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Title: Keeping Watch by Laurie R. King ISBN: 0-553-80191-0 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 04 March, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.53 (15 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Well written but ultimately disappointing
Comment: One of my favorite books of all time is Laurie King's first novel, A GRAVE TALENT. In a sense it is ironic that a supremely talented writer like Ms. King with many other distinguished books under her belt has not yet written a book to outdo her very first effort. With every book that she writes I hope for something to outdo the first effort. With the much heralded KEEPING TOUCH, I thought she might have finally done it. It sounded like she has written her true masterpiece at last. In fact, as I read the first hundred pages I thought that might finally be the case. However, she simply did not know how to keep her work down to a manageable length and unfortunately it does not live up to her first book.
Allen Carmichael has returned from Vietnam a psychological mess. It takes him quite some time to pull himself together. When the smoke clears he finds himself in a job in which he kidnaps children from abusive relationships and relocates them elsewhere in a safer and more supportive environment. Jamie is severely abused physically and mentally from his father. After removing him from the situation, Allen notes the father might be onto them thereby placing both Jamie and his foster family in danger. Allen must try to discover the truth about Jamie's father before it is too late.
A very promising start in this novel filled with harrowing scenes in Vietnam leads to a disappointing and trying conclusion. The novel goes on at least a hundred pages too long. All the strengths of Ms. King's work is here- the impeccably created characters, the riveting passages, the vivid descriptions of the locale and the intelligent subplots. However, the pacing lags and the length suffers as a result. A potential classic that simply could not maintain the high level consistently throughout.
Rating: 5
Summary: Blown away!
Comment: I have always been a fan of both Laurie King's series, finding them complex and entertaining. This newest novel, Keeping Watch, is by far the best she has written. Allen Carmichael came back from a tour in Vietnam wounded in both body and soul in the late 60's when no one had ever heard of post-traumatic stress disorder to a country and family who had no idea what had happened to all the young men shipped off to a hellish, senseless war. Haunted by nightmares and flashbacks of both the things he had seen and had done, he sinks into several years of homeless wandering until he ends up back at his childhood home. In the care of his young brother Jerry, he begins to heal and seek his purpose in life. He finds it in rescuing children from the hands of abusive fathers and putting them into an underground network of families willing to foster them to adulthood. After 26 years he takes one final case before retiring to his beloved island home,that of rescuing 12 year old Jamie O'Connell from his monstrous father. Jamie both hates and loves his father, as many abused children do, but knows that his father will kill him eventually. When Jamie is safely placed in Montana, Allen thinks that he can peacefully retire until a plane registered to Jamie's father crashes,but no remains are found. There are many twists and turns before a final resolution to both Jamie's story and Allen's.
This is an absolutely harrowing novel, but one that can't be put down. I was especially stunned by the considerable portions telling of Allen's Vietnam experience. Being of the Vietnam generation, I saw many of my friends be shipped off-some to return and some not. It amazes me that any of them came back sane. Laurie King's telling of Allen's story is a triumph of her imagination and narrative powers.
Rating: 5
Summary: One of King's Best
Comment: I've come to love Laurie King's literate, thoughtful and humanistic takes on mystery and suspense. KEEPING WATCH didn't let me down one bit. Fully realized characters, a suspenseful plot and remarkable writing all add up to a one great book.
It's a wonderful read with a great payoff for the patient reader. I'm a believer - King can't write a bad book.
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Title: The Game by LAURIE R. KING ISBN: 0553801945 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 02 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Folly by LAURIE R. KING ISBN: 0553381512 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 28 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Justice Hall by Laurie R. King ISBN: 0553581112 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 04 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Night Work by Laurie R. King ISBN: 0553578251 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 28 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: A Darker Place by Laurie R. King ISBN: 0553578243 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 December, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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