Rating: Summary: Very Good Review: Mr. Hyde has accomplished something few authors can do for me these days...he wrote a book I couldn't put down. The plot was intriguing and I wasn't able to make an accurate guess as to who the killer was until he actually revealed it. A good page-turner.
Rating: Summary: Ho Lee [Cow]... Review: Non-Stop Action from start to finish. The ending will leave you sweating and out of breath. And like always, Mr. Hyde has done enough research into the time (WWII) and place (London) that you can actually feel like you understand what's going on. Excellent book.
Rating: Summary: Great Ending!! Review: The last third of the book is one of the most intense and powerful endings to a book I have ever read. Thrilling, full of suspense, I loved reading it. Emotionally sadistic and fun. I also recommend Fatherland and Five Past Midnight for more spy thrillers.
Rating: Summary: Locations at their finest Review: This book is definately one for your collection. Without a doubt, the novel aspect of its location and crimes, is something that is ripe for a classy whodunit. Set in London during WWII, the story unravels as a very well painted policeman is on the trial of a murderer who strikes as the blitz is going on. The key to the story is the unknowns as to how this killer knows when to kill. Without giving away the key clues (I hate when a reviewer does that), the killer strikes just as the blitz is going on, and manages to get away unhurt. This leads to a very interesting and involved chase that involves a whole manner of WWII aspects. If you are remotely interested in the efforts of Bletchley and the Secret Service during WWII, and their aim to unmask Hitler's Enigma, then this is a very interesting whodunit that brings in those elements. Though the scenes are set in the past, and this makes it rather difficult to vividly picture the locations (especially if you've never been to London), the detail in the story is nothing short of magnificent. It truely is a masterpiece of research, and the story is no let down to this effort. The murderer is slowly brought into the light, and I have to admit the clues are well hidden. Theres espionage ontop of the investigation, and the introduction of new sub-plots, that ensure that the book continues with its pace. The climax is pretty good, though to enjoy it to its fullest you should pay attention to the detail in the events leading up to it. I found myself having to go back to pick these up again. As in most cases and books in this genre, the ending is a bit of a let down, but it seems to be acceptable rather than the exception. I must add though, that some aspects of the finale are rather hastily added, and they don't quite hang in there. However, there is no doubt that the book is worth a read. If you are interested in the period, if you know a little about the efforts of the Allies, and if you like a nicely paced crime investigation, I think this is one for the nostalgic tastebuds. Even if you aren't, then I still think its worth a read, though its best saved for a moment when you are not expecting a hart paced chase around America for a horrific Hollywood Killer. Definately worth a look though.
Rating: Summary: Excellent procedural/thriller set in WWII Review: This is a very impressive book, combining a first rate police procedural, an Allied/Nazi espionage thriller and a psychiatric case study. While parts are, as some of the other reviewers have noted, pretty gruesome, the gore is not used gratuitously, and one gets a chillingly accurate feeling for what it must have been like during the bombing of London. The combination of all sorts of elements in a perfectly tuned thriller makes this a definite 'must read'.
Rating: Summary: Intense war-time mystery.....at times TOO intense Review: This is one of the best-written and most logically thought out mysteries I have ever read. Mr. Hyde has obviously done his homework, and knows exactly how to keep the suspense at a consistently high level throughout the book. I'm very tempted to buy another of his books, although I understand from the critics' reviews that this book is something of a change of pace for Mr. Hyde, and so I'm a little unsure about it. I would have given the book five stars, except for the items already mentioned in other reviews (a second autopsy on a body, the VERY detailed descriptions of what happens during a bombing raid), and the very intense description of the killer's home toward the end of the book - up until then I was reading each page very slowly, but I sped through this part - it really turned my stomach. But that aside, this one heckuva good read.
Rating: Summary: Silence of the Lambs, pre 1942 Review: This might be the most readable Hyde I've read to date, and I really enjoyed Second Assassin and House of Special Purpose greatly. This captures your attention and keeps you spellbound over the last 250 pages. Thrilling conclusion that brings back memories of Hannibal Lecter. Interesting anecdotes regarding the Blitz and Ultra, and its breaking of the Enigma code. If you enjoyed this, you'll enjoy Enigma by Robert Harris. A fascinating read for WWII fiction buffs.
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