Chasing the Night [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Friday, March 23, 2012

Chasing the Night [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Product Details

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (October 19, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312651198
ASIN: B004R96U5E
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Iris Johansen
Price : $7.61
You Save : $20.38 (73%)

Customer Reviews

I look forward to the Eve Duncan books, and this had all the good points of the earlier ones. It was very readable and difficult to put down. The new co-protagonist is Catherine Ling, a very brave and highly skilled CIA operative with a checkered past of childhood poverty ; abuse and a life on her own at a very young age. Nine years ago, her 2-year-old son Luke had been stolen from her. Unlike Eve, who knows in her heart that her daughter Bonnie is dead, Catherine believes Luke to be alive. She has come to Eve to ask her to age-progress her son so that when she rescues him (as she firmly believes she will), she will know him. Although Eve is at first reluctant, Catherine's passion wins her over. Aided by Kelly, a 14-year-old genius whom Catherine had rescued and who can see patterns where others cannot, by Joe, and by Venable, her CIA superior, they discover where Luke is being kept. And then they set out to rescue him.
The book is exciting and action-filled. Catherine is one of the cleverest and most capable women I have come across in a long time. Kelly is very likeable and is sure to grow into an amazing woman as well. Johansen does well with strong females.
One does wonder why Eve ; Joe never married and why she hasn't had a child with him; does he resent that her obsession with Bonnie has prevented him from true fatherhood?
I was disappointed that we never found out who the little girl was whose skull Eve was working on in the beginning of the book, why she was so brutally murdered, and if the killer was caught ; brought to justice. I do think this should at least have been mentioned. I missed Jane, but there was no real part for her in the story, so it's not major.
My main objection, and the reason I gave this 4 stars rather than 5, is that all of the villains lately seem to be horrible, sadistic, truly evil psychopaths (or sociopaths?). The one who was holding Kelly ; her father captive was just the first. Not only the main villain but his henchmen were all cut from the same cloth.
I'm getting sick of it. Why can't Eve come up against a villain who is charming, intelligent, not sadistic, and only kills when absolutely necessary--a Thomas Crown type perhaps? I would enjoy a true battle of wits and less blood.

I haven't read anything by this author before, so I have no other works to compare this one to. I bought this because I love suspense/police fiction, and have finished all the Lisa Gardner, Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly books. I know Johansen has written a lot of books, but frankly I was astonished at the amateur quality of this one. First, the writing. She misuses words--"persevere" isn't a synonym for "prevail"--and she's an adverb addict. "She said, dryly...tersely...shyly, regretfully." But mostly, it's very very poorly plotted. She gets all the main characters into one house--in a pretty unbelievable way, and they TALK. And talk and talk. Occasionally the talking is interrupted by a call from the villain, who threatens dire, comic-book villainous things. I mean, this guy is like something from a Batman movie. "Your son is dead. No, he's not. Yes, he is. Come here and let me kill you..." And the tough, Angelina-lookalike CIA operative invariably melts, in exactly the same way, every time she takes one of these calls. Talk about phoning it in! This book is a perfect example of how not to write. About a third through the book I'm skimming, trying to get through the morass of boring dialogue and repetitive threats. I was like, yeah, let him kill you! Right now! Put this dull story out of its misery. I frankly can't believe this author has published so many books, and that she has any kind of following. I have to hope some of the early ones were better, but I won't be wasting my money to find out.
Wondering about the two stars? I thought the premise of the book was interesting--digital aging, facial reconstruction. Intriguing idea. Too bad Johansen can't write worth a damn. Show, Iris, don't tell. Stop using the same tired sentimental tropes, like the dead girl who comforts her mom every time she goes for a walk and needs a pep talk. I have no objection to wise ghosts, or anything, but this one didn't move the plot, or even affect character development, at all.
What's sad, it seems to me, is that I'm sure there are a ton of good writers out there who can't even get a publisher to look at their stuff. And people like me, who love to read, are left desperately searching for good, engrossing fiction. Take it from me, gentle reader, this isn't it. Save your money, and your time.