this read.  At least, that's what I get from the use of terms like "glory canal" and Letters-to-Penthouse descriptions of female characters.  Plus, descriptions of female characters.  Not offensive so much as eye-roll inducing.
3. Name checking your debut novel is a little gratuitous.

**SPOILERS**
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The whole B-plot of the story didn't add at all.  The information that the the plot line added could have been conveyed another way.  The whole adultery, guy killing his wife, and just everything in the B-plot except the father's involvement in the main plot was not well-done.  I don't know if the author was trying to convey that the character it centers on was in shock, but I didn't buy any of it.  Too flat, gratuitous, and I skipped over those parts to get to the actual story.  The B-plot was so bad, I would say it was at least worth the loss of a star.

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1665219
This was my first Paul Cleave book. I saw he was nominated for the Edgar this year for Joe Victim and did a little Amazon sampling and the opening pages hooked me. I kept trying to put it down after about 10:00 p.m., telling myself I would enjoy it more if I took my time, but about 3 hours into it I just had to get to the end and see who the killer was. Cleave's writing kind of sucks you into its vortex like a literary version of Scylla.

A lot of the writing was not only catchy, but fine (as in "excellent"). In fact, the quality of the writing and the likability of the main character keep the story running on all cylinders, almost to the extent that the reader is willing (in the suspension of disbelief) to overlook some of holes in the plot that appear toward the end of the book. There aren't any blatant howlers, but there were certain plot twists at the end and some unanswered questions that were a little disappointing upon consideration. They tasted fine going down, but when I woke up this morning there were a few things that bugged me about the character development of the killer and some of the more prominent characters.

That said, it's not too often these days that I wake up still thinking about a book, so I have to give it a +1 for getting into my head like that. If I were a book reviewer for the New York Times I'd have to say something like "Cleave writes with that rare authority that creates an instant bond with the reader, allowing him to take some stunning liberties with reality. Like all great storytellers, his lies are utterly believable."
1308923
I'd love to see this made into an independent movie (hint hint). The author skillfully juxtaposes weighty questions of greed/ecology/technology/religion with light-hearted moments. The last page took my breath away. "Through this heightened sense of awareness I perceive the tiny embryo embedded in ... body as she makes her rounds. I feel the rapid division of cells as it absorbs nutrients evolving by the minute into their son-to-be. 'Come out come out and play' I hear a voice say to me." I felt that some of the supporting characters were too distracting but other than that this is well worth a look. You can easily read it over a weekend so it'd make a great book to take along for a short trip.
1475193
If you're looking for a page-turner, grab a copy of this book.  I literally couldn't stop reading it at various points throughout.  It takes a little bit of time to get going, but once it does, it goes quick!  Great story!
1242383
A real page-turner, after I got a few chapters in had to finish it. Replete with all the detail one would expect of a historical mystery as well as an interesting cast of characters. When I finished I immediately went to the Kindle store to see if she had written other books with Faucon and Edmund. Alas, not yet....
4423340
(Note: I read a library copy, so I probably won't show as a "verified purchase." I am, however, a real person who actually read the book.)
I was pulled in right from the start.... then I got bored and almost turned the book back in without finishing it. I kept telling myself "just a few more pages to see" and then became solidly hooked about a fourth of the way through. You can read the synopsis elsewhere, so I only share this to set expectations. Power through the first little bit, and you'll be glad. There were enough surprises to keep it interesting!
2713776
Now that I have my new birthday Kindle, I don't know when I will be actually buying a book again, but this one looks like a potential page-turner!
2336841
This book, like many of this genre, must be consumed in one fell swoop.  The action is extremely fast-paced. The characters, especially the bad ones, are well-written, and the plot is easy to follow, yet complicated enough to keep your interest.

Clearly, Folsom has experience with screen-writing--I could almost imagine certain characters as screen actors/actresses, yet I did not feel like I was reading a made for the movie book.  I actually liked the way Folsom broke the scenes down into time segments, making a very easy to follow flow of events.

The premise?  Personally, I like all things Russia, so for me, the plot and story-line held my interest.  After all, it's time to start weaning the American book-reading public away from books like The Da Vinci Code and it's million imitators and start taking the focus off of the Catholic Church (give it a BREAK already!)  Granted, Folsom has written his murder in the Vatican book too, but time to move along.

Ultimately, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a fast pace, exciting characters, and a slightly unbelievable plot.  After all, that's why it's called fiction.
3766047
My expectation was this was a title/description suited for a quick-pass-the-time-distraction.  I was wrong...it was mesmerizing, but in a very methodical way.  Little details, well-drawn characters, evocative settings all served to pull me into the tale and the twisting thick plot that was strongly compelling.  In a way, the cover art is a disservice -- this is no baby thriller, but a well thought out adult novel.  There is a weight to the writing (and I imagine in the hardcover edition -- very glad I was reading this on a Kindle and not trying to prop this up for night reading!) that is palpable and perhaps made more so by its very Danish worldview.  Rather than recount it, would urge you to read it -- it's that good, and was sorry to bid farewell to the characters.
4049478
I just purchased my second copy of this book to send to a friend who is sure to love it.  In truth, I didn't expect to like it at all because I prefer thrillers and biographies, and the only reason I bought it in the first place is because another friend so highly recommended it.  So, when I sat down to read it I never imagined I would finish it -- but I couldn't stop turning the pages!  I read some passages repeatedly, they were that good.  I found the namesake character -- Maya -- to be completely captivating -- sort of a female Harry Potter (and there is no question that Harry and Maya would have been friends.)  I'll be surprised if Maya's Story isn't made into a movie -- as well it should be.  These characters have already come alive on the page -- it would be interesting to see if they can survive in-tact on the big screen.
2296836
I really enjoyed this page turner for about three-fourths of the book. It was hard to figure out if Christy & Austin were dellusional or not so I wanted to keep reading to find out! Unfortunately, it started getting a little too weird/uncomfortable after Christy underwent a procedure. Then it turned too fantasy-like for my taste so the ending was a disappointment for me, as well.

That said, I liked the profound message that the author conveyed about what we see and believe! I just wish he would have gotten to the "truth"of their experience a little quicker.

So, in a nut shell, it was an intriguing mystery that dragged on too long. And it went from being a psychological thriller to a metaphorical fantasy.
3551101
On a scale of 1 - 5, I would give it a 7 or 8.  I became so engrossed in the book that if I hadn't started it during the work week, I would have finished  it within 24 hours of starting it (I started Tuesday PM and finished it around 7 pm on Thursday.)  I even read 5 chapters before going in at 5:30 am on Thursday.  It moved at a very steady pace.  The characters in the book were very interesting, to say the very least.  I am already looking forward to Tom Turner's next book in the Palm Beach Series.  I am forced to be patient until it comes out.

Larry Libater
Charleston, SC
438597
I read a lot of books, good books and some not so good books but that is just what they are books, stories. This book, in my opinion, would be an outstanding movie thriller, it has all the right parts.  The book did take awhile to get going and it felt as if it repeated itself in many areas but by the end it all made since why that was happening.  However, it is for this reason, I feel that in this rare instance, this story, would be better in a movie than in book form.