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Rating: 
Summary: An amazingly crafted novel of haunting suspense!
Review: David Morrell has outdone himself with this one. The first half of the book flies along like a typical suspense novel, but halfway through, things change and the second half of the book takes the same character into a world of haunting romance and obsession and a different kind of suspense.In a sense, you get two excellent thrillers for the price of one, but to take it beyond the obvious, you need to pay attention to the crafting of the book. It folds back on itself to have plot points in the last half mirror plot points in the first half. You have past and future intermingling as well as if the book is double-exposed. It's an amazing novel. David Morrell has pushed the envelope of what a suspense novel can do. Even if you normally don't like thrillers, give this one a chance. If you're a thriller fan, then be adventurous and follow Morrell into a new area. If you give it a chance, you'll find that it has so many levels that you'll appreciate it all the more. A brilliant and intricate novel!
Rating: 
Summary: It is a compelling read!
Review: I have never read David Morrell's books before and this is my first introduction to it. It was very interesting and I had a hard time putting it down at times. And I love how it was two stories (or two cases) in the book ~~ two chases for Coltrane to live through! Coltrane, a photographer, is caught photographing mass burial grounds in Bosnia and endured through one hell of which he survived. Then as he thought he was free to enjoy life again ~~ he runs into a reknown photographer who commissioned him to take pictures like his first famous series. Then Packard died ~~ leaving behind a mystery about the most beautiful face in his collection. Coltrane ends up trying to solve that mystery only to find himself in danger. It was a fairly quick read ~~ full of twists and turns! Just when you thought you solved the dilemma ~~ you were taken for a surprise and compelled to read more. If you are into mysteries, this book is a great one! It's great for those beach reads too ~~ not too dark on the mind or spirits either ~~ but not that slow ~~ so pick it up and enjoy! 4-25-03
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I love David Morrell, I have read everyone of his books. The action, the characters, the spy habits. But this is not like his other books. Does David Morrell question his desire to write spy novels anymore? This book is not what I was expected at all! It totally lacked Morrell's famous tension. Foremost, I was disappointed with the trashy themes, I had to skip ahead several times because it got so graphic. Is he going through a mid-life crisis? Well get over it, love your wife, and go back to writing exciting action novels.
Rating:
Summary: War Crimes, Romance, Coincidences, Love, Fear and Suspense
Review: This was a great book by David Morrell, in fact a double book as it had two distinct halves, one almost mirroring the other. The story begins in Bosnia during the violent years of the mid-nineties. Professional, award-winning photographer, Mitch Coltrane, is hiding in a pit, three feet wide, seven feet long and three feet deep which smells of loam, mold and urine. He has already been waiting 36 hours and is prepared to wait longer . His aim is to photograph the evil Bosnian Serb leader Dragan Ilkovic exhuming bodies of innocent victims from a mass grave for removal and disposal elsewhere. The photographic evidence, should he succeed in getting it without being caught, should enable the International Courts or War Crimes Commission to convict Ilkovic and lock him away for a very long time. Eventually Coltrane's patience is rewarded as Ilkovic arrives and the horror of the subsequent events leaps out through the pages. The story then takes on a more sedate theme, giving the reader time to relax and enjoy the book as Coltrane begins a fascinating photographic project back in California with the help of his beautiful girlfriend, Jennifer. However, the tension, suspense and horror gradually return, accelerating through the chapters, to another climax and the conclusion of the first "half" of the book. In this section, the detailed knowledge of author Morrell of cameras and photography is evident and he weaves this technical thread through the story without in any way confusing or boring the reader - in fact the very opposite. As the second "half" of the story unfolds, our hero Coltrane becomes fascinated with, entranced by, obsessed with and ultimately seduced by the irresistible new heroine Tash. The unstoppable development of their relationship and the vivid descriptions of the inner and outer beauty of Tash are described in the most convincing way. It is excellent imaginative writing of the highest calibre. It is not long before terror and fear return, becoming an overwhelming backdrop to the saga. More and more, the second half of the story mirrors the first half in a coincidental but nevertheless believable manner. It is a very clever book in structure, style, content and presentation. It captures the reader's attention from start to finish and leaves you wanting to read it again for another helping of imagination, romance and fear. Nothing less than true escapism.
Rating:
Summary: War Crimes, Romance, Coincidences, Love, Fear and Suspense
Review: This was a great book by David Morrell, in fact a double book as it had two distinct halves, one almost mirroring the other. The story begins in Bosnia during the violent years of the mid-nineties. Professional, award-winning photographer, Mitch Coltrane, is hiding in a pit, three feet wide, seven feet long and three feet deep which smells of loam, mold and urine. He has already been waiting 36 hours and is prepared to wait longer . His aim is to photograph the evil Bosnian Serb leader Dragan Ilkovic exhuming bodies of innocent victims from a mass grave for removal and disposal elsewhere. The photographic evidence, should he succeed in getting it without being caught, should enable the International Courts or War Crimes Commission to convict Ilkovic and lock him away for a very long time. Eventually Coltrane's patience is rewarded as Ilkovic arrives and the horror of the subsequent events leaps out through the pages. The story then takes on a more sedate theme, giving the reader time to relax and enjoy the book as Coltrane begins a fascinating photographic project back in California with the help of his beautiful girlfriend, Jennifer. However, the tension, suspense and horror gradually return, accelerating through the chapters, to another climax and the conclusion of the first "half" of the book. In this section, the detailed knowledge of author Morrell of cameras and photography is evident and he weaves this technical thread through the story without in any way confusing or boring the reader - in fact the very opposite. As the second "half" of the story unfolds, our hero Coltrane becomes fascinated with, entranced by, obsessed with and ultimately seduced by the irresistible new heroine Tash. The unstoppable development of their relationship and the vivid descriptions of the inner and outer beauty of Tash are described in the most convincing way. It is excellent imaginative writing of the highest calibre. It is not long before terror and fear return, becoming an overwhelming backdrop to the saga. More and more, the second half of the story mirrors the first half in a coincidental but nevertheless believable manner. It is a very clever book in structure, style, content and presentation. It captures the reader's attention from start to finish and leaves you wanting to read it again for another helping of imagination, romance and fear. Nothing less than true escapism.
Rating: 
Summary: odd -- fractured -- postmodern -- challenging
Review: this was the first book i read by morrell, although his reputation preceded him. i thought the portion of double image devoted to questions of identity in photographic subjects was fairly well-developed, but -- as other reviewers have noted -- the story is divided between plots that never entirely line up and whose thematic parallels falter. morrell resists several conventions of his genre (most notably the singular narrative structure that allows readers to progress from first to last page without pausing for reflection), and this resistance creates possibilities in the relationship between narrator and reader that could have been developed to much greater effect. as a result, this book could have been better in one of two ways: either morrell should have stuck with convention and written two separate, fully-matured novels (one about documentary/news photography, the other about mysterious attractions between a photographer and another photographer's model); or he should have thought through the possibilities open to a new literary form employing best-seller readability with resistant structural challenges that not only force readers to pause and reflect, but also offer some conceptual insight into the functionings of photography as a whole.
Rating: 
Summary: Good effort falls short
Review: Who knew that one photograph could change your life so much! The main character in this book certainly didn't suspect that would happen! This book was a quick read (ie I couldn't put it down!), and the thrill/suspense level was right up there. I had to read it during the daytime! The twists and turns were incredible, and I didn't see them coming at all! I really enjoyed reading it, and I enjoyed the end.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps You Guessing
Review: You know when a book promises 'surprising' twists, and you are then able to forecast what's going to happen next, which is disappointing? "Double Image" won't disappoint you. As I read the over 400 pages in this novel, I truly had no idea what would happen to the main character, Mitch Coltrane, and that was refreshing. This book has an expansive plot - you could argue too expansive - that moves from Eastern Europe, to California, to Mexico, and interweaves several subplots involving war crimes, stalking, and premeditated murder. Coltrane, a professional photographer, starts off the novel by photographing a war criminal whose deeds are being investigated by the UN. He succeeds, but pays a heavy price. He also encounters a noted photographer, Randolph Packard, who draws him into completing a project Packard began in the 1920s-30s, photographing unique houses in Los Angeles. A simple project, on the surface, which leads to Coltrane's obsession with a woman Packard secretly photographed in the 1940s, an actress named Rebecca Chance. When Coltrane himself becomes obsessed with Rebecca through the 50-year-old photos, he discovers she mysteriously disappeared, leading him to search for what happened to her. Author David Morrell handles the complex plot well, and although a lot of action is crammed into a short period of time, there's enough realism in the characters and situations to keep you reading and caring about what's going to happen next. The final section of the book is truly surprising as the mystery of what happened to Rebecca Chance is revealed, and the legacy of her relationship with two men obsessed by her - three men, if you count Coltrane. Worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps You Guessing
Review: You know when a book promises `surprising' twists, and you are then able to forecast what's going to happen next, which is disappointing? "Double Image" won't disappoint you. As I read the over 400 pages in this novel, I truly had no idea what would happen to the main character, Mitch Coltrane, and that was refreshing. This book has an expansive plot - you could argue too expansive - that moves from Eastern Europe, to California, to Mexico, and interweaves several subplots involving war crimes, stalking, and premeditated murder. Coltrane, a professional photographer, starts off the novel by photographing a war criminal whose deeds are being investigated by the UN. He succeeds, but pays a heavy price. He also encounters a noted photographer, Randolph Packard, who draws him into completing a project Packard began in the 1920s-30s, photographing unique houses in Los Angeles. A simple project, on the surface, which leads to Coltrane's obsession with a woman Packard secretly photographed in the 1940s, an actress named Rebecca Chance. When Coltrane himself becomes obsessed with Rebecca through the 50-year-old photos, he discovers she mysteriously disappeared, leading him to search for what happened to her. Author David Morrell handles the complex plot well, and although a lot of action is crammed into a short period of time, there's enough realism in the characters and situations to keep you reading and caring about what's going to happen next. The final section of the book is truly surprising as the mystery of what happened to Rebecca Chance is revealed, and the legacy of her relationship with two men obsessed by her - three men, if you count Coltrane. Worth reading.
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