Fascinating read like a thriller
592432
This book is fascinating. It reads like a thriller. It is lengthy, but I could not put it down until I finished it. I have read many books on espionage & particularly World War II intelligence & this was by far the most engrossing one. I give it as a gift & recommend it to friends.
2958506
Supremely well-written and researched. Reads like a thriller.
4147650
`Comes A Horseman' delves into a few imaginative conspiracy theories, all combined to create a first-rate thriller. I found it to be comparative to `The Da Vinci Code', yet more intriguing in many ways. It's a diabolical story, yet technical as well as spiritual in content.

The main characters, FBI agents Brady Moore and Alicia Wagner, find themselves fugitives from both the lawful faction and the lawless. While attempting to solve a bizarre multiple murder case, they learn that the issue is much deeper than imagined. They begin a journey into a scenario of secret societies, Satan watchers and seekers, and fanatic devotion.

It's a fascinating story, a real page-turner. For those who find spiritual conflict and twisted religious dogma interesting, you can't go wrong with this book. Robert Liparulo is an excellent writer, both in prose and in syntax, and he knows how to keep the reader engrossed.
880201
I couldn't put this book down. Maybe because I happened to read it amidst the latest Ebola outbreak and with adrenalin streaming from all news channels one would want to arm oneself with defences against this pest. Or maybe because it's just a great story. I did notice discrepancies in logic, sequence of events and some lack of character depth, but I didn't care about any of it. Reading this book felt like watching a fast paced thriller, there's so much going on, and imagery is so rich and vivid that it remains embedded in one's memory for quite a while. And, makes one think. Do we really know the truth, the whole truth about what's going on out there?
887375
Killer by Stephen Carpenter is a fascinating story that grabbed my attention like a vise grip from beginning to end.  The main character Jack Rhodes is a likable, but vulnerable author coming off a forgettable fifteen month binge.  This who-dun-it will have you on the edge of your seat throughout.  In many thrillers the authors signal things all characters know except for the protagonist.  In Killer, the author cleverly discloses that there are things Jack Rhodes should know, may know, may remember, or may never know while leaving the reader to anticipate and guess who, what when, and how (in a most unique way) - the classic questions in any mystery.  This book is well written, and whets my appetite for more from this talented author.
2102284
What a page turner. It was like reading a delicious mystery story. The book is peopled with experts and non experts. Science is pitted against instinct. The owner of the painting is a beautiful French woman who wants her day in court and the subject of the painting is purported to be the mistress of Francis I...or not. What a cast of characters. Before starting it, I wanted to know who painted La Belle.  It's not as simple as that.
The author's research is impeccable. He includes a fine social history of the nation and explains why art collecting had become an obsession in the United States just before and after the turn of the century. The often bizarre behavior of the characters involved is fascinating, and the byzantine path the painting takes left me reeling. I will never look at a painting in the same way I did before reading the book. I was sorry it had to end.
4805006
The minute I started to read this book, I could not put it down until I read all of it. It is well written, suspenseful, humorous and enlightening. The author dares recount what she had to go through to seek justice and although it reads like a thriller, one must remember that it is a true story.
727894
Scott Nations has written a fascinating and gripping history that reads like a thriller -- complete with villains & heroes. Meticulously researched and yet there is nothing dry about this look at greed and fear that have shaped the most destructive times in our American financial markets' history. We learn of the people, the schemes and the heartbreak. It's a compelling read and one I highly recommend to anyone interested in how past behaviors might be influencing what we are witnessing today.
1842624
Auto gives a thrilling and fascinating insight into the gadget driven, networking world that we are building, where humans no longer communicate with each other, but to each other through their automated devices. This is a world where all our movements, purchases, and our most intimate secrets are stored online, to be shared with our friend Circles by automated software, so that there is a total removal of privacy. But someone is out to corrupt and destroy this autoed world.

There are various strands to the story which are excitingly and satisfyingly tied together by the end, and what an intriguing ending. Im looking forward to the next instalment, especially to read more of Detective Sergeant Yvonne Youngooh she makes my spine creep.

Loved the book, but I won't be investing in an Auto. Frightening, intrusive bits of technology.
Original, witty, and entertaining, this is a book I highly recommend to all readers.
4953377
I read this newest book by Caleb Carr in one sitting. I found it impossible to put down and more than a little fascinating. The subject matter seemed guite appropriate considering the tragedy of September 11, 2001. It is a disturbing look into what the future may hold for our world if changes are not brought to bear. The characters are believable and rich in color and scope. The world conditions as put forth in this novel are disturbing in their sheer probability. Malcolm and Larissa are memorable charcters and their view of the world and their desire to alter preceptions as well as the future are told in clear cut prose. The picture painted in my mind of global chaos, lifeless sea's, and abject human suffering will long remain. I truly enjoyed this read and hope you will too.
4079684
Congratulations to the author on an enthralling read that had me enchanted to the very last page. My curiosity had taken me hostage to see how this one would come to its conclusion, with its many twists and deceptive lies, I'm still dizzy from the roller coaster ride!

I found it intiguing that each chapter begins with a morsel of interesting information about the Vikings, contributing to the theme and atmosphere throughout.

The narrative is told from each sister's  POV, without revealing which sister the narrative belongs to. Throughout most of the book, the reader can quite easily distinguish whose narrative it was, however towards the end, just as the sisters couldn't always be told apart, the author cleverly had me questioning as to which sister was doing what, skillfully adding to the intrigue and suspense, goading me to keep turning the pages in order to satisfy my curiosity.

My only gripes I have to mention:
- I feel like the truth wasn't revealed as to how the psychiatrist got involved and the extent of the involvement.
- Was Valentina's dream a memory or not.

Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend this to anyone looking for a good psychological thriller. I am
looking forward to reading Lie to Me, also by Jess Ryder.
921038
Like The Affair, The Consequences is a fun, fast paced and fascinating read - so much so that I literally couldn't put it down. It gives the perspective of the mistress, the husband and the wife as each faces the after effects of an affair. This construct does justice to the complexities of love, passion and commitment. Some of the finest moments are when the characters turn the lens on themselves and bravely take responsibility for their actions...or not. Bravo, Colette Freedman!
4745910
While this is not necessarily the best biography I've ever read, it certainly is one of the most fascinating.  The background and subsequent assignment of Bob Delaney to become an undercover agent for the FBI made for a riveting read into the murky world of mobsters and petty criminals.  It was revealing too how Mr. Delaney was forced to deal with the unfortunate side effects from having successful portrayed a mob-like mentality for an extended period of time and the subsequent problems with duality that he suffered from his service to his country.  I rejoiced with him when he was able to find new hope and joy in life by becoming a referee in the NBA even though it again put him in the spotlight.  I've already recommended this book to some friends.  Sporting fans, those interested in the mob and real-life crime drama as well as the general public would all enjoy this work.
3126796
This is the first of Brian's books I have read and could barely put it down. Fascinating and riveting, with incredible description that I could sense...like running through the mud in the rains of the Bay Area, teetering high above the water on a bridge, and way more than that...and so intensely entertaining.
2835918
I opened this book yesterday afternoon intending to read a chapter but it was well past my bedtime when I put it down. The first sentence was a tad long but by the second paragraph I was hooked  the protagonist Evelyn has just run into Dorothy, a woman he hasn't seen for sixteen years. Their last meeting was when she refused his marriage proposal.

But this is not a romantic story. It is a deeply intriguing look into the dark corners of a not fully formed human mind. What is driving Dorothys estranged son Crispin to get kicked out of every school and refuse every tutor? Is it something to do with the death of his father on a dig in Greece?

How Evelyn tries to win Crispins trust and figure that puzzle out both emotionally and logically makes for fascinating reading. But even more fascinating is how Ellis Peters captured the juxtaposition of little kid and remorseless adult in Crispin, who is spiraling ever closer to a very deadly climax

30-DAY E-BOOK LOAN COURTESY OF NETGALLEY.
888415
Manhunt is a superb book on the chase to catch the conspirators involved in President Lincoln's assassination.  In a relatively short book, Swanson brings the period to life, providing vivid detail of the assassins and 1865 America.  Because of the rich detail and lucid prose, the book reads much like a thriller novel and is a quick, very enjoyable read.

Even though I knew a good deal about Lincoln's murder -- or so I thought -- I was amazed to read just how easily John Wilkes Booth quickly cobbled together the plan with his rag-tag group of conspirators, got into theatre, shot the President, and escaped from the stage with barely any one chasing after him.  Contrasting with the ease with which Booth killed Lincoln and got away is the chase itself, for after the assassination, Swanson fleshes out how Booth experiences nothing but anguish and pain in his short trek to Virginia before his ultimate death at Garrett's farm.

As much as being about the chase, however, the book is almost as much about Booth himself.  Interspersed throughout the book are details Swanson provides about Booth's life, his family, his beliefs, and his motivations to kill Lincoln.  The beginning of the book highlights the shame Booth felt after Appomattox, augmented by Lincoln's triumphant speeches afterword, as the force behind his decision to kill the President.  Beyond that, though, Swanson doesn't use the book to castigate Booth.  The language he employs in describing Booth throughout the chase is remarkable in its lack of harshness of Booth or his crime.  Yes, he naturally writes about the public's outrage and Lincoln's quick ascension to political sainthood, but Swanson knows that Booth will always be Abraham Lincoln's assassin, and doesn't beat the reader over the head with the fact.  Rather, he tries to tease out Booth's character and thoughts: like what Booth may have been thinking about in his days hiding in the marshes and swamps.  It makes for a fascinating story.

In addition to the story of Booth's escape, the book is filled with great morsels of history that really intrigued me.  I never knew the story of Thomas Jones -- he helped Booth across into Virginia and never told a soul his story until decades later.  Nor did I realize that Dr. Samuel Mudd not only knew who Booth was when he set his leg, but that he later lied to the authorities and tried to obscure their chase by lying about where Booth was headed.  And there are many more stories similarly forgotten by history but retold in rich description by Swanson.

Manhunt is a great book.  Swanson seemingly retells every step of Booth's odyssey from Ford's Theatre to Mr. Garrett's barn, and in rich, exciting detail.  Buy it -- you'll learn a lot.
4190942
LOTS of details and a very interesting read.  Long, but it's a fascinating subject that keeps you wanting to read more.  It does touch on some of the wild speculation that has been made about the Templars, but it does it in a very careful way - Here's the speculation and here's what we actually know.  This was my lunchtime book and I looked forward to each day's reading.