Rating: 
Summary: The Best
Review: Chaos Theory combines conspiracy and danger in a thriller that recalls John Grisham but is much better written and better conceived. The key is the characters-they are interesting and complex in a way that you rarely encounter in a novel designed to keep you turning pages. Krist is especially good at shifting points of view, giving us various perspectives on the action and enriching the plot. The book is exciting from beginning to end and kept me up two nights straight!
Rating: 
Summary: A thriller with extra depths
Review: Chaos Theory marries the intellectual pleasures of a literary novel with the unstoppable momentum of a thriller. Amidst drugs, conspiracies, kidnappings, and dead bodies, Gary Krist examines the dynamics of family and race and the dysfunction of city government. He has the literary writer's eye for the single, telling image and he uses it skillfully without ever slackening the pace of his narrative. Mr. Krist also has the literary writer's knack for creating memorable characters whose dialogue rings utterly true. This book is a page-turner with a brain and a soul. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Totally absorbing
Review: I generally don't care much for or about thrillers, but I knew this author from his short story work, so I gave it a try. And I have to say, it hooked me from beginning to end, keeping me awake for most of two nights. The book follows the conventions of the thriller genre, but what makes it (for me) are the characterizations. This is the story of a dozen or so real and believable people, undergoing real and believable turmoil. I think what turns me off to most thrillers is the lack of this sense of real people. If they're just cardboard cutouts, who cares if they're in danger? But the characters in Chaos Theory aren't just complex, the'yre also full of the odd personality bits and pieces that you always have with flesh and blood people. You really feel you know these characters, so you're caught up when things go wrong for them. I really didn't want this book to end, and so my first reaction when I finished was to pick up Krist's other thriller, Bad Chemistry (me, somebody who doesn't read thrillers!) I guess there goes another night or two of sleep.
Rating: 
Summary: Just another screenplay
Review: I read this book a few months ago and did not like it at all. Since then my opinion has risen all the way to ambivalence. It isn't all that much of a mystery and the thrills are pretty much run of the mill.The story revolves around two middle class teenage boys, Jason Rourke and Dennis Monroe, who find themselves in the wrong part of Washington, D.C., at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons. They end up fleeing the scene of drug deal gone bad and find themselves the prime suspects in a murder case in the eyes of legal authorities but also critical liabilities in the eyes of the actual murderer. Sub-text to the plot involves Jason, who happens to be white, and his strained relationship with his father, a situation of teen angst not so uncommon. Conversely, Dennis, an African-American honor student, has an amiable family life but he is conflicted in regard to cultural issues, and this unfortunate turn of events makes it unlikely he will become "a credit to his race." Into the mix Krist adds the political environment of the Capital area, the tense racial relations, and generalized government corruption. Jason, aided and abetted by favorite teacher with the heart- of- gold Renee, takes it on the lam for the safety of suburbia. Dennis, presumptively the smart one, is almost immediately captured and imprisoned by the nefarious antagonists. Incorporating the requisite chases, non-surprises and typical rapprochements, the story evolves and concludes as one might surmise. It's a super fast read because there really isn't a lot to digest. A perfect candidate for a ... cable movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was excited to read this book because the review I'd read made a big deal about how it was a great thriller that said a lot about Washington, D.C.'s racial state, and the two teen protagonists were from the neighborhood I grew up in. As it turns out, my admittedly raised expectations weren't met by this fairly pedestrian conspiracy thriller. Krist does capture some of the flavor of racial relations in DC, but he's not a very fluid writer so it comes across as rather forced and stereotyped. Indeed, his observations about D.C.'s racial issues, politics, corruption, and bureaucracy are all rather obvious. None of the characters are particularly vivid--may verge on being cardboard--and the white teenager Jason is given a totally over the top case of teenage rebellion. The book is additionally annoying for all the small local name changes it makes: Mayor Barry becomes Mayor Humphrey-- presumably to avoid a lawsuit--but why change Wilson H.S. to RFK H.S. (which does not exist), or Nevada Avenue to Nevada Street? As a book if suspense, it's pretty woeful as well. Despite a number of chase scenes and seemingly dire situations, I felt the teens were more likely to share a rueful joint at the end than a grave. In the end, it read like just another poorly written airplane/beach thriller, albeit with somewhat good intentions. If you want a real literary taste of D.C., pick up any of George Pelecanos's hardboiled books or Edward Jones's brilliant short story collection "Lost In the City."
Rating:
Summary: Good-Better-Best..... Gary Krist
Review: It's a good book about teenagers, who enjoy their lifes with drugs and you can see the reality of police life. I think, Gary Krist told us a bit of the real life in his book. I like his writing style and i only can say to all people: Read the book, it's exciting and adventurous together!
Rating:
Summary: Left Me Empty
Review: The book starts out strong and its premise is outstanding. However, the character development is weak and the ending not at all suspenseful.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, quick and compelling read
Review: This book is a gem, a thoughtful thriller that races along with surprises at every curve. The characters are interesting and believable, and the author's ability to illuminate the danger to real people amid the corruption of the nation's capital is an especially appealing element of the story. It's the perfect combination of two genres: a tale of good-people-in jeopardy and an up-to-the-minute political thriller. Fans of gripping suspense will not be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking plot...
Review: Two teenaged boys become bored at a very straight laced birthday party and decide to leave to find a little excitement so the evening isn't a complete bust. Most teenagers do something very similar to what these boys did, and seldom if ever does a lapse in judgement turn out like it did for Rourke and Monroe. But then that's what makes this such a good story and captures the reader's interest from start to finish. The very idea that something like this could really happen is both plausible and quite chilling. Because the plot is an interesting one, and the development of this story is very well done, the book is worth both your money and your time. However, I do believe that the characters could have been better developed. The Jason Rourke character left me completely cold, and he's the one who, in my opinion, should have been the most sympathetic character in the book. Teenagers certainly have their own way of looking at their circumstances, and many do indeed come off as remote, but Jason seemed to be on autopilot from the middle of this book until the end, and given what happened to him, I found that both unsettling and not very credible. I don't think the characterization of his father was much better. But given the strength of the story, this may not be problematic for another reader.
Rating:
Summary: 3.5 stars - MOSTLY ENJOYABLE
Review: What happens when a seemingly random choice turns out fatal? And what if the two young men making that choice get caught up in a murder and its subsequent cover-up? That's the premise that Gary Krist lays before us in this, his latest thriller. Set in the tawdry political background of our nation's capitol, "Chaos Theory" leads us down one dark alley after another, chasing possibilities in this "by the numbers" thriller. The two young protagonists of this novel find themselves experiencing the same situation from wholly different backgrounds...Jason is white, and Dennis is black. Because of this fundamental difference, and despite the fact that these two are best friends, their experience spins them in two totally different directions. Jason goes on the lam, running from more than just his pursuers. He is running from his personal life as well. Dennis, because he is black, sees his tenuous future crumbling before him, sure to be somehow implicated in the drama which unfolds based solely on the color of his skin. When Dennis becomes a captive in the political game which is being played, the story roars toward its thrilling conclusion. While there are no surprises in the telling of this tale, the action is in high gear, and the characters play their parts well. Somewhat predictable, but fully entertaining, "Chaos Theory" is well worth the time spent reading it.
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