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Title: Sleeping Beauty by Phillip Margolin ISBN: 0-06-008326-3 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 23 March, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.53 (15 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Family Affair
Comment: Regrettably, the talented Phillip Margolin's latest effort, "Sleeping Beauty", is a bit of a disappointment. Lacking the energy and suspense of Margolin's earlier works, "Beauty" plods along to a "twist" ending that while contrived, was nonetheless predictable.
Miles Van Meter, aristocrat of the US Northwest and author of a true-crime best seller ("Sleeping Beauty"), is on tour promoting an updated release of his book. His book traces the story of Joshua Maxfield, a serial killer who has left Van Meter's twin sister, Casey, in a coma with little hope of recovery. Through a series of flashbacks, Van Meter's story intertwines with that of talented teenager Ashley Spencer, whose family and best friend were also brutally murdered by the heinous Maxfield. While "Beauty" gets off to a promising start, it soon loses its way, sidetracked by cardboard characters, inane dialogue, and uninspired prose. Also, an unnecessary and sappy romance is distracting and unnecessary. A successful novel captures the fine balance between the plot that is startling and unpredictable, but also believable. Margolin tries hard to achieve the former, but ultimately misses the latter. And regarding the "shocking ending", even the dust cover summary portends the conclusion. Bottom line: Margolin can do better; I'd skip this one, or at least wait for the paperback and the beach. Consider Lashner's "Fatal Flaw" as a more interesting alternative.
Rating: 4
Summary: Tenth thriller's plot almost too twisty to believe
Comment: We have read and generally enjoyed all nine of Margolin's previous outings, and find that this lawyer turned writer can craft a suspenseful story line along with the best of them. The books that have left us a little cold were ones where the author overpopulates with so many events and characters, doing justice to few of them, that hardly a reader can keep it all straight. Fortunately, in "Beauty", we have a cast of just a few main players to consider:
Ashley Spencer, a teenager who witnesses the brutal murder of her girlfriend and her father, and just narrowly escapes herself;
Joshua Maxfield, the alleged murderer who for much of the book is either a fugitive from the crime or in prison for it;
Miles Van Meter, best-selling author of a true-life account of the Spencer murders and the impact on his comatose sister;
Casey Van Meter, yet another victim who after Terri Spencer (Ashley's mother, who was away during the first attack) is killed in her sight, is struck on the head and spends years in a coma (ergo, the sleeping beauty!);
Randy Coleman, Casey's soon to be ex-husband from a mistaken quickie marriage;
and Jerry Philips, Ashley's attorney, who for a while takes almost too much personal interest in this whole matter.
Which one of these is really the killer? We're lead down many a path before all becomes clearer toward the end. Even with the big twist that gets to be a little foreseeable, a further twist right at the very end is good for a pretty shocking climax. Interesting courtroom drama helps break up the more violent action of much of the novel.
Most will find Margolin's latest a pleasing puzzler. We were not totally enamored by the telling of the story through flashbacks alternating with current time scenes where Miles is entertaining a crowd at a book signing. But the plot proceeds at a good pace, the characters are portrayed well enough, and the ending will catch many off guard. Guess that's what a thriller is all about!
Rating: 5
Summary: Huge Shocker!
Comment: This is my first book of Phillip Margolin that ive read but i LOVED it. I love books that really make you think about who it "really" is and then *BAM* in your face shows you that you were wrong all along. It's an awesome ride!
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Title: 3rd Degree by James Patterson, Andrew Gross ISBN: 0316603570 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: Split Second by David Baldacci ISBN: 0446530891 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman ISBN: 0345452593 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 20 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: The Big Bad Wolf: A Novel by James Patterson ISBN: 0316602906 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 17 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Reckless Abandon by Stuart Woods ISBN: 0399151516 Publisher: Penguin USA Pub. Date: 12 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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