Rating:  Summary: And A New Generation Is Heard From Review: Faye Kellerman has written several very good stories about LA police detective Peter Decker and his wife Rina Lazerus. These suspenseful mysteries blend the usual cop story with the personal and family life of these very complex people. In her latest, Stalker, Kellerman brings along a new generation. Decker's daughter, Cynthia, is the primary protagonist. Cynthia Decker is a first-year rookie, working on patrol. She is smart, Ivy-educated, and full of herself. She also has something of an "aura" as the daughter of the famous detective. In other words, she does not fit in very well. Add her brash self-confidence and the fact that she is a woman in a traditionally male, blue collar, role, and there are bound to be sparks. But wait a minute. Is this hazing that might be expected from macho, chauvinistic co-workers? Or is it something a little more sinister? One of her father's assistants comes to interview one of the detectives in her precinct , and then gives Cynthia a ride home when she cannot drive. Now it appears to her co-workers that she is involved in her father's investigation into a rash of car-jackings. Then a connection to a couple of unsolved high profile cases turns up. Strange things begin to happen to Cynthia-a displaced family photograph; her sweaters seem to be rearranged; was that a shadow or someone lurking outside her window? Kellerman maintains the suspense, and readers may find themselves turning pages rapidly while alternatively murmuring "Go get them, Cynthia" and "Stupid, call for help." New readers will enjoy the thriller and become acquainted with this interesting and unusual family. Established fans will also enjoy learning more about the family of characters in this continuing story.
Rating:  Summary: Not as awful as most people think Review: I don't know why the majority of reviewers hated Cindy and this book. I've read all the Peter/Rina Decker books (with the exception of Jupiter's Bones which I thought was her worst one) and didn't think this latest one was that horrible. Contrary to most reviewers, I didn't find Cindy obnoxious or extremely stupid. I personally was getting tired of the marital doings of Peter/Rina and was glad that the author decided to branch out and create interest in new characters. Give her a chance!
Rating:  Summary: Maybe not the best of Kellerman, but a good move foreward. Review: Let's face it, Decker is getting up toward retirement age (like some of the rest of us) and is becoming more and more of a pencil-pusher as well as organizer for his crew in the field. To keep the series fresh and alive, Kellerman made the most logical move of focusing on Cindy Decker in "Stalker." At first I was put off by the somewhat moronic moves that Cindy made. However, when thinking back to when I was 25 and the attitudes and moves of my children at that age, Cindy becomes a real person trying to make her way in what can be a confusing and is, at best, a dangerous profession. As for the glimpses of Orthodox Judaism most of us have come to expect and enjoy, we still see Rina's overwhelming faith in the midst of emotional and physical stress. Also we are treated to an enlightening discussion of vegetarianism and the slaughter of animals for food. And in the midst of her most severe difficulties, Cindy prays..."where did that come from?"...she says. I hope we read more of the believable development of Cindy Decker as a young cop "going for the gold." And hopefully, she won't attain that gold too quickly, nor become a sterling paragon of female law enforcement.
Rating:  Summary: Cindy's not as good as Daddy Decker Review: Cindy Decker is just not as interesting as Peter Decker. She's childish, immature and reckless. While I usually enjoy a rogue cop tale, she's just not a good cop or a good read. Hopefully, Kellerman will improve Cindy over time.
Rating:  Summary: Another winner Review: I have read all of Faye Kellerman's books. I have enjoyed them all. Stalker was a great read. I enjoyed the character development of Cindy, Peter's daughter, as well as the father/daughter relationship. Having read most of Jonathan Kellerman's books as well, I just love when Characters cross over, like the character Petra Conner, who was a central figure in Jonathan Kellerman's Billy Straight. They are usually just small tid bits of info, but it's such fun. I would love a joint effort, how about Dr Delaware and Peter Decker together. Faye Kellerman has never left me disappointed and once again I am left waiting for her next novel.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent police procedural and character study Review: Faye Kellerman took a chance with this book--choosing to develop the character of Lt. Peter Decker's daughter, Cindy, also a police officer, and relegating Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, to secondary albeit important supporting roles. And she has succeeded. An exciting and engrossing plot follows 25-year-old Cindy Decker as she tries to find a niche for herself following in her father's footsteps. She navigates a treacherous path trying to maintain her independence and still be one of the "guys." She receives resistance from fellow officers because she's a "wiseass" college-educated woman, unwanted protectiveness from her father, amorous advances from one of her father's detectives, and the frightening attention of a stalker. She doggedly pursues an investigation of one of her father's murder cases--one she was unknowingly involved in--seeing it to its resolution in a slam-bang climax. Hope we'll see more of Cindy in later books. Kellerman is an engaging writer and the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series is one of the best going.
Rating:  Summary: Logical Leap in Decker/Lazarus Series Review: While the mystery and suspense of Stalker does not live up to some of Ms. Kellerman's previous books in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series, it's still an excellent read! I feel Kellerman's timing was right to further explore some of the peripheral series characters, such as Cindy Decker and Scott Oliver. It keeps the series fresh and above all it allows Kellerman to do what she does best - tell stories about people! On a negative...first time Faye Kellerman readers beware this book does refer back to previous story lines.
Rating:  Summary: Bring Back Peter and Rina . . . Review: Faye Kellerman always writes a good formula thriller, with scary bad guys, fast-paced plotting, and tense endings. Because Stalker delivers these basics, it is well worth a few hours of your time.But for Kellerman's devotees, what sets her stories apart from the other formula thrillers on the airport bookstand are her wonderful characters, Peter, Rina, and Marge, and her ability to grant us a peephole into the world of traditional Orthodox Jewry. These attributes are missing from Stalker. The story focuses primarily on Peter's daughter, Cindy, who proves herself to be neither particularly interesting nor particularly likeable. Indeed, in Stalker, Cindy seems downright obnoxious and behaves so stupidly that Faye Kellerman apparently feels the need to remind us to the point of tedium that Cindy is very smart and has an Ivy League education. Kellerman's normal gift for characterization triumphs in only one respect, revealing an endearing side to the usually boorish Scott Oliver. As a devotee of Kellerman's other books, I was disappointed, but still managed to enjoy Stalker. If Stalker were my first Kellerman, only a five-hour layover in O'Hare would induce me to buy another.
Rating:  Summary: Cindy Go Home- Review: In the past, Kellerman has consistently drawn complex characters that the reader is interested in and can identify with. Cindy is not such a character. Why would anyone be interested in a narcissistic little twit with a wardrobe obsession? Why would readers want to endure in literature a character whom in real life we would avoid like the plague? I'm too busy a person to spend my time with someone so shallow and trivial. Cindy has no moral depth, no psychological complexity. We don't identify with this character; we don't care about this character. On the other hand, we desperately miss Peter and Rina. Altogether, this book was a disappointment--to say the least.
Rating:  Summary: Not so good....... Review: This book was really hard to get through. It was interesting in a couple parts, but overall pretty dull. It took me twice as long to read it as it normally does other books. I thought about giving up a few times. It's similar to a lot of police novels already out there. You should probably save your time and read something else. I suggest 24 Hours by Greg Iles and Move to Strike by Perri O'Shaughnessy. Both were better than this one.
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