Rating: 
Summary: engrossing and smart
Review: Peter Smith's Raveling may be one of the finest mystery novels written in years. I found it unnerving, engrossing and with unusually good prose, particularly for a mystery book. A great work. I would recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely original
Review: Pilot Airie is losing his mind. The book explores the concept of raveling as opposed to unraveling. As Pilot struggles to understand what happened to his younger sister, Fiona, 20 years ago, who mysteriously disappeared at a family party, he slowly begins to see his family in a more real light. His brother Peter, a brilliant surgeon, gets involved with Pilot's therapist, Katherine DeQuincey-Joy. Is he getting involved with her to find out exactly what Pilot is telling her or are his motives more pure? This book is told from the point of view of Pilot, but we are also privy to the thoughts of others thru Pilot's mind. This is the part that was surreal for me. I didn't care about these characters at all, especially Pilot. The plot moved along slowly and seemed to take its time getting to the point, when we do finally arrive at the end, it is a letdown. Wait for the paperback, if you must read this!
Rating:
Summary: WOW...A CREEPY SUSPENSER
Review: Pilot Airie is schizophrenic, his mother Hannah is a hand specialist, and his brother Eric, a neurosurgeon. The Airie family holds a secret...what happend to Pilot's little sister, Fiona, some twenty years earlier?After one of the Airie's parties, Fiona mysteriously disappears, the only clue is her shoe, found in the woods behind their house. The mystery of the disappearance has haunted Pilot his whole life, now forcing him to confront his own demons, as well as exposing the secrets of his family members, to find out what happened the night his sister disappeared. As a result of an "episode", Pilot begins seeing psychologist, Katherine Jane DeQuincey-Joy. During their sessions Pilot will tell the disturbing tale of his sister's disappearance. He will tell of his mother seeing ghost's, and he will tell of a dark side that brother Eric hides so well. Pilot must find his sister's killer, and put an end to the madness that eats at him day after day. WOW..."Raveling" is amazing. I can't believe this is the author's first novel. The story is creepy, the characters chilling, a totally compulsive read. It is not likely to find a better psychological thriller this year. The book is written from Pilot's point of view and readers are kept guessing if he is telling the truth. The book plays mind games with the reader, making you believe something one minute, and then changing your mind the next. Peter Moore Smith has written an original thriller that should immediately land on the bestseller list's. Reader's be warned, once begun, you will not put the book down until you finish it. A MUST read! Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: An Unusual Mystery
Review: Pilot Airie may be losing his mind. Twenty years ago, Pilot's sister, Fiona, disappeared without a trace. Nothing has been the same since. The disappearance caused his family to unravel; his father left, his brother grew distant, and his mother is seeing ghosts. Pilot has now taken it upon himself to pull it all together again, assuming that he doesn't unravel first. Raveling is a genuinely gripping and eloquent debut novel by Peter Moore Smith. This novel has the basic structure of a mystery - an unsolved disappearance, puzzled and puzzling characters, suspicions on all sides - but it is more a psychological exploration than a straight mystery. Smith doesn't focus on the details of the disappearance. This is not a book with detailed passages on forensics or lab reports. His focus is on the characters and their interactions. The story begins as Pilot returns home from California, where his brother found him living on a beach. With his mother losing her vision, Pilot has agreed to live at home to help her. All is going well until he begins to hear voices: the electricity in light bulbs is talking to him, the woods behind the house beckon to him. Eventually Pilot is hospitalized. There, his counselor Katherine takes an interest in his case. As she probes deeper into his past, trying to find a trigger for his psychotic episode, she becomes fascinated with the stories of his lost sister. What could have caused her disappearance? Who could have taken her without leaving a single trace? As she digs deeper into Pilot's memories things really start to get interesting. Raveling is an unusual mystery. It starts slowly, as if the reader has stepped into a story already in progress. But the deeper into the book readers get, the deeper the mystery becomes, and the greater the urge to read on. Unlike many mysteries, in which the unfolding of the story provides a greater and greater understanding, Raveling offers little in the way of clues. This is primarily due to the fact that the protagonist, Pilot, may not be entirely sane. Yet Pilot's struggle with his sanity is one of the most intriguing and appealing aspects of the book. The entire story is told from his point of view, the point of view of a medicated schizophrenic. If he himself cannot be certain of the facts, cannot be sure of his own perceptions, how can the reader? There are times when the reader must ponder the question, "Is this a clue or a delusion?" This uncertainty adds immensely to the pleasure of reading this book. Smith's descriptions of Pilot's deluded world view are beautifully written and captivating, providing insight into his state of mind. If you enjoy a literary mystery, or enjoy discovering a talented new writer, Raveling may be the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: A Terrific Puzzler
Review: Rarely do I find a book where 423(or so) pages go by so quickly...I didn't want it the book to end. Great story, unusual characters, wonderfully creative writing, the plot zigs & zags...when you think you have it figured out...you're wrong. Mr. Smith, we're waiting for your next book, please don't take too long.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Psychologica Thriller
Review: Raveling is one of the most original psychological thriller I've read in a long time. The story is captivating, suspenseful and very entertaining. And it keeps you guessing until the very end. This is an amazing debut by a very talented author. The book centers around a family torned by a tragic event. Twenty years ago, the young Fiona Airie disappeared during a neighbourhood party and was never found. Now, Pilot, the younger of the Airie boys, starts remembering things from his past. He has a psychological breakdown which will make his mind unravel. Dark family secrets will be uncovered and the lives of the Arie clan (which inclues the troubled mother who is loosing her vision and seeing ghosts, the father who moved moved away from his family after the tragic event, and the older brother Eric, a brilliant neurosurgeon) will change forever. Things are even more affected when a young female psychologist sees Pilot and starts investigating the young man's past and his family. The book is told from Pilot's point of view, but Pilot sees and hears everything. As he tells us, he is omniscient, which permits him to know everything that is going on even when he isn't present. This techinique of storytelling is very original and very affecting. It's as if Pilot himself becomes a ghost, always there, knowing everything. The books is very suspenseful and affecting. You are drawn into the characters' lives and touched by their confusion and sandness. All these characters are so well drawn out that they feel real. Pilot is one of the most interesting and enigmatic characters I've encountered. This is a top-notch psychological thriller that always has you guessing. The story is intelligent and one-of-a-kind. This books is just totally engrossing. Don't start it unless you intend on finishing it in one sitting. This is one book that I will not soon forget and that I will want to reread again very soon.
Rating:
Summary: Non-stop. Hard to put down.
Review: Raveling reads like any Chuck Palahniuk novel. Fast paced, character driven, well plotted and intense from beginning to end. Peter Moore Smith, who is an award winning short story writer, clearly has an extreme talent at writing a suspense filled novel.
Pilot James Airie is a diagnosed schizophrenic. The story of Raveling is told first person. However, Pilot, aside from being the main character, is himself, omniscient. This means when his brother, the successful neurosurgeon, Eric Airie, is on a secret date with Pilot's psychologist, Katherine Jane DeQuincey-Joy, Pilot knows what they are saying and thinking.
Everyone is worried about Pilot. When he was nine, his sister was abducted and was assumed to be dead, though no body had been found. This tragic event may have triggered a schizophrenic episode in Pilot, when he began acting like a wolf boy. Pilot's life, though he went to college, and to LA to become a screenwriter, has been a blur. When he is back home, his mother calls. She is seeing ghosts -double vision-and has pulled her car off to the side of the road. Pilot cuts through the woods in the backyard to get to his mother quickly. Only it is three days before someone finds him. A second episode has struck. But why? That is what Katherine is trying to find out. But Pilot thinks he knows why. He knows who murdered his sister. He claims he has always known. But who is going to believe a heavily medicated, mentally ill person?
Raveling is non-stop, hard to put down, nearly impossible not to think about if you have set it down. The characters are so well developed I felt as if I knew them all. I eagerly look forward to another novel by Peter Moore Smith.
--Phillip Tomasso III, author of Third Ring, Tenth House & Mind Play
Rating:
Summary: Raveling
Review: Raveling, Peter Moore Smith's debut novel, is told from the view of a diagnosed schizophrenic, Pilot Airie. This novel consists of unraveling suspense and compelling aspects that began by the tragedy of Pilot's abducted sister, his journey to enlightenment, and his struggle to distinguish the sane from the insane. The surreal notion Smith creates leads to many unexpected twists and turns as well as a clever and original mystery. Pilot returns to his home in California and moves back into his mother's house. His mother, Hannah, is gradually losing her sight and claiming to see ghosts and double vision. His older brother, Eric Airie is a well-respected neurosurgeon who wants to help Pilot overcome his disorder. To top that off, his father ran off with another woman. When Pilot begins to experience episodes due to his schizophrenia, he goes to psychotherapist Katherine DeQuincey-Joy who attempts to relieve Pilot from his disorder by revoking his past. In addition, she tries to help Pilot overcome his obsession of finding the murderer of his sister who has been missing for 20 years. Throughout the novel, Pilot searches for the truth and put his sister's case of abduction to rest as well as to reacquaint himself with his own past. Smith's well-developed characters made the novel easy to read as well as to understand each of the member's situations. Although there are a few inconsistencies that tend to be slightly redundant or are at times left unexplained, this novel is an excellent psychological thriller and is greatly recommended to those who enjoy the classic, yet genuine type of mystery and suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Taut, tense psychological thriller and very disturbing!
Review: Seven-year old Fiona has been missing for 20 years. Her family is still deeply troubled. Pilot and Eric were Fiona's brothers. The book begins with the most realistic journey into mental illness that I have ever read, as Pilot descends into psychosis. Eric, his brother, and a neurosurgeon, seems to want to help Pilot. However, Pilot has a secret, and that is, that Eric is responsible for the abduction of Fiona, or is he?
Complicating matters is an unrealistic, yet readable relationship between Pilot's new psychologist and Eric. This is a whodoneit where the reader believes he knows the answer at the beginning of the book. Like any good mystery, the plot twists and turns. This book was a finalist for the Edgar Award for First Fiction and it is much better than a good mystery. It is however, deeply disturbing. Highly recommended for the reader who loves mysteries and has a strong stomach.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, exhilirating, absorbing & creative-Must be read
Review: The Airie family was already dysfunctional; when the youngest member seven-year-old Fiona vanished without a trace. Two decades later the matriarch begins to hear her daughter's voice. Fiona's schizophrenic older brother Pilot believes his hated brother Eric, a brilliant surgeon, killed their sibling. Pilot decides to prove Eric murdered Fiona. However, no one believes the word of a medically recognized schizoid, who doubts his own conviction. Yet Pilot claims to have hard core evidence. However, did he attain the proof from Eric? Perhaps he always possessed the murder weapon since even he wonders at time if he, not Eric, is Fiona's killer. RAVELING is a fantastic psycholigcal thriller that never eases up on the tension throttle as a cat and mouse game unravels, but readers do not know who plays which role. The audience realizes that one of the brothers probably killed their sister, but which one remains the puzzler. The audience constantly switches sides as to whom that murderer is due to Peter Moore Smith deliberately and cleverly changing the perspective. This tale is more than just a taut chiller. It will land on everyone's top five list for the year. Harriet Klausner
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