Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Night Watcher by John Lutz ISBN: 0-7860-1515-2 Publisher: Pinnacle Books Pub. Date: November, 2002 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.75 (4 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Disappointing
Comment: As an avid fan of serial killer tales, I have read some very poor efforts at suspense. While this book is not absolutely dreadful, it was a bit of a disappointment.
The character of Ben Stack is a cliche among suspense novels: hardened, tough, and estranged from his wife. Detective Rica Lopez does display some creative insights as a character but was left underdeveloped throughout the book. Also, Lutz describes her office behavior as, well, slutty.
The adversary the NYPD cops are tracking down, is the Torcher. A mad, pyromaniac who delights in tying people up and setting them ablaze. Right from the start, it's apparent this killer is following some sort of agenda, but due to the constant backstories and time-changing, it becomes a complicated mess. The one red herring is drawn out relentlessly by the author. While the ending was a suprise and did provide an exlamatory,"No Way!" that wasn't enough to rescue the rest of the book from mere mediocrity.
Rating: 4
Summary: Torcher Scorcher
Comment: Well written Edgar nominated (Best Original Paperback) "Night Watcher" is brisk, yet moody; well paced and quirky. This is not your standard serial killer outing.
Ben Stack, legendary homicide detective and his assistant Rita Lopez are assigned a grisly case. A man while bound has been torched in his own New York high-rise apartment. The crime took place in the kitchen and apparent safeguards have been taken to keep the fire from spreading. The victim was a bachelor with no apparent enemies and well fixed financially. There are virtually no clues. Another almost identical killing takes place. The tension racks up not only for the police, but also for the fire department who fear that if these fires get out of control, it could be a catastrophe. It is impossible to effectively fight a fire over the 10th story level. The net widens to take in more suspects, but the killer seems invincible. The climax is a nail-biter; their main suspect could also be the next victim on the list.
Mr. Lutz tells his story in a crafty manner with effective flashbacks, foreshadowing and glimpses into the killer's thought processes. The characterizations are sharp, though Lt. Ben is a little wooden. Assistant Rita never misses a trick to force her way into Ben's affections. No retiring flower here!
Contrary to previous reviews, I believe the story is well told and in a convincing manner. The information on high-rise fires is not only interesting, but also instructive. There are bits of humor in the interactions of the various characters, slyly placed and well presented. There are a few loose ends (how did the killer gain entry?), but they are minor. "Night Watcher" is well worth your time.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer
Rating: 2
Summary: ho-hum, another serial killer
Comment: John Lutz has wom the Edgar and Shamus awards, so I'm assuming he's written much better stuff than this, a routine tale of a serial killer who burns people alive. The interplay between the investigating officers was not realistic at all, and the parade of suspects muddies the waters to no good effect. The officers also seemed to have a surprising lack of insight into the workings of the criminal mind, an unforgiveable sin in these days of psychological profiling. The serial killer is a sympathetic character, but we get little insight into his background and motivations.
 |
Title: The Night Caller by John Lutz ISBN: 0786012846 Publisher: Pinnacle Books Pub. Date: October, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: The Night Spider by John Lutz ISBN: 0786015160 Publisher: Pinnacle Books Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt ISBN: 0446612537 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathon King ISBN: 0451410785 Publisher: Onyx Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Sleep Tight by Anne Frasier ISBN: 0451410777 Publisher: Onyx Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
