Rating:  Summary: Intense, makes you want to read much later than you should. Review: A very likeable, very human protagonist, although the excess wealth is somewhat incredulous. An evil antagonist, who's easy to dislike.
Good plot, good dialogue, and characters with whom you can identify, especially if you've ever lived in the south.
Basically, I liked the damn book
Rating:  Summary: Fantastic chilling novel Review: I couldn't put this book down! Greg Iles
developed his characters wonderfully and the storyline was great. I was held in suspense for
most of the novel. I would recommend this book
to anyone who loves mystery and suspense novels.
I think this should be made into a movie!
Rating:  Summary: So engrossing I missed my turn on the interstate. Review: On a recent car trip from New York City to New Orleans I listened to this book on tape. I was so engrossed that I missed my turn at Charlotte, North Carolina and didn't return to my own reality until I hit Augusta, Georgia. I found the book spell binding and extremely erotic in an esoteric way reminiscent of early Anne Rice before she became so intoxicated with her own success that she stopped writing entertaining books. She is even a barely disguised character in this book. My only complaint to Mr. Iles is that his character Mayeaux, the Cajun detective in New Orleans, didn't strike me as much of a Cajun more like just another Southern Redneck. But perhaps I was prejudiced by the actor's accent. (Remember I listened to the book on tape.) When he spoke Mayeux's lines he was NOT speaking in a Cajun accent. The Cajuns, the New Orleanians, and the Mississippi Delta cops all sounded the same but that was the fault of the actor reading the book not Mr. Iles. All in all a very good listen
Rating:  Summary: Edge of your seat reading Review: This book kept me on the edge of my seat, just like watching a great suspense movie. This is the first time I have read Greg Iles and I can not wait to get another of his works. Harper Cole really draws you into his life and makes you want to know what is going to happen to him next.He is a really likeable character even though he is not perfect. He is human, afterall
Rating:  Summary: On the edge of your online seat thriller Review: Greg Iles takes you into the steamy world of online sex and brings to life a brilliant serial killer who embodies your worst fears. His use of both cutting edge technology and medical research combined with realism and personalities made this a book I didn't want to put down
Rating:  Summary: Mortal Fear a Winner! Review: Completely unlike his former two outings, Greg Iles has hit
a home run with Mortal Fear. A techno-thriller par excellence, this is one you will not be able to put down. From the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta Greg Iles weaves a riveting tale about the rancid underbelly of a sexual oriented bulletin board system and those who would use it to further their own strange agendas. A must read!
Rating:  Summary: Not perfect, but a highly readable thriller Review: Thirty-something Harper Cole makes a comfortable living trading commodities from his isolated Mississippi home, but it is his second, less lucrative job that offers the more interesting perquisites: Harper is a systems operator of an exclusive online sex forum, EROS (Erotic Realtime On-line Stimulation), whose members pay hundreds of dollars a month to engage in anonymous sex chat in a hyper-private environment. As a sysop Harper can cruise the hundreds of discussions within EROS, his presence in allegedly private chat rooms undetected by the participants, and he can take part in discussions himself under assumed identities. It is an avocation his wife Drewe--a beautiful and highly intelligent obstetrician--has become uncomfortable with in recent months.As it happens, there is much to be uncomfortable about. When author Karen Wheat, an EROS client with whom Harper is more than passably familiar, is found beheaded, Harper contacts the authorities: a number of EROS clients have gone missing, and he thinks he knows who's behind their disappearances. But Harper's noble attempt to stop a serial killer's grotesque butcheries lands him and his family in peril. Greg Iles's Mortal Fear is not a perfect book. There are some loose threads left dangling in the narrative (particularly the "Eleanor Rigby" side story), and Harper is made on p. 439 to consider briefly an action entirely unworthy of his character. Some of the middle chapters, too, are rather slow going. But the book builds to a breakneck pace, so that in its final 200 pages you will forgive the story its flaws, cursing the interruptions of impertinent employers and offspring while you neglect your responsibilities and read Iles's exciting conclusion.
Rating:  Summary: A Great Book for a Long Trip Review: This was a great trashy novel, and it really is trashy. There were many places in the book where I laughed out loud because of the terribly clichéd dialogue and general stupidity of the characters. For instance, the FBI cannot discover that a quote left by the killer was written by famous author Henry Miller. However, Harper Cole, stockbroker and porn site systems operator, recognizes the quote at a glance. In fact, every law enforcement agency in the country is made out to be a bunch of complete idiots in this book. Harper also feels the need to rehash explicit details of his sexual escapades in the name of therapy...and the reader's voyeurism! A simply summary never suffices in "Mortal Fear." We get to hear every steamy detail, even when it's completely unbelievable that Harper would go into so much detail. But that's really what's great about this book. It doesn't take itself too seriously. It's just a fun, mysterious, gory, sexy read that would be wonderful for a long plane trip. The plot is fast paced. The mystery kept me guessing. The characters aren't necessarily likeable, but they're believable in the context of the world the author creates. Just a note though-if you know anything about computers, most of the complexity attributed to them in this book will seem really silly. EROS is made out to be an amazing creation, when it doesn't seem like much more than a chat room and some message boards. This isn't "War and Peace," but I couldn't finish "War and Peace" anyway, because it got too boring in the middle. "Mortal Fear" is far from boring and I'll happily pick up another book written by Greg Iles.
Rating:  Summary: An incredible book. Highly recommended!! Review: Harper Cole is a man that leads two lives. By day he trades commodities over the Internet out of his isolated Mississippi farmhouse. By night, he is the systems operator of EROS. EROS is an exclusive , sexually explicit on-line service. It guarantees complete privacy and confidentiality to its rich and famous clients. Unfortunately, someone has made it past EROS's top of the line security, and has used the sight to pick and kill six women celebrities. Each time the weapon, and city are different, but the trophy the same. Suddenly Harper is looked at as the prime suspect, and there is only one way to bring the killer out into the open. But Harper has sexual secrets of his own. His plan could not only expose them all, but put everyone he loves in the path of the killer.
This book was responsible for introducing me to Greg Iles, and making me a lifetime fan of his. He is one of the most talented writers that I have ever come across. "Mortal Fear" offers unbelieveable suspense, outstanding characters, and a brilliant and complex story that will shock and disturb you. I have never read a story that looks into such taboo subjects reguarding sex. There are also so many twists, turns, and close calls that it will drive you crazy. Greg Iles' knowledge of computers and technology in general will really amaze you. It makes the computer related events in the book seem very realistic and believeable. The story also reads at a very fast pace and the 622 pages fly by!! I read Mortal Fear in one day, and I was literally up around the clock until I finished it.
The characters are extremely well developed. Harper Cole has to risk everything to put a stop to the killer and it weighs heavilly on him! The inner conflict that he faces weighs on you as a reader because he must expose certain aspects of his past in order to stop the killer. Harper's best friend Miles is outstanding. As the book goes on, he will look more and more guilty, but he always has a way to make you question whether or not he is the killer. This adds a great element of mystery to the story. The fact that it hits so close to home for Harper is what makes the character of Miles so intriguing. Miles is a character that's intelligent, and funny which provides for some good laughs. It is hard to doubt a character that is so likeable. The story's villan is my favorite character. Now practically every work of fiction has a villan. However, in my opinion, "Mortal Fear" offers the best villan that I have ever come across in a book. He is an equal match for Harper in everyway, and almost better. Not knowing if Harper will succeed is what adds such suspense. He will shock you , disturb you, and amaze you with his strength, intelligence, and overall savage behavior. Greg Iles' character development is amazing overall. The dialogue he provides for them is realistic and you feel like you get to know each character personally.
I guarantee that this book will become a favorite of yours. Greg Iles combines non-stop suspense, with wonderful characters, an even better villan, and a realistic, no-holds barred look into sex and the world of computers. I have read many novels in my time, but "Mortal Fear" found its way onto the top 10 list of my all time favorite books.
Rating:  Summary: I loved it!!!!!!!!!! Review: It has been a while since I have read a book that kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down. It is the first book I have read by Greg Iles and it was very enjoyable. A+ in my book =0)
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