Hazel H. (DorianaGray) reviewed on
** spoiler alert ** This is my 2nd Coben book, (The first one was Fool me Once which I hated), and I'm only reading him because he's highly rated. That, and I just lost my precious kitty and I'm missing him terribly, so the title was perfect. Then it seemed like serendipity because the heroine's name is Kat (cat!) and then her mother's name is Hazel (that's my name!) and another character was names Sylvia, which was my dear Mother's name. So, I wanted to read and enjoy it.
This book was better that the 1st one I read, but it also had stunted dialogue and characters who are idiots. I mean, why did Coben pick magic number 18 as the number of years between the murder of her father and her fiance leaving her? It's a looooong time. I don't even remember what I was doing that far back, and I sure don't want to go back to the guy I was dating at that time (just kidding, he's my husband now).
The great love that she had for her father was also alien to me, as I didn't particular get along with my Dad. He was always cool towards me, never showing affection or pride. However, I adored my Mother. But, I think that if I found out that all this stuff had been going on with her and I a. didn't realize it, or b. did see it but I didn't want to acknowledge it, that I would feel differently about her after I'd learned it.
I mean, yeah, it was the times (18 years ago is the 80's?) and her Dad was a cop, plus married with a family in "the neighborhood" of NY. So what? He was a SOB as far as I'm concerned, abusing everyone he met with either his fists or his attitude. So, why was there such a fanatical love for this creep? His wife refused to leave him (because it wasn't done at the time, and where would she go with 3 kids?), his black gay cross-dressing lover (isn't that a mouthful?) refused to leave him (or hate him) even after he beat him up when they first met, then later on as well. What? Oh, it's OK, because he visited him in the hospital, and later brought him flowers. Oh, and he's got this rage, and self-hate, see, so when he's pounding on you, he's really pounding on himself. What??? I've got a psychology degree and that's a load of crap. Sorry, the guy's just a creep and has unresolved gay, anger & probably boundary issues which he needs serious help for. He's a Cop so throw in some abuse of power issues as well. Oh, and I forgot, a mob hit man claims he killed him (it's a lie), the Dad's partner also covers for him, then ultimately, so does the heroine's friend, and her ex-fiance. Sure. Not far-fetched at all.
I suffered my own abusive relationship with an ex and not only did I HATE him for it, but I left his ass and reported him to the police. There are signs of abusiveness and when you see them, you leave. Also, Mr. Coben, generally men who abuse their wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, whatever, also abuse their kids and animals. It's a sick, sad cycle of violence which escalates unless stopped by jail, therapy or something more permanent. Sad but true, look up the stats.
The 2 people I liked in this mish mash was one of the kidnap victims, who I was hoping the whole book would survive, and her son. They were fleshed out a bit more, and at least didn't take 18 years to fight back. I was also pleased in the wrap up that the dog who belonged to the (now dead) bad guy was adopted by them.
I think that so much of the verbiage could be shortened, or skipped entirely. I don't care about the bad guys thoughts, and don't need a "how to" be a bad guy tutoring. I didn't need to know about how much the other bad guy loved his dog, but couldn't wait to saw off the fingers of his victims, or lock them in the underground chambers for days at a time. And speaking about the "coffins" (food bins) that they converted into "holding chambers" for the victims, I didn't need a cringe inducing panic session in Chapter 2 from one of the victims. I though he was going to die there (he didn't). But I almost did. And I almost stopped reading the book at that point. I'm glad I finished it because it was exciting at the end, and I was happy that it had a (relatively) happy ending. That is, I guess Kat and Jeff ended up "together forever" to be cheesy. I just felt like Coben got to the end and was like, hmm, what do I do now to wrap this up? Oh, I know, have the fiance do it because xyz happened. Ugh, what? Sugar, it was too much! (sorry!).
This book was better that the 1st one I read, but it also had stunted dialogue and characters who are idiots. I mean, why did Coben pick magic number 18 as the number of years between the murder of her father and her fiance leaving her? It's a looooong time. I don't even remember what I was doing that far back, and I sure don't want to go back to the guy I was dating at that time (just kidding, he's my husband now).
The great love that she had for her father was also alien to me, as I didn't particular get along with my Dad. He was always cool towards me, never showing affection or pride. However, I adored my Mother. But, I think that if I found out that all this stuff had been going on with her and I a. didn't realize it, or b. did see it but I didn't want to acknowledge it, that I would feel differently about her after I'd learned it.
I mean, yeah, it was the times (18 years ago is the 80's?) and her Dad was a cop, plus married with a family in "the neighborhood" of NY. So what? He was a SOB as far as I'm concerned, abusing everyone he met with either his fists or his attitude. So, why was there such a fanatical love for this creep? His wife refused to leave him (because it wasn't done at the time, and where would she go with 3 kids?), his black gay cross-dressing lover (isn't that a mouthful?) refused to leave him (or hate him) even after he beat him up when they first met, then later on as well. What? Oh, it's OK, because he visited him in the hospital, and later brought him flowers. Oh, and he's got this rage, and self-hate, see, so when he's pounding on you, he's really pounding on himself. What??? I've got a psychology degree and that's a load of crap. Sorry, the guy's just a creep and has unresolved gay, anger & probably boundary issues which he needs serious help for. He's a Cop so throw in some abuse of power issues as well. Oh, and I forgot, a mob hit man claims he killed him (it's a lie), the Dad's partner also covers for him, then ultimately, so does the heroine's friend, and her ex-fiance. Sure. Not far-fetched at all.
I suffered my own abusive relationship with an ex and not only did I HATE him for it, but I left his ass and reported him to the police. There are signs of abusiveness and when you see them, you leave. Also, Mr. Coben, generally men who abuse their wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, whatever, also abuse their kids and animals. It's a sick, sad cycle of violence which escalates unless stopped by jail, therapy or something more permanent. Sad but true, look up the stats.
The 2 people I liked in this mish mash was one of the kidnap victims, who I was hoping the whole book would survive, and her son. They were fleshed out a bit more, and at least didn't take 18 years to fight back. I was also pleased in the wrap up that the dog who belonged to the (now dead) bad guy was adopted by them.
I think that so much of the verbiage could be shortened, or skipped entirely. I don't care about the bad guys thoughts, and don't need a "how to" be a bad guy tutoring. I didn't need to know about how much the other bad guy loved his dog, but couldn't wait to saw off the fingers of his victims, or lock them in the underground chambers for days at a time. And speaking about the "coffins" (food bins) that they converted into "holding chambers" for the victims, I didn't need a cringe inducing panic session in Chapter 2 from one of the victims. I though he was going to die there (he didn't). But I almost did. And I almost stopped reading the book at that point. I'm glad I finished it because it was exciting at the end, and I was happy that it had a (relatively) happy ending. That is, I guess Kat and Jeff ended up "together forever" to be cheesy. I just felt like Coben got to the end and was like, hmm, what do I do now to wrap this up? Oh, I know, have the fiance do it because xyz happened. Ugh, what? Sugar, it was too much! (sorry!).
