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76 of 79 found the following review helpful:
 Chilling and utterly believable killer--will have you double checking your locks! Dec 24, 2009
By AlexJouJou
I was so excited for this book to arrive that I stayed up last night finishing it.
The characters are first rate, explained well, and (for the most part) stay consistent. The book moves along at a pretty good clip--not stopping for you to catch up but its so well written you won't be left behind. From the first couple of words written you will be hooked (line and sinker) and you'll feel compelled to keep going to discover if tragedy awaits or if Rizzo will be able to outsmart a killer.
The killer in this case, Simon, is portrayed so distinctly that you feel as if you were watching a movie of him in your head. The fact that you get inside his head and his victims head is nothing short of genius that will give you heart palpitations. I literally could feel my adrenalin pumping and my heart racing as my eyes continued to devour this novel.
I must admit to having a passing thought about the author--this book is spooky and I kind of wondered what mind could dream this up you know? So clearly there is MUCH talent here in the writer--research was definitely done.
I will say the only thing that could knock this down a bit (I really would give it 4 1/2 stars) is that Detective Rizzo made a judgement choice that I did not feel suited her or how her character was portrayed early on. I had a very hard time believing she would make that choice (you'll know when you read the book) and even with the authors explanation I found it hard to swallow. Why is it always the female detectives that make a stupid judgement call? It was enough to knock it down half a star for me but I rounded up because the tension was just superb--you really cannot put this book down!
The subplot revolving around Rizzo's ex husband I thought was superfluous and at times just felt forced and out of place. It didn't detract from the story but it didn't add to it as it wasn't explained enough for you to be invested in the events that ensued. I'd of bought her as a single mom without a lot of back story just fine.
Anyway that should, in no way, indicate to you that I have anything less than the heartiest recommendation for you to pick up this gem. I'll warn you ahead of time it will make you freaked out, nauseated, scared, and biting your nails up until the end. Lets hope this author writes more novels of this type or a sequel (hint hint)
74 of 83 found the following review helpful:
 Cliché-Ridden and Formulaic Feb 18, 2010
By Bradford Schmidt
I wanted to like "They Never Die Quietly," I really did. I love the idea that Amazon is releasing work that wasn't published by a major house, and think there are plenty of books out there worthy of getting picked up. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.
Warning: minor spoilers ahead, though no more than in the publisher's description. That said, the plot basics are simple: Simon, the crazy, religious, killer that was overly-involved with his mom (who he believes is speaking to him from beyond the grave), kills and necro-rapes women in order to cleanse those nasty sinners' souls. All the killing is done in his always-init-capp'd Room of Redemption, where the women are also (surprise!) crucified.
Killer Simon is being hunted by ace chick-detective Sami Rizzo, who is (of course) the only female detective on the squad and is implied to be (also of course) smarter than all the men. Sami and Simon meet coincidentally outside of the investigation (because that happens ALL the time - you know, killers meeting the lead detectives that are hunting them), and Sami begins to suspect, through hard-to-believe leaps of logic and poorly-based assumptions, that Simon may just be the killer. Suspicions she fails to share with her longtime detective partner, Al (who's in love with Sami from afar - of course), which pretty much undercuts that whole "she's smarter than the other guys" thing.
Because she keeps her suspicions to herself, when she goes to Simon's house (without telling ANYONE where she's going), Sami ends up captured by Simon (of course), and stuck in the Room of Redemption. Will she outsmart Simon? Will she get away? Will Al save her? Will the clichés ever stop?
This book appears to have been written by taking a fistful of standard plot points from a bag, stringing them together, then adding extra gore. The gore is overdone, voyeuristic, and for the most part pointless, feeling more like grabs at attention than necessary parts of the book (no, I'm not squeamish, and I don't have a problem with graphic passages), the characters' behaviors are hard to believe, and the plot points are (have I mentioned this yet?) incredibly clichéd.
I know I'm going to get railed for writing a negative review - it's the nature of the beast - but I gotta call it like I see it, and this book is simply not worth the time.
27 of 29 found the following review helpful:
Great suspense but in need of some editing Jan 20, 2010
By William Polm
On the first page of this novel there is a note, warning that this novel is not for the faint of heart. There are some gruesome scenes, involving torture, but overall I found them tolerable.
This is a captivating story depicting a serial killer, daring to look into his methods, mind, and background. The author's considerable research is evident. The characters are fully realized and believable, as well as likable. And the serial killer's warped religious thinking is particularly intriguing.
There is suspense a plenty, no doubt about it. I constantly felt compelled to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.
I must add two criticisms. These are not major faults, but to a reader they are distractions.
1. The novel could have benefitted with a bit more careful editing. Some of the word choices just don't work well. I suspect--and I could be wrong about this--that when the author went to use a common phrase in his writing (one bordering on a cliché) he sought to modify it by changing it. Problem is, the substituted word doesn't often work well; it isn't accurate. This means, bottom line, in spots the writing is confusing.
2. Another issue is head-hopping, meaning when an author switches point of view frequently. For example, starting on page 40, The killer is entering his killing room, and he sees his victim. Next paragraph, the victim is looking at the killer (no warning or transition). We see through her eyes for two paragraphs. Then it's back to the killer again. On these two pages (40-41), there are three changes like this. The problem is this is both annoying to a reader and confusing. It's always a bit annoying to change from looking out one character's eyes to another's. But it is particularly so when effective transitions are lacking. I found myself going back to previous paragraphs to figure out what was going on.
In spite of these minor defects, the story is a good read. If this is your kind of story material--serial killer, some violence and profanity, some sex, some police work, plenty of suspense--then by all means give it a read.
Recommended.
16 of 19 found the following review helpful:
 What does this say about the Amazon Review system Oct 21, 2010
By Mary Ellen Simpson
This is a new author with who apparently has an "active" and "energetic" fan base. After reading the reviews and getting a sense of the stars awarded, I ordered this and began reading with a certain amount of good will and assurance that I was in for something pretty special. Somewhere around page 30 I became confused as I realized that the amateurish writing and absolutely linear and predictable plot was not some kind of ironic literary device but was actually what the book was going to be like. This would be an average effort in a a high school creative writing class. The characters are bare sketches with a couple of traits attached. The plot is typical of any tv detective show and there is absolutely no doubt how the book will end including who will be in trouble, who will save them and what will happen to the antagonist. For a quick comparison I checked the first detective book that came to mind and thought of Mystic River- a pretty good read. That book achieved 58% 5 star ratings. This book achieved 59% 5 star ratings. Yes, people have the right to give whatever reviews they wish but readers should think about the low total number of reviews and realize that it takes only a few very "motivated" reviewers to give a new and not very talented author the push he needs.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Straightforward thriller Sep 24, 2010
By Julian Tan
"Shuttertalker"
Straightforward thriller that flows well. Annoyingly, the first half of the book is devoted to the detectives stumbling around and achieving nothing of value. Despite obvious hints and clues the protagonist just paints herself into a corner amidst the reader's groans of frustration.
No surprises or twists to be found anywhere, everything is signposted clearly to a fizzly end.
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