Rating: 
Summary: An INCREDIBLE Tour de force
Review: John Katzenbach, my favorite author, has really done it this time. He has written a book that is so good you can't read it in one sitting, because you would rather savor it slowly over a few weeks to make it last as long as possible. This is quite simply the best book I have ever read.The main character, Frederick (Rickey) Starks, is an analyst who receives a threatening letter from a person calling himself Rumplestiltskin. Apparently, Rickey has wronged Rumplestiltskin in some grievous way in the past. Rickey is forced to play a life and death game: he is given 15 days to find out who Mr. R. is, or he must kill himself. If he doesn't kill himself, Mr. R. will begin killing Rickey's relatives, one by one. Mr. R. employs two assistants, a beautiful woman named Virgil and an attorney named Merlin, to torment and help Rickey on his path to hell. I won't tell you any more...I don't want to spoil it for you....suffice it to say there are more twists and turns than on San Fransico's Lombard St. Authors like John Katzenbach and Robert Littell just don't get the attention they deserve. After you read this book, go back and read Katzenbach's other books. This book is incredible. His other books are only tremendous. Alan
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad...
Review: The title Analyst is kind of misleading. When I picked up the book and saw the blurred outlines of a man and a train, I figured this would have something to do with a financial analyst, you know, the Wall Street type. Even though this book is mainly set in New York City, it's about a psychoanalyst (a shrink). (I didn't even know this type of professional exists. I've heard of psychiatrists and psychologists, but never psychoanalysts. It sounds like one of those bogus professions like tarot card reading.) So, Dr. Frederick Starks (Ricky) is a psychoanalyst that receives a threatening letter on his 53rd birthday telling him to find out the true identity of the letter writer (signed Rumpelstiltskin) within 15 days or risk losing his patients and relatives. To show that Rumpelstiltskin means business, one of his patients commits an apparent suicide by jumping in front of a train. At the same time, Ricky starts to understand how much control Rumpelstiltskin has over his life, his bank accounts, his relatives, his identity. It's a race against time for Ricky as his every move is anticipated and thwarted. It seems hopeless. Ricky could end the game at any time by taking his own life. Without giving away the plot, let me just say this story is divided into two sections. Let's call it the Old Ricky and the New Ricky. In the Old Ricky, Dr. Starks lives a really dull, predictable and mundane life. In the New Ricky, he turns into a character right out of a Robert Ludlum novel. We're talking about Ricky displaying spy-type characteristics and instincts. To be honest, it bothered me a little. The author made no mention and gave no inkling what abilities, talents and hobbies the Old Ricky had to justify the stuff he did in New Ricky (hence my comment for the P rating below). This story is not as fast paced as I would like it to be, but the plot is original. I hope my rating system below will help you decide whether or not this is a book you would like to read. LEAP rating (each out of 5):
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L (Language) - 3 (all the characters take on the tone of the psychoanalyst, each thought is clearly articulated, not much variation)
E (Erotica) - 0.5 (one totally unnecessary flashing scene)
A (Action) - 2 (two tame action sequences at the end, a lot of going around town searching for clues and meeting people)
P (Plot) - 3.5 (interesting, but characters are not fully integrated into it)
Rating: 
Summary: Not credible!
Review: The first part of the book was chilling, and there was an element of credibility about it. But the identity of the antagonist was pretty much apparent fairly early in the book. The second half of the book, however, was beyond belief. When the protagonists goes through twists and turns, opining where his antagonists would be, and then finding that they are exactly where he thought they were, over and over again, this was just not credible. The book was a disappointment, with little to do with even an imagined reality.
Rating:
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: This book was a major disappointment. The characters and plot are bizarre and boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone and did not even finish it.
Rating:
Summary: Major disappointment
Review: I found this book so boring I didn't even finish it. The story was too bizarre for me and the writing style dragged on too much. Cut 100 pages out and it would be more readable.
Rating:
Summary: Intensely compelling....
Review: "I envy you the experience of reading this book for the first time." That's the note to the reader in the intro pages of "First Blood" (David Morrell) and this is the first time I can restate those words. YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS NOVEL. It is the BEST hunter-hunted story of all time. It is fiendishly clever. If you're tired of the same old formula guy-on-run-with-a-beautiful-babe-at-his-side, then look no further. An extemely compelling and tightly crafted tale, you will also get an unusually rich character study of a man who finds himself in the most extreme nightmare, and so he must finally act with extraordinary measures, or perish. A couple of the reviewers who wanted the story shorter should stick to the shlock shoot-em-ups. This is the rare novel that when you finish it, you'll just sit there saying, "Wow, what a story." Then you'll be bummed that it's over. You've got to read this book -- you will not be let down. Mr. Katzenbach, I tip my hat to you.
Rating:
Summary: THINKING PERSON'S MYSTERY
Review: As a financial person I really enjoyed the books premise. Katzenbach delivers a most entertainig read. Another mystery that I found most enjoyable that dealt with financial clues as opposed to the more traditional ones was, MURDER DOESN'T FIGURE.
Enough with all the attorney mysterys let's have more with financial men.
Rating: 
Summary: makes for a great paperback
Review: a good, quick fast read. as a paperback, would have been worth the hopefully lower cost, but as a hardback, i'm not sure. many of the plot details have already been revealed but suffice it to say that while the actual details are somewhat fantastic/far-fetched, the novel more or less successfully exploits our paranoia about computers as the repositories for the facts about our lives and the harm a computer savvy enemy could wreak. the concept of a vindictive sibling trio was a little hard to swallow as was the role of ricky's mentor. that said, with a willing suspension of disbelief, the transformation of the hunted into the hunter worked. thoughtful editing would have made the book better. hart's war much better. suggest you wait for the paperback as it would make a good book for the beach or a plane flight.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating premise
Review: I really like this book - it held my interest and piqued my imagination about how easily something like this could happen with unlimited financial resources and a diabolical motive. I just finished plowing through Oprah's last pick, Fall on Your Knees (which I did with gratitude when I had finished) - no comparison. Please, Oprah, take a look at Katzenbach.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating premise
Review: I really like this book - it held my interest and piqued my imagination about how easily something like this could happen with unlimited financial resources and a diabolical motive...
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