Mortal Fear

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Anyone Who Likes Thrillers
Review: I read a lot of books in a year. Many are best sellers, written by the authors of multiple best sellers. Most of them are trash. Either the story doesn't make sense, or the dialogue is stilted, or they violate their own logic, or, all to frequently, after investing hours in reading them, the ending is disappointing or just plain stupid. It sometimes makes me wonder why I haven't written a best seller. I can write a bad novel as well as anyone. Then I came across "Mortal Fear" by Greg Iles, and I felt that I had finally read something worth my time.

There are a lot of books about serial killers, but few as chilling as this one. The relationship between the murders would have gone unnoticed if part-time systems operator, Harper Cole, hadn't noticed a relationship between the latest victim, and the unnoticed disappearance of several other women from the high priced, adult website and chat room that he helps administer. He contacts the police, and the hunt is on.

In the end Hunter must take the lead in tracking the killer down, but at a very high price. Hunter has secrets of his own that he'd rather his wife didn't know about. In the end, he must face his past, the probability of losing the wife he loves, and a deadly killer to save his life and his future. Hunter triumphs in the end but pays a terrible price.

Hunter is as real a character as I've encountered of late. Iles doesn't make him into a superman who is able to battle trained killers as easily as he can make breakfast, nor is he an unflawed saint. He is more like all of us, maybe a little brighter, but a "flesh and blood" character who has to choose between burying his head in the sand or doing the right thing no matter what. Fortunately for the readers, he faces his demons and conquers them in a terrific ending that holds the reader's interest right down to the final pages.

Rating:
Summary: another good read
Review: This is the second book by Iles I have read, the first being Black Cross. While this effort does not come close to being in the same league as that book, it is quite a good, stimulating read. It is written in the first person, which can take some time to get used to.

Iles tries to add flourishing touches of human emotions into the book's sub-story, but the characters are mostly shells. Thomas H Cook is quite good at this, and I wonder if Black Cross was written after Mortal Fear, because Iles' characters in that book were much better.

This is a long book, but reads quickly. It is not really a true serial murder mystery because the killer does not fit into that mold, but it does have some interesting plot twists and suspense.

While it is no Red Dragon or Silence, it is fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: I will never chat online again......well maybe!
Review: Once I had read "The Queit Game", I was hooked and had to read another one of Greg Iles books and "Mortal Fear" was my choice and I have to say it was the right one!! This book took me to another level of what could happen online and how computer hackers and such can get into someone's personal life. I found myself feeling like Harper Cole as well as an FBI agents, trying to figure out what this person's next move would be and why. And the way the murder scenes were described and as well as how the victims were, I could see it all in my mind eyes!!! This book is a much read if you don't read any other works by Greg Iles, you have to read "Mortal Fear"!

Rating:
Summary: High Tech/High suspense
Review: Mr. Iles has outdone himself with this novel. The intellect involved along with the computer theory and a short course on surgery added to the complete chilling story that kept your mind working and the pages turning. Don't miss this one. Will look forward for more of the same.

Rating:
Summary: Iles makes a BIG departure from his previous novels...
Review: I found Greg Iles quite by accident several years ago when I was in the slump of what I like to call, 'Not-having-anything-to-read-at-the moment' syndrome. I came across 'Spandau Phoenix' by Mr. Iles, and normally I rarely read the so-called 'blurbs' written on the cover that make the book out to be the best thing since sliced bread, but for some reason, I took them seriously this time. I found myself reading quite possibly the best action/adventure novel about events that happened in WWII that I had ever come across. His follow-up novel, 'Black Cross' was an even more facinating and powerful account of an historical event during the Second World War that didn't happen, but COULD have... well a few years pass and I begin to wonder where Mr. Iles went to, and suddenly I discover 'Mortal Fear'. I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting it to be another adventure based on a real event from WWII, and of course it wasn't, so on that level alone I was a tiny bit upset--but I should know that authors shouldn't be held to writing one particular genre for all of eternity (although if Mr. Iles could continue producing novels like his first two, I would have been perfectly happy if he did...).

I am a BIG fan of Murder/Mysteries, and this novel took off like it was going to be one of those rare stories that compelled you to read for hours on end without regard to waking up early the next morning...but somewhere along the way it just lost its steam--for ME anyway. Don't get me wrong, it is still a good example of the Murder/Mystery genre, however I had a hard time with the incredibly HUGE departure from his previous works into a sordid tale of sex and murder. It seemed to me such a large gap that it was written by someone else. Now I am not claiming that 'Mortal Fear' was written by another person, not at all--however you would be hard pressed to find any similarities between his first two books and this one. I found myself absorbed by the characters in his first two novels because he made them 'real' and people I could identify with (to a degree, of course) and with 'Mortal Fear' this was a story about a man who operates an erotic internet site and I'm sorry, but I just didn't care about what happened to him mostly because I just couldn't identify on ANY level with him. Based on this alone, this novel disappointed me very much. If you have not read either of Greg Iles first two novels, and you enjoy a good Murder/Mystery, by all means, pick this one up and enjoy--but if you have read them, be prepared for an amazing change of pace and subject matter with 'Mortal Fear'. All in all, a pretty good story, but it just didn't 'do it' for me.

Rating:
Summary: well written thriller
Review: Harper Cole is a system operator of a erotic on-line network. People log on to air their most secret fantasies and desires. He begins to worry when he notices that some accounts that were heavily used suddenly go dead and asks the police to check on the users. They turn up dead.

With the police, psych doctors and friends in tow, Harper is out to catch the killer, using his own family as lures.

I didn't really get into this story as other reviewers did, the characters didn't jump out and become real to me. The storyline was interesting though, for those who enjoy a thriller with something a little different.

Rating:
Summary: This book gave me nightmares
Review: I've read plenty of books, none however that grab me the way Iles books do. I've read each of his books, and none of them have lasted longer than four days in my hands. In Mortal Fear he creates a character, with amazing development, that scared me so badly, I had nightmares about this guy. When and if you read it, you will demand to be left alone for the last hundred pages or so, just struggling to get through it. You will constantly tell yourself to stop reading, but you will be unable to do so. It is incredible.

Iles is a terrific author, writing about Nazi Germany, racial tensions in the south, on-line stalkers, and kidnapping. I could argue for hours over which is his best book, Spandau Phoenix, Mortal Fear, or The Quiet Game, without ever coming to a conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: Step Aside, Hannibal Lecter!
Review: The tension was so great while I read this novel, there were times when I didn't think I wanted to finish the book. Greg Iles' serial killer is one of the most frightening characters in modern suspense writing. The killer, who goes by a number of aliases on the internet, is evil incarnate. His chilling biography alone is enough to write a novel about. It is, among many other parts of this book, a stroke of genius.

Mr. Iles has done a highly magnificent and intelligent job of creating a plot that holds you and won't let you go. As I said, there were times I didn't think I could read to the end of MORTAL FEAR--not because I didn't like the writing, but because I didn't think my heart could stand the constant tension that just kept mounting through every chapter to the very end. Reading "The Silence of the Lambs" was the last time a book had that much impact. I do a LOT of reading, so my hat is off to Greg Iles for his great writing.

Halfway through finishing MORTAL FEAR, I immediately hunted down the rest of Iles' novels which, alas, are too few. I have added him to my very short list of favorite writers, the other two being Nelson DeMille and Elizabeth George. All three writers use character development, detail and excellent plotting to create novels that are intelligent, riveting, and just plain old fashioned good reading.

Rating:
Summary: His best yet
Review: Mortal Fear grabs you from the getgo and never lets up. I enjoyed this even more than I did Black Cross and the Quiet Game - which are themselves excellent reads.

Isles has an amazing capacity to transfer tension and emotion to the reader. I've now read three of his books and the subject matter could not more different in each one; he must do an enormous amount of research before he sits down to write. I had read where someone compared him to Grisham, apparently since both are from Mississippi. That's where the comparison stops. Grisham cannot hold a candle to Greg Isles.

Rating:
Summary: a good read if you're stuck sitting somewhere for a while
Review: this book came to me highly recommended, so it was a little disappointing. after reading it, i can't quite figure out why the author threw in the whole eros component. the service itself doesn't make much sense (there's lots of free internet porn out there, and if you're living with someone who's that possesive they'll probably catch on to you either way). it seems like the only people who would really be interested in it are famous people. and i don't understan why the killer went through such pains to stalk people on eros. surely there's an easier way for a doctor to get organs. for the first few practice surgeries why not just use homeless people? it doesn't matter if they have aids if it's only practice. and he didn't use the service to find the real donors anyway. i also didn't have much sympathy for the main characters. all in all, it wasn't bad, but i didn't think it was very plausible either.