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Title: Bad Chemistry: A Novel by Gary Krist ISBN: 0679449310 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: January, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.8
Rating: 5
Summary: Gary Krist's Bad Chemistry
Comment: Gary Krist's 'Bad Chemistry' has an outstanding message within the literature of this book. The message is that no matter how well someone knows someone else, that they will undoubtedly be surprised. Joel Baker definitely suprised his wife Kate Baker within this book. He surprised his wife by disappearing, and leaving all of his secrets behind. Kate realizes that the Joel Baker that she knows is not the real Joel Baker; that he had a secret drug involvement, and many other secrets. Kate is determined to find the man that she married, and will do anything to accomplish this.When a friend of Joels, Jin Liang-Lu, another man involved in the drug ring, is murdered with his hands and head cut off, the surprises are full blown. All in all, Joels return is not for his wife, but for information that he left on his computer at their house. While this entire scenario is going on, Kate us becoming closer friends with the boy who found Jin's body, Evan Potter. Everyone who reads this book can identify with at least one character or one point of view, and get the same message. That even those who are close, can be very surprising.
Rating: 5
Summary: Smashing fun with humor linked to horror!
Comment: Gary Krist's Bad Chemistry was a quick one day read with some new twists; smart drugs and Internet intrigue.Krist takes a probing look at relationships at all levels in this book, specifically those surrounding his protagonist, Kate Theodorus-Baker.Kate is believable and vulnerable while maintaining the necessary toughness to survive her nightmare. Her husband Joel's secret life is shocking yet the reader is left wondering why she didn't pick up any clues, given her police background. There was considerable time spent developing her Chicago past, which might have been better spent more fully exploring their relationship. Plot depth notwithstanding, it was a fun read raising my awareness level of smart drugs and exploring the limits of trust.
Rating: 5
Summary: Different & interesting.
Comment: Krist's style was clean and straightforward, and the plot, hinging on smart drugs, was interesting to me. I found this via mystery, but Berkley calls it general fiction and I think that's more accurate. At first, there was a paradigm shift in how I read this since it wasn't closer to the mystery genre (sometimes I like more formulaic easy reads) but this was worth it.
Three elements that struck me. First, this book felt as if it were starting mid-series, and not in a bad way. I was interested in Kate's past as a cop, and by the end of the book I was hoping for a chance to read about her again. Second, the supporting character of Evan, a misfit teenage boy, was an odd and uneasy choice -- but the character development was subtle and fascinating. Third, the whole smart drugs driven plot was intrinsically interesting; the point of view on it, through Kate, was conventional, but the author's view may have been slightly more balanced. There was a whole backstory from the husband's point of view that we didn't see; I would not have minded reading this interwoven with Kate's even though the mystery surrounding him was the vehicle for the plot.
I picked up on some similarities to Particia Cornwell, but it may just have been the setting and a few chance resonances. I can't really think of any one author this reminds me of (which is good); Carol O'Connell, maybe, but with the more focused humanity of a Thomas Cook.
I went out and looked for more of Krist's work but it's hard to find and apparently this is his first supsense-type outing. I hope to read many more.
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Title: Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark ISBN: 0312204264 Publisher: Picador Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Street Dreams by Faye Kellerman ISBN: 0446531316 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 05 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Tucker Peak by Archer Mayor ISBN: 0446612081 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: About the Author : A Novel by John Colapinto ISBN: 0060932171 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 23 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Way You Look Tonight by Carlene Thompson ISBN: 0312963319 Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper Pub. Date: December, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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