Pursuit

Rating:
Summary: One of Perry's best
Review: Thomas Perry is very well known for his riveting thrillers. In some ways, he is highly underrated in that his books are so good, he should be a very well known best-selling author. He has been putting out quality work for years. His latest is no exception and is, in fact, one of his best in quite some time.
PURSUIT, as the title aptly describes, is a novel about a cat and mouse chase between two killers. Both of them are professionals for hire. However, one of them works for the good guys, the other is a true monster. When thirteen bodies turn up dead in an intimate restaurant, Daniel Milliken, ex-detective and current professor of criminology, realizes one of the dead customers was the target of a highly skilled and dangerous assassin. He has one of the victim's families hire Roy Prescott, who specializes in hunting down murderers and, in most instances, killing them. Prescott's target is James Varney, an assassin for hire who has no regard for human life. Prescott sets up one trap after another to ensnare Varney. However, Varney eventually starts setting traps of his own.
Perry specializes in novels about hide and seek. His series character, Jane Whitefield, makes people disappear by changing their identity. This standalone is again about people trying to disappear. The book takes off from page one and rarely pauses for breath. These types of books make for some fun reading and this one is definitely no exception. Not only does Perry take great care in the construction of the plot of this novel, but, he uses the same care in the creation of his characters. Varney, Prescott and Milliken are all real to the reader by the conclusion of this ingenious work.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising and unexpected
Review: To begin with, I love the Jane Whitefield books but didn't really care for Thomas Perry's others. I thought I'd give this one a try anyway.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. Very skillful balance between plot progression and character development, even the obligatory flashbacks.

I found myself much more interested in the characters than the events. Roy Prescott is fascinating. Reminded me of Jane, come to think of it.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book Yet.....
Review: To simply state this book was great. Prescott is the best character since Chinese Gordon. No nonsense page turner that has you from front to back. The only drawback i feel for all of Perry's books, too short. One year between too wait for his next i always want more. Buy it you will not be disapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting and filled with twists
Review: When a diner in Louisville, Kentucky is the scene of a mass murder, the police call in profiler Dan Milliken to help them get a bead on the perpetrator. Milliken quickly determines that the murders are the work of a professional killer, one who knows what he's doing. One who left virtually no clues. The police are stumped. Because Milliken knows the assassin will kill again, he calls in his friend, Roy Prescott, a private investigator who specializes in hunting down killers. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse chase that pits two men of almost identical skills against each other, and the pursuit won't end until one of them is dead.

This finely crafted novel is told from several points of view, which is normally a disadvantage. As a reader I normally like to have one clear character to root for. In this case, however, it works. I would name Prescott as the main protagonist, but it's Milliken's decision to hire Prescott that puts everything in motion, and he checks in periodically. We also get inside the killer's head, sometimes for chapters at a time--and sometimes I almost felt sorry for him.

The pace is quick and suspenseful, the plot twists clever and surprising. After some gut-wrenching close calls, in which the villain makes incredible escapes, the end seemed a bit anti-climactic, but it was none-the-less satisfying. A solid page-turner.

Rating:
Summary: self-help primer for contract killers
Review: while a hit show like "csi" covers good forensic ground, you need a taut thriller like this gem by perry to get a better grip on two warring homicidal adversaries: the hunter and his prey. except here the roles keep reversing and dovetailing, with the law off in the distance, like a referee in a pro wrestling bout not allowed to really intervene. characterization is superb here, plot tight, solid entertainment. only complaint: when perry overwrites and becomes philosophically forced and flowery, when you just want page-turning action.