Scavenger

Rating:
Summary: Tom Savage--Scavenger
Review: ...
Pages: 372

Although it is very difficult for Savage to even attempt to duplicate the success of his best-selling (as well as astonishingly stylish) "Valentine", he does create a quite gripping and compelling novel. Mark Stevenson is introduced as a best-stelling novelist who has just received an award for his novel "Dark Desire", which is losely based on the actual killer called "The Family Man", whose crimes were never solved. Yet what Stevenson soon finds out is that he has an extremely devoted fan--someone who knows more about the real Family Man than even he does. The fan calls himself Scavenger and he devises a little game for Stevenson to play in order to learn the truth about this horrific killer. With the help of an old detective and others during "The Game", Stevenson pursues the truth and we learn why it is so compelling to him. Eventually, he is set on a riveting wild-goose chase that has moments of shear suspense, yet ultimately bottoms up with a sour ending. What is good about Savage novels is that his chapters are short and his stories are fast-paced...so matter how corny or disappointing a climax is...at least readers are vigorously flipping the pages to get to them.... Savage extends his proclaim as one of the best up-and-coming suspense writers in the business.

Rating:
Summary: A Man Of Many Parts
Review: Hitchcock would have loved Tom Savage. He has a talent for creating a heightened dramatic realism that manages to stay just credible enough to allow suspension of disbelief, and his plots are exceedingly intricate and well thought out.

Newly celebrated author Mark Stevenson writes a popular mystery based on the real-life exploits of a never-apprehended serial killer called The Family Man, and becomes the target of someone calling himself "Scavenger." Scavenger involves Stevenson in a deadly clue-hunting game of cat-and-mouse, with the prize being the revelation of The Family Man's true identity. Along the way, a few new victims are tallied...

Jaded mystery and suspense buffs may find themselves a jump or two ahead of this one, but it doesn't matter. Savage's usual talent for creating characters who are not what they seem is at its best, here. He is skillful at misdirection, and always manages to provide a few surprises even to those who figure out some of the major plot twists before the end.

Most importantly, Savage delivers. He promises much, and actually delivers more. The reader is taken on the same merry rollercoaster ride as Mark Stevenson throughout the book, with not a few clammy, white-knuckle moments, and a great deal of tension. It can only whet the reader's appetite to know in advance that there are echoes of Seven and Strangers On A Train in this book, because anyone thinking they can figure out what's going on by being in possession of that knowledge will be duly and truly surprised when they discover Savage's variations on the themes.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid ending!!
Review: I really like Tom Savage but this one was not his best. Read it if you are a fan but it could have been better.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid Ending is Right!!
Review: I usually don't go for the Mystery section, but I picked this one up on a whim. The storyline was OK; the cat-and-mouse game was pretty good once it picked up; but the ending was just stupid!! Again, without giving too much away - I don't know if the author planned this ending from the start, or he finished the game, and didn't know what to do next, so made up the only thing he could think of (Stephen King is guilty of this too I think in several of his otherwise great novels).
But what a disappointment.
It was worth reading once, I guess.

Rating:
Summary: A FAIRLY GOOD READ TILL THE END!
Review: In SCAVENGER by Tom Savage, the protagonist (Mark Stevenson/a.k.a. Matthew Farmer) has just written a best-selling novel that is based somewhat on the exploits of a real serial killer known as "The Family Man." Thirteen years before, the Family Man went on a two-year killing spree across the United States, wiping out entire families on special holidays, cutting off heads, dressing up the corpses in elaborate costumes to depict the holiday that they were killed on, and he was never caught. Mark's parents and siblings were one of the families, and he used his inside knowledge of the murders to create a fictional account for his novel as a means of finally dealing with the tragedy that changed his life forever. Now, someone who calls himself the Scavenger has just finished reading Mark's book. He knows that the novel is based on "The Family Man" killings, and he also knows who the Family Man really is and why he mysteriously stopped killing. The Scavenger decides to play with Mark, promising to reveal the killer's identity if the author will go on a scavenger hunt for glues, visiting the different crime scenes around the country. All will be revealed at the end of the hunt. It's impossible for Mark to say no to this proposal. He has to find out what information the Scavenger has and is willing to risk just about anything to get the answers to his questions. Mark agrees to play the game, not knowing that a lot of people are going to die and that he is being set up for a very dangerous fall. SCAVENGER is a smoothly written novel with the plot twists perfectly arranged to keep the readers glued to the pages. The antagonist in the book is a know-all killer who seems to be in several places at once, keeping the lead character, as well as the reader, guessing as to what will happen next. I wish Mark Stevenson had been a smarter character, equal to the genius of the Scavenger. He does some things in the novel that seem silly, if not outright stupid. Also, Mr. Savage has set up the novel with an unexpected ending that is supposed to shock or surprise the reader, but I actually felt cheated by it. I understand what the author was trying to do and applaud him for attempting to be creative; still, I felt set up much like the character of Mark Stevenson. That doesn't make SCAVENGER is bad read. I did enjoy the book, but thought the potential was there for it to be so much more.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising
Review: Many years ago I read Agatha Christie's novel THE DEATH OF ROGER ACKROYD. This book shocked me in the sense that the reader takes everything they read at face value but then are proven wrong. Tom Savage uses a similar plot device in SCAVENGER.

Mark Stevenson is a novelist who just published a thin-veiled account of The Family Man murders. This serial killer murdered complete families that fall a certain criteria. He killed five families all over the United States and then stopped. Twelve years later, people are still wondering what happened to The Family Man. 'Scavenger' knows what really happened and he wants Mark Stevenson to play his little game to find out the truth of The Family Man.

The story is very well-executed and had my full attention. The cat-and-mouse game gets to be a bit intense but that is what makes it fun. The ending really caught me off guard and I never saw it coming. Any author who can do that earns my respect. I enjoyed this novel as well as VALENTINE (the book, didn't care to see the movie). I wish him success with his next work.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising
Review: Many years ago I read Agatha Christie's novel THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. This book shocked me in the sense that the reader takes everything they read at face value but then are proven wrong. Tom Savage uses a similar plot device in SCAVENGER.

Mark Stevenson is a novelist who just published a thin-veiled account of The Family Man murders. This serial killer murdered complete families that fall a certain criteria. He killed five families all over the United States and then stopped. Twelve years later, people are still wondering what happened to The Family Man. 'Scavenger' knows what really happened and he wants Mark Stevenson to play his little game to find out the truth of The Family Man.

The story is very well-executed and had my full attention. The cat-and-mouse game gets to be a bit intense but that is what makes it fun. The ending really caught me off guard and I never saw it coming. Any author who can do that earns my respect. There were a few scenes in the book that I found to be a bit redundant and there are times when Scavenger's game seems to gon on forever. This is why I did not put five stars on this review. I enjoyed Savage's novel as well as his previous work, VALENTINE (the book, didn't care to see the movie). I wish him success with his next work.

Rating:
Summary: amazing book
Review: this book was so great .the ending was amazing.like nothing youve ever read.-if you like a great mystery -run to the nearest store and buy this book

Rating:
Summary: Literary falsehoods.
Review: Tom Savage has a very bad habit. He tends to lie to his readers. Much like Valentine, this book has an interesting premise, but a killer who is much too obviously the culprit. The only way Tom Savage is able to hide the killer's identity from the reader is to lie. He has the killer act, speak, and think in the way an innocent person would, even when they are alone with their thoughts, which defies plasusibility.

The real problem with the 'twist ending' is that it removes any motivation that the main character might have had for their actions - Savage seems to know this, when he tries to off-handedly throw in a theory of the crime in the epilogue.

The premise really did have promise, but unmotivated characters, a terrible ending, and plot points that don't hold up to the slightest bit of common sense make this book another disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Very Different
Review: When I purchased this book I was expecting a good serial killer book, but it wasnt anything like that. Story was a bit far-fetched and very long (or seemed that way),however the ending was great so thats why i give this four stars.