(Pick It)
Author: Allen Wyler
Genre: Fiction/ Thriller
First Published: 2012
Page Count: 400
Type: Paperback
Film/ TV Adaptation: No
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Though the beginning of the novel feels like a completely different book compared to the second half, there is a one heck of a thriller within these pages that would rival the best in the genre.
__________________Positives__________________
*Edge of your seat storytelling *Interesting plot
___________________Negatives_____________________
*Beginning of the book doesn’t match the rest of the story *Conclusion felt rushed
“In for a pound or whatever that expression was.” John Ritter is close to discovering a possible cure for Alzheimer’s disease using stem cell research, but his work is brought to a halt when his life his seemingly threatened by an extreme anti-abortion group. Hoping to continue his work in secret, Ritter heads to Korea to work in an old friend’s lab until things go horribly wrong. Ritter soon finds himself on the run in a foreign country with two first degree murder charges over his head and a devious assassin on his tail. The once famed neurosurgeon must now find a way to get back onto U.S. soil in one piece while trying to keep his formula for curing Alzheimer’s out of the wrong hands.
This was an interesting read. The first half of the book reads like an episode of House with its blending of the main character’s side stories and high-tech medical procedures. It isn’t until you reach a little more than the middle of the book, that the story suddenly revs up and becomes a full-blown thriller. The fear of being trapped in a foreign country and, on top of that, being wanted by the law, are perfectly captured by Wyler. You can’t help but turn the page, because the way the author spins the story makes every move John Ritter takes seem like his last. You’re never quite sure if the main character will actually make it through each twist and turn that is thrown his way.
However, the thrilling chase that dominates the second half of the book makes the beginning feel like a completely different story. The first half is concentrated on the medical aspect of the book and the importance of the main character’s research, but the last half feels like you’ve just been transferred intoThe Da Vinci Codewhen you consider the speed with which the author similarly keeps the plot moving as the character stays on the run from his enemies. The medical element is completely forgotten until a quickly thrown together conclusion. The chase aspect of the book was great, but I think the story could have been woven together in a better way. Because so much is focused on the escape from Korea, not only is the conclusion rushed but some of the secondary characters, including Ritter’s love interest, don’t get fleshed out enough. I just found it hard to believe the relationships the characters shared with the minimal background that is given on them.
At the end, I didn’t walk away from the book feeling completely satisfied because of the rocky way the first and second half of the book merge together to form their whole. However, the second half of the story makes this book worth checking out because Wyler definitely has the chops to create that necessary nail-biting nervousness every good thriller needs. Even the author’s basic storyline of a neurosurgeon that has to hide out in a foreign country to conduct his research is refreshing, and realistic. This is a quick read, and if you love thrillers, this book does stand up well in its genre.
*Follow the link to check out where to get your copy of Dead End Deal for your e-reader: http://astorandblue.com/dead-end-deal/
