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Suspicion

Suspicion

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Weak characters, weak ending
Review: Many of the characters in the novel, Suspicion, seem to exist only because the author wants to side track the reader. There is no real need for some of them and the sub plots they are involved in are not really necessary to the main story. The personalities of the main characters don't really "grab" the reader. There is no feeling of really liking or really disliking them. They just exist. The plot seems weak because the basic reason for the story is flawed. The buildup to the climax is pretty good, but the actual end is a real letdown. Actually, there is no real definitive end to this story. If you like a story that doesn't leave you hanging at the end, don't read this one. I read this book on the recommendation of a friend who liked it, but I was very disappointed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Didn't want to like it, but it kept me up all night
Review: There are a lot of things I didn't like about this novels, especially the cliched characters. (Why does the heroine always have to be smashingly beautiful and superintelligent? Why is everyone always rich in this sort of book? Why does the black lady have to represent the entire diaspora? Why the false dichotomy of hard-edged urban superwomen and catty suburban housewives? Why can't their kid just be a kid, not a star athlete and overly bright? Why does the husband have to be Cary Grant *and* Humphrey Bogart?) I also think that B. Rogan overplayed the writer-living-out-the-scenario-of-one-of-her-lousy-books convention; it was interesting, but I kept feeling like it slowed the momentum and that the author overindulged her desire to talk about what it's like to be a writer (although of course it's not fair to assume that Emma is anything like Barbara Rogan.) Didn't like the pointless extended soccer sequences. Didn't like the red herrings - seemed more dishonest than exciting. And it wasn't really scary - I was always interested but I never got goosebumps. Also - I knew the answer to the mystery well before the main character, a huge fault in any suspence novel. And I'm not particularly good at guessing endings, either, so there should be no huge thrill for the experienced reader of suspence novels (I'm much more Anne Tyler or John Irving than Stephen King or Mary Higgins Clark).

So -- why did I give it four stars? Because I couldn't stop reading! Spent just about an entire day curling up with the one; for all of my complaints against it, I have to admit that I was utterly engrossed. I don't know whether or not I'll ever think about this novel again - or whether or not I'll read another Barbara Rogan book - but I do now that I don't feel like my day was wasted. Good reading, if not a great book. Don't pick it up unless you have hours to spare.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great stormy day book!
Review: This book is both suspenseful and great fun. The plot involves a writer of ghost stories who moves into a house that looks like it came out of one of her books -- and strange things start to happen. Is it a ghost that's trying to drive her out of the home, or does she have an enemy that's alive and among her friends and family -- who else would have access to the house?

This is a book to read in one sitting, so start it early enough to finish at a reasonable hour (otherwise you'll be up half the night finishing it). What I liked best was its "tongue in cheek" quality, the fun that can be had by a writer writing a story about a writer who jokes that if this were one of her novels and not real life, her dog's refusal to go up a certain staircase would be a sign of a ghost. The author's joke, of course, is that it is all really a novel -- there is no "real life."

The book was well-plotted, the characters likeable and engaging, and the author had great fun with the conventions of ghost stories.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great stormy day book!
Review: This book is both suspenseful and great fun. The plot involves a writer of ghost stories who moves into a house that looks like it came out of one of her books -- and strange things start to happen. Is it a ghost that's trying to drive her out of the home, or does she have an enemy that's alive and among her friends and family -- who else would have access to the house?

This is a book to read in one sitting, so start it early enough to finish at a reasonable hour (otherwise you'll be up half the night finishing it). What I liked best was its "tongue in cheek" quality, the fun that can be had by a writer writing a story about a writer who jokes that if this were one of her novels and not real life, her dog's refusal to go up a certain staircase would be a sign of a ghost. The author's joke, of course, is that it is all really a novel -- there is no "real life."

The book was well-plotted, the characters likeable and engaging, and the author had great fun with the conventions of ghost stories.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: don't waste your time if you are expecting thought-provoking
Review: This book is definately not high on the list if you want a book that makes you think and keeps you guessing till the end but on the other hand it is an easy "while away the evening" read.

If you want suspense and terror and a book to make you squirm while you read don't pick this one up. You will be sorely disappointed.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A for Suspense; A Fun Read
Review: This book is very suspenseful, I'll admit that much. Mary Higgins Clark, too, can write suspense. It's not easy! But beyond the suspense, which I admit kept me reading well into the wee hours, everything else in this book is flawed. The main character is eminently dislikeable. The first 50 pages should be chopped off. The one black woman in the book (a teacher and artist) speaks in a dialect I think is supposed to be "black English." Other characters are flat or cloying. And in the end, a lot of loose ends are left dangling. Frankly, this book suffers in comparison to another newly-released (and BRILLIANT) novel involving the supernatural, Ann Arensberg's "Incubus." But, ultimately, none of this matters because we keep reading and chewing our fingernails. This book will make excellent beach fare this summer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loved this book...
Review: This book was a fun, easy read that I found entertaining. I cared about the heroine, Emma, because she seemed so real in her response to the tragedies she suffered. Two of my other favorite characters were Ida Green a no-nonsense psychic and Arthur, a libidinous book editor. I think you'll enjoy this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A stay-up-till-3am-to-finish book!
Review: This is one of the best mysteries I have read in quite a while. It seems to start out a little slow, but all the background is necessary. Just keep reading, because when it takes off around page 30 it doesn't slow down again. You will think you understand what's going on many times - but you won't know for sure until the end - and I mean the very end. Emma Roth is a character you want to smack, cheer for, and help; all at the same time. A great read, and a truly fascinating mystery!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, not great.
Review: This is the first book I have read by Barbara Rogan. I thought that when I bought this book there would be more excitement and more "ghostliness." But the book started putting me to sleep, and that's when I knew I had to get rid of it. The book had good characters but lacked the plot it needed to support that fact. If you like slower moving mysteries, this book is for you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, not great.
Review: This is the first book I have read by Barbara Rogan. I thought that when I bought this book there would be more excitement and more "ghostliness." But the book started putting me to sleep, and that's when I knew I had to get rid of it. The book had good characters but lacked the plot it needed to support that fact. If you like slower moving mysteries, this book is for you.


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