Rating: 
Summary: A Letdown for Phllip Kerr
Review: Author Phillip Kerr has written some amazingly diverse stories over the years, from the Phillip Marlowe-meets-the-Third Reich Berlin Noir trilogy to the high tech horror of "The Grid." Set in the year 2069, "Second Angel" is Kerr's stab at Near Bad Future science fiction. Unfortunately, it falls way short of expectations. Kerr is a master at creating memorable characters and scenes. This time out, however, his story is populated by a group of people who fail to generate much interest (even his main villian is just your standard issue bad guy and is bumped off well before the climax).The backdrop against which the story is set has some interesting aspects. There's a computer generated assistant who is also a marital aid as well as a deadly Aids-like virus that has infected over 80% of the Eath's population, making unifected blood a commodity more valuable than gold. The polt, however, unfolds slowly, stalls and never really regain momentum. Annoying grammatical embellishments like the numerous footnotes (bizarre in a work of fiction) and the "author-narrator" repeatedly injecting himself into the story serve mainly as irritating distractions. Overall, this is a disappointing work from an author who has produced many excellent works in the past.
Rating: 
Summary: Second Angel
Review: This is the first Phillip Kerr novel that I've read, but it won't be the last. The book is well plotted, and Kerr has a gift for language. Contrary to what some other reviewers have written, the story moves at a quick pace, and the footnotes, rather than being distracting, are enjoyable and add greater richness to an already well drawn world.
Rating: 
Summary: How to put sex in blood disease
Review: The book is poorly written and is boring.
It uses sex gratuitously to I guess try to justify writing it.
It is overpriced. I would reccomend that you not buy this book or anything else by this author.
I intend to take it down to the used book exchange and get it out of my home.
I should have read more of the reviews when I ordered it. Certainly the one written for sold by Amazon does not reveal its sexual nature.
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: "The thriller of the future"as it is labeled describes the human race in 2069: the majority of the population is infected with P2-virus, making clean blood the most wanted commodity on earth and on the moon. Moon is where the largest blood bank is located and its designer, Dallas, wants to break into it as a revenge after his employer has killed his wife and child. Philip Kerr has written some wonderful novels (the Berlin Noir trilogy), but this book is definitely a disappointment. The idea in itself is not bad at all, but the action in the book is rather slow (which is killing for a thriller), with lots of technical footnotes describing the situation in the future, some semi-philosophical ranting and the end holds a very unsatisfying twist. A missed chance.
Rating:
Summary: What A Fantastic Sci-Fi Book
Review: I love the genre of sci-fi, read them all, not fantasy, but hard core sci-fi. This book was one I just could not put down. It was so well written, it challenged my intelligence, was not so hokey you couldn't believe the story. I will admit that I was able to guess who was the narrator near the end (was only one thing that could have been present at all meetings), but it did not detract from the enjoyment! I can't believe this book didn't make at least a Hugo! If you are a true hard core sci-fi fan, or a real puter geek, this book is for YOU!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't think of it as sci fi
Review: This book turned out to be better than I thought it would be. Great sci fi it is not, but the heist part is fantastic. The main character, Dallas, was well developed enough that you felt sympathy for his plight and you'll feel a bit of satisfaction when he pulls off his caper in the end.
My biggest complaint is the footnoting. It's thick in the beginning and thankfully tapers off at the end, but it really interrupts the flow of the story. I would recommend skipping the footnotes. They really don't add anything to the story.
Rating: 
Summary: medical-like
Review: though many people find second angel as having so many footnotes, which is true, for me, i find it helpful. it didnt distract me at all. it nevertheless gave me the break my eyes needs. its full of medical notes and process which i understand because i am in this field. very unique and scientific.
Rating:
Summary: great sci fi book
Review: This is a wonderfully writen book with great charactor devolopment.It is about an all too plausable future in which mans arrogance in tampering with nature to sute his needs leads to the creation of a deadly but curable virus called P2.Unfortuniataly only the rich and healthy people can afford the cure.I won't say more so I don't give the plot away,but if you like a fast paced well written story with enough hard science thrown in to make the scenerio tantilizingly possible then the second angle is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: on a rollercoaster
Review: Reading this book was like riding on a rollercoaster. In fact, picture a bell-shaped curve. My interest paralleled his writing, i.e., very little at first, increasing a lot towards the middle of the book, and then really waning towards the end. The only reason I even finished this book was because I was about 3/4 finished when I felt that I was wasting my time. ...
Rating:
Summary: inept
Review: The main character is, in turns, brilliant and idiotic. He designs security systems to protect the world's blood banks and, in the course of work, has to think like a criminal. It's easy to imagine this activity would make a person a bit paranoid. At least aware that not everyone is beneficent. Yet, when it comes to the threat on his own life, he's completely trusting. Add to this the incredible coincidence that this very important person's daughter is struck with an astoundingly rare genetic disorder and you have the making of a forced story. Surround these innocents with two dimensional bad guys, good guys, toss in dense foot notes and tedious exposition, the result is an uncreative stack of paper. Another thing, the editor was sound asleep, redundancy abounds throughout.
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