ESAU

Rating:
Summary: Read once, then throw away.
Review: The story is rather fun--a search for Yeti on a forbidden mountain...but the characters and situations are very trite, and set-up. I believe the author had dollar signs in his eyes while writing this, with the idea of selling it as a movie. For instance, the token black character is a dead ringer for one of James Earl Jones' usual typecast roles, and the author even described him as having a "voice like Darth Vader." When the author of a book is already casting for the film version, I doubt his motives. The token brainy female character is a college professor who talks dirty to her students. Gag me with a film reel. The author should try selling screenplays direct to the studios, rather than trying to write the novellization first and hoping Spielberg notices...

Rating:
Summary: Very educational.
Review: The story was for the most part very interesting. Some of it seemed very far fecthed. Philip Kerr did an extrodinary job of research for this book. Learned alot about mountain climbing and the like. The characters were a bit boring. You had the beautiful brainey scholar, and the brawney rough neck tough mountain climber, their names were Stella Swift and Jack Furness. Almost like a soap opera.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: This is a well-crafted and compelling book. My only criticism is the lack of depth the CIA involvement received. However, this does not damage the quality of the story, nor its ability to keep you turning pages. I realized the implausability of the plot (when spoken out loud), but still stayed up nights turning the pages, wanting to know what was to happen next. The book does not suffer from the implausability of the pretext, because its plausability is so well established early in the story and, for that matter, reestablished throughout, so you really are never left with the feeling that this couldn't happen. It is a super book. It is the first KERR book I have read, but you can be certain that I will go back and read others

Rating:
Summary: Good effort from Kerr
Review: This nis not one of Kerr's best books, but it's full of adventure and action. The story concerns an expedition to the the Himalayas and the Machhapuchhare, a sacred place to all living around it. Here the legend of the Yeti comes to live as the main characters are faced with the reality of the legendery creature. Very enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising Good!
Review: This paperback was given to me by a friend and I had not heard of the author although the write-up sounded like it would either be pretty good, or campy. Turns out that this is a book that you think of at work, wake up in the middle of the night and grab and aren't sure you want to actually finish because the exciting story will be over! I particularly enjoy how the author keeps things moving, lots of action and surprises.

Rating:
Summary: Something to kill the time
Review: This was the first book that I have read by Philip Kerr. The book had a pretty interesting story line, but the writing was sub-par. His use of words didn't reach out and grab you. The suspense was their minus the imagery of necessary to be a good book.

Rating:
Summary: Not really a thriller, but still a great book
Review: Though not really a thriller, this story is certainly still a great book, I've read it 3 times and every time it effects me in the same way with great intrigue and amaze, I love it it is probably on my favorite list

Rating:
Summary: As bad as a cow chewing frozen grass on a wintery eventing
Review: Three words-- endless, meaningless metaphors. Come on, enough is enough. An example, "the icycles fell from the mountain onto his face like a thousand white lemmings jumping and dropping to their imminent doom, screaming as they fell" or something like that. Cheesy! There was so much drivel that I just couldn't take it anymore. The man writes in cliche's. Compare him to Crichton? Heresy.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic thriller, but lacks realism... impossible lucks..
Review: Very thrilling, but needs more characterizations as well as REALISM... Story line is just a typical action made-for-movies type...

Rating:
Summary: Best I've read of an unknown author in a long while.
Review: Virtually perfect blend of action and adventure with just the right amount of love, and sense of friendship. Philip Kerr is truly a master on the subject. The line between fact and fiction is almost non-existant in this science fiction thriller.