Customer Reviews

Accidents Waiting to Happen

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Business and life are good and Josh Michaels thinks he has life by the tail. Procurement manager and happily married he is on the way home to his wife, Kate and their daughter, Abby. As is his habit, he drives down backcountry roads at higher than posted speeds for the sheer exhilaration of it all and the lack of people to interfere. He likes to push the edge and has gotten away with it in the past.

That is until he is forced off the road by what initially appears to be a very reckless SUV driver. Josh's car goes airborne off the road right before a bridge and sails into the middle of the Sacramento River. Stunned by the impact but still alive Josh is faced with drowning as the car sinks because he can't swim. Trapped in the car as it slowly sinks, Josh sees the SUV driver standing on the bridge above him. Expecting help, he is horrified when the unknown driver gives him "a thumbs down gesture" reminiscent of the gladiators in the Roman Coliseum before driving away from the scene.

Josh survives his near drowning experience and eventually tells his story to the Police while recovering in the hospital. Outright skeptical from the start of the investigation and with little to go on, the Police dismiss it as yet another road rage incident. The stalled investigation does get some media airplay and subsequently brings him unwanted attention from his past.

His life as he knows it begins to dissolve as he is the target of killers who want him dead for only reasons they know and a blackmailer who hasn't made him suffer enough just yet. While the blackmailer works to end his relationship with his wife and child and to see him in jail, the killers want him dead. Slowly, Josh learns that he isn't the only target marked for death and that the blackmailer might be just the tip of the iceberg in regards to yet more problems. Other targets are being liquidated and the blackmailer is stepping up the pressure and Josh has lost all control over his life and may not be able to get any of it back.

While over written at times in terms of dialogue and scene narration, this debut novel overall is extremely enjoyable. The main character, Josh Michaels, is complex and believable as is the supporting cast. This novel moves forward at a steady pace, despite the large number of pov shifts through the novel, which actually work well to bring deeper depth to the characters. Full of twists and turns, this novel is an intriguing look at one man's journey to the edge of the abyss where all hope is lost before being pulled back from the edge.

To say this is a thriller is a an understatement. This writer must be deranged (in a GOOD way only) to be able to conceive such concepts. The 1st half of the book was great, if a runaway train aiming for you can be great. Do not attempt to read the 2nd half of the book unless you're sure you have enough time to finish it because, believe me, it will compel you to finish it, bedtime be darned!

Can't wait to read the others by him but I'm going to have to recoup from this 1 first! Buy it, you'll LOVE it if you're a fan of thrillers that make you relialize this could happen to you!

Simon Wood has a terrific imagination. The plot is excellent and kept me guessing, although the denouement is expected once the climax begins. I kept thinking that this was made for the big screen. Unfortunately, it reads more like a script than a novel, and there are numerous textual errors and typos that should have been caught by the editor. With a better editor, Simon Wood could have a promising career as a novelist.

Interesting fast paced story, but really, did the proof-reader and the editor go on vacation at the same time? ALL of the MANY ERRORS were extremely distracting. Typos abound, many missing words, reversed words in sentences, etc. I can't recall ever reading anything this poorly proofed. Insurance professionals will recognize many property/casualty policy terms and references in this story as well as life-related policies.

Oh my, what a painful read. Didn't think the author would ever get to the subject at hand, just filled the dialogue with so much "fluff and puff" The main character's stupidity led him to the next crisis throughout the book. Sorry, this book almost did me in, couldn't wait for it to end. Not a bargain at .99 cents.

It's very hard to get involved with a book when the main character is a complete jerk. The man deserves everything that happens to him. Unfortunately, innocents suffer because of his actions. It is extremely difficult to root for a character like that. Because of this, it is a difficult read.

Based on the time I wasted reading this book, I've decided to no longer trust any review on Amazon that doesn't show a verified purchase. Who are the people that gave this book 4 and 5 star reviews? As a constant reader, I've come to expect a certain level of literacy and pacing from a novel. This has neither. It had its characters doing absolutely unrealistic things in unrealistic ways. If you've read the book to its conclusion you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, don't bother. Trust me on this: it's not worth your time. As other reviewers have written, this book needs some serious editing. Someone should've sat the author down and forced him to make his lead character act in believable ways. I can't say enough bad things about this book.

A SPOILER ALERT IS NOT NEEDED. THIS IS A REVIEW, NOT A SYNOPSIS.

I have mixed feelings about Simon Woods' writing. To his credit, there are times when Accidents Waiting to Happen is a bona fide page-turner. But, there are others when the writing is almost amateurish. As a matter of fact, I was tempted to stop reading after several initial pages. I'm glad I persevered. Over all, his character descriptions are fleshed-out (pun intended), yet, yield to stereotyping. His portrayal of the protagonist's daughter and his interactions (dialogue) with her led me to believe she was far younger than her eight years of age. If you can forgive him for these weaknesses, then you'll enjoy the book.

Plot writing is Woods' best feature. He takes an initial premise and then twists and turns it so that, readers are second-guessing their own predictions. The readability of the prose is a bit choppy. He excels when describing action and lags with (sometimes) stilted dialogue. That seamless flow between plot turning points and dialogue needs improvement.

Woods's writing is reminiscent of a weather report; intermittent sunshine with bouts of thunderstorms.

This book grabs you from the first sentence and doesn't let up! An amazing thriller with non-stop action. Simon Wood is going to be up there with the greats.

Simon Wood's, Accidents waiting to happen, drew me into its cleverly crafted plot. I enjoyed the well illustrated main character, Josh. He is a guy like the rest of us, just doing his thing when outside forces align against him. His career, his family and his life, suddenly come under fire from all directions. As Josh uncovers the many layers of the plots, he learns how his mistakes in the past have returned to haunt him. His past indiscretions are only part of his problems. Somewhere between blackmail and running for his life, Josh struggles to unravel the mystery and save everything he holds dear.
This was the first thriller that I have read in a long time and I liked it so much that I picked up the next book by the author, Paying the Piper, which was also very good. I highly recommend Simon Wood's work.
Gregory Solis