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Fear the Worst
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Review
'Barclay's plot proceeds at breakneck pace, full of twists and turns so confounding that you'll be unable to put this book down until you've turned the very last page. With a great cast of characters, plus wild goose chases and red herrings galore, this book has it all. After climbing off the thrill-ride of Fear the Worst, newcomers to Barclay's novels will understand what all the fuss has been about' (WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY )
'In a defty modulated progression from unease to tension to terror, Barclay takes the reader towards a final engagement with some very sinister people.' (THE INDEPENDENT )
'This is one of those rare read-at-one-sitting books ... Barclay is an extremely talented storyteller and a great addition to the crime thriller genre, up there with Harlan Coben, whom he most closely resembles.' (DAILY MAIL)
'Barclay is the thriller writer everyone's talking about and this book show's why - its fast and exciting, but with enough substance to the writing to prevent it being slick or shallow.' (MORNING STAR)
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
'In a defty modulated progression from unease to tension to terror, Barclay takes the reader towards a final engagement with some very sinister people.' (THE INDEPENDENT )
'This is one of those rare read-at-one-sitting books ... Barclay is an extremely talented storyteller and a great addition to the crime thriller genre, up there with Harlan Coben, whom he most closely resembles.' (DAILY MAIL)
'Barclay is the thriller writer everyone's talking about and this book show's why - its fast and exciting, but with enough substance to the writing to prevent it being slick or shallow.' (MORNING STAR)
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
Barclay ratchets up the suspense to produce a very satisfying summer read. (BIRMINGHAM PRESS )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
What would you do if your teenage daughter vanished one day, without warning? That's what happens to Tim Blake. After his daughter Sydney fails to come home, he goes to her workplace to see if she turned up for work that day, but they tell him they don't know her and she's never worked there. Then her car turns up with bloodstains in it - and suddenly the police seem to think that he's the most likely suspect behind her disappearance.
It's an intriguing premise, but Fear The Worst is a very slow build. Barclay's other books grabbed me from the outset, but this one took me a long time to pull me in and I have to say that I never felt particularly hooked. Things do happen: in fact, the plot is littered with clues (and red herrings), but rather than building the intrigue they somehow just feel formulaic. None of the characters feel like real people, but the villains are particularly devoid of any reason for existing other than to be villainous.
The plot reminded me in many ways of Hold Tight by Harlan Coben (also a thriller about a father searching for his missing teen). But unlike Coben's intricate storyline, Fear The Worst is almost entirely devoid of sub-plots. With hindsight, I can see that this book was carefully plotted. Almost every character has a reason for being introduced, almost every casual conversation has some later relevance. But the net effect is that it takes a long time to get anywhere and I for one got bored.
This is the third Linwood Barclay novel that I've read and I have to say that endings are not his strong point. The ending of this book is not quite as silly as No Time For Goodbye (which jumped the shark in a big way), but it comes close. The good thing is that he doesn't drag it out - however this also means that several plot elements are never resolved. It would have been more satisfying to know what happened next, and it also would have been more satisfying to understand who the villains were and why they were doing what they did.
Not a total disaster - but very disappointing. If you're new to Linwood Barclay, I recommend reading Too Close To Home instead. Or my favourite recent discovery is the Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton: start with A Cold Day in Paradise.
It's an intriguing premise, but Fear The Worst is a very slow build. Barclay's other books grabbed me from the outset, but this one took me a long time to pull me in and I have to say that I never felt particularly hooked. Things do happen: in fact, the plot is littered with clues (and red herrings), but rather than building the intrigue they somehow just feel formulaic. None of the characters feel like real people, but the villains are particularly devoid of any reason for existing other than to be villainous.
The plot reminded me in many ways of Hold Tight by Harlan Coben (also a thriller about a father searching for his missing teen). But unlike Coben's intricate storyline, Fear The Worst is almost entirely devoid of sub-plots. With hindsight, I can see that this book was carefully plotted. Almost every character has a reason for being introduced, almost every casual conversation has some later relevance. But the net effect is that it takes a long time to get anywhere and I for one got bored.
This is the third Linwood Barclay novel that I've read and I have to say that endings are not his strong point. The ending of this book is not quite as silly as No Time For Goodbye (which jumped the shark in a big way), but it comes close. The good thing is that he doesn't drag it out - however this also means that several plot elements are never resolved. It would have been more satisfying to know what happened next, and it also would have been more satisfying to understand who the villains were and why they were doing what they did.
Not a total disaster - but very disappointing. If you're new to Linwood Barclay, I recommend reading Too Close To Home instead. Or my favourite recent discovery is the Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton: start with A Cold Day in Paradise.
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I started reading this at 8pm last night and didn't put it down until 1am the next morning! It was a very addictive and enjoyable read, yet I felt that it wasn't quite as good as his first novel. Some details seemed a bit too over-the-top, and the formula was quite similar to that of Barclay's first novel. As much as I enjoyed reading this book there were several points where I was reminded of 'No Time for Goodbye' or simply thought, "Wait, the author expects us to believe that this could happen in real life? This isn't a James Bond movie!" However, despite this, it was a very exciting and original story and incredibly hard to put down. Recommended if you like action-packed thrillers and don't mind your books becoming a little bit over-the-top when it comes to scenes involving cars, guns and the hero single-handedly beating all the bad guys.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a great book with well created characters and an intricate plot line which is thoroughly enjoyable just so long as you don't take it too seriously. I can understand why someone would get rather frustrated towards the end when the plot disintegrates into something so unrealistic and impossible but I just enjoyed the ride - it is fiction after all. I would suggest this as an excellent holiday read or for putting your feet up with in the evening after a long day. For me, this wasn't as good as his first two novels and doesn't compare to some of the masters of this genre (Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly) but it does entertain and it is compelling. It's like watching a Bruce Willis movie - none of this stuff could really happen but you don't care because you're having fun! In fact, Bruce Willis probably could make a good movie out of this!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A page turner
I see a lot of people "complain" about the similarity to previous books.
However I found this book to be a real page turner, fast paced, the plot was good and an emotional... Read more
However I found this book to be a real page turner, fast paced, the plot was good and an emotional... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Vegar
All Linwood Barclay books
I have now bought all the Lynwood Barclay books and I loved every one ,I was on the edge of my seat most of the time and can't put them down until finished Great writer.
Published 2 months ago by Snuffkin
Fear the Worst
Very interesting book, a good thriller that runs along at a pace and keeps your attention at all times. Highly recommended! I am going to look for other books by the same author..
Published 2 months ago by Hilary Schaper
pedestrian
I suppose it doesn't help that I've been working my way (quickly) through the Jack Reacher books. I thought I'd take a break and read this one which had been recommended to me. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Philtrum
Great read
Great book, found if difficult to put down once i started reading it! Would definitely recommend it if you're a fan of crime/thriller novels.
Published 3 months ago by tonimantana
A decent enough thriller.
Car salesman, Tim Blake, comes home from work one evening to find that his seventeen year old daughter, Sydney,is not there. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J.Flood
Yes, Fear the Worst
Well maybe not the worst, but this is not a book to spend too much time on.
Implausible plot, cardboard characters, and mechanical pace, leading to nonsensical ending. Read more
Implausible plot, cardboard characters, and mechanical pace, leading to nonsensical ending. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Troy Beal
Quick service
Quick delivery and good service! Book in good condition. Much cheaper than some 2nd hand shops. Will definately use again!
Published 7 months ago by Jane
A passable holiday thriller, but ultimately uninvolving
I have not been familiar with Ms Barclay's work, but was recommended this book as a holiday read. OK, it is a pacey read, but the characters feel to me like cardboard cut-out... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Andrew S
Fear the Worst
Twisty turny thriller - probably the best way to describe it (nice bit of alliteration there). The master of twists and turns too. Read more
Published 9 months ago by deputy_derrick
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