The Tower

Rating:
Summary: Too bad Ivy
Review: A thoroughly dispicable villain pursued by hard-to-love law man combine to make a fast paced thrill ride. Fans of graphic violence and gore a la SILENCE OF THE LAMBS will not be disappointed, but more lurid is the psychological side of the serial killer who stalks the pages of THE TOWER. Original, exciting and morbidly entertaining. Great read!

Rating:
Summary: The Big Book of Action Novel Cliches
Review: I had high hopes for this book--the premise is solid and the opening pages showed Hurwitz has genuine skill as a writer. The "Tower" itself is a great concept and the descriptions come alive such that an actual picture is formed in your mind in which the plot can unfold.

Sadly, the plot doesn't unfold so much as it flails lamely on the floor. The two main characters, Jade Marlow and Allander Atlasia, are well conceived but play out their roles in a series of cliches and hackneyed chase/sting/shoot-out scenarios that belong in a made-for-TV movie. I had a real problem with the anti-hero "Jade", who was basically a cookie-cutter angry ex-agent with a strange female-stripper's name. Jade works well enough in the color-by-numbers action/mystery parts, but when he interacts with other people, it is awkward at best.

The story briefly redeemed itself with an exploration of the parents of a serial killer--what happens when good parents produce a monster through no fault of their own? This is a very intriguing idea, and one well addressed in "We Need to Talk About Kevin", but quickly abandoned for more dull cliches in "The Tower".

By the end of this novel I was actually laughing out loud at the ridiculous dialogue and scenarios--as satire it would get several more stars, but clearly this attempt at suspense was made in earnest. The love scene has actually made the $1 I spent on this book worthwhile, as reading it aloud at cocktail parties is always good for a laugh--it is without question the most ridiculous coupling in modern print.

Perhaps Richard Greico or some other washed-up actor can breathe life into this dud of a novel as a USA Network movie, otherwise it is best left alone.

Rating:
Summary: Let Me Out Of The Tower
Review: It has all the elements of shockingly creepy thriller. Outlaw ex FBI agent Jade Marlow hired by a freaky FBI Director, his beautiful and strait-laced female counterpart, a crazed and brilliant killer, and perhaps the most innovative incarceration facility in modern fiction. The sub plot involving the killer's parents is a riveting story in itself. I found a major stumbling block, however, which refused to allow me to "suspend" my disbelief on almost every page - the character of Jade Marlow himself. Marlow, in name as well as character development, is a Hollywood cliche taken past the extreme and left flailing out in space to disturb the reader. He's tough, he's big and bad, he has no sympathy or empathy, in fact, he's just not likable at all. Not your usual cliche - boozy detective fraught with a past tragedy - he is a vile character (yes he does have a tragedy in his past - of course) but his lack of an emotion other than anger becomes boring very quickly. Too bad, as it really deflects from the story, inducing yawns when there really should have been nail biting. In addition, I think The Tower itself could have been the star of this fictional piece had it been used more effectively instead of just as a big build up to open and then a place to go to resolve the story. This one disappointed me.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best debut novels I've read in quite some time!
Review: Ivy Leaguer Gregg Hurwitz has created a terrific group of characters in his psychological thriller, "The Tower". The story takes off like a rocket from the first page as Hurwitz introduces us to a cast of prisoners like no other. This rogue's gallery is imprisoned in an ultra-secure facility just across the bay from San Francisco called The Tower. The Tower makes Alcatraz look like a county lock-up. Hurwitz lets his imagination run wild as he describes in graphic detail of the many features that The Tower uses to keep these societal misfits away from the population. Like one other reviewer mentioned, Hurwitz just doesn't spend enough time telling the reader about the prison. I wanted to know more!

The story revolves around the escape of serial killer, Allander Atlasia and his pursuer, Jade Marlow, a.k.a. "The Tracker". Atlasia wants to take out the "ultimate revenge" against his parents and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. Both Atlasia and Marlow are vividly drawn by Hurwitz and are bigger than life. The Marlow character reminded me of Clint Eastwood from the "Dirty Harry" days. As Hurwitz brings these characters to life I think he intentionally shows the reader that in reality they are not all that different from one another after all. (The anti-hero vs. the pyschopath) Hurwitz delves deeply into man's psyche as he presents the reader with these two seriously warped human beings. Great stuff, though!

Without giving away any important plot scenes, let me just say that this is a book that will keep the reader guessing and has more than a few twists and turns. It is a real page-turner that is filled with graphic violence. Not for the squeamish!

I look forward to reading other Hurwitz novels. If they are anything like "The Tower", then he will become one of the new stars on the horizon.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Rating:
Summary: TARNISHED JADE
Review: JADE MARLOW, the "hero" in THE TOWER is not likeable in the least. He's egocentric, rude, boorish, overbearing, humorless, a racist, and a heart as cold as a Connecticut winter. Allander Alsatia, the "villain" is equally abhorrent and definitely deranged. Agent Travers (no first name) is a beautiful FBI agent who finds herself partnered with Jade and their relationship is belligerent to say the least. Although there's one love scene that's hilarious in its "abruptness". So what makes Hurwitz's novel so entertaining? It's bullet-paced; some of the scenarios bristle with excitement, and one can only laugh at the ineptness of this so-called "super tracker." Add the mysterious Wonton (I wonder if his last name is Soup?), who is as mysteriously evil as Donald Plesance's Blofeld in "You Only live Twice."..and you have one seriously warped book. But it's fun, and I found myself eager to get to the ending...woops! What a strange, strange ending....no closure. But since one doesn't really care for Jade, his future isn't all that exciting. Anyway, this is Hurwitz's first book and he's gone on to more critical acclaim, although as far as enjoyment goes, this may be his best?
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A MINDLESS IF GRAPHIC READ, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!

Rating:
Summary: White-knuckle suspense pairs with incisive, directed prose
Review: The Tower is a brilliant first crack at fiction for new-comer Hurwitz. From the first page, his enjoyable knack for meaningful dialogue and clever prose transcends the genre. Characters and scenes are painted more with a brush than with a computer stroke in this novel.

But Hurwitz spares no punches with substance, delivering top-flite suspense and riveting action. From the claustrophobic bowels of the foreboding Tower, the world's newest Alcatraz, to the warped and dangerous mind of Allander Atlasia, the psychotic killer that terrorizes the Bay Area, no detail is left undeveloped. Hurwitz also introduces a refreshing protagonist in Jade Marlow, one whose complexities seem as varied and deep as Atlasia's.

The Tower is a harrowing ride through mayhem and murder, psychological warfare and raw instinct. When you finish the book, what you're left with is pure adrenaline.

Rating:
Summary: 2 1/2 Stars -- A "Who Cares" So-So Thriller!
Review: The Tower, the debut novel by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz, conceptually has all of the elements a good thriller should have; however, it falls short on delivery. The characters are not well developed and are unlikable, and the ending was not very surprising and satisfying. I found myself disliking the hero, Jake Marlow, almost as much as the psychotic killer, Allander Atlasia. As a matter of fact, there wasn't one character I cared about enough to be concerned about what happened to them. The main challenge for me was not to figure out what happens next, but to finish the book as quickly as possible so I can move on to my next book. Hurwitz demonstrates considerable potential to create excitement and suspense; although his ability to sustain this suspense was, all too often, lacking. The Tower is not a bad book. It was good enough to finish but not good enough to recommend -- unless you have an interest in reading a first book by an author who has gone on to receive some very positive acclaim for his subsequent books.

Rating:
Summary: Tower or Tomb
Review: The Tower
It is inevitable that, as the serial killer genre proliferates, certain plot devices begin to become commonplace. When this happens it puts increased pressure on an author to bring off a story where, for the most part, the reader can guess seventy percent of the plot after the first 20 pages. 'The Tower' is a 'killer breaks out of jail and seeks revenge' story, and never really deviates from that basic format. The tower of the story is a very maximum security prison where only the very worst of criminals are sent. Located off the San Francisco coast, most of its height is actually under water, access being carefully controlled. Its guests are few, less than a dozen, plus a small number of guards.

New to this prison is Allander Atlasia, a severe psychotic lacking any sympathetic traits (unless you want to count killing his lawyer). Unsurprisingly, within a fortnight of being put into his cell, Atlasia manages to do the impossible and breaks back out. Making sure to kill almost everyone in the prison as he heads for freedom. Thus, right off the bat, you will realize that Allander is not the one at a time type of killer. He likes family units and groups. Allander has a specific purpose in mind on this killing spree and the FBI is desperate to get to him before he descends on humanity like Jack the Ripper.

Jade Marlowe is a tracker or 'bounty hunter' who has proven himself relentless, with a kill rate that rivals most serial killers. As an ex-FBI profiler Marlowe has developed that rare skill, getting into the head of stoned murderer. However, in Marlowe's case the problem is getting himself back out again. His compulsive behavior threatens to overwhelm his life, and civilians do only slightly better than criminals around Jade. For the most part he is best left alone, although he has a ruinous effect on public relations. Trying to rein in Marlowe's leash is Special Agent Jennifer Travers job, and one she doesn't like at all.

The story is what one would expect from this kind of cast - explosively violent. Allander starts his theme killings with Marlowe right behind. The tracker seems unable to outmaneuver the killer and the body count mounts with each gruesome slaughter. There's plenty of action, the reader will become increasingly frustrated with Jade's near misses, and.... Well, I'll leave what surprises and twists Hurwitz does come up with as surprises for the reader.

The biggest disappointment is Hurwitz's characters, who are simply never quite believable. Atlasia is cast as the brilliant psychotic - an intellectual ice cube. Perhaps that is what he is billed as, but the reality is that he is far more lucky than smart. He is good at escapes, but he specializes in the kind of suicidal risk taking which is more characteristic of a serial killer at the end of his road rather than one who is completely in control. And Marlowe, the super tracker, has a knack for setting up traps that catch the wrong victims. Even when the reader has a complete picture of the motivations driving the two men, neither becomes any more sympathetic or believable.

I prefer Hurwitz's other effort, 'Minutes to Burn,' which has a more ingenious plot. In the final analysis reading a Hurwitz book is a lot like watching the movie that it no doubt wants to be. There is a lot of action and gore, but the characters are shadows of reality. Much more like superheroes than real people. What saves the book is that Hurwitz actually is a capable writer. He has a knack for portraying action and keeping the reader's interest up through the entire novel. And if you like a lot of action you are probably going to like this book. With a little more attention to character development it would have been a remarkable effort. I will be watching for Hurwitz's next.

Rating:
Summary: Not A Towering Achievement
Review: Well written, well paced and well delivered, The Tower succeeds in being an above average thriller but there's little to differentiate it from the hundreds of other novels in the genre that saturate book store shelves. Hurwitz seems to go out of his way to avoid using those elements that might distinguish The Tower.

With Jade Marlow, Hurwitz creates a hero who's difficult (at best) to like. But at the same time we see his personal motivation, revealed through dreams and flashbacks, so his attitude is, for the most part, excusable. Plus, he gets the job done. But while the references to Jade's past help the reader understand what's driving him, they really don't add to the story and I was left wondering why they were included at all. Unfortunately, Hurwitz doesn't take full advantage of either character in the novel that seems to be able to stand Marlow - his best friend or the FBI agent with whom he only briefly begins an affair (yet another unresolved element of the plot).

The tower itself is perhaps the most under-utilized creation in this novel. It was an intriguing creation, although from a legal point of view I'd have a hard time seeing such a thing ever getting built - I think the whole 'cruel and unusual' civil rights arguments would stop a project like this from getting any further than the drawing board but the tower and its residents were a relatively minor part of the entire novel.

The psychological and profiling aspects of the novel were interesting and displayed that Hurwitz had clearly done his research. While The Tower had a lot going for it, it had little to differentiate it from every other thriller on the market.