Customer Reviews

The Art of Breaking Glass

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I think if Bill resembles any literary character it is Hamlet (or perhaps the less well known Stainless Steel Rat). He is dark and tormented, and he has issues with his mother. But what makes this book exceptional is Bill's committed (no pun intended) liberalism. He us a crazy man fighting the good fight. That, coupled with his undeniable brilliance, is what ultimately makes him so likeable. And you may finish the book, like I did, with an urge to engage in some creative social justice yourself. I've read this book three times, and I could read it again tomorrow. Buy it now, you won't be able to stop reading once you start. And, if you can afford it, buy the hardcover. The jacket and cover design are really snazzy.

When I got this book, I immediately read it twice. Once, within 48 hours, because the suspense was killing me. A second time to relish the writing and characterization. I don't make it through most mysteries even once -- after I've unraveled the plot, the writing often isn't good enough to hold my interest . How rare to find a mystery like this which can tether one to the plot with a strong thread of suspense, yet pleasure one with the deliberate nature and freshness of the writing.

What I enjoyed most about the book was the moral complexity of the characters. Too many books have the clearly evil and the clearly good. In my experience we all have a few blemishes to our souls, a few dings in our characters, and an inconsistency or two in our ethics. This book steps out of a world where characters are as flat and two-dimensional as a soap opera heroine, and into a world where people are as intriguing, mystifying, and unpredictable as they really are in life. Here are people who walk hand-in-hand not just with the companions of their days but with the ghosts and demons of their own pasts and with the shadow side of their own natures.

We are introduced to Bill, a Robin Hood of sorts, an activist for the rich history and community and thriving life of the urban landscape -- at the same time in which he is psychotic killer, an evil genius, inflicting his peculiar notions of justice on people and property as well. In Bill's case, he has an almost terrifying consistency in his ethics. (I can't tell you to how many people I've read the violence-against-women vengeance sequence in the book, and how many of them copped to having similar fantasies.)

Sharon, our heroine, is torn between her own ethics, and those she shares with Bill. She is more effective at solving puzzles than most of the detectives she encounters -- even as she clings to her own mental equilibrium with an at times very tentative hold. Sharon -- along with a third character, Eric -- are engaging as decent people trying to deal compassionately and appropriately with an insane world.

It was delightful to find a mystery in which the ethical questions and the characters were as gripping as the plot.

this story really dove into the depth of every character... making them realistic with indepth backgrounds. The characteristics are realistic along with the many detailed chemicals in the story. As the cover says it definately is a thriller... and though the relationship between the two main characters was ment to be similar to that of haniball and clarice it was extremely different. A good different... and amazing different. You certainly are hooked to the story the whole way through. I would suggest this story to anyone who likes thrillers mysteries... the word usage and style is truely beautiful and you can tell how much time was spent on retrieving details and accuracy...

This was one of the first "real" books that I read. It is a little bit confusing at first, because there are so many characters, but after the first couple of chapters you won't want to put it down! I hope that if you are doubting about buying this book, STOP! This is an awsome book I recommend it to anyone that likes to read! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

I must admit the thing that made me want to review this book most was Mr. Hall's rich mesmerising words and style. I mean - you read a lot of books, many that may have a more captivating storyline, but rarely do you come across a text whose every word is strong and powerful to the extent of keeping your eyes glued to the pages and your mind stimulated , alert and on edge. Yes, that's true. The book is a literary foray into psychological complexities of the human mind. It is interesting, yet somehow it loses its appeal towards the end. That does not go to say it is not a good book, but the title and the first part of it promise more than the latter part really delivers. Overall, it is a very good book and a great read - irrespective!

Nice thriller, interesting twists, original ideas (as far as I know), engaging context, believable characters. What more can be said of a book in this category?

For someone who is rarely taken with thrillers, I was enthralled by Matthew Hall's well crafted and engrossing tale of urban espionage and revenge. It had more twists and turns than a snake's back. I also appreciated the great care that Hall obviously took in researching the historical and technological aspects of his story. It was unnerving and yet completely compelling to crawl around in the twisted brain of Hall's main character; I flew through the book so quickly it made my own head spin! Prepare to be sucked into a fast-paced thriller of unusual style and quality

For someone who is rarely taken with thrillers, I was enthralled by Matthew Hall's well crafted and engrossing tale of urban espionage and revenge. It had more twists and turns than a snake's back. I also appreciated the great care that Hall obviously took in researching the historical and technological aspects of his story. It was unnerving and yet completely compelling to crawl around in the twisted brain of Hall's main character; I flew through the book so quickly it made my own head spin! Prepare to be sucked into a fast-paced thriller of unusual style and quality

Entertaining, with a good blend of action, horror and humor. I did, however, have to accept a major coincidence, that Sharon's uncle just happens to be Bill's major nemesis. And although the reason Bill starts on his crusade, to save a venerable old building, seems a tad weak, by the end of the novel I found myself kind of agreeing with his reasoning, though certainly not his methods. But, hey, I'm an architect.

Far cry from Silence of the Lambs. Plot lacks the ability to keep the readers interest. To put it in simple words, 'Don't waste your time or, better yet, your money'