Customer Reviews

Down to the Wire

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I have just finished reading this book and somewhere along the way I must have missed it. As a matter-of-fact I am left with many unanswered questions. I know who "dun it" but I'm not satisfied as to the why. I am a big fan of Rosenfelt's "Andy Carpenter novels", but this one ended much too quickly and was very unbelievable. Reading the "dog" books was much more entertaining.

First Sentence: If you're a corpse, you should get your name in the paper.

Reporter Chris Turley dreams of receiving a Pulitzer, as his father did. He receives a call to meet an unidentified source claiming to have a big story. Rather than meet his contact, an office building explodes across from the site and his saving five victims makes him a hero and puts him, and his story, on the front page. A second call follows and a second major headline. But then there's a body and Chris realizes he's being led down a path marked by violence caused by his source.

David Rosenfelt writes a series of light legal mysteries I quite enjoy. He has a wonderful voice using humor based on situation and dialogue which is natural and unforced. I had great hopes when I started this book, but they were quickly dashed.

The plot is formulaic and over-the-top predictable. For a reporter, the character couldn't write; his news stories were ones no publisher would permit. I kept checking the copyright date to see whether this was something the author had written years ago but was only being released now. No such luck.

There was little enough development of the protagonist's character and none of the villain's so I never really cared about them. About half-way through, I no longer cared about the story either, but I pushed on. The sentences are short and with no real flow to the dialogue. The suspense was good except you never once doubted that the good guys would be fine in the end and the bad guys not. I will give credit for a very good twist.

My suggestion is to pass on this book but do try Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series instead.

DOWN TO THE WIRE (Thriller/Journ-Chris Turley-New Jersey-Cont) - NR
Rosenfelt, David - Standalone
Minotaur Books, 2010, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780312373948

Chris Turley, reporter for the Bergen News, lives in the shadow of his father, award-winning investigative reporter Edward Turley. Chris's anonymity comes to an end when he witnesses the explosion of an office building while waiting to meet a source. Chris rescues five people and is hailed a hero, finding himself an instant celebrity. Chris's life and career take a dramatic turn when his source subsequently feeds him information that establishes Chris as an investigative journalist. But Chris's celebrity status fades as the mysterious source begins randomly killing people, using Chris as his reason for doing so. Law enforcement personnel and the FBI initially suspect Chris is the culprit but eventually turn their investigation outward, following clues that lead to nowhere.

Rosenfelt is best known for his light, comedic Andy Carpenter mystery series. This standalone thriller offers a fast-moving plot filled with twists and turns. Chris is a likable character, an everyday guy thrust into a complicated situation from which there seems no escape. Although some may question the reason behind the murders, the psychopathic killer is well portrayed and adds a thrilling dimension to the plot.

What makes this thriller so frightening is that based on today's social and political climate, something like this could happen. Chris Turley is a reporter for a Bergen, NJ newspaper. His father Edward had been a star reporter for the same paper and was notorious for exposing bad people in the paper.

Acting on a tip to meet a guy at a park with information about the Mayor, Chris goes there. As soon as he arrives a building blows up and Chris rushes in to try to save possible survivors. This thrusts Chris into the media spotlight. Shortly after he receives the information from the informant (nicknamed P.T.) and is able to catch the Mayor in something illegal.

The amount of attention that Chris achieves now seems monumental and he appears on his way to eclipsing his father as a star reporter. What happens next is that P.T. is not the tipster he seems to be but is a serial killer that uses terrorist tactics to kill his victims. Somehow P.T. has focused on Chris as the one to cover his story.

People start dying in frightening manner like being blown up in their cars and killed by poison darts. Of course the police begin to think Chris fabricated the personna of P.T. and suspect that he may be the actual killer.

This is a tense thriller up to the end and Rosenfelt does another great job of deviating from his Andy Carpenter tales. I would have rated this book a solid five stars but there were a few obvious clues that Chris and the police are slow to catch on to, one involving an email.

This book is the personification of a page turner. Be prepared to push everything else to the side for David Rosenfelt has crafted an impeccable thriller. All the other reviewers have appropriately detailed the story and suspense. My hope is that Mr. Rosenfelt continues to write stand alone thrillers in addition to the wonderful Andy Carpenter series.

I received this book in the mail when I got home tonight and started reading it right away. It is now 1:44AM and I knew I shouldn't have started it until this weekend because I never can put David Rosenfelt's books down till I finish them. So many twists and turns..I had no idea who was responsible until I was told. Thank you again and I really don't mind not getting much sleep tonight!

Please read. You will not be disappointed!

If you're reading this review you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.


While you're reading this novel everything is exciting, new, tasty, and fun, fun, fun. The pages are going to turn as fast as a water meter during the first hot day of summer when all of the sprinklers are turned on.

But when you're done with this book, having quickly gotten every last bit of excitement you could get while you were still in the midst of literary passion, you're going to ask yourself: Did I really do what I think I did?

Yes, you did and yes you're going to regret it the next day. This book has a lot going for it, but beneath the action, short chapters, interesting plot, and mini-mystery there is no depth here whatsoever, and there are many unfinished answers to important questions that are glossed over in the hopes you won't notice the books warts and bad breath while you're so enamored of the clever writing.

I loved this book, and I will be recommending it to others, but I know that this could have been much much better.