Speaking In Tongues

Rating:
Summary: Slick and Quick
Review: As demonstrated in The Bone Collector and The Coffin Dancer, when he wants to Deaver can really pull out all the stops, delivering fast-paced, well-researched books. But Speaking In Tongues, while as fast-faced as ever, just doesn't have the cunning twists of plot or the techno-savvy that made the Lincoln Rhyme books so intriguing.

This tale of a nutbar shrink wreaking havoc on Tate Collier's life by the kidnapping of Tate's daughter Megan is merely interesting. We root for Megan to escape the reeking, abandoned mental institution where she's been stashed while Aaron Matthews goes about the business of covering his tracks. But I had a lot of trouble believing that so many otherwise intelligent people would buy into the snake oil Matthews sells in various guises/disguises all over Virginia. By the halfway point, I was fervently hoping one of these people would say, "Are you kidding?" and throw soup in this guy's face.

My minor quibble with this book is that the dialogue of everyone under twenty endlessly incorporates the word "like." It's, like, the way it is. So, having dashed through what is essentially a non-stop chase novel, I was, like, let down. Okay? I mean, like, almost bummed, even. You know? Like, really.

Rating:
Summary: Another feather in the cap of this gifted author. Jeffrey
Review: Deaver again succeeds in presenting the reader with a taut, well-written, exciting and convoluted novel. The title is well-thought out and apt for the story line.

Tate Collier in his pursuit of a legal career seemingly neglects his wife, Bett and his daughter Megan. When Megan is three Bett and Tate divorce and Tate's contact with his daughter is minimal.

At sixteen, Megan is kidnapped setting off a series of events that will keep you captivated. The adversary and Lawyer Tate, assisted by Bett, are pitted against each other in intigueing circumstances,and with far more intrigueing results. And Megan herself , while imprisoned in a closed hospital, rises to the occasion and in a brave medlay of moves tries to outwit her captor.

The reason for the title of this gripper is slowly but clearly brought to light as we find a battle of words among the principal players. On the cover page, a quote from Henry Miller reads:
"In the beginning was the Word. Man acts it out. He is the act, not the actor." Amazingly fitting for both the plot and the unraveling of same in encapsulated scenes that will have you holding your breath waiting for the next word.

This is not just a casual read, but an enjoyable, tense novel from one of today's top novelists. Leave yourself time for this one because you will not be able to put it down! The ending is a superb surprise that is not likely to leave your thoughts for some time to come.Good Job, Jeffery and keep those books coming, please!

Rating:
Summary: An ultimate battle of wits
Review: I always preferred thrillers, which leaned more towards a battle of wits, then a battle of fists. True, a car chase or a shoot-out are exciting, but when the hero has to outthink his adversary, not just shoot him ... well, that excites me more.
"Speaking in Tongues" is, maybe, the ultimate battle of wits novel.

A young girl goes into a shrink office. He is very sympathetic, and she really likes this new doctor... right until he drugs and kidnaps her.

Then we turn to the girls' father - a lawyer who can talk a jury into any verdict he wants, a real courtroom king. But does he stand a chance against a psychopath who can talk people into committing suicides?

"Speaking in Tongues" is more of a suspense novel, then a thriller - there is not much actual action - i.e. fights, chases, - mostly it's talking, but it's really involving. Maybe not as involving as another Deaver great "A Maiden's Grave", but the difference in suspense is minimal.

And not many novels can give you a scene, were the hero has to argue, why a person should not be shot, not plead, or appeal to reason, but really give an argument. This scene alone is worth the price of admission.

The one thing I can say against the book is that the villain sometimes seems to be too clever, unrealistically so, but if that wasn't a problem for you in the Hannibal Lector novels, then it won't be a problem here also.

One last thing: ordinary it takes me about a week to read a 300 pages novel, as I don't have much time to read with work and everything. This one I finished in two days.

Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile thriller
Review: I have known Jeffery Deaver as a good suspense writer who is especially good with plot twists. In this novel, he continues the trend.

The plot focuses on the kidnapping of the teenaged Megan Collier by former psychologist Aaron Matthews. Matthews has used his skills from his career to become a master manipulator and now is out to ruin the life of Megan's father, Tate, a lawyer who in his own way is a master manipulator.

What follows is a chess game between Tate and Aaron, with Aaron several moves ahead and Tate unaware of who he's "playing" against even as he continues to lose the pieces that he needs to win. Aaron is a formidable villain, even if his skills do seem unbelievably good at times. Tate, who must come to terms with his own bad parenting even as he seeks his daughter, makes a good opponent for Aaron.

As stated in the title of this review, this is a worthwhile thriller and can be enjoyed by most fans of suspense fiction. Deaver keeps the story moving and if there are little flaws here or there, they are not enough to keep this book from being good entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Another great thriller from Deaver.
Review: Jeffery Deaver is a master of adding twists and turns to the story and specially to the end of his thillers, just as in this book.
Tate Collier and Aaron Mathews are both brilliant with words. One used to be an excellent trial lawyer, and the other is a brilliant psychologist. Mathews is out to get Collier and his family, and is determined to not let anything stop him. Colliers daughter, Megan, disappears and it looks as she ran away. Now Collier and his ex-wife, Bett McCall have to work together to try to stop him.
A psychopath is gifted with a glib tongue can be as deadly as anything, and it doesn't make it any better when he's seeking violence and more important... he's looking for revenge!

Maybe not Deaver's best book, but still worth to read if you love thrillers. To some this one might be a disappointment after reading other of his books.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment from one of my favorite authors.
Review: Like one of the reviewers below, I began my love affair with Deaver by reading The Bone Collector. Since then, I've read The Coffin Dancer, The Empty Chair, The Blue Nowhere and A Maiden's Grave and loved them all. However, Speaking in Tongues felt to me like a book that was written when Deaver wasn't yet published and only got published because he is now a popular author. The last 50-75 pages of this book are the only redeeming qualities in my opinion.

The story, about a fractured family and a troubled teen who gets kidnapped by a psycho shrink, had potential but the writing quality and characterizations were not up to Deaver standards. Additionally, some of the things that happened in the story were ridiculously outlandish or way too convenient.

I certainly won't give up on Deaver because of one disappointing novel, but I do hope that this isn't the beginning of a downward spiral for Deaver as has happened with another of my favorite authors, Patricia Cornwell.