Shatter

Rating:
Summary: SHATTERED DREAMS
Review: Long time novelist Farris wrote this "thriller" in 1981. Twenty years later, it still stands up as good evidence of Farris' skill as a writer. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the resolution of this book, particularly in the relationship between David McNair and Anneliese Girda. The story starts out with the brutal murder of a woman, whose young daughter stumbles upon the aftermath. We find out early on that the murderer is a renowned gentleman named Frank McNair, who just happens to be the hero's father. A deathbed confession prior to a clever suicide sends David off to locate the young girl who witnessed his father's deed. Anneliese is now a clothing designer living in Germany and also being terrorized by a group of terrorists she once belonged to, and feel that she has betrayed them for money. The plot moves along fairly nicely, with some good suspense scenes and some crisp dialogue. However, the ending leaves one wondering why Farris brought these two together; also, Reba McNair's "brilliant" assertation of her philandering husband's mistress seems to come out of nowhere.
Not a bad read, but not one of Mr. Farris' best.

Rating:
Summary: SHATTERED DREAMS
Review: Long time novelist Farris wrote this "thriller" in 1981. Twenty years later, it still stands up as good evidence of Farris' skill as a writer. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the resolution of this book, particularly in the relationship between David McNair and Anneliese Girda. The story starts out with the brutal murder of a woman, whose young daughter stumbles upon the aftermath. We find out early on that the murderer is a renowned gentleman named Frank McNair, who just happens to be the hero's father. A deathbed confession prior to a clever suicide sends David off to locate the young girl who witnessed his father's deed. Anneliese is now a clothing designer living in Germany and also being terrorized by a group of terrorists she once belonged to, and feel that she has betrayed them for money. The plot moves along fairly nicely, with some good suspense scenes and some crisp dialogue. However, the ending leaves one wondering why Farris brought these two together; also, Reba McNair's "brilliant" assertation of her philandering husband's mistress seems to come out of nowhere.
Not a bad read, but not one of Mr. Farris' best.