Shikar

Rating:
Summary: One of the best damn books I've ever read
Review: Finished Shikar in three gulps- the last going till three one morning. I loved it; but then I am a recently retired policeman, have had a lot of professional and personal contact with reporters, know many real Georgia sheriff's and lastly I appreciate the awesome raw power of wild animals. We have lost our respect for animals through Disney, zoos and the Discovery Channel, but Warner was able to capture what happens when a wild animal gets loose among us.

In my career as a cop I encountered several smart and resilient but troubled children from dysfunctional families and was always amazed at their survival skills and intellect given their home lives. Warner has obviously encountered such a child too, and used his experience to create one of the the main characters.

I hope to get Shikar signed when Mr. Warner comes to my local book store (Chapter 11) in Atlanta next week, then put it away for a re-read this November when hiking the foothills of the Appalachian mountains.

Jack Warner has hit his target, and I thank him for creating a thoughtful and gripping tale.

LA

Rating:
Summary: A literary thriller
Review: I'm not much for thrillers usually, and like many women, I'm squeamish about my gore, so why did I read Shikar? A friend recommended it. Rightly so, it turned out. While the prerequisite number of folks did show up dead, I didn't want to stop reading as I met the tiger, a young, half-feral boy, and an old hunter from India's long-gone British Rha, who enlists to kill the man-eating tiger. The writing is pure mind honey, and in an extra bonus, the story's got more tiger lore than any animal-eat-animal nature show I've ever seen. Warner's come up with something new: The literary thriller. Let's hope others follow suit.

Rating:
Summary: A literary thriller
Review: In the Age of Hype, it's highly unusual to find a book that delivers MORE than its cover promises. Jack Warner's stunning debut novel, Shikar, does exactly that.

The red-striped tiger streaking across the cover succeeds mightily in telegraphing its fast-action appeal. However, this tale of a hunt for a man-eating tiger loose in the north Georgia wilderness envelopes another story, much more thoughtful and delicate, and yet also more gripping -- nothing less than the battle between the forces of good and evil for the soul of a small, almost feral mountain boy. Warner's handling of the high-testosterone elements of the book ranges from skillful to delightful. His portrayal of the ever-present press corps is hilarious. But it is the boy's story that raises Shikar from genre to literature. I eagerly await his next book. It will be interesting to see where Warner goes from here.

Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: Jack Warner is a master storyteller.

I've been privileged to enjoy Warner's work for more than 20 years, from his days as a wire-service deskman to newspaper reporter to his station in life now as a novelist. He is one of the finest writers I've encountered. He doesn't waste words or mince them; he can tell you more in two sentences than most writers can in 20. His writing is elegant and illuminating and never flabby. He is effusively efficient.

After only a few pages of "Shikar" you will feel the man-eating tiger's yellow, glowing eyes stalking you. You will also feel a strong reluctance to put the book down. You might also never look at a walk in the woods the same way again.

This is a heart-stopping thriller but also a sweet story about a noble old man and an innocent young boy with more in common than one might imagine. These are characters with hearts and souls.

My wish is that Jack Warner writes faster. I can't wait for his next book.

Rating:
Summary: There are few "can't put down" books. This is one of them.
Review: My copy of Shikar arrived a few days ago and I planned to spend the weekend reading it. I was wrong. I read it straight through. I don't know if Jack Warner has another novel in him, but he already has accomplished more with this one than most who make their living at it.

I only hope Hollywood doesn't ruin it when they make the movie, which I find inconceivable will not be made. Especially since it would seem to be the right role at the right time for Sean Connery as Jim Graham.

One can only suppose it was all those years writing with such skill about reality that enabled him to craft a novel with as much horror as any Stephen King could write, along with a full spectrum of humanity's various specimens, without taking the easy route of creating either monsters or caricatures. Both people and tiger are astoundingly real.

This is not "Jaws" in the Georgia woods. It is the intriguing tale of both animal and man, out of their elements yet still driven to do what they do naturally. Warner's tiger is not some mindless evil, but an almost sympathetic character in his own right. Almost, because you can never break away from what he is doing, must do, to survive.

Here's hoping Shikar becomes the runaway bestseller of the summer, as it should. Then I can tell people it was written by the man who, by example during our years together in United Press International's Atlanta newscenter, taught me far more than I ever learned.

Helluva job.

Rating:
Summary: Well-Written Page Turner
Review: Not only has Warner written a suspenseful, hair-raising page turner, he has successfully captured North Georgia mountain life. His characters are real and therefore believable; his scenery is accurate and stunning. No hillbilly stereotypes mar this beautiful work.
I strongly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good story, to those who savor well-honed characters and to anyone who appreciates a nicely turned phrase. I am looking forward to Warner's next book.

Rating:
Summary: A Thriller with Heart
Review: Shikar will not only scare you into battening down all your hatches, but will also touch you emotionally. For me, the heart of the book was the complex relationship the child - Roy Satterly - had with both the tiger and the hunter. The climax is as thrilling - and as touching - as any book I've read.

Rating:
Summary: Credible characters, an incredible read.
Review: The people in Jack Warner's book are not only believable, but something even more exciting; they are southern characters not steeped in stereotype. The sheriff is skillful, astute and unpretentious. The people have an identifiable heritage without being all that different from myself and my neighbors.

Each development is unpredictable at the same time it feels inevitable in the flow of the story. An author who weaves a wonderful tale at the same time he seems to point out that this age of information more than ever needs an awareness of and respect for wisdom. Such an unusually discerning novel is amazingly not ponderous but as quietly powerful as the animal it introduces to us.

Rating:
Summary: Credible characters, an incredible read.
Review: The people in Jack Warner's book are not only believable, but something even more exciting; they are southern characters not steeped in stereotype. The sheriff is skillful, astute and unpretentious. The people have an identifiable heritage without being all that different from myself and my neighbors.

Each development is unpredictable at the same time it feels inevitable in the flow of the story. An author who weaves a wonderful tale at the same time he seems to point out that this age of information more than ever needs an awareness of and respect for wisdom. Such an unusually discerning novel is amazingly not ponderous but as quietly powerful as the animal it introduces to us.

Rating:
Summary: You can't judge this book by its cover.
Review: Wow, what a debut novel. I loved the author's prose style and understated approach. He had me from the first paragraph. I can quibble a bit with some mystical overtones, but overall this is one of the best reads you will find this year. Just ignore what you think it will be like based on the plot description and get your hands on a copy.