Throat

Rating:
Summary: so much more rewarding than king or koontz
Review: I often see reviews that compare the writing of Peter Straub to that of Stephen King (for obvious reasons) and of Dean Koontz (purely because of the horror genre as far as I am aware). But to me they are illogical comparisons. If you want a contrived plot where man meets woman and they both find salvation from their past horrors through love for each other, read Koontz. If you want to slip into reading something that feels as comfortable as an old slipper, beacuse you've read the same story 10 times before, only in different guises, read King.

However, if you want to read intelligent novels with characters that you care for and who develop over the course of the trilogy, read Koko, Mystery and the Throat - All completely different to each other, yet interlinked beautifully.

I am the first to admit that sometimes Straub's writing can be difficult to get into - it took me 3 attempts over a few years before I was able to finish Mystery for the first time, but now i regularly re read all of Straub's novels (apart from If you could see me now, which is the only one I've not yet been able to get into) and look forward to doing so - to entering the worlds that he creates (even though I am left cold by the constant jazz references!).

Basically, if you're tiring of King and Koontz, finding them too simplistic - read Straub.

Rating:
Summary: The End of a Decent Trilogy
Review: I read both "KOKO" & "MYSTERY" a few years back and never got around to "THE THROAT" until just recently, mostly because "MYSTERY" was some-what of a chore to finish. Nevertheless, I was glad to have the return of Tim Underhill and Tom Passmore (quite possibly the best amatuer detective duo of our time). Much like Hitchcock, Straub's raw talent for creating elaborate thrillers with completely plausible twist endings is incredible. What seperates the author, however, is his meandering prose which is filled with enough detail to possibly fill another novel. I sometimes found myself a little bored with a few of the chapters (more specifically, the excerpts from a fictional Vietnam War novel about Franklin Bachelor) but ultimately enjoyed the story as a whole. My only major disappointment is knowing that "THE THROAT" marks the end of a good series.

Rating:
Summary: What the...?
Review: I read Mystery and thought, "how disappointing", because I've read Straub before and was impressed by his wordplay. I then discovered that it was part of a trilogy and started scouting my library. I haven't read Koko (the first book) yet, but managed to get The Throat, the final book of the series.

It's awful.

Fifty pages into it, I was tempted to get out a pad and pen and start again, making notes of all the characters and trying to figure out who the narrator actually was in the context of the events in Mystery, to which he kept referring. The narrator claims to be the author of the events in Mystery, but had written it as fiction - he then goes on to give an account of being hit by a car (as did the major character in Mystery), but under COMPLETELY different circumstances than in the first book and... I give up. It was just far too convoluted for enjoyment.

Rating:
Summary: What the...?
Review: I read Mystery and thought, "how disappointing", because I've read Straub before and was impressed by his wordplay. I then discovered that it was part of a trilogy and started scouting my library. I haven't read Koko (the first book) yet, but managed to get The Throat, the final book of the series.

It's awful.

Fifty pages into it, I was tempted to get out a pad and pen and start again, making notes of all the characters and trying to figure out who the narrator actually was in the context of the events in Mystery, to which he kept referring. The narrator claims to be the author of the events in Mystery, but had written it as fiction - he then goes on to give an account of being hit by a car (as did the major character in Mystery), but under COMPLETELY different circumstances than in the first book and... I give up. It was just far too convoluted for enjoyment.

Rating:
Summary: What the...?
Review: I read Mystery and thought, "how disappointing", because I've read Straub before and was impressed by his wordplay. I then discovered that it was part of a trilogy and started scouting my library. I haven't read Koko (the first book) yet, but managed to get The Throat, the final book of the series.

It's awful.

Fifty pages into it, I was tempted to get out a pad and pen and start again, making notes of all the characters and trying to figure out who the narrator actually was in the context of the events in Mystery, to which he kept referring. The narrator claims to be the author of the events in Mystery, but had written it as fiction - he then goes on to give an account of being hit by a car (as did the major character in Mystery), but under COMPLETELY different circumstances than in the first book and... I give up. It was just far too convoluted for enjoyment.

Rating:
Summary: Long and Dull
Review: I really do not like this writer. I have read 2 of his books and afterwards I feel like my time has been wasted.

Rating:
Summary: A book I've read many times
Review: I've read and re-read this book and each time I get something different from it. It's a richly textured story with characters that I found compelling and involving. Some are horrible and repugnant and some, like the Tom Pasmore character, I yearn to learn more about. I can see how that book just wouldn't be some people's cup of tea but I loved it. Also, I loved the whole story of Fee Bandolier and the mysteries Tim Underhill confronts. I'm actually quite comfortable with some of the mysteries and contradictions of the story. I think it mirrors things I've encountered in my own life.

Rating:
Summary: book 3
Review: In my opinion the Blue Rose Murder books, Mystery & Throat were PERFECT. (Koko, the first in the series, I didn't like) I enjoyed every minute spent with these two books tho. Just thinking back on them makes me happy! Tom Pasmore and his real father are beautiful characters, Tim Underhill is righton. A Fabulous story that takes you to many places in many times. It flows smooth & easy, fast & exciting

Mystery & Throat = perfection.

Koko = illogical.

Rating:
Summary: book 3
Review: In my opinion the Blue Rose Murder books, Mystery & Throat were PERFECT. (Koko, the first in the series, I didn't like) I enjoyed every minute spent with these two books tho. Just thinking back on them makes me happy! Tom Pasmore and his real father are beautiful characters, Tim Underhill is righton. A Fabulous story that takes you to many places in many times. It flows smooth & easy, fast & exciting

Mystery & Throat = perfection.

Koko = illogical.

Rating:
Summary: A Deft Braintwister
Review: In this sequel to MYSTERY Straub writes a complex, riveting tale rich in atmosphere in which past crimes return to plague the present. Straub is a master at making us see a character with only one brilliantly worded sentence.. The characters of Tim Underhill and Tom Pasmore are unforgettable, as is the remarkable and elusive "Blue Rose Murderer.". I have read the book three times and each time find something new. This is not a book for readers who like to "figure out" who the killer is by the mddle of the story. I consider it a classic of the genre.