Trick of the Eye

Rating:
Summary: The wealthy ARE different...
Review: This book first appealled to me, an almost old woman, since the main character, Faith, is no longer young. Well written descriptions of Faith's changing perception draw one into the mystery. The solution and the ending are tart,yet satisfying. On a deeper level,it serves as a grim reminder that your life is what you choose to make of it. Read the dedication after you finish the novel. I hope to read more from this writer, & would like to know more about her.

Rating:
Summary: The wealthy ARE different...
Review: This book first appealled to me, an almost old woman, since the main character, Faith, is no longer young. Well written descriptions of Faith's changing perception draw one into the mystery. The solution and the ending are tart,yet satisfying. On a deeper level,it serves as a grim reminder that your life is what you choose to make of it. Read the dedication after you finish the novel. I hope to read more from this writer, & would like to know more about her.

Rating:
Summary: Suspense with a real twist
Review: This book has got an amazing twist at the end. I don't understand other reviewers who said they guessed the ending. I've given it to about twenty mystery lovers and not ONE guessed the real ending because it's not about whodunit. It's a real trick of the eye, like the author says. It was nominated for both the Edgar Award and the Hammett Prize as the Best First Novel of the Year, and one can see why.

Rating:
Summary: One smart, savvy, compelling read
Review: This wonderful book is the best evidence ever that works in the mystery genre can transcend the genre stereotype and land full force among the best writers of contemporary literature. I loved the plot, found the characters compelling and extraordinarily well-developed. Jane Hitchcock is a terrific writer and I look forward to reading her a lot more in the future.

Rating:
Summary: One smart, savvy, compelling read
Review: This wonderful book is the best evidence ever that works in the mystery genre can transcend the genre stereotype and land full force among the best writers of contemporary literature. I loved the plot, found the characters compelling and extraordinarily well-developed. Jane Hitchcock is a terrific writer and I look forward to reading her a lot more in the future.

Rating:
Summary: What are the other reviewers thinking?
Review: Unfortunately, I didn't read the first page before I bought this book. That alone would have make me reconsider. The narration is never interesting, never grabbing, never anything but repetative plodding, but her style is not the unexcusable part. The worst part is the completely un-shocking twist in the don't-even-tell-me-you-don't-know-whodunit. If you haven't figured out the end after the first third of the book, then I envy you, becaue you're probably satisfied with a lot of the simpler things in life.

Rating:
Summary: Not Your Typical Psychological Thriller
Review: Whether or not being typical would help or harm this novel, I can't begin to hazard a guess. I openly admit picked up this book only because the words "psychological thriller" were used on the cover. As I began to read, I immediately didn't like the novel's use of first-person narrative. For some reason, Faith's comments and utterances seemed forced, expected, and/or just plain flighty. The writing was good overall; I just didn't appreciate the style in this particular setting.

I must allow that I was highly involved in the book, reading it on the train every day and longing to find out what would happen next. In that respect, it was a true page-turner in the literal sense of the expression. But. . .I was rather disappointed with the ending. In fact, as the mystery began to unfold, I was also rather disgusted. Many parts seemed forced and even illogical.

Bottom line: I didn't like the main character. She didn't garner my compassion or my respect. In fact, I feel it wasn't truly a "thriller" at all, merely a twisted and somewhat predictable mystery. I'm not a mystery fan, so perhaps others will enjoy this book more than I did. But don't be misled: I expected a thriller to grab hold and never let go of me; Trick of the Eye merely was a loose tease whose hold was all too easy to escape from.

Rating:
Summary: Not Your Typical Psychological Thriller
Review: Whether or not being typical would help or harm this novel, I can't begin to hazard a guess. I openly admit picked up this book only because the words "psychological thriller" were used on the cover. As I began to read, I immediately didn't like the novel's use of first-person narrative. For some reason, Faith's comments and utterances seemed forced, expected, and/or just plain flighty. The writing was good overall; I just didn't appreciate the style in this particular setting.

I must allow that I was highly involved in the book, reading it on the train every day and longing to find out what would happen next. In that respect, it was a true page-turner in the literal sense of the expression. But. . .I was rather disappointed with the ending. In fact, as the mystery began to unfold, I was also rather disgusted. Many parts seemed forced and even illogical.

Bottom line: I didn't like the main character. She didn't garner my compassion or my respect. In fact, I feel it wasn't truly a "thriller" at all, merely a twisted and somewhat predictable mystery. I'm not a mystery fan, so perhaps others will enjoy this book more than I did. But don't be misled: I expected a thriller to grab hold and never let go of me; Trick of the Eye merely was a loose tease whose hold was all too easy to escape from.