The Anniversary Man
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'This thriller was so gripping it had me holding my breath as I turned the pages... the plot has plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the final chapter and the graphic descriptions made it difficult to tear myself away.' (ESSENTIALS - Bookclub )
''The atmosphere is menacing but don't be put off if you're squeamish - this intelligent read isn't a gore-fest.****' (SHE )
'Ellory is skilled at cinematic narratives [and] this novel brandishes his filmic consciousness... It's a cliche to praise a crime novel for its adroit marshalling of suspense, but there is no choice here: with The Anniversary Man, that's the signal achievement.' (INDEPENDENT )
'This is a thriller that will have you dreading the horrors and surprises waiting in the next chapter' (WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY )
'From the man who is incapable of writing a poor book, this is the serial killer novel to end all serial killer novels... Again, R J Ellory has given us a read that tempts the senses, engages the emotions and tickles the intellect. What can I say, but it's a sure-fire winner and deserves to be on every award list going.' (CRIMESQUAD )
'Let's cut to the chase. This is quite simply one of the best cop thrillers you'll read this year. Or any year. It's an achievement that parks Ellory's wagon on the driveway of Michael Connelly the finest American exponent of the genre, and no higher praise can I give... Brilliant' (PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH )
'Delightfully elegiac' (MORNING STAR )
'Clever and well written, and as scary as a book on such a subject should be.' (LITERARY REVIEW ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
''The atmosphere is menacing but don't be put off if you're squeamish - this intelligent read isn't a gore-fest.****' (SHE )
'Ellory is skilled at cinematic narratives [and] this novel brandishes his filmic consciousness... It's a cliche to praise a crime novel for its adroit marshalling of suspense, but there is no choice here: with The Anniversary Man, that's the signal achievement.' (INDEPENDENT )
'This is a thriller that will have you dreading the horrors and surprises waiting in the next chapter' (WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY )
'From the man who is incapable of writing a poor book, this is the serial killer novel to end all serial killer novels... Again, R J Ellory has given us a read that tempts the senses, engages the emotions and tickles the intellect. What can I say, but it's a sure-fire winner and deserves to be on every award list going.' (CRIMESQUAD )
'Let's cut to the chase. This is quite simply one of the best cop thrillers you'll read this year. Or any year. It's an achievement that parks Ellory's wagon on the driveway of Michael Connelly the finest American exponent of the genre, and no higher praise can I give... Brilliant' (PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH )
'Delightfully elegiac' (MORNING STAR )
'Clever and well written, and as scary as a book on such a subject should be.' (LITERARY REVIEW ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'Quite simply one of the best cop thrillers you'll read this year. Or any year. It's an achievement that parks Ellory's wagon on the driveway of Michael Connelly, the finest American exponent of the genre, and no higher praise can I give.' EVENING TELEGRAPH 'The prose is daring and he is head and shoulders above his contemporaries.' CATHOLIC HERALD 'This thriller was so gripping it had me holding my breath as I turned the pages' ESSENTIALS 'a serial killer story unlike any other...it grips like a claw' EVENING TELEGRAPH 'This is one of those police-procedural gems that come along once in a blue moon.' -- Elliott Swanson BOOKLIST 'This man [Ellory] is incapable of writing a mediocre book. All are, without doubt, first class.' LOVEREADING.CO.UK 'This is one of Ellory's fastest reads, a real page-turner, gruesome, at times chilling, building to an edge-of-the-seat climax. Awesome.' LOVEREADING.CO.UK 'Ellory's gripping thriller should appeal to lovers of procedurals and may also draw readers of true crime, as it deals with many actual serial killings.' LIBRARY JOURNAL (USA)
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
For those accustomed to RJE's unique talent, a new novel brings very high expectations. With many authors such expectation is followed by inevitable disappointment. However, RJE is no mere "normal" talent, and fittingly he again meets and exceeds them.
"The Anniversary Man" is an unstinting feast of all that is engaging about good research, everything that is terrifying about the darker side to human nature and all that is artistically captivating about skilfully delivered prose.
Ray Irving and John Costello are the major protagonists who drive the story. A spate of killings quickly link into one another, and Detective Ray Irving, of New York's Finest, begins his trail of a serial killer who always seems so many steps ahead of him. Bewildered and frustrated, Irving enlists the help of the unusual Costello, a man emotionally marked by his experience of living beyond a serial killer attack. Costello's special skills and expertise add insight for Irving who brings him on board despite misgivings about Costello's involvement with the mysterious Winterbourne group.
Both Irving and Costello are wonderfully drawn characters, but then so are Karen Langley and Captain Faraday. Ellorys skill in characterisation seems to improve with each novel, and as others have already said the characters stay with you for a long time afterwards. Irving is so real, it's a wonder you can't actually hear him breathing through the book
Ellory also seems to have increased the pace in this novel, not that I complained in the past, his prose is the sort that you wish to savour rather than rush, but the pace suited on this occasion, making it a devour all, oh my goodness is that the time, sort of read.
The lucid descriptions and exceptional research bring to life the structure and format of a police investigation, a gritty look at what real-life police analysis is, and what a detective would have to deal with. In many movies and novels, we see an almost inhuman intelligence or unlikely quantities of serendipity which lead to resolution. Not with this novel, it is another tour de force, bold realism, living breathing characters, skilful prose and industrious groundwork come together to produce a final third of finesse, skill and tension.
There are sections of the story that are harrowing, that create an emotional effect, but you also are left with the notion of the inherent decency of people pulling through all that life throws at them. Superb by Ellory, and as with his other works, I recommend you read it.
"The Anniversary Man" is an unstinting feast of all that is engaging about good research, everything that is terrifying about the darker side to human nature and all that is artistically captivating about skilfully delivered prose.
Ray Irving and John Costello are the major protagonists who drive the story. A spate of killings quickly link into one another, and Detective Ray Irving, of New York's Finest, begins his trail of a serial killer who always seems so many steps ahead of him. Bewildered and frustrated, Irving enlists the help of the unusual Costello, a man emotionally marked by his experience of living beyond a serial killer attack. Costello's special skills and expertise add insight for Irving who brings him on board despite misgivings about Costello's involvement with the mysterious Winterbourne group.
Both Irving and Costello are wonderfully drawn characters, but then so are Karen Langley and Captain Faraday. Ellorys skill in characterisation seems to improve with each novel, and as others have already said the characters stay with you for a long time afterwards. Irving is so real, it's a wonder you can't actually hear him breathing through the book
Ellory also seems to have increased the pace in this novel, not that I complained in the past, his prose is the sort that you wish to savour rather than rush, but the pace suited on this occasion, making it a devour all, oh my goodness is that the time, sort of read.
The lucid descriptions and exceptional research bring to life the structure and format of a police investigation, a gritty look at what real-life police analysis is, and what a detective would have to deal with. In many movies and novels, we see an almost inhuman intelligence or unlikely quantities of serendipity which lead to resolution. Not with this novel, it is another tour de force, bold realism, living breathing characters, skilful prose and industrious groundwork come together to produce a final third of finesse, skill and tension.
There are sections of the story that are harrowing, that create an emotional effect, but you also are left with the notion of the inherent decency of people pulling through all that life throws at them. Superb by Ellory, and as with his other works, I recommend you read it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Bus stops were missed. Tube stations I was supposed to get off ignored. This is gripping a crime drama as it gets. Fantastic writing. Intelligent structure. Wonderful characters and a get ending. This was a compelling read and once again I suggest to people who have not read the wonderful talent which is RJ Ellroy...buy, buy and buy. Then tell tell and tell your friends.
Tony Laforce, Hackney
Tony Laforce, Hackney
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
R.J Ellory writes thoroughly enjoyable page turners. This is the second book of his corpus which I have read (I read "A Quiet Belief in Angels" during the summer) and he does not disappoint. I am a big fan of crime fiction, police procedurals and standard detective fiction, spending the last few years studying authors like James Lee Burke and James Ellroy. My reason for telling you this is that R.J Ellory's style really is eminent and he should not be missed.
Others have already summed up the plot in "The Anniversary Man" very well and I won't repeat it here. However, it should be said that you really do care about what happens to the central characters, particularly the protagonist Ray Irving. The use of John Costello, a survivor of a serial killers attack, as a catalyst for much of the action is very interesting. I don't want to spoil it for anyone by saying too much, but Costello is a mysterious character who seems to be the central protagonist at first, but his intermittent presence adds a perplexing undertone throughout the novel.
Ellory writes in a simple, straight forward and eloquent way. This is an easy book to read and you will flow through it. He really does have a great style and you never feel like you are laboring through the pages. It's simply captivating.
I don't often write reviews on Amazon and I am often disappointed by other books with excellent reviews, with covers containing various praise. "The Anniversary Man" really is not one of those. It's a delight, albeit with some gruesome content. Any fans of James Lee Burke (particularly the central novels of the Robicheaux series like "Jolie Blons' Bounce" and "Purple Cane Road") and Ellroy's Black Dahlia, should enjoy this book.
Others have already summed up the plot in "The Anniversary Man" very well and I won't repeat it here. However, it should be said that you really do care about what happens to the central characters, particularly the protagonist Ray Irving. The use of John Costello, a survivor of a serial killers attack, as a catalyst for much of the action is very interesting. I don't want to spoil it for anyone by saying too much, but Costello is a mysterious character who seems to be the central protagonist at first, but his intermittent presence adds a perplexing undertone throughout the novel.
Ellory writes in a simple, straight forward and eloquent way. This is an easy book to read and you will flow through it. He really does have a great style and you never feel like you are laboring through the pages. It's simply captivating.
I don't often write reviews on Amazon and I am often disappointed by other books with excellent reviews, with covers containing various praise. "The Anniversary Man" really is not one of those. It's a delight, albeit with some gruesome content. Any fans of James Lee Burke (particularly the central novels of the Robicheaux series like "Jolie Blons' Bounce" and "Purple Cane Road") and Ellroy's Black Dahlia, should enjoy this book.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A huge disappointment
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed 'A quiet belief in Angels' I was looking forward to reading this new story. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Robert S Brown
A captivating read
I finished this book last night, the bath water went cold around me! I kept trying to slow my reading down with this story because I didn't want it to end. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Sarah Bennett
This author gets better and better
This author just gets better and better. He paints his characters so well and they are strong and complex personalities. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Freckles
An author worth trying
' The Anniversary Man ' was the fourth book that I've read by R.J.Ellory and it was as if it was a true story. A bit blood thirsty but I have the perfect friend to pass this on to. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mary A
A disappointment
Having previously read a few of RJ Ellory's novels and having loved 'A Quiet Belief in Angels', I was really looking forward to reading this book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Alison McVey
Another fabulous book from RJ Ellory
RJ Ellory's novels never disappoint. This is a gripping read from start to finish, with totally believable characters and a great plot (obviously built on thorough and detailed... Read more
Published 16 months ago by H. Leigh-Phippard
The Crime Ace
I came across this book when my reading habits were diminished,and then I got this book from nowhere. Read more
Published 18 months ago by seabird
Another intelligent thriller
Having read most of R. J. Ellory's books, this one did not disappoint. It was more fast moving than the others I've read and the amount of research the author must have carried out... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Bernard H. Moule
Overlong, uninteresting, not entertaining and a bit banal
I did not like this book and resented the time I had to spend in order to finish it. I will try to explain why. Read more
Published 20 months ago by still searching
What makes a good crime novel
As a huge fan of detective novels I am left pondering what makes a good detective novel.
Strong lead character is a must. Read more
Strong lead character is a must. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Sam Arnold
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
