Rating: 
Summary: More praise for Colin Harrison and AFTERBURN
Review: "This book is extraordinary, maybe even a masterpiece."--Carolyn Banks, The Washington Post"As thrillers, Colin Harrison's smart, jagged suspense novels are nonpareil. If there is a literary elixir of sex, violence and New York money, here's where the good stuff is bottled . . . AFTERBURN is one hell of a thriller."--Craig Ryan, Portland Oregonian "Colin Harrison is one of the most thoughtful and gripping of suspense writers. An artist equally at home in courtrooms, chic society, politics and rotting urban infrastructures, he's an idea man who specializes in probing obsessive souls trying to outrace moral and ethical mishaps."--Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Sun-Times
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Torture
Review: Take away the sex and violence in this book and what have you got--not much. It's interesting to read the literary reviews of the book--i.e., Afterburn raises the thriller to a new level. A new level of what, moral degredation? Funny thing is I'm a real Clive Barker fan and I couldn't read a lot of this book because it was meaninglessly disturbing. Makes one wonder why anyone would write a book like this.
Rating: 
Summary: A Page-Turner with Silly Sex
Review: I loved Bodies Electric, also by Colin Harrison. It was one of the best books I've ever read. Manhattan Nocture seemed a bit over the top, and the trend continues here. Still, I stayed up late to finish it. The one thing that made me nearly stop reading it were the silly sex scenes, featuring multi-orgasmic women and men with incredible stamina. The worst was when two prostitutes were arguing over whoe got to have sex (again) with a character - you see, they loved his ability to maintain an erection for hours. Uh huh.
Rating:
Summary: More raves for AFTERBURN
Review: "Nightmarish and utterly believable . . . a far more ambitious and disturbing novel than its thriller trappings might avow . . . AFTERBURN is a Quentin Tarantino tale purged of adolescent sentimentality about violence and crime."--Elizabeth Hand, Voice Literary Supplement
Rating: 
Summary: This is actually "compulsively readable"
Review: I agree w/ Wyn Morrison's review, below. This is that rare novel that earns its "literary thriller" tag. The story, characters, and writing have stuck with me since I closed the book. It's a dark and violent story that's driven by three characters whose obsessions get the best of them. Add that to Harrison's writing and you've got a potent book. As Dobyns' review says, the back end feels truncated; that may be partly because you don't want a book this enjoyable to end.
Rating:
Summary: Page turning trash
Review: While Afterburn is extremely well written, is a real page turner, and has fascinating passages, the book is morally repugnant. Most of the characters belong in the federal prison in Marion, Illinois. The message? Crime pays if you are smart enough. I usually like "dark" books, and I have very liberal views about literature. However,after finishing this review, I am going to through this garbage in the trash. Physical torture should not be elevated to "literary" status.
Rating: 
Summary: Believe Some of the Hype, but Not All of It
Review: Even adjusted for hype, Afterburn doesn't live up to expectations. There's too much softcorn sex and the violence when it comes is too little too late. Joe Connelly's influence is obvious, though CH lacks JC's elan; the kitchen-sink surgery seems forced and overly researched. The book needs editing, notably the pages spent on Charlie's search for a womb. As usual, the paragraphs are too long; CH could use lessons in concision from J. Ellroy. The ending's predictable. Still, CH deserves a kudos bar for not churning out a standard supermarket thriller. And his prose really is on the level of Stephen King rather than, say, er, Dean Koontz.
Rating:
Summary: BLAM!
Review: This guy is a terrific writer and this book is his best. Buy it; you won't be disappointed, and I think you will then turn to his earlier books -- Bodies Electric and Manhattan Nocturne are the best. If you like Tom Wolfe you'll like Harrison. Terrific prose, dialogue and plotting; several levels above the average "thriller".
Rating:
Summary: Raves for AFTERBURN
Review: "High-voltage . . . a riveting suspense tale that effortlessly weaves together elements of murder, revenge, sexual obsession, obscene wealth, international intrigue . . . Harrison is a master storyteller, whose sure hand switches on the juice beginning on page one and never turns it off . . . [AFTERBURN] hooks you like a fish."--Bill Hoffmann, The New York Post "An exciting ride . . . Harrison writes extremely well, and sections of AFTERBURN are as elegant as you'll hope to find in any novel . . . It's his ability to make what he's learned come alive through exact description--and his stylish way of incorporating it into a sentence--that creates the novel's sense of authenticity."--Stephen Dobyns, The New York Times Book Review "Gripping . . . immensely readable . . . [Harrison] creates two fantastic characters--a John McCain-like war hero/business titan, and one of the more interesting female leads in recent fiction."--Esquire
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this one!
Review: Not for the faint of heart, Afterburn is one of the most gripping, grisly thrillers I've read in a great while. Prepare yourself for a blast of graphic sex and violence with some of the most engaging, flawed characters in recent memory. If you're a fan of that ill-defined genre sometimes called the "literary thriller", you won't want to miss this one. However, if you've experienced any severe back problems you might want to look elsewhere.
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