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Dave Gurney #2
Shut Your Eyes Tight
When he was the NYPD’s top homicide investigator, Dave Gurney was never comfortable with the label the press gave him: super detective. He was simply a man who, when faced with a puzzle, wanted to know. He was called to the investigative hunt by the presumptuous arrogance of murderers – by their smug belief that they could kill without leaving a trace. There was always a trace, Gurney believed.
Except what if one day there wasn’t?
Dave Gurney, a few months past the Mellery case that pulled him out of retirement and then nearly killed him, is trying once again to adjust to his country house’s bucolic rhythms when he receives a call about a case so seductively bewildering that the thought of not looking into it seems unimaginable—even if his beloved wife, Madeleine, would rather he do anything but.
The facts of what has occurred are horrible: a blushing bride, newly wed to an eminent psychiatrist and just minutes from hearing her congratulatory toast, is found decapitated, her head apparently severed by a machete. Though police investigators believe that a Mexican gardener killed the young woman in a fit of jealous fury, the victim’s mother—a chilly high-society beauty—is having none of it. Reluctantly drawn in, Dave is quickly buffeted by a series of revelations that transform the bizarrely monstrous into the monstrously bizarre.
Underneath it all may exist one of the darkest criminal schemes imaginable. And as Gurney begins deciphering its grotesque outlines, some of his most cherished assumptions about himself are challenged, causing him to stare into an abyss so deep that it threatens to swallow not just him but Madeleine, too.
Desperate to protect Madeleine and bring an end to the madness, Gurney ultimately discovers that the killer has left a trace after all. Unfortunately, the revelation may come too late to save his own life.
With Shut Your Eyes Tight, John Verdon delivers on the promise of his internationally bestselling debut, Think of a Number, creating a portrait of evil let loose across generations that is as rife with moments of touching humanity as it is with spellbinding images of perversity.
Except what if one day there wasn’t?
Dave Gurney, a few months past the Mellery case that pulled him out of retirement and then nearly killed him, is trying once again to adjust to his country house’s bucolic rhythms when he receives a call about a case so seductively bewildering that the thought of not looking into it seems unimaginable—even if his beloved wife, Madeleine, would rather he do anything but.
The facts of what has occurred are horrible: a blushing bride, newly wed to an eminent psychiatrist and just minutes from hearing her congratulatory toast, is found decapitated, her head apparently severed by a machete. Though police investigators believe that a Mexican gardener killed the young woman in a fit of jealous fury, the victim’s mother—a chilly high-society beauty—is having none of it. Reluctantly drawn in, Dave is quickly buffeted by a series of revelations that transform the bizarrely monstrous into the monstrously bizarre.
Underneath it all may exist one of the darkest criminal schemes imaginable. And as Gurney begins deciphering its grotesque outlines, some of his most cherished assumptions about himself are challenged, causing him to stare into an abyss so deep that it threatens to swallow not just him but Madeleine, too.
Desperate to protect Madeleine and bring an end to the madness, Gurney ultimately discovers that the killer has left a trace after all. Unfortunately, the revelation may come too late to save his own life.
With Shut Your Eyes Tight, John Verdon delivers on the promise of his internationally bestselling debut, Think of a Number, creating a portrait of evil let loose across generations that is as rife with moments of touching humanity as it is with spellbinding images of perversity.
509 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2011
About the author
John Verdon
14 books1,747 followersJOHN VERDON has held several executive positions with Manhattan advertising firms, but like his protagonist, he recently relocated with his wife to rural upstate New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,105 reviews
July 7, 2021
I enjoyed Verdon’s first novel Think of a Number so much that I immediately got hold of a copy of this book, a follow up story featuring retired NYPD cop Dave Gurney. The background is that Dave retired from the force in his late forties after having enjoyed a glittering career as a star detective. He is highly logical in his approach and loves the challenge of solving complex puzzles. He’s now living in the Catskills, in upstate NY, with his wife Madeleine. She wants Dave to stop resurrecting his career as a master crime-solver and enjoy retirement in this rural idyll. There is certainly a degree of tension here and it adds an interesting second layer to these stories – particularly as Madeleine is the queen of the caustic one-liner. Another great element is the involvement of an ex-colleague of Gurney’s, Jack Hardwick, whose gruff, no-nonsense outpourings conflict nicely with Dave’s more considered articulations. At times, their exchanges had me laughing out loud.
Here, Dave is asked to take a look at the case of a decapitated bride. It seems that the unfortunate victim had her head separated from her body on her wedding day. A strange case indeed! And having visited the scene of the crime and reviewed the video recordings of the day’s events, Dave remains confused as to what actually took place. It seems that a Mexican immigrant who had be working with the wealthy bridegroom is the man in the frame but he’s gone missing and there are a number of strands to the investigation that don’t quite marry up, for Gurney. The cast here are a wacky bunch and the whole thing is written in a slightly tongue in cheek fashion, and yet the mystery is an intriguing one and it sucked me in very early on.
I suppose I could say that I somewhat predicted how this one would turn out but there were also a number of surprises that I’d not foreseen. It’s a satisfying crime romp in it’s own right, based purely on the plotline, but the real pleasure here is in the quality of the story telling, the development of the lead characters and in their interactions. I really think that Verdon is a class act. In his first two books he’s demonstrated an ability to create complex storylines replete with an interestingly diverse cast of characters and in Gurney he has brought to life someone I definitely want to see more of. In fact, I’ve already secured copies of books 3 and 4 and I have a feeling I’ll work through the rest of the series in pretty short order. If you enjoy Jeffery Deaver, Lawrence Block or John Sandford but haven’t yet sampled these books then I’d definitely say it’s something worth thinking about.
Here, Dave is asked to take a look at the case of a decapitated bride. It seems that the unfortunate victim had her head separated from her body on her wedding day. A strange case indeed! And having visited the scene of the crime and reviewed the video recordings of the day’s events, Dave remains confused as to what actually took place. It seems that a Mexican immigrant who had be working with the wealthy bridegroom is the man in the frame but he’s gone missing and there are a number of strands to the investigation that don’t quite marry up, for Gurney. The cast here are a wacky bunch and the whole thing is written in a slightly tongue in cheek fashion, and yet the mystery is an intriguing one and it sucked me in very early on.
I suppose I could say that I somewhat predicted how this one would turn out but there were also a number of surprises that I’d not foreseen. It’s a satisfying crime romp in it’s own right, based purely on the plotline, but the real pleasure here is in the quality of the story telling, the development of the lead characters and in their interactions. I really think that Verdon is a class act. In his first two books he’s demonstrated an ability to create complex storylines replete with an interestingly diverse cast of characters and in Gurney he has brought to life someone I definitely want to see more of. In fact, I’ve already secured copies of books 3 and 4 and I have a feeling I’ll work through the rest of the series in pretty short order. If you enjoy Jeffery Deaver, Lawrence Block or John Sandford but haven’t yet sampled these books then I’d definitely say it’s something worth thinking about.
August 25, 2017
This is the 2nd book in the series and all I can say is that I love this author. He knows how to ratchet up the tension. If you like mysteries I highly recommend this series although I would start with book 1 because the case Dave Gurney was on in that book is mentioned a lot in this book. Plus it's a damn good book (IMO).
October 24, 2015
Αν το αρχίσεις άντε να το τελειώσεις.Η αλήθεια είναι ότι γράφει καλά και έχει και τις στιγμές του.Έξυπνος ντεντέκτιβ,με χιούμορ,είναι καλό επίσης το γεγονός ότι ο πρωταγωνιστής δεν παρουσιάζεται ως κάποιος υπεράνθρωπος,με απεριόριστες δυνατότητες στο να λύνει όλους τους γρίφους μόνος του αλλά είναι ένας χαρακτήρας ανθρώπινος,ενώ σε πολλές περιπτώσεις την παράσταση κλέβει η σύζυγος του,με τις δικές της αστυνομικές ικανότητες.Ξεκινάει πολύ δυνατά και έχει μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον η εξέλιξη της ιστορίας.Πιο σκοτεινό και ακόμη πιο πολύπλοκο από το πρώτο του μυθιστόρημα.Αν και σε κάποιους αναγνώστες μπορεί να φανεί πολύ άρρωστο,απίστευτη βία και ωμότητα σε συνδυασμό με ακραία και νοσηρά πάθη.Ο John Verdon ενώ είχε στα χέρια του ένα καλό υλικό δυστυχώς δεν το αξιοποίησε σωστά.Ήταν η τεράστια έκταση του βιβλίου καθώς θα μπορούσε να παραλείψει τουλάχιστον τις μισές σελίδες..ειλικρινά απορώ γιατί κάποιοι συγγραφείς επιλέγουν να βάλουν τόσο πολλές αχρείαστες λεπτομέρειες, το μόνο που καταφέρνουν είναι να κουράσουν τον αναγνώστη..υπήρχαν φορές που σκεπτόμουν να το παρατήσω.Όσο ενδιαφέρον και αν είναι το θέμα η μακροσκελής αφήγηση δεν βοηθάει.Το παράκανες αγαπητέ.687 σελίδες,οι περισσότερες γεμάτες με ανούσιες περιγραφές,τις εσωτερικές σκέψεις του ντετέκτιβ Γκάρνει,που αν και πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες με κούρασαν γιατί η πλοκή παραμένει στάσιμη και το χειρότερο από όλα είναι ότι ο ένοχος είναι αναμενόμενος.Δυο αστεράκια και πολύ του είναι.Έτσι γιατί νευρίασα.
February 16, 2014
When Dave Gurney retired from the NYPD as a decorated homicide detective and moved to an isolated country farm, he thought he was putting his old life behind him. Certainly his wife, Madeleine, hoped that was the case, and she loves their new life of peace, quiet and long walks in the countryside. She delights in her flowers, the wild life that abounds around the farm, and in her various hobbies.
Dave, not so much. Gurney discovers that he misses the hunt. His job had energized and challenged him, and he finds that sitting around watching the asparagus grow is not all that fulfilling.
A few months earlier, much to Madeleine's chagrin, Dave agreed to consult on a murder investigation, known as the Mellery case (Think of a Number), and his doing so threatened his marriage and his life. Once the case was concluded, Dave determined to put homicide investigations behind him once and for all, but now he's asked to consult again on a particularly difficult and gruesome case.
A young bride has married a very successful psychiatrist and then, only moments before the wedding toast, the bride is discovered in a small cabin on the property where the wedding is being held. She has been decapitated and her head is left, sitting on a table, staring back at the rest of her body.
The prime suspect is a mysterious Mexican gardener who was working on the property, who allegedly opposed the marriage and who has now disappeared. The police have launched a massive manhunt for the missing man, but he has vanished, along with the neighbor lady with whom he was allegedly having an affair.
The bride's wealthy mother is not happy with the way the police are handling the case and she offers Gurney a huge fee if he will look into it. Naturally, Madeleine opposes the idea, but Dave is intrigued and finally suggests a compromise in which he will give the investigation a couple of weeks and will then bow out, irrespective of the state of the investigation at that point.
Well, of course we all know how that's going to work out. Before long, Dave will be deeply entangled in the most intellectually challenging case he's ever confronted, and no matter what his wife thinks, he will have to see it through.
To say much more about the plot would probably be unfair; suffice it to say that this is a complex, densely plotted and very entertaining novel with more than the usual number of unexpected twists and turns. The characters are intriguing and the crimes are challenging. The book should appeal to anyone who enjoys a well-written psychological thriller.
Dave, not so much. Gurney discovers that he misses the hunt. His job had energized and challenged him, and he finds that sitting around watching the asparagus grow is not all that fulfilling.
A few months earlier, much to Madeleine's chagrin, Dave agreed to consult on a murder investigation, known as the Mellery case (Think of a Number), and his doing so threatened his marriage and his life. Once the case was concluded, Dave determined to put homicide investigations behind him once and for all, but now he's asked to consult again on a particularly difficult and gruesome case.
A young bride has married a very successful psychiatrist and then, only moments before the wedding toast, the bride is discovered in a small cabin on the property where the wedding is being held. She has been decapitated and her head is left, sitting on a table, staring back at the rest of her body.
The prime suspect is a mysterious Mexican gardener who was working on the property, who allegedly opposed the marriage and who has now disappeared. The police have launched a massive manhunt for the missing man, but he has vanished, along with the neighbor lady with whom he was allegedly having an affair.
The bride's wealthy mother is not happy with the way the police are handling the case and she offers Gurney a huge fee if he will look into it. Naturally, Madeleine opposes the idea, but Dave is intrigued and finally suggests a compromise in which he will give the investigation a couple of weeks and will then bow out, irrespective of the state of the investigation at that point.
Well, of course we all know how that's going to work out. Before long, Dave will be deeply entangled in the most intellectually challenging case he's ever confronted, and no matter what his wife thinks, he will have to see it through.
To say much more about the plot would probably be unfair; suffice it to say that this is a complex, densely plotted and very entertaining novel with more than the usual number of unexpected twists and turns. The characters are intriguing and the crimes are challenging. The book should appeal to anyone who enjoys a well-written psychological thriller.
August 20, 2019
Nu mă așteptam la un așa sfârșit...
"- Nu toate victimele sunt neapărat și nevinovate."
"Experiența umilitoare prin care a trecut l-a făcut să-și dea seama că dragostea este singurul lucru din lume care contează."
"Oare experiențele intense nu domolesc, prin natura lor lăsând viața să-și urmeze ritmul obișnuit?"
"- Nu toate victimele sunt neapărat și nevinovate."
"Experiența umilitoare prin care a trecut l-a făcut să-și dea seama că dragostea este singurul lucru din lume care contează."
"Oare experiențele intense nu domolesc, prin natura lor lăsând viața să-și urmeze ritmul obișnuit?"
January 23, 2019
Sé lo que estás pensando me encantó, pero No abras los ojos me gustó incluso un puntito más. Me pasé toda la novela haciendo cábalas sobre esa escena del crimen a todas luces imposible. Estrujé mi cerebro a la vez que lo hacía Dave Gurney para resolver el caso y el final me dejó mucho más que satisfecho.
De todas las novelas de Verdon, No abras los ojos es mi favorita.
De todas las novelas de Verdon, No abras los ojos es mi favorita.
February 5, 2017
Απείρως καλύτερο από το προηγούμενο -και ντεμπούτο του Verdon- "Σκέψου έναν αριθμό" από κάθε άποψη.
Η υπόθεση του "Κράτα τα μάτια σου κλειστά" είναι πολύ πιο ενδιαφέρουσα και πιο ιντριγκαδόρικη. Ο ντετέκτιβ Ντέιβιντ Γκάρνεϊ για μια ακόμα φορά αφήνεις τις...χαρές της συνταξιοδότησης για να αναμειχθεί στην υπόθεση της δολοφονίας μιας κοπέλας που μόλις παντρεύτηκε. Όσο όμως ξετυλίγεται το κουβάρι της περίεργης αυτής υπόθεσης,τόσο περισσότερα στοιχεία έρχονται στο φως. Στοιχεία και ακέφαλα πτώματα! Η μεμονωμένη δολοφονία αποδεικνύεται πως είναι μόνο ένα μικρό κομμάτι του δολοφονικού πίνακα ενός ψυχοπαθή serial killer. Και όσο περισσότερο μπλεγμένος βρίσκεται ο Γκάρνεϊ μέσα σ' αυτήν,τόσο περισσότερο κινδυνεύει κι ο ίδιος.
Με κράτησε από την αρχή ως το τέλος του,και ήταν ελάχιστες οι φορές που πλατείασε ασκόπως. Προσωπικά μιλώντας,θα μπορούσα να ζήσω χωρίς να έχω διαβάσει τις σκηνές των διαλέξεών του στην Ακαδημία,αλλά τέσπα.. Ας είναι καλά η υπόλοιπη πλοκή. :Ρ Έξυπνα δημιουργημένη,καλογραμμένη,ενδιαφέρουσα,χωρίς κοιλιές - ένας serial killer άλλωστε είναι πάντα πολύ πιο ενδιαφέρων από έναν δράστη που διαπράττει 1-2 φόνους μόνο. Τον δολοφόνο δεν μπόρεσα να τον μαντέψω είναι η αλήθεια,και χάρηκα πολύ γι' αυτό. Εξαιρετική και η κορύφωση της ιστορίας,η αποκάλυψη της ταυτότητάς του και η ανατροπή που αφορούσε στον Ντέιβιντ στο τέλος.
Η υπόθεση του "Κράτα τα μάτια σου κλειστά" είναι πολύ πιο ενδιαφέρουσα και πιο ιντριγκαδόρικη. Ο ντετέκτιβ Ντέιβιντ Γκάρνεϊ για μια ακόμα φορά αφήνεις τις...χαρές της συνταξιοδότησης για να αναμειχθεί στην υπόθεση της δολοφονίας μιας κοπέλας που μόλις παντρεύτηκε. Όσο όμως ξετυλίγεται το κουβάρι της περίεργης αυτής υπόθεσης,τόσο περισσότερα στοιχεία έρχονται στο φως. Στοιχεία και ακέφαλα πτώματα! Η μεμονωμένη δολοφονία αποδεικνύεται πως είναι μόνο ένα μικρό κομμάτι του δολοφονικού πίνακα ενός ψυχοπαθή serial killer. Και όσο περισσότερο μπλεγμένος βρίσκεται ο Γκάρνεϊ μέσα σ' αυτήν,τόσο περισσότερο κινδυνεύει κι ο ίδιος.
Με κράτησε από την αρχή ως το τέλος του,και ήταν ελάχιστες οι φορές που πλατείασε ασκόπως. Προσωπικά μιλώντας,θα μπορούσα να ζήσω χωρίς να έχω διαβάσει τις σκηνές των διαλέξεών του στην Ακαδημία,αλλά τέσπα.. Ας είναι καλά η υπόλοιπη πλοκή. :Ρ Έξυπνα δημιουργημένη,καλογραμμένη,ενδιαφέρουσα,χωρίς κοιλιές - ένας serial killer άλλωστε είναι πάντα πολύ πιο ενδιαφέρων από έναν δράστη που διαπράττει 1-2 φόνους μόνο. Τον δολοφόνο δεν μπόρεσα να τον μαντέψω είναι η αλήθεια,και χάρηκα πολύ γι' αυτό. Εξαιρετική και η κορύφωση της ιστορίας,η αποκάλυψη της ταυτότητάς του και η ανατροπή που αφορούσε στον Ντέιβιντ στο τέλος.
April 18, 2017
Verdon me dio muchas razones para que me encantara este libro.
El caso me produjo una intriga descomunal desde el principio y a medida que se volvía más turbio y se me revolvía más el estómago, metafóricamente hablando, menos podía separarme del libro. El que tuvieran que construir una hipótesis casi imposible para luego destruirla toda y resolver así el caso como si la hipótesis falsa fuese solo una especie de plataforma, fue una de las cosas que me impresionaron más del detective. Como todo concordaba perfectamente, y la manera en que Gurney desentrañaba todos los misterios de manera tan impecable y tan humana me voló la cabeza y me tenía ejercitando el cerebro sin descanso. Fue, como dice Jack (te quiero, Jack) una cebolla con muchas, muchas... innumerables capas.
Ahora, como entrelazó esto con la vida privada de Dave fue espectacular. Yo no sé si a alguien más le pasó, pero con respecto a Jynkynstyl o como diablos se escriba me tenía de los nervios antes de que nuestro protagonista se apareciera en la mítica reunión, así que no sé, lo que le pasó no fue nada sorprendente (pero sí lo fue la relación que tenía con el caso). No obstante, y aunque lo esperaba desde mucho antes, fue un impacto ver cómo el perfecto Gurney que lo tiene todo bajo control no se dio cuenta de tantas cosas. Y es que le tomé un cariño patológico y quería que siguiera siendo intocable.
Una de las pocas cosas que tiene en común este libro con Sé lo que estás pensando además de los asesinatos prácticamente absurdos y sin ninguna explicación coherente, es que llegados a cierto punto, uno ya deduce quién lo ha hecho todo por la manera en que se profundiza en el personaje en sí y en la observación de cada movimiento. Pasó antes y volvió a pasar aquí, solo que en esta ocasiones diez veces más interesante.
Madeleine. Este matrimonio, confieso que lo pensé, estaba por venirse abajo, y lo último que imaginé fue que tocar fondo era la única alternativa que tenían para darse cuenta de se querían tanto, ese final ha sido muy justo. En ocasiones me sacaba de quicio que cada vez que Dave se ponía con el caso ella se lo reprochaba de una manera tan perturbadoramente tranquila y a la vez tan inquietante, pero creo que se debía a lo mucho que a Dave le importaba. Y a lo largo de la historia se ve mucho la distancia entre ellos y lo fría que se está volviendo la relación, así que me permití ser un poco romántica al final.
Los personajes me encantaron. Con sus grandísimos defectos y con todo lo que representa el ser humano, este grupo variopinto de gente me tuvo aferrada al libro hasta el final, conociéndoles y tratando de predecir lo que harían o dirían. Jack Hardwick me encantó, y el progreso de su "amistad" con Dave ha sido gratificante, porque me gusta la gente así. Me divertí mucho con su forma de ser tan impulsiva y sincera de una manera burlesca y chocante.
Sin duda fue mejor que el primero, y espero leer los otros muy pronto porque ya dudo mucho que no me vayan a fascinar.
El caso me produjo una intriga descomunal desde el principio y a medida que se volvía más turbio y se me revolvía más el estómago, metafóricamente hablando, menos podía separarme del libro. El que tuvieran que construir una hipótesis casi imposible para luego destruirla toda y resolver así el caso como si la hipótesis falsa fuese solo una especie de plataforma, fue una de las cosas que me impresionaron más del detective. Como todo concordaba perfectamente, y la manera en que Gurney desentrañaba todos los misterios de manera tan impecable y tan humana me voló la cabeza y me tenía ejercitando el cerebro sin descanso. Fue, como dice Jack (te quiero, Jack) una cebolla con muchas, muchas... innumerables capas.
Ahora, como entrelazó esto con la vida privada de Dave fue espectacular. Yo no sé si a alguien más le pasó, pero con respecto a Jynkynstyl o como diablos se escriba me tenía de los nervios antes de que nuestro protagonista se apareciera en la mítica reunión, así que no sé, lo que le pasó no fue nada sorprendente (pero sí lo fue la relación que tenía con el caso). No obstante, y aunque lo esperaba desde mucho antes, fue un impacto ver cómo el perfecto Gurney que lo tiene todo bajo control no se dio cuenta de tantas cosas. Y es que le tomé un cariño patológico y quería que siguiera siendo intocable.
Una de las pocas cosas que tiene en común este libro con Sé lo que estás pensando además de los asesinatos prácticamente absurdos y sin ninguna explicación coherente, es que llegados a cierto punto, uno ya deduce quién lo ha hecho todo por la manera en que se profundiza en el personaje en sí y en la observación de cada movimiento. Pasó antes y volvió a pasar aquí, solo que en esta ocasiones diez veces más interesante.
Madeleine. Este matrimonio, confieso que lo pensé, estaba por venirse abajo, y lo último que imaginé fue que tocar fondo era la única alternativa que tenían para darse cuenta de se querían tanto, ese final ha sido muy justo. En ocasiones me sacaba de quicio que cada vez que Dave se ponía con el caso ella se lo reprochaba de una manera tan perturbadoramente tranquila y a la vez tan inquietante, pero creo que se debía a lo mucho que a Dave le importaba. Y a lo largo de la historia se ve mucho la distancia entre ellos y lo fría que se está volviendo la relación, así que me permití ser un poco romántica al final.
Los personajes me encantaron. Con sus grandísimos defectos y con todo lo que representa el ser humano, este grupo variopinto de gente me tuvo aferrada al libro hasta el final, conociéndoles y tratando de predecir lo que harían o dirían. Jack Hardwick me encantó, y el progreso de su "amistad" con Dave ha sido gratificante, porque me gusta la gente así. Me divertí mucho con su forma de ser tan impulsiva y sincera de una manera burlesca y chocante.
Sin duda fue mejor que el primero, y espero leer los otros muy pronto porque ya dudo mucho que no me vayan a fascinar.
January 1, 2013
This is the second book I've read by this author and the plots are gripping and the main character (although conforms pretty closely to the stereotypical male lead that bores me) isn't at all annoying.
There is one thing that bothered me in this book and in the first and I felt compelled to RANT about it. The main character's relationship with his wife doesn't make any sense to me. According to him, she is insightful and loving and beautiful and perfect. To me she's a horrible communicator, wants him to change what is fundamental to his nature and is SO passive aggressive! He's no prize either - he keeps making major decisions without talking them through with her and he seems completely incapable of remembering anything she tells him about what she's doing or when they're throwing a dinner party and instead of oh I don't know, I'll go out on a limb here and suggest something crazy like he write it down on a calendar or that they have a family calendar where they both write stuff down he just keeps forgetting. Over and over again. And he talks about how he's forgotten. Again and again. The only time he remembers where she's going is when she goes to her sister's house because their house was broken into by a crazed serial killer. That's so sweet that he remembers where she is when their lives have been threatened. But back to her...when he does talk with her about major decisions or problems he's wrestling with, she either tells him he's going to do what he's going to do, which is such a helpful comment when someone is asking for an opinion or she says "what difference does it make?" In this second book about halfway through she finally apologizes to the main character for exactly what had me rolling my eyes at her and he just makes excuses for her and then concludes, yet again, that she is the most wonderful creature to walk the earth. I kept waiting for them to decide to get divorced they were so out of tune with each other. In fact that thought is what I remember most about reading the first book. It might be nice in the next book if she goes on some sort of extended trip on the first page and leaves a huge note on the refrigerator door where she's gone so we don't have to deal with their relationship.
There is one thing that bothered me in this book and in the first and I felt compelled to RANT about it. The main character's relationship with his wife doesn't make any sense to me. According to him, she is insightful and loving and beautiful and perfect. To me she's a horrible communicator, wants him to change what is fundamental to his nature and is SO passive aggressive! He's no prize either - he keeps making major decisions without talking them through with her and he seems completely incapable of remembering anything she tells him about what she's doing or when they're throwing a dinner party and instead of oh I don't know, I'll go out on a limb here and suggest something crazy like he write it down on a calendar or that they have a family calendar where they both write stuff down he just keeps forgetting. Over and over again. And he talks about how he's forgotten. Again and again. The only time he remembers where she's going is when she goes to her sister's house because their house was broken into by a crazed serial killer. That's so sweet that he remembers where she is when their lives have been threatened. But back to her...when he does talk with her about major decisions or problems he's wrestling with, she either tells him he's going to do what he's going to do, which is such a helpful comment when someone is asking for an opinion or she says "what difference does it make?" In this second book about halfway through she finally apologizes to the main character for exactly what had me rolling my eyes at her and he just makes excuses for her and then concludes, yet again, that she is the most wonderful creature to walk the earth. I kept waiting for them to decide to get divorced they were so out of tune with each other. In fact that thought is what I remember most about reading the first book. It might be nice in the next book if she goes on some sort of extended trip on the first page and leaves a huge note on the refrigerator door where she's gone so we don't have to deal with their relationship.
January 14, 2015
Mi detective favorito: David Gurney, goodreaders.
-Este caso es muy complejo. Tiene capas y capas, Davey. Es una maldita cebolla...
-¿Y?
-Y tú eres un pelador de cebollas nato; el mejor que ha habido nunca.
Verdon creó a un investigador retirado con quien me encariñé desde su primer libro. Este es el segundo de su saga, el cual me pareció mejor que Se lo que Estás Pensando.
Primero les voy a explicar qué caracteriza los casos de Verdon. Son siempre asesinatos en donde todo parece literalmente imposible, absurdo, hasta que desafía las leyes de la física. Cuanto más investigás, más te perdés. Luego viene la parte en la que Gurney se llena de pistas y todas son tan diferentes e inconclusas que no hay manera de hacerlas cuajar. En esta novela son tantas las incógnitas que realmente es imposible vaticinar cómo podría concluir el caso. El final del libro es apasionante y a mí me dejo un buen rato shockeado. Pocos libros lograron sorprenderme de la manera en la que éste lo hizo. Quedás totalmente petrificado y te ponés a pensar cómo todo encaja y tiene sentido.
Las piezas que aparentemente no encajan terminan siendo las más reveladoras.
Otra magnífica creación de Verdon es el compañero de Gurney, Jack Hardwick. ¡Qué personaje con más personalidad y elocuencia para las palabras! Realmente me hace reír muchísimo. La relación entre el detective y su compañero te van a sacar muchísimas sonrisas.
Verdon también trata el tema del amor. Gurney y su esposa mantienen un vínculo gélido y distante por la participación del investigador en casos que lo ponen en situación de peligro mortal. Siempre hay peleas por la renuencia de Gurney a aceptar que ya está retirado. Así, por eso, vamos a leer en varias partes estas confrontaciones y tristezas que hay en un matrimonio en el que parece que la llama se extinguió hace un buen rato.
Bueno, para ir terminando, si quieren una buena saga policíaca, esta se las recomiendo sin dudarlo.
Próximamente voy a estar haciendo la reseña del cuarto libro de la serie No Confíes en Peter Pan, el cual, en mi opinión, es el mejor de la saga.
-Este caso es muy complejo. Tiene capas y capas, Davey. Es una maldita cebolla...
-¿Y?
-Y tú eres un pelador de cebollas nato; el mejor que ha habido nunca.
Verdon creó a un investigador retirado con quien me encariñé desde su primer libro. Este es el segundo de su saga, el cual me pareció mejor que Se lo que Estás Pensando.
Primero les voy a explicar qué caracteriza los casos de Verdon. Son siempre asesinatos en donde todo parece literalmente imposible, absurdo, hasta que desafía las leyes de la física. Cuanto más investigás, más te perdés. Luego viene la parte en la que Gurney se llena de pistas y todas son tan diferentes e inconclusas que no hay manera de hacerlas cuajar. En esta novela son tantas las incógnitas que realmente es imposible vaticinar cómo podría concluir el caso. El final del libro es apasionante y a mí me dejo un buen rato shockeado. Pocos libros lograron sorprenderme de la manera en la que éste lo hizo. Quedás totalmente petrificado y te ponés a pensar cómo todo encaja y tiene sentido.
Las piezas que aparentemente no encajan terminan siendo las más reveladoras.
Otra magnífica creación de Verdon es el compañero de Gurney, Jack Hardwick. ¡Qué personaje con más personalidad y elocuencia para las palabras! Realmente me hace reír muchísimo. La relación entre el detective y su compañero te van a sacar muchísimas sonrisas.
Verdon también trata el tema del amor. Gurney y su esposa mantienen un vínculo gélido y distante por la participación del investigador en casos que lo ponen en situación de peligro mortal. Siempre hay peleas por la renuencia de Gurney a aceptar que ya está retirado. Así, por eso, vamos a leer en varias partes estas confrontaciones y tristezas que hay en un matrimonio en el que parece que la llama se extinguió hace un buen rato.
Bueno, para ir terminando, si quieren una buena saga policíaca, esta se las recomiendo sin dudarlo.
Próximamente voy a estar haciendo la reseña del cuarto libro de la serie No Confíes en Peter Pan, el cual, en mi opinión, es el mejor de la saga.
September 1, 2015
Ο Ντέιβ ξεκινάει να ξεδιαλύνει το κουβάρι μιας δολοφονίας και σιγά σιγά, ανακαλύπτει κι άλλες πτυχές της ιστορίας που περιπλέκεται ολοένα και περισσότερο...
Ο Βερντον γνωρίζει πολύ καλά πως να κρατά τον αναγνώστη σε εγρήγορση..
Ο Βερντον γνωρίζει πολύ καλά πως να κρατά τον αναγνώστη σε εγρήγορση..
June 8, 2021
Una historia genial! Bien hilada hasta un desenlace que te deja sin palabras...
Dave Gurney está en plena forma!
Dave Gurney está en plena forma!
February 3, 2019
Δε μου έκανε την εντύπωση του πρώτου, αλλά και πάλι ήταν πολύ ενδιαφέρον. Η κεντρική υπόθεση κρατάει τον αναγνώστη, ενώ αυτό που κρύβεται από πίσω μπορεί να μην είναι τόσο ευφάνταστο όσο στο Think of a number αλλά και πάλι ήταν πολύ έξυπνο. Από εκεί και πέρα, η αφηγηματική ροή σε μερικά σημεία κρατάει λιγάκι πίσω την όλη ιστορία αλλά και πάλι θεωρώ ότι αξίζει να διαβαστεί.
September 12, 2020
И този път брилянтна загадка. Действието през първата част е малко бавно и е концентрирано главно около семейните проблеми на детектива със съпругата му, но през втората и трета част напрежението се покачва значително, а случаят започва да става все по-заплетен и заплетен. И разследващият екип от първата книга отново се събира в пълен състав. А пък в каква ловка измама попадна Дейв Гърни и в какъв капан го вкараха… А развръзката и финала са WOW.
August 7, 2022
Dave, Dave, Dave, those choices you make? In case you don’t know, those non-friends, acquaintances and business colleagues help and hinder you. And, hey, your wife is the best part of your life. She is right in front of you. Why do you make things so hard on yourself?
~~~~~
Retired police detective David Gurney is a brilliant man, but he is also flawed. He places the most important things in his life at risk. To offset his weaknesses, he gets involved with another unsolvable case of murder.
Once again, there are plenty of twists and turns. The story brings to surface a subject many of us would prefer shoveled under the rug. I stuck with the story to see how Dave would solve the mystery. And he did it with a humdinger of an ending.
~~~~~
Retired police detective David Gurney is a brilliant man, but he is also flawed. He places the most important things in his life at risk. To offset his weaknesses, he gets involved with another unsolvable case of murder.
Once again, there are plenty of twists and turns. The story brings to surface a subject many of us would prefer shoveled under the rug. I stuck with the story to see how Dave would solve the mystery. And he did it with a humdinger of an ending.
March 2, 2021
Muy buena lectura que te sorprende y te lleva a ponerte en la piel del protagonista, en algún momento piensas como todo va a quedar bien atado por la cantidad de frentes abiertos, pero todo al final queda resuelto, recomendable para los amantes del thriller.
July 28, 2016
Este libro está ambientado en un mundo paralelo donde la bisexualidad no existe. O eso parece.
Hablando en serio, me gustó mucho el libro, el caso fue más interesante y dinámico que el primero y una de mis principales quejas del libro anterior se resuelve en parte. Si, al principio el drama familiar entre su esposa y David es solo relleno, pero luego comienza a ser una historia real que al parecer se mantendrá en los siguientes libros así ahora estoy interesada en ver qué es lo que sucederá con ellos, incluso si una parte de mi aun quiere que se divorcien.
September 27, 2019
John Verdon's Dave Gurney is a nicely developed character I've come to appreciate in this series. He's a retired NYC detective with lots of past success, a nice post-retirement with his wife in a bucolic country setting outside the city, and seemingly too much time on his hands. He keeps getting pulled into his past life, which leads to problems with his present life (if that makes any sense...). I've read the series out of order, which isn't normally a good thing, but it does allow a reader to appreciate character development where changes seem more noticeable than gradual. Anyway, to the story....
"Shut Your Eyes Tight" begins with an awful murder. A young bride is beheaded at her own wedding party. Everyone knows who did it, but the presumed killer, a Mexican immigrant part-time employee of the groom, has absconded and the police can't locate him. Dave's old buddy on the force talks him into taking a look at the crime in an unofficial role for the victim's mother. Turns out the victim wasn't a nice person, her mother isn't either (though she's very, very rich), and Dave's wife isn't happy about the whole thing. As with most of the Verdon's novels in the series, tension seems to drive the story. Tension between the police and the unofficial role Dave has, between the rich and poor members of the local community, between Dave and his wife, between Dave and his friend, between members of the local political and police communities all contribute to confusion, a surfeit of motives that needed to be tracked down, and to pressure on Gurney. Poor Dave gets very introspective at times, almost like a detective in a translated Scandinavian procedural. It didn't get in the way too much and was an important aspect of the novel, but more importantly it gets us inside of Dave's head a bit which is quite a place to be.
Progress is made eventually, though my biggest criticism of this effort is that there are just too many alternative motives and potential scenarios being thrown about and Dave at times seems to go against his well known data-driven approach. This book had a little too much of the 'unbelievable' in the crimes and the overall feeling I had at the conclusion was that it was a little too wild and less based on procedural stuff than on instinct. A good read, though, and an important ending that informs future novels in the series.
"Shut Your Eyes Tight" begins with an awful murder. A young bride is beheaded at her own wedding party. Everyone knows who did it, but the presumed killer, a Mexican immigrant part-time employee of the groom, has absconded and the police can't locate him. Dave's old buddy on the force talks him into taking a look at the crime in an unofficial role for the victim's mother. Turns out the victim wasn't a nice person, her mother isn't either (though she's very, very rich), and Dave's wife isn't happy about the whole thing. As with most of the Verdon's novels in the series, tension seems to drive the story. Tension between the police and the unofficial role Dave has, between the rich and poor members of the local community, between Dave and his wife, between Dave and his friend, between members of the local political and police communities all contribute to confusion, a surfeit of motives that needed to be tracked down, and to pressure on Gurney. Poor Dave gets very introspective at times, almost like a detective in a translated Scandinavian procedural. It didn't get in the way too much and was an important aspect of the novel, but more importantly it gets us inside of Dave's head a bit which is quite a place to be.
Progress is made eventually, though my biggest criticism of this effort is that there are just too many alternative motives and potential scenarios being thrown about and Dave at times seems to go against his well known data-driven approach. This book had a little too much of the 'unbelievable' in the crimes and the overall feeling I had at the conclusion was that it was a little too wild and less based on procedural stuff than on instinct. A good read, though, and an important ending that informs future novels in the series.
April 20, 2021
Me deja fría... nuestro detective de cabecera sigue tal cual, no hay nada en él nuevo o distinto... el caso es grotesco, lunático... y con su super inteligencia(?) lo resuelve. El libro es lento, estático, como si fuera una película casera con cliks de famobil...
Estoy picada porque creo que tiene que romper por algún lado, y también creo que no he pillado el género de estos libros... 2 fallos de 2... seguiré con un 3, pero creo que va a ganar la diagonal a ver si aparece lo que busco.
Estoy picada porque creo que tiene que romper por algún lado, y también creo que no he pillado el género de estos libros... 2 fallos de 2... seguiré con un 3, pero creo que va a ganar la diagonal a ver si aparece lo que busco.
February 10, 2013
It's 9PM and I'm thinking: "I'll lay in bed for a bit, read and call it a night. Gotta get up early, wake my daughter up, fix her lunch, get breakfast ready and then take her to school." The book I'm reading is John Verdon's latest: Let the Devil Sleep. The plate that sits on top of the chimney on the roof sends the sound of rain - like soft staccato bullets - down the chimney chute into the bedroom. I hit the power switch on my Kindle and focus on the page before me.
After reading a few hundred detective novels the authors, titles, and reviews sort of all blend together and honestly, if it weren't for my Kindle I wouldn't remember which ones I've read and which ones I haven't. That's not to say that the books are forgettable, it's just the conscious mind can only hold that much info and I suck at pulling stuff out of my subconscious at will. But, I can always remember a character that refuses to disappear into my subconscious. When finishing a book, I always remember Dave Gurney. He doggedly pops into my head as I search for another novel and I think: "I wish there were another like-Dave-Gurney series I could start on." Or, "I wonder if Verdon's completed his next book yet?". And then I search Goodreads to no avail. Sucks right, the waiting?
Verdon isn't a prolific writer in the sense of say...John Locke who pushes out novels every couple of months (some not so great, some that are). Verdon's only got 3 novels I'm aware of and I'm reading his third.
Shocked, I glance up from my book as the soft platter on the chimney has turned into what sounds like an AK-47 ripping apart my house. Who said we can't travel between worlds, right? One moment it's deep into the night and I'm watching Gurney's red barn burn down as he wonders which of his investigations would cause an arsonist to lose sleep over his inquiries, and the next I'm reaching over in bed to turn on my iPhone only to realize it's friggin' 2;30AM! Crap.
That happens a lot with Verdon. You just can't put the damned story down.
In Verdon's words; 'Detective stories are essentially moral in their orientation — not just because the good guy wins, but because the structure of the form tends to value objectivity above convenience and truth above personal gain. This isn't just a fine polished quote delivered for convenience to satiate an inquiry from the press. John Verdon is a pro at translating lessons from his own life into stories that'll cause some serious introspecting of your own. Verdon, in fact, is the master of deception. Living is about discovery; so are his thrillers. Mystery novels mirror the complexity of relationships; Dave Gurney holds complex relationships. He is a man with secrets, never completely truthful with himself and others. He is constantly conflicted by his own self deceptions even as he struggles to minimize the consequences that result in his isolation. Dave Gurney is singular.
In mystery novels, the mystery comes in the form of deception, just as our personal lives harbor deception: we tell ourselves little lies, little rationalizations so that we can feel better and sometimes we come to believe the lies as truth. Villains experience the same, they come to believe their deceptions as the truth and then act on that truth. Gurney destroys deceptions, is after truth...and he does not leave himself exempt from this process. As Verndon says: "I lie to have more, and end up being less."
What makes Verdon different in this genre is his grasp of characterization, of motivation, and of the nature of the relationship between foreground and background.. In the foreground we have our mystery, the crime, and the consequences of that on the architecture and inhabitants of the hidden city, the agenda and the detective pursuing that agenda. In the background we have the life of Gurney: his son, his enigmatic wife Madeleine, his parental responsibility, his guilt, his isolation driven by truth (in spite of being married), his eternal struggle between empathy and objectivity. I know of no other author who has such a grasp of the complexity of the mind. Both cerebral and inordinantly violent, the Gurney series stand out well above most other authors.
I read the damned book until it was done and accepted the consequences of it the next day.
If you've read this review of the Dave Gurney series, than you've read 'em all.
After reading a few hundred detective novels the authors, titles, and reviews sort of all blend together and honestly, if it weren't for my Kindle I wouldn't remember which ones I've read and which ones I haven't. That's not to say that the books are forgettable, it's just the conscious mind can only hold that much info and I suck at pulling stuff out of my subconscious at will. But, I can always remember a character that refuses to disappear into my subconscious. When finishing a book, I always remember Dave Gurney. He doggedly pops into my head as I search for another novel and I think: "I wish there were another like-Dave-Gurney series I could start on." Or, "I wonder if Verdon's completed his next book yet?". And then I search Goodreads to no avail. Sucks right, the waiting?
Verdon isn't a prolific writer in the sense of say...John Locke who pushes out novels every couple of months (some not so great, some that are). Verdon's only got 3 novels I'm aware of and I'm reading his third.
Shocked, I glance up from my book as the soft platter on the chimney has turned into what sounds like an AK-47 ripping apart my house. Who said we can't travel between worlds, right? One moment it's deep into the night and I'm watching Gurney's red barn burn down as he wonders which of his investigations would cause an arsonist to lose sleep over his inquiries, and the next I'm reaching over in bed to turn on my iPhone only to realize it's friggin' 2;30AM! Crap.
That happens a lot with Verdon. You just can't put the damned story down.
In Verdon's words; 'Detective stories are essentially moral in their orientation — not just because the good guy wins, but because the structure of the form tends to value objectivity above convenience and truth above personal gain. This isn't just a fine polished quote delivered for convenience to satiate an inquiry from the press. John Verdon is a pro at translating lessons from his own life into stories that'll cause some serious introspecting of your own. Verdon, in fact, is the master of deception. Living is about discovery; so are his thrillers. Mystery novels mirror the complexity of relationships; Dave Gurney holds complex relationships. He is a man with secrets, never completely truthful with himself and others. He is constantly conflicted by his own self deceptions even as he struggles to minimize the consequences that result in his isolation. Dave Gurney is singular.
In mystery novels, the mystery comes in the form of deception, just as our personal lives harbor deception: we tell ourselves little lies, little rationalizations so that we can feel better and sometimes we come to believe the lies as truth. Villains experience the same, they come to believe their deceptions as the truth and then act on that truth. Gurney destroys deceptions, is after truth...and he does not leave himself exempt from this process. As Verndon says: "I lie to have more, and end up being less."
What makes Verdon different in this genre is his grasp of characterization, of motivation, and of the nature of the relationship between foreground and background.. In the foreground we have our mystery, the crime, and the consequences of that on the architecture and inhabitants of the hidden city, the agenda and the detective pursuing that agenda. In the background we have the life of Gurney: his son, his enigmatic wife Madeleine, his parental responsibility, his guilt, his isolation driven by truth (in spite of being married), his eternal struggle between empathy and objectivity. I know of no other author who has such a grasp of the complexity of the mind. Both cerebral and inordinantly violent, the Gurney series stand out well above most other authors.
I read the damned book until it was done and accepted the consequences of it the next day.
If you've read this review of the Dave Gurney series, than you've read 'em all.
June 12, 2016
http://parrafosenelviento.blogspot.co...
Si hay algo que me gusta de los libros de John Verdon y de su detective Dave Gurney es que sus casos son mucho más que simples casos. Sus incongruencias, los retos mentales que suponen, la lógica que hay detrás de cada uno me encanta. Me descubro a mí misma meditando, montando teorías que luego el autor me acaba desmontando muchas veces, auque las pocas veces que acierto me siento un poco como Sherlock Holmes.
Pero no son sólo los retos mentales que suponen lo que me gusta. También me gusta el personaje de Dave Gurney o mejor dicho, me gusta como funciona su cerebro, su manera de ser tan increíblemente racional. Supongo que esta fascinación viene en parte producida porque me veo reflejada en cierta forma, aunque yo de detective tenga solo mis deducciones a través de libros como este.
Al ser el segundo caso de Dave Gurney, muchos personajes vuelven a aparecer, aunque siendo una serie puede leerse de forma independiente sin problema. De hecho, entre los dos a mí me gusto más este libro. Al leerlo es posible que te entren ganas de leer el caso anterior ya que hacen referencia a él varias veces aunque sin mayor relevancia.
Sin embargo, si tengo que ponerle algún defecto (para ser uso de mi vena crítica) sería que en ocasiones se me hacía parecido al anterior. No solo en un detalle que ellos mencionan sino en la forma. Por supuesto, el contenido es diferente, ambos casos lo son, pero la forma, el hilo argumental, me resultan parecidos. Para dar un ejemplo de lo que quiero decir, es como cuando en clase nos decían eso de "introducción, desarrollo y conclusión". En ambos libros puede encontrarse una estructura, por supuesto más compleja que el ejemplo que he dado, aunque no puedo decir más para no fastidiar a nadie una historia que es digna de ser leída.
En definitiva, un gran libro que sin duda gustará a los amantes del género, y a los no tan amantes.
Si hay algo que me gusta de los libros de John Verdon y de su detective Dave Gurney es que sus casos son mucho más que simples casos. Sus incongruencias, los retos mentales que suponen, la lógica que hay detrás de cada uno me encanta. Me descubro a mí misma meditando, montando teorías que luego el autor me acaba desmontando muchas veces, auque las pocas veces que acierto me siento un poco como Sherlock Holmes.
Pero no son sólo los retos mentales que suponen lo que me gusta. También me gusta el personaje de Dave Gurney o mejor dicho, me gusta como funciona su cerebro, su manera de ser tan increíblemente racional. Supongo que esta fascinación viene en parte producida porque me veo reflejada en cierta forma, aunque yo de detective tenga solo mis deducciones a través de libros como este.
Al ser el segundo caso de Dave Gurney, muchos personajes vuelven a aparecer, aunque siendo una serie puede leerse de forma independiente sin problema. De hecho, entre los dos a mí me gusto más este libro. Al leerlo es posible que te entren ganas de leer el caso anterior ya que hacen referencia a él varias veces aunque sin mayor relevancia.
Sin embargo, si tengo que ponerle algún defecto (para ser uso de mi vena crítica) sería que en ocasiones se me hacía parecido al anterior. No solo en un detalle que ellos mencionan sino en la forma. Por supuesto, el contenido es diferente, ambos casos lo son, pero la forma, el hilo argumental, me resultan parecidos. Para dar un ejemplo de lo que quiero decir, es como cuando en clase nos decían eso de "introducción, desarrollo y conclusión". En ambos libros puede encontrarse una estructura, por supuesto más compleja que el ejemplo que he dado, aunque no puedo decir más para no fastidiar a nadie una historia que es digna de ser leída.
En definitiva, un gran libro que sin duda gustará a los amantes del género, y a los no tan amantes.
October 18, 2017
Затвориш ли очи, умираш: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/z...
Не съм вярвал, че трилъров автор ще ме вълнува толкова, без да погубва половината свят в мащабни апокалипсиси, но Джон Вердън го прави. След като започнах с петата книга за детектив Дейвид Гърни – “Не заспивай”, веднага се върнах на първата – “Намисли си число”, сега бе ред на втората – “Затвори очи”, тази с безспорно най-отблъскващата корица от поредицата. Сюжетът обаче бе повече от обещаващ – по време на бляскава богаташка сватба булката е убита по особено жесток начин, а убиецът мистериозно изчезва. Пенсионираният полицай Дейв Гърни е привлечен да помага, защото седмиците се нижат, а разследването не е напреднало изобщо. Това му донася сериозни крамоли с жена му, която се наслаждава на пасторалната идилия около дома им, но скоро го очаква прямо и отрезвяващо завличане в блатото, което представлява този случай.
Софтпрес
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/z...
Не съм вярвал, че трилъров автор ще ме вълнува толкова, без да погубва половината свят в мащабни апокалипсиси, но Джон Вердън го прави. След като започнах с петата книга за детектив Дейвид Гърни – “Не заспивай”, веднага се върнах на първата – “Намисли си число”, сега бе ред на втората – “Затвори очи”, тази с безспорно най-отблъскващата корица от поредицата. Сюжетът обаче бе повече от обещаващ – по време на бляскава богаташка сватба булката е убита по особено жесток начин, а убиецът мистериозно изчезва. Пенсионираният полицай Дейв Гърни е привлечен да помага, защото седмиците се нижат, а разследването не е напреднало изобщо. Това му донася сериозни крамоли с жена му, която се наслаждава на пасторалната идилия около дома им, но скоро го очаква прямо и отрезвяващо завличане в блатото, което представлява този случай.
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February 8, 2018
This is a heavy duty thriller/crime fiction/mystery. It involves serial killers and crimes which are among the most depraved one can read - or know about. But the fact it's Dave Gurney investigating lightens the load, somewhat.
Retired homicide detective, living in upstate New York on a bucolic little farmstead (I hope I used that word correctly), Dave is asked - once again! - to 'consult' on a murder involving a young woman beheaded at her own wedding reception. Yep, this one is COMPLEX. Of course Dave sort of gets in over his head, and yes, he upsets the official investigating team, and yes again, he and his wife Madeline are in peril about halfway through, and yes, this one has layers and layers and layers ...
I listened to this book, which I enjoyed, giving my eyes a rest in the late, often dreary, sometimes-rain and snowy, afternoons. I sometimes needed a break, however, from the unremitting grimness of the storyline, and yet, like I said, you got Dave. Dave has quirks, an interesting, cynical personality which is brightened by unexpected moments of wonder, tranquility, and inner emotion. Dave is the kind of MC I think I'd like in real life. No, I know I'd like him, and I'd leave him alone when he wanted to be left alone. He's that kind of person.
Anyhow, this is my new series of the moment. I shall read the next Dave Gurney novel post-haste.
Retired homicide detective, living in upstate New York on a bucolic little farmstead (I hope I used that word correctly), Dave is asked - once again! - to 'consult' on a murder involving a young woman beheaded at her own wedding reception. Yep, this one is COMPLEX. Of course Dave sort of gets in over his head, and yes, he upsets the official investigating team, and yes again, he and his wife Madeline are in peril about halfway through, and yes, this one has layers and layers and layers ...
I listened to this book, which I enjoyed, giving my eyes a rest in the late, often dreary, sometimes-rain and snowy, afternoons. I sometimes needed a break, however, from the unremitting grimness of the storyline, and yet, like I said, you got Dave. Dave has quirks, an interesting, cynical personality which is brightened by unexpected moments of wonder, tranquility, and inner emotion. Dave is the kind of MC I think I'd like in real life. No, I know I'd like him, and I'd leave him alone when he wanted to be left alone. He's that kind of person.
Anyhow, this is my new series of the moment. I shall read the next Dave Gurney novel post-haste.
June 15, 2018
After two books in this series, I'm beginning to see a pattern. Dave Gurney, is still trying to retire as a cop, and his wife is very encouraging, often demanding, but she usually relents because he's just so good at it. The other police all seem to resent him for the same reason. They're a bunch of idiots, and he comes along and knocks out their jacks, sending them tumbling back to earth. The exception is his old semi-partner, an abrasive but smart detective who also doesn't get along too well with others because he's just socially inept. And probably knows it, but doesn't care.
Another part of the pattern is that the evidence seems to present an impossible conclusion, and everybody is either totally confused, or convinced of conflicting conclusions, all wrong.
Next part of the pattern is he stumbles around, figures things out, and then gets himself in trouble with the bad guys. In this one, he almost dies. I don't know how he'll come out of the next book - perhaps he'll die and come back to life. But I think I'll wait a while before reading it. They're pretty good, but not something that draws me in like some other books I've read. Maybe they'll get better, I hope.
Another part of the pattern is that the evidence seems to present an impossible conclusion, and everybody is either totally confused, or convinced of conflicting conclusions, all wrong.
Next part of the pattern is he stumbles around, figures things out, and then gets himself in trouble with the bad guys. In this one, he almost dies. I don't know how he'll come out of the next book - perhaps he'll die and come back to life. But I think I'll wait a while before reading it. They're pretty good, but not something that draws me in like some other books I've read. Maybe they'll get better, I hope.
May 13, 2013
This book is Think of a Number.
It's structurally identical and the plot is so similar as to make the identity of the murderer obvious from very early on, assuming you have already read Verdon's first novel, which I have. So that's a bit disappointing but it's a gripping read anyway - because it becomes a "howdunnit?" not a "whodunnit?"
Yes, the way the crime was committed becomes the central mystery and it's compelling enough to make me forgive the otherwise repetitious nature of this sequel - but Verdon should look to shake things up for the future. Going by the blurb on the back of his third novel, he hasn't, though.
It's structurally identical and the plot is so similar as to make the identity of the murderer obvious from very early on, assuming you have already read Verdon's first novel, which I have. So that's a bit disappointing but it's a gripping read anyway - because it becomes a "howdunnit?" not a "whodunnit?"
Yes, the way the crime was committed becomes the central mystery and it's compelling enough to make me forgive the otherwise repetitious nature of this sequel - but Verdon should look to shake things up for the future. Going by the blurb on the back of his third novel, he hasn't, though.
February 26, 2018
7/10. As others have noted this would be much better if it were a hundred pages shorter. His writing can be quite good at times and I see unrealized potential. Does every book have to be psycho serial killers?
May 15, 2013
John Verdon consegue surpreender-me com mais este livro.
Adorei o seu primeiro "Pensa num número" e estava desejosa de ler este, para começar a capa é simplesmente. . . maravilhosa.
A história deste "Não abras os olhos" (sendo esta frase a solução do último enigma do livro) é excelente, tem um enredo brilhante e o que o inspector aposentado David Gurney tem para descobrir são histórias enredadas noutras histórias, ficando o leitor envolvido numa trama que se adensa a cada capítulo novo.
Ao longo de todo o livro somos transportados de um lado para o outro à medida que Dave Gurney vai deslindando as possíveis pistas, vamos acompanhando todos os seus pensamentos e teorias.
Á medida que isso acontece vão surgindo novos elementos na investigação que nos fazem questionar toda a veracidade do caso que temos entre mãos. . .
Fui de tal forma imersa para dentro do livro que fiquei embrenhada e tentava acompanhar toda a lógica do que se estava a passar.
Resultado? Desconfiei dos maus da fita e agarrei-me a essa certeza até ao fim, sendo que estava certa.
Há meandros obscuros, somos violentados ao sermos confrontados com o mundo de psicopatias sexuais, incesto, crianças que são sujeitas ao pior desde pequenas e que têm de viver com isso na vida adulta. . .
Agora perguntam? O que tem isto a ver com a sinopse do livro em que uma noiva é decapitada??
Tudo. . .
O que mais me fascina nos livros deste autor é mesmo a quantidade de enigmas aparentemente sem solução que ele cria. São uns atrás dos outros mas, se tivermos atenção, conseguimos ter um vislumbre do que se esconde por trás. . .
Adorei o livro mas achei que tem demasiadas páginas para a sua resolução e tem carência de ritmo, só ao fim comecei a devorar as páginas e só ao fim havia muito para descortinar. Suponho que é para criar o maior suspense possível.
Agora. . . uma pergunta. . . Será que o ser humano não é demasiado influenciado pelas histórias que ouve? Acredita mais no que ouve ou no que vê?? Poderá a minha realidade ser transformada por algo que me contam e passar a ser ESSA a minha nova realidade?
Resposta: Sim. . .
Adorei o seu primeiro "Pensa num número" e estava desejosa de ler este, para começar a capa é simplesmente. . . maravilhosa.
A história deste "Não abras os olhos" (sendo esta frase a solução do último enigma do livro) é excelente, tem um enredo brilhante e o que o inspector aposentado David Gurney tem para descobrir são histórias enredadas noutras histórias, ficando o leitor envolvido numa trama que se adensa a cada capítulo novo.
Ao longo de todo o livro somos transportados de um lado para o outro à medida que Dave Gurney vai deslindando as possíveis pistas, vamos acompanhando todos os seus pensamentos e teorias.
Á medida que isso acontece vão surgindo novos elementos na investigação que nos fazem questionar toda a veracidade do caso que temos entre mãos. . .
Fui de tal forma imersa para dentro do livro que fiquei embrenhada e tentava acompanhar toda a lógica do que se estava a passar.
Resultado? Desconfiei dos maus da fita e agarrei-me a essa certeza até ao fim, sendo que estava certa.
Há meandros obscuros, somos violentados ao sermos confrontados com o mundo de psicopatias sexuais, incesto, crianças que são sujeitas ao pior desde pequenas e que têm de viver com isso na vida adulta. . .
Agora perguntam? O que tem isto a ver com a sinopse do livro em que uma noiva é decapitada??
Tudo. . .
O que mais me fascina nos livros deste autor é mesmo a quantidade de enigmas aparentemente sem solução que ele cria. São uns atrás dos outros mas, se tivermos atenção, conseguimos ter um vislumbre do que se esconde por trás. . .
Adorei o livro mas achei que tem demasiadas páginas para a sua resolução e tem carência de ritmo, só ao fim comecei a devorar as páginas e só ao fim havia muito para descortinar. Suponho que é para criar o maior suspense possível.
Agora. . . uma pergunta. . . Será que o ser humano não é demasiado influenciado pelas histórias que ouve? Acredita mais no que ouve ou no que vê?? Poderá a minha realidade ser transformada por algo que me contam e passar a ser ESSA a minha nova realidade?
Resposta: Sim. . .
November 11, 2012
Não Abras Os Olhos foi muito aguardado por mim desde que virei a ultima página do antecessor “Pensa Num Número” e finalmente chegou à minha mão. Na ânsia de não me desapontar baixei bastante as expectativas em relação a este livro na esperança de me surpreender. E foi mais ou menos isso que aconteceu.
O segundo trabalho de John Verdon tem quase tudo o que é exigido de um bom policial/thriller, contudo Não Abras Os Olhos ficou ligeiramente a perder em relação ao anterior.
Mais uma vez o escritor cria, o que aparentemente é, uma situação impossível e essa é a sua maior qualidade, mas mesmo essa qualidade foi em muito ajudada com velho truque do “quarto fechado” o que em princípio devia-nos abrir os olhos. Mas nem assim vamos lá. Durante a leitura somos tão bem manipulados e enganados que só descobrimos a verdade nas últimas páginas. Ou assim devia ser…
Pois o que mais me “desapontou” foi ter desconfiado do culpado no inicio e mais tarde ter a certeza que foi ele. Este não é certamente o vilão mais inteligente que Dave Gurney teve de enfrentar. Mas saber quem foi não explica a forma de como foi feito e é nesse ponto que John Verdon se destaca dos outros escritores.
Tanto Pensa Num Número como Não Abras Os Olhos são grandes policiais com personagens fantásticas e vilões inteligentes capazes de impressionar uma mente grandiosa como a de Dave Gurney.
No fim fica a pergunta, o que faltou a este livro? Não sei, talvez a originalidade e diferença do magnífico Pensa Num Número que se destacou do banal policial.
O segundo trabalho de John Verdon tem quase tudo o que é exigido de um bom policial/thriller, contudo Não Abras Os Olhos ficou ligeiramente a perder em relação ao anterior.
Mais uma vez o escritor cria, o que aparentemente é, uma situação impossível e essa é a sua maior qualidade, mas mesmo essa qualidade foi em muito ajudada com velho truque do “quarto fechado” o que em princípio devia-nos abrir os olhos. Mas nem assim vamos lá. Durante a leitura somos tão bem manipulados e enganados que só descobrimos a verdade nas últimas páginas. Ou assim devia ser…
Pois o que mais me “desapontou” foi ter desconfiado do culpado no inicio e mais tarde ter a certeza que foi ele. Este não é certamente o vilão mais inteligente que Dave Gurney teve de enfrentar. Mas saber quem foi não explica a forma de como foi feito e é nesse ponto que John Verdon se destaca dos outros escritores.
Tanto Pensa Num Número como Não Abras Os Olhos são grandes policiais com personagens fantásticas e vilões inteligentes capazes de impressionar uma mente grandiosa como a de Dave Gurney.
No fim fica a pergunta, o que faltou a este livro? Não sei, talvez a originalidade e diferença do magnífico Pensa Num Número que se destacou do banal policial.
June 10, 2018
I honestly don't know how to rate this (very long) book. At times I was a solid 3 - then I changed my mind to a solid 4 - then back again! This is the 2nd in the Dave Gurney series- what I can tell you if you like police procedures/PI detective type books you will like the character of Dave Gurney- ( his wife- not so much!) but him- he is just delightful!
So, at times I felt this story was too 'long winded' - and there was a lot going on at the same time-best I can describe it. Again, at times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough - and then.... I was in a hurry for the book to move along. What I can say- ( I know, I'm now being long winded) I'm looking forward to the 3rd book in this series.... for the simple fact that I really like Dave Gurney! Silly review, but this is the best I can come up with!
So, at times I felt this story was too 'long winded' - and there was a lot going on at the same time-best I can describe it. Again, at times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough - and then.... I was in a hurry for the book to move along. What I can say- ( I know, I'm now being long winded) I'm looking forward to the 3rd book in this series.... for the simple fact that I really like Dave Gurney! Silly review, but this is the best I can come up with!
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