Third Degree: A Novel
by Greg Iles
|
List Price: Our Price: $1.00 You Save: $8.99 (90%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Third Degree: A Novel
Book Review: Twenty-four hours of non-stop thrills
Summary: 3 Stars
I just finished Third Degree and my feelings about this are mixed. I have been a huge Greg Iles fan. But this book is different to say the least. To begin with there are really only three characters whereas as some of Iles' books have many, many characters. The subject matter at first does not seem to have the depth of many of his other books, e.g. "True Evil". And there is not as much sheer terror as you may find in some of the earlier books. But this is well written. The subject at first seems to be marital discord and infidelity. One of the main characters has had an affair and within the first few pages learns that she is pregnant. Her lover cannot leave his wife without risking losing his handicapped son to his worthless wife. The lover who is pregnant is also the special ed teacher who has the handicapped child in her class. Her husband is a doctor whose partner seems to have taken the business down a path that has brought a federal investigation down on their heads. So where does the trouble lie? Iles throws a very unusual twist in the last 100 pages that ties everything together. I liked that. But you also have scenes where you go from a tense scene in a suburban home to a battlefield in Afghanistan just by turning the page. Too confusing. And when one character sets a helicopter down on the sidewalk of the house it is too contrived. All the action takes place in less than 24 hours and almost all of it is within the confines of the house. But this part is well constructed and works. I recommend that you read it if you are an Iles fan. But if you are not, start with his earlier books first because if you begin with this one you will not know how great a writer he can be.Book Review: Third degree bomb
Summary: 1 Stars
Until this book I was an enthusiastic Isles fan. I would buy his latest book as soon as it came out with absolutely no reservations. No more. This book is a disservice to all his loyal fans. We should be able to get our hard-earned money back on this stinker.
He stretches the accusation & denial theme to excruciating lengths. He builds no sympathy or empathy for any of the characters. We simply don't care. It is like watching a TV show of COPS where they show a domestic confrontation; yeah, there is some heated emotion on both sides, but we really don't know or care about the combatants. Same thing in this book. I had no problem, halfway through, with considerable skimming without missing anything, putting the book, and myself, out of our mutual misery, by pitching it into the trash. I would not even give it away, for fear of someone thinking: "He reads this crap?".
I don't entirely blame Isles. There must be considerable pressure on authors to crank out a new one every year. This problem has periodically befallen many authors that I have enjoyed over the years. The publisher really should have deep-six'd this one. Publishing something this pathetic merely alienates the loyal fan base and makes future purchases more uncertain. I will assuredly wait for many reviews on his next book before making a decision to plunk down my hard-earned cash the next time.
Book Review: An Engrossing Read
Summary: 4 Stars
Greg Iles is a fantastic thriller writer, with complex characterisations, interesting information, and thought-provoking scenarios. THIRD DEGREE is no different, and the Mississippi portrayed is one that perpetuates a common Southern stereotype: gun-totin', trigger-happy citizens. Indeed, it's the kind of America that we'd like to pretend doesn't exist.
Dr Warren Shields is usually a cool, calm fellow, popular in the community for not only being a top bloke but an ace doctor too. So it surprises everyone when he completely wigs out, taking his family hostage in a quest for answers that no one can really explain. His wife, Laurel, is desperate to hide the identity of her lover, and lies to Warren again and again. But Warren has secrets of his own, and when they're revealed have the power to change this entire scenario - and not necessarily for the better.
An engrossing read set in the timeframe of just one day, THIRD DEGREE should not disappointment fans, and will hopefully bring in new readers. Greg Iles is one of my favourite authors, and definitely one of the best thriller writers going around.
Book Review: Not quite the way you expect an affair to end...
Summary: 4 Stars
and not quite the story you expect Iles to write. But, the characters are well-drawn and the plot moves along with plenty of twists and roadblocks. I rushed through necessary duties to find the time to pick up the book again - which is a good test of whether a book has truly grabbed you. This one grabs and holds on - and you'll wonder which of the characters to root for - the adulturous wife, her lover, or the "good-guy turned strange" husband - which is a new feeling.
I reach for each new Iles novel, as I love to settle into the Natchez atmosphere, which he usually so artfully describes. He didn't have time in Third Degree - things were just moving too darn fast to allow us to stand on the bluff overlooking the great river. That's okay this time, as there was more than enough going on to keep me turning pages.
And, best of all, this wasn't the same-old, same old. Here's a really different treatment of a love affair gone bad - and then from bad to worse - and then when you think it can't get much worse...it does. Time well spent!
Book Review: Not worth your time...
Summary: 1 Stars
and money...
Greg Iles manage to create its main characters that is very hard for you to root for. The female protagonist basically was a slut who cheated on her husband for months, and making every effort to hide it and lie about it. While the guy who she cheated for was a blue collar grease monkey who basically coached the slut how to avoid being caught, while screwing her silly. On the other spectrum, the husband was a pathetic character who doesn't know the first thing about getting even.
The author went at length...I mean really AT LENGTH...to glorify that grease monkey (a veteran who fought in Afghanitan) as a hero. By the middle of the story, the readers would have learn more about the army, marine and the Afghanistan than the Secreatary of States. The author's effort in trying to portray the colonel as a very responsible guy who think first about others before himself is ludicrous. And to depict the cheating wife as a good wife that put her family above herself is beyond asinine.
Skip this book if you can help it!