Customer Reviews

Eyes: A Susan Shader Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just raced through Eyes in less than a day and I cannot wait for the sequel. Since I'm not a fan of the genre, don't have much of an interest in psychics, and am ambivalent at best about Chicago, I thought I might not get into this, but I had to surrender to the plot. The characters are interesting and show unusual depth for a thriller. I say characters because the peripheral characters here could spawn their own series. I stayed up 3 hours later than I wanted to last night trying to finish this and got up 2 hours before the alarm went off this morning because I knew I couldn't get through the day without knowing how it ended. I immediately went to Amazon.com to see if there was a sequel and was heartened to see that Blood will be coming in July. I recommend this to readers of forsensic detective novels as well as fans of shows like Millennium, The Profiler and even the X-Files. There's also some interesting undercurrents about race relations, Judaica, and psychiatry that are unusually well developed for a thriller, so fans of political novels might also want to give Eyes a try.

I really got into this book!! It was in my recommendations and I was a bit hesitant about buying it but I thought what the heck, I'll give it a shot. I am sooo glad I did, as it was one of those books I could not put down. It is engrossing and suspensful. I fell in love with Dr. Susan Shader and there is such depth in her relationship with her son that the authoor is very perceptive in portraying. As a parent I felt her pain and really could not believe how adept Mr. Glass was in making me feel a lot of things throughout the whole book. It is so much more than just a thriller although it does that well too. Very deep and moving and anyone who did not enjoy this book must be made of stone. It shows a real sensitivity that a lot of books lack and I can't wait to read his next novel, "Blood".

This was realllllllly good....who is Joseph Glass???? hmmmmmmmmmmm.. i see that it is copyrighted by "jsl, inc"......who could that be??? verrrrry easy reading, quite engrossing, quite different....susan is real, emotional, intelligent and a breath of fresh air for all of the readers who are rather sick of patricia cornwell and the like....i really enjoyed this book thoroughly...all of the characters were "fleshed" out quite well and i would most definitely suggest this as the perfect airplane book....the hours will fly by...i want to read more susan shader books...what a marvelous heroine....thanx "joe glass" whoever you are...just keep on writing...but fast....!!!

"Eyes" introduces us to Susan Shader, a psychic psychiatrist who sometimes works with the police to solve crimes. While this is a tale often told (the psychic and the police is a very common theme in psychic fiction), Susan is a wonderful character, and the mystery itself was a truly engrossing tale.

Susan's psychic abilities, while important to the plot, are secondary to both her psychiatric training, her deep characterization, and her relationship with her son. I cannot stress enough how much this book is character-driven, and how much the mystery it self - the chasing of an apparent serial killer with an agenda that baffles - brings this novel to a boil. There is a sequel, "Blood," that definately has me hooked.

I hope for more Susan Shader novels, and would really like to know who Joseph Glass is.

The prologue is fascinating, and quite unexpected in its blunt treatment of the death of Peter. Who is this nasty little Arnold Haze?
As we get into the "meat" of the novel, we wonder: What in the world did the opening have to do with the Coed murders? Enter psychic consultant Susan Shader, a gifted woman who is helping David Gold investigate the series of gruesome murders. With Susan's help, a suspect is found and ultimately pinned with the murders---halfway through the book, so we know something's afoot.
Suffice to say, a cruel mastermind pointed them to the direction he wanted, so he can continue his murders. It is at this point the enigmatic prologue comes to light.
Glass works wonders with his characters; Susan is remarkable in her determination, and how she deals with a divorce and her limited time with her eight year old son, Michael, who is a delightful character as well. Susans' relationships with her ex-husband, Nick, and with David Gold, are real and touching.
The novel builds well although it's final moments seem a little rushed and perhaps slightly forced. But it's a good read and held me in its thrall.
RECOMMENDED.

"Haste makes waste." Nowhere is this adage more true than in Joseph Glass' first novel, "Eyes: A Susan Shader Novel" When Chicago police detective David Gold makes an arrest of a man they believe to be a serial killer, the city breathes a collective sigh of relief. Based on tangible evidence, and the the intangible psychic visions of long-time friend and confidant Dr. Susan Shader, Gold rushes to close the case that has beleaguered the city for months. Though Shader has misgivings and secret doubts about the man they arrested, she keeps them to herself. Her reticence blows up in her face when the man arrested as the murderer kills himself in his cell, and days later, another victim is found mutilated in the same manner as the previous ones. Self-esteem dangerously low, and reputation destroyed, Shader goes into a reclusive state. Shunned by the public and vilified by the Chicago Police Department, Shader vows never to trust her visions again. Until the apple-of-her-eye is abducted in plain view of hundreds of witnesses...her son. Though his kidnapping happens in the midst of O'Hare airport, no one has seen the boy nor his abductor. Shader knows she must work quickly (and alone) to save her boy.

Though the book jacket likens "Eyes" killer to Hannibal Lecter...the insidious evil of the Harris novels is sadly absent. We are not privy to the thoughts and dark workings of the killers mind here, but the story itself is not lacking because of it. A thrilling page-turner, "Eyes" is bound to keep the reader wanting more!

A good summer, beach book. Liked the rapport between Susan Shader and David Gold; however, I wish he was not married. Would be nice to have a little romance between the two. This book keeps you interested from beginning to end. Only wish we knew who the author is--could it be Kellerman or Patterson?

just happened upon glass' first susan shrader novel in goodwill bin...picked it up on a whim and LOVED IT..
i know there is a second book in the series, but nothing after that..i was looking forward to finding another author to follow, but what happened to glass...and who is glass???
the first book had wonderfully complex characters that you don't always find in thrillers and i read the book in one day...can anyone help?

This is the kind of book that grabs your attention on page one and doesn't let go until you've closed the book. In fact, you'll probably find yourself thinking about the book long after you've put it back on the shelf. Glass (the pseudonym of a New York Times bestselling author) effectively builds up the suspense and keeps the reader guessing. I really liked the main characters, and found them to be extremely interesting with a nice 'human' quality about them.

Starts out grabbing your interest right away with a set-up scene. The herione is such a real person with an unreal gift of second sight. Really gets into the psychology of a killer and introduces you to one of the smartest and sickest of them all. Even after I skipped to the end, as I sometimes to do see if I am right in my guess at the identity of the killer, I still wanted to read the WHOLE thing in between. I didn't give five stars because I am not truly into detective stories, but this one is definately worth your time.