Down to the Wire [Hardcover]

David Rosenfelt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2010

A reporter for the Bergen News, Chris Turley could never measure up to his father. Edward Turley, a combination of Bob Woodward and Ernie Pyle, was one of the last great investigative reporters and a difficult man to impress. While stuck covering press conferences and town hall meetings, Chris, his father’s legend in mind, has always dreamed of his own Pulitzer, however unlikely it seems.

Then one day while he’s waiting to meet a source, a giant explosion takes out half of an office building next door. Shocked into action, Chris saves five people from the burning building. His firsthand account in the next day’s paper makes him a hero and a celebrity.

And that’s not all. The source’s next tip delivers a second headline-grabber of a story for Chris, and suddenly his career is looking a lot more like his dad’s. But then it seems this anonymous source has had a plan for Chris all along, and his luck for being in the right place at the right time is not a coincidence at all. What seemed like a reporter’s dream quickly becomes an inescapable nightmare.

Down to the Wire, David Rosenfelt’s shocking new thriller about an ordinary man who gets exactly what he’s always wanted at a price he can never pay, is an intense thrill ride that will have readers racing through the pages right up to the end.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. At the height of the Reign of Terror in 1793, an unknown killer is emulating the work of the guillotine by leaving beheaded corpses all over Paris in Alleyn's superior fourth Aristide Ravel mystery (after 2009's The Cavalier of the Apocalypse). Given the tight control of the republican government, the police don't realize that the deaths are part of a series, but eventually former justice minister Georges Danton asks Ravel to solve the case. With delicate peace negotiations with the English under way, Danton fears that word of the atrocities will jeopardize them. The pressure to catch the killer only increases as the roster of victims expands to include a member of the government. Alleyn brilliantly captures the paranoid spirit of the times, and inserts enough twists to keep most readers guessing. This entry approaches the quality of the historical fiction of such authors as Steven Saylor and Laura Joh Rowland. (Dec.) (c)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Bergen News reporter Chris Turley is tipped by phone about a potentially big story of political chicanery. But moments before he is to meet his anonymous informant, there is an explosion across the street, and Chris becomes an instant hero by rescuing five people from a shattered building. The explosion is assumed to be terrorism, and Chris appears on the Today Show 18 hours later. His story about the rescue is reprinted across the country. Soon other, random New Jerseyans die in blasts, and Chris realizes that his informant is also the brilliant and demented bomber. But who is he, and why is he doing these things? Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter novels are known for their breezy storytelling and humor. His first stand-alone, Don’t Tell a Soul (2008), offered fine suspense as well as some humor. This one eschews humor to focus on the actions of ordinary people faced with extraordinary trials. It also employs a whiplash plot turn that may strain credulity, but it’s still an engaging suspense tale. --Thomas Gaughan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312373945
• ISBN-13: 978-0312373948
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, is a graduate of NYU. He was the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a writer of novels and screenplays. "Open And Shut" was his first novel; "First Degree," his second novel, was named a best book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and 35 dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (4.5) "It's all about me. And it's all about my father.", March 16, 2010

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Down to the Wire (Hardcover)

Rosenfelt's thriller is immensely engaging, a young reporter on the scent of one great story after another, as Chris Turley's otherwise unimpressive byline suddenly gains national cachet. But over time and at the expense of many innocent victims, a more heinous plot evolves. None of the shocking events that will rivet the country's attention on New Jersey have yet occurred when Turley receives a tip that puts him in position to break a major news story in New Jersey, the bombing of a medical building. A second tip leads to headlines of a political scandal, yet another coup for Turley, son of a famous journalist who was more iconic hero than loving father. The last thing Chris wants is to follow in his father's footsteps. Then a third incident- the discovery of the body of a missing man- not only puts Chris in the spotlight once more, but leads him to suspect the informant, PT, has an agenda of his own, with Chris a critical component.

The protagonist is likable, irreverent, possessing just enough confidence and self-doubt to make him the perfect vehicle for the revenge of a twisted mind. Blending old-time reportage with the advances of technology and the usual bureaucratic snarls of state vs. federal law enforcement agencies, Rosenfelt crafts a thoroughly chilling tale, more dead bodies piling up as Chris finds himself the star of the meticulously plotted scheme of a perverse psychopath. The author deftly avoids the pitfalls of predictability, sidestepping the obvious clichés, twisting and turning characters and motives in a mad pursuit that leaves the killer on top and Chris dancing to his every tune. Even law enforcement has a personal face, lending emotional nuance to a manhunt that is thwarted at every turn and better than most.

All the world is a stage in Bergen, New Jersey, as a young reporter is thrust into public awareness by his proximity to a killer, but the thrill quickly wears off as random victims die and the final resolution puts the lives of thousands at stake. Written with gritty energy, Rosenfelt's style is more pragmatic than outrageous, more ironic than cynical, as one man holds the country hostage to his demands. Down to the Wire is a thriller worth the read. Luan Gaines/2010.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Rosenfelt please, March 25, 2010

By 

Cheryl Koch (CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Down to the Wire (Hardcover)

Chris Turley works as a reporter for the Bergen News. Chris is a good reporter but he will never be like his father...the legendary Edward Turley. Chris dreams of one day winning a Pulitzer for his work. He just may get the Pulitzer sooner then he thought. Chris receives a phone call from a tipster. The caller tells Chris that he has some information regarding corruption involving a high level government official. Chris agrees to meet the caller at the park. Chris arrives only to the building next door to him blow up. Chris becomes a hero and saves five lives. Chris's career quickly picks up. Chris soon realizes that he is just a pawn in a sick psycho's game and it is up to Chris to stop him, before the price gets too high.

I have been eyeing Mr. Rosenfelt's books for a while now but haven't tried one until now. Let me start off by saying...WOW! Down to the Wire is a thrill ride every page from beginning until the end. I couldn't read this book fast enough. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole time. Chris had a lot of character and depth. He was fully-rounded versus being one-dimensional. There were enough twists and turns to make a suspense/thriller fan like me pleased. I am fully invested in reading more books by David Rosenfelt.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rosenfelt Scores Again!, March 17, 2010

By 

Ralph Block (Westlake Village, California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Down to the Wire (Hardcover)

David Rosenfelt has earned a well-deserved reputation as a splendid writer of crime fiction - with seven previous books to his credit. All but one of these books feature Andy Carpenter - the maverick, irreverent, sports-loving lawyer who represents assorted odd defendants and, in the process, solves crimes. A hallmark of the Andy Carpenter books is Mr. Rosenfelt's wry sense of humor; there's a laugh on almost every page.

But Mr. Rosenfelt has also demonstrated his ability to write crime fiction of a different sort. Andy Carpenter and his lovable Golden Retriever are nowhere to be found in this second, and newest, stand-alone, "Down to the Wire." But Rosenfelt fans will shed no tears - this new book is a tightly-written, well-told story, featuring a likeable and sympathetic newspaper reporter matching wits with a smart and methodical stone-cold killer who is always one step ahead of his pursuers. There are a lot of twists, turns and surprises, in a combination that will keep the reader in rapt attention from beginning to end.

A characteristic of Mr. Rosenfelt's books is that he expends few words describing the color of the sky or the hue of the protagonists' clothing. But not to worry - his books, including this one, provide a good sense of place. The characters, too, are nicely defined and, for the most part, are people we can relate to. "Down to the Wire" is a thoroughly enjoyable book, and a must-read for crime fiction buffs.