<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Tight, Grim and Gritty
Review: I am at a loss to understand why reviewers did not like this book as much as I did. Like all Faye Kellerman novels that I have read, I found the story strong, the plot gripping, the mystery mesmerizing, and the ending full of heart-pounding suspense. This particular book focuses on Peter Decker's older daughter Cindy, now a rookie cop. Cindy is not a likeable character--in fact, through most of the book, I could not stand her. But she is compeltely believable--an obnoxious, loudmouth, arrogant young woman with a huge chip on her shoulder--who also happens to be a marshmallow about her family and her secret self. During a fairly routine hostage situation, Cindy the rookie upstages her own sergeant, not the best of all situations. Although she solves the hostage problem with no blood spilled, she becomes something of a pariah in the tight-knit cop brotherhood. It's not enough that her daddy is a homicide lieutenant, but she is college educated, mouthy, and doesn't know her own place. Or so they think. But is that enough to make HER a hostage? It seems that way, as a mysterious stalker starts to make her life intolerable...and dangerous. I stand by my opinion of this story, even though Cindy is not a likeable character--and I give it a solid five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointed
Review: I bought this book at random on vacation, looking for good, intriguing books. The summary on the back caught my interest. Well, after reading two Harlan Coben books, this was a big dissapointment. It was okay, and had some exciting moments. First of all, the book is way too long: 442 pages that I wished were about 200. The book has a slow beginning. It took 200 pages for me to become excited about anything in the novel. It is too wordy and goes into too much detail over things of nonimportance, that cause boredom. The caharcters aren't very intriguing, and much of the story seems predictable. After reading Harlan Coben's books that are wonderful from beginning to end and full of twists, this just didn't match up. I will not be buying any more books in this series or by this author. Also, the language became old, as I became tired of seeing the over-used "F-Bomb." This just isn't very good. There are many other mysteries that are much better. I recommend Harlan Coben's Trust No One, Gone For Good, and No Second Chance.
Rating: 
Summary: An okay book - but not up to her usual
Review: I understand that authors get tired writing about the same characters, while fans want more of that characters. I got this book expecting a Peter Decker novel because that's how it was advertised. Although he does make more than a cameo appearance, I felt that Mrs. Kellerman did not stay true to character. By the middle of the book, Peter came across as an neurotic, over protective father who could not accept his daughter as an adult, let alone as a fellow police office. As for Cindy, while I emphasized with her need to be accepted as an adult, I'm not sure that I want to spend to much time in her company. And even though she is a rookie, I found several of the mistakes she made just plain stupidity -- either that or put in to further the plot development, rather than the character development. As for the story : There was very little of her wonderful explanation about Orthodox Jewish religion and culture. The plot details are covered in other reviews, but I do agree with another reviewer that the plot rambles on in places. Still - a good read, but not Faye Kellerman's best.
Rating:
Summary: Only tolerable if you've read Kellerman before....
Review: If you've kept up with Faye Kellerman's Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series before, you might've been, like me, excited to read a book focusing on a new character, Peter's daughter Cindy. Unfortunately, Cindy's reckless, stubborn, and often defiantly stupid judgment throughout the book obscures the somewhat convoluted plot and frankly leaves you partially rooting for her stalker to get her, if only to teach her a lesson for her continuously foolish actions. Kellerman, through various characters, reiterates often that Cindy is an Ivy-League educated cop; I don't care if she never graduated from the 6th grade, her problem here is not intelligence but a dearth of common sense. The most blatant example of this is the fact that as the stalker's actions escalate, Cindy's decision is to attempt to determine his/her identity on her own, rather than rely on or trust the multi-decade experience of her father and his colleagues. Add to that a reduction of Peter's character to obsessive father figure (although based on Cindy's behavior, you can't blame the guy) and Rina's limited role and overall, you have at best a slightly suspenseful but very frustrating book. If you've never read Kellerman before, please DO NOT start with this book; it will leave you with the wrong impression of her skills. The Decker/Lazarus series is quite good. This book is only tolerable because you know Kellerman has produced much better work in the past and will hopefully do so in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Windbag
Review: This is the first novel I have read by Faye Kellerman so I might not have started with best. Stalker follows the stories of Cindy Decker, a rookie police officer who is being harrassed and Peter Decker, her police Lieutenant father who is busy trying to protect his daughter and solve a carjacking/murder case simultaneously. The plot of this novel is rather convoluted and the author includes an overwhelming amount of superfluous material which detracts greatly from the pacing of story. Still, I found some passages gripping and the characters well drawn. The plot itself is rather insane but I can forgive that in a thriller. I find the real problem of the book to be the rudimentary writing skills of the author...She does not have a hint of style in her writing nor an ear for dialogue. So, why not keep it short?
Rating:
Summary: Logical Leap in Decker/Lazarus Series
Review: While the mystery and suspense of Stalker does not live up to some of Ms. Kellerman's previous books in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series, it's still an excellent read! I feel Kellerman's timing was right to further explore some of the peripheral series characters, such as Cindy Decker and Scott Oliver. It keeps the series fresh and above all it allows Kellerman to do what she does best - tell stories about people! On a negative...first time Faye Kellerman readers beware this book does refer back to previous story lines.
<< 1 >>
| 
