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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buckle yourselves in and hold on tight.........., 18 May 2001
By A Customer
O.K - warning before we go any further - if you are unable to willingly suspend your disbelief for 300 and odd pages, then this book, or the other Kenzie and Gennaro novels, are probably not for you. True, if you are looking for the last word in drab realism, you will be disappointed, and if you are seeking to studious dissect out holes in plot and motivation then you will be able to nit-pick for a considerable time. Those however looking for an engaging, humourous and entertaining thriller will have to walk a long mile before they find a better read. Our two heros Kenzie and Gennaro, and even their psychotic sidekick Bubba, manage to remain people we want to know more of, to spend time with, and to root for - true, they seem rather more attractive and morally sound than one might have a right to expect at times, and their back stories occasionally smack of being put in place to add background colour, but, (and in this I obviously disagree with some other readers), I found the evolving relationship between the two partners a central and involving theme of the book, rather than the more usual cheap attempt to inject much needed sexual tension into a dieing narrative. Although the plot centres around the chase for a serial killer of children, and occasionally touches on areas previously made their own by authors such as Thomas Harris, it unfolds more organically than most, and slowly accelerates to a furious, and genuinely moving climax. This is not Shakespeare, nor is it even the perfect example of the rollercoaster thriller it sets out to be - the familiarity of certain plot lines prevents that. For me, other novels in the series come closer, although I suspect that may be personnal taste. But if the adrenaline rush of a Patterson or a Harris is what you crave, I have to say I found this better than either, with a degree of genuine emotional engagement with the central characters missing from the hollow hearts of some of its "whizz-bang" competitors. Heartedly recommended, and clear about another foot of shelf space - you'll want the others in the series too.
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