Delusion [Audio CD]

Peter Abrahams (Author), Ken Marks (Narrator)

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: RecordedBooks (2008)
• ISBN-10: 1436107539
• ISBN-13: 978-1436107532
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,007,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Abrahams - "criminally gifted" according to the New York Times Book Review - is the author of 27 novels. These include the New York Times bestselling Echo Falls mystery series for middle-graders (DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, BEHIND THE CURTAIN, INTO THE DARK) and REALITY CHECK (2009) for teens. Among his adult books are OBLIVION (Shamus prize finalist), THE FAN (made into a movie with Robert DeNiro) and LIGHTS OUT (Edgar award finalist). DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE was a finalist for the Edgar best young adult mystery award and won the Agatha in the same category. BEHIND THE CURTAIN and INTO THE DARK were Agatha finalists. In her Cleveland Plain Dealer review of NERVE DAMAGE (2007), Michelle Ross wrote: "I swear, if one more literary person says in that oh-so-condescendng tone, 'Oh, I don't read ... mysteries,' I'm going to take a novel by Peter Abrahams and smack him on his smug little head." REALITY CHECK won the best young adult mystery Edgar award in 2010. ROBBIE FORESTER AND THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD STREET, January 2012, is first in a new middle-grade series about a twelve-year-old Robin Hood in contemporary Brooklyn.
As Spencer Quinn, Abrahams also writes the New York Times bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series: DOG ON it, THEREBY HANGS A TAIL, TO FETCH A THIEF, and THE DOG WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. He has a website - peterabrahams.com; and so does Chet - chetthedog.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow Start, but redeems itelf in the middle and cops out in the end, July 27, 2008

By 

Benjamin Miller (Clarence, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Delusion: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)

This is the first book by Peter Abrahams that I have read. It intertwines the lives of a convict and the woman who put him behind bars for the murder of her husband. The book drags on at the beginning, but quickly picks up and becomes a page-turning suspense novel. I was very disappointed by the ending as it did not seem to resolve the conflict well. Also sometimes Abraham's choice of wording seems to be fragmented.

In the end you wind up disappointed. (At least I did)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Past is Prologue, June 23, 2008

By 

Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Delusion: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)

Friendship can lead to all kinds of results, as this suspense novel proves. Moreover, the consequences can not only be unanticipated, but lead to more complications than the human mind can conceive. But this author does a pretty good job of conjuring up as many as he can think of.

About 20 years before the story takes place, Nell Jarreau was strolling along the bayou with her boyfriend when they were attacked by a masked man demanding money. The boyfriend was then knifed and murdered. Nell kicked the attacker and the mask fell for a moment, giving her a glimpse of the man's face. Based on her ID, a man was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. A year later, she married one of the detectives, who, as the story is told, is now the Chief of Police, both apparently living happily until a telephone call changes everything.

As a result of hurricane damage, a tape is found exonerating the apparently falsely incarcerated convict. Nell feels guilty about having sent an innocent man to prison, but her memory of the attack is at best hazy, and she goes about attempting to investigate the matter. She meets with the released man, tries hypnosis and attempts to find the truth. Before the reader can reach the end of this well-paced novel, there is a dearth of clues pointing one to a logical conclusion. Yet the ending is consistent with the single earlier clue, and the characterizations are finely tuned. A well-written tale, and one which is recommended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wow...for PA this is simply AWFUL...., October 17, 2008

By 

Robert F. Gaydos (Nashua, NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Delusion: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)

I've read 14 of Abraham's 17 books. They range from unbelievably perfect to just so-so...but this book? What happened?

When it was released, I read some pretty negative reviews --- the Publisher's Weekly review was particularly surprising. Sadly, having just finished this book, I would have to concur with them.

Almost every positive element of the usual PA suspenser is not here. The characters are flat and unappealing: the heroine has such a flat, nondescript affect it's hard to conjure up any feelings (like or dislike) for her; the "villain," unjustly accused (or not) con Alvin DuPree is a mix of the over-the-top verbosely irritating simpleton who ruined "Crying Wolf" and a pastiche of cliches of other jailbirds from other, better PA books; the only character who is remotly interesting is reporter Lee Ann Bonner, and any uniquely human foibles she could espouse are quickly sucked up and obliterated by her "girl-detective-cum-narrator" nonstop train of over-expository verbiage.

And then there's the plot, which creaks with the subtlety of a rapidly collapsing barn door. It's detours are almost laughably telegraphed pages in advance and the ending is not only unbelievable (a common occurance sometimes in PA's books) but ALSO horribly unsatisfying (something that never occurs, until now).

Add to this that the heroine and her cop husband have the exact conversation about 25 times in the course of 200 pages:

"Clay, what if I fingered the wrong man?"

"You didn't."

"I think I did."

"You DIDN'T!" Clay storms out.

Only in the last third of the book do things speed up, and then only slightly.

Peter, you need some fresh ideas. You're a wonderfully talented writer, but "Delusion?" Come on, you're not even trying here.