Customer Reviews
A rollercoaster of losing interest and being gripped! - By: L. Jennings, 15 Nov 2008 
I would say I am 50/50 on this book whilst I wouldn't rave about it to a friend I would say its good for a holiday read.
I kept going through parts where I couldn't wait to read it & parts where I thought come on, I'm bored!
Its very well written but it could be half as long.
I gave up after 90 pages - By: Johnnybluetime, 15 Nov 2008 
I enjoy a literary thriller,but I felt this had pretensions way beyond it's abilities.Like another reviewer,I found the endless similes & metaphors overwhelming.I strongly believe that if you're going to write a first person narrative you have to stay absolutely true to the character & I don't think Ellory manages this at all, but falls prey to the temptation to write beautiful sentences at the expense of veracity. I absolutely did not believe the short story supposedly written by the narrator at the age of twelve.I don't think Tennesee Williams or Truman Capote were capable of such elegant prose at the age of 12, let alone some farm boy from the backwoods of Georgia.I tried to get past that, but the writing style left me cold &in the end I could not be bothered to continue,because this was neither good enough as a literary novel or as a whodunnit.
Having said that, I've no doubt I'll be lambasted by fans of the author for not liking this, as I was when I gave a bad review to Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Shadow of the Wind.But to those fans already sharpening their quills I'd just like to say that the way to show how sensitive & caring you are is not to call someone heartless because they don't share your taste.I don't care if you loved this book or think this author is brilliant - I don't,so please feel free to keep your comments to yourself.
you had me... then you lost me... - By: Sarah Jackson, 13 Nov 2008 I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but then it wound down to a disappointing end. It seemed as if the 2nd half was rushed & undetailed, years skipping byin an instant. Also the amount of tragedyin one man's life is impossible to comprehend & the villain seemed obvious.
A Life Spent Unwisely? - By: Mrs. C. Calisgil, 06 Nov 2008 
A thriller like no other - I loved this novel - everything about it! One morning, at the age of 11, Joseph Vaughan opens the front door of his home & a white feather blows into the house. He believes a white feather indicates the visitation of an angel & later that day his 37-year-old father dies. The story, as told by Joseph, unfolds from that day & his difficult life is all too infrequently punctuated by sheer joy. As he matures his happiness is continually compromised by his obsession - he's haunted by his wish to find the serial killer who has brutally murdered so many little girls & who he believes may have some connection with his own mother. Later, he moves from his homein Georgia to New York to start a new life as a writer, but the past stays with him & evil is never far away. Joseph has to wait for 50 years after the first murder until, at last, he is able to confront his nightmare! Although I was pretty sure of the killer's identity, Ellory's build-up to the end still made me hold my breath & read like a train! There's a lot of sadnessin this novel, but the author's descriptive style is quite wonderful as he allows us into Joseph's innermost thoughts. I just wish he could have had a second chance at life!
A Quiet Belief In Angels - By: Elaine Byrne, 06 Nov 2008 
I Read 3-4 novels a week & I've bought new books rather than pick this book up again. I can't put my finger on what is wrong with it but whatever it is it is not holding my attention.
