Customer Reviews

On the Fifth Day

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The first three hundred or so pages of this book are a somewhat enjoyable, if unremarkable read. In other words, they're pretty typical of the genre. Hartley has an interesting sense of pacing, which more than offsets the somewhat clunky way he introduces some of the plot elements. Up until the last quarter of the book, he manages to produce enough twists and turns to keep pulling the reader onward, anticipating the way this convoluted plot is going to resolve itself.

And, then, we move into the left-turn of a reveal, and everything falls apart. There's nothing wrong with throwing the reader a total curve ball, but there should be enough information scattered throughout the story to make everything fit together. In other words, a reader should be able to look back through the book and see, with the benefit of hindsight, how the plot actually unfolded amidst the tangle of red herrings.

This is where Hartley fails. The left turn comes from absolutely no where, and, as a result the story falls completely apart. The relationships between the deceased priest, the marine biologist, and the senator end up feeling crammed into the book to make the whole thing work and get everyone where they need to be at the end. Instead of marveling at the way Hartley hid his true plot in plain sight, the reader ends up wondering where all this came from.

It's a pity really. In the end, the pieces just don't fit together. The big, shocking reveal of the villain's identity is actually dull and anticlimactic. By breaking the reader's trust with his ridiculous plot twist, Hartley loses the necessary suspension of disbelief from the reader to make the events of the last few chapters seem plausible.

A.J Hartley's latest book "On the Fifth Day" is a thriller that kept me glued to the page from the lightning fast beginning until the break-neck race for the finish. I hated to see the book end, but I couldn't stop reading to save some for tomorrow. May just read it again.

After reading Mr.Hartley's first novel "the mask of arteus" i picked this one up. It was a fine departure and shows his growth as a novelist. The book kept me entertained with the unusual plot twists, such as the frescos in Italy and then the surprise came at the end with the "missing link". Some of the plot lines seemed to lead someplace and then drop for a while, but they did pick up and he tied it all together, with the exception of Thomas and Kumo's relationship, not another mention after the ordeal ended. Maybe they will return in a new adventure?

From the first page to the last, Hartley throws you into the world of the book and taunts you at every turn. There are no one sided arguments, no single agenda to pound you in the head with here. He presents all sides and pursues all possibilities in this breakneck thriller. If you enjoyed Mask, this is a must read--the characters are more well defined, the plot thicker, and the pace unbelievable. I couldn't put it down. If you read nothing else this summer, you have to read this!

The title "On the Fifth Day" refers to the fifth day of Creation when God created the fish of the sea, the birds of the air. Why focus on the fifth day? The story follows a specific religious symbol which would really open questions about faith, but which symbols, which questions? The story takes the reader to a dungeon of human skulls and bones in Italy, rattling bones of more questions. So, is this a book about faith and religion? Yes, but...

A famous Japanese archeologist is outed for falsifying artifacts. An American archeologist works a dig in Naples. So--it is about archeology? Yes, but...

A special undercover operation stalks Thomas Knight, the main character, seeker of the truth--who killed his brother who happens to be a Jesuit priest? This group tries repeatedly to kill him--and are thwarted each time, almost as if Thomas has special protection. The FBI is brought in. Homeland Security makes its debut early on. So, is it a military thriller? Sort of..

A senator from Illinois seems to show up at strange places where Thomas investigates his brother's murder. So, is it a political thriller? Not really...

So what kind of book is this? It is a page-turner. The reader may ask repeatedly, Just what is the central mystery? That mystery seems to change from one angle to the next in each new setting, first, Chicago, then Naples, then Japan, then the Philippines. And the Red Tide becomes part of the equation.

Just these few things, plus a failed marriage and a lost teaching position make up the bizarre elements of this story.. For such a seemingly hodge-podge of material, the book actually and surprisingly works, making the reader ask: Just where is A. J. Hartley going with this? The answer is worth the wait.

Amendment: Other reviewers panned the novel for its too numerous elements. I thought as they until the identity of the mastermind is revealed. Then suddenly, everything fell into place and worked. Also, the many red herrings and locations kept me asking, Where is this story going? The ending makes that clear, too. What's more--I could not guess the ending. I stand by my four stars.

A.J. Hartley showed promise as a top notch thriller writer with The Mask of Atreus. Unfortunately, the credibility he built with that earlier work has diminished with the release of his sophomore effort, On The Fifth Day.

As was the case with his previous work, Hartley grounds On The Fifth Day around a science-based mystery (specifically, evolutionary biology). However, Hartley also throws other elements, like commentaries on religion, short discourses on military weaponry, and lengthy discussions on archeology, into the story. All these diverse elements don't mesh as well as they were likely intended to do. Consequently, the "red herrings" drag on too long, the characters are flat and uninteresting, and the "deus ex machina (or, in this case, "deus ex piscis") is almost comical.

There are a few scenes in On The Fifth Day where Hartley's writing shines, particularly the scenes with Famine. In most of the book, however, the writing is overwhelmed by an overabundance of ideas that are never brought to a satisfying resolution. On The Fifth Day is definitely a book where a little more focus on the central concept would have produced a much better story.

Hartley's newest thriller draws readers into another, fast-paced international hide-and-seek. The impressive difference here, is Hartley's artistic courage and maturity. While Deborah Miller, from The Mask of Atreus (Hartley's first novel) garners her own following, Hartley bravely refuses to rely upon an established character. Instead, he offers readers Thomas Knight, a man with realistic human frailties. Readers will sympathize with and adore Knight. While Hartley constructs one of the most sympathetic of recent fictional characters in Knight, the author further reveals his artistic range through the personification of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I hope that Hartley plans to reward his readers with more from Knight in future novels.

Inevitably, readers will want to compare the similarities between A. J. Hartley and Dan Brown novels. While both design globe-trotting protagonists, Hartley divests himself of Brown's well-worn plot line by asking his characters to acknowledge their doubts. Because we also doubt --professionally, romantically, spiritually--On the Fifth Day is a touching gift to Hartley's readers. In his second novel, Hartley reminds readers that regret cannot alter history, that bad things happen to good people, and that sometimes, chance offers a "re-do," a second chance. I am so glad that A.J. Hartley has this second chance, and I can't wait for the third.

I read a lot of thrillers, and I must admit to being disappointed by ON THE FIFTH DAY.

While this novel is competently written, I found that almost none of the characters had any real depth. The leading man of the story, Thomas Knight, is a remarkably bland character for the most part. Although his life is in constant danger, I ended up caring very little about him or his fate. As a result, I didn't find this book particularly engaging or suspenseful.

I also found the plot of this book rather slow moving, especially in the middle section. AJ Hartley has a rather verbose, descriptive style of writing which I ultimately found rather dry. Although ON THE FIFTH DAY has a lot of interesting historical information, I didn't feel it was particularly well integrated into the plot. Certain sections of this book read more like a travelogue than a story. I therefore found myself skimming or skipping over paragraphs and pages of information, which is never a good sign for a thriller.

ON THE FIFTH DAY isn't exactly terrible, but I found this novel average at best. Believe me, there are a lot of superior alternatives out there. If you enjoy historical or scientific thrillers, my advice is to go with authors like Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, or Steve Berry. I find these writers, on the whole, are much more worthy of your time and money.

Let's dispense with those inane Dan Brown or the Preston/Childs duo comparisons right here; for me, there can be no sincere comparison.
On the Fifth Day kept me absorbed from first to last.
OK, I'm not the fastest reader, but the engrossing sections of the novel had me hurriedly flipping pages, which alone ramps the novel's rating. Then when I factored in the well-developed narrative, historical groundings that must have been meticulously researched, and the remarkable characterization, I had more than enough reasons to hand-over all five stars.

And Hartley, when's the next one?

I strongly suggest to buy this book. I could not put it down. Really, I tried! I had a lot to accomplish, but I HAD to keep reading! It will keep you guessing till the end. You do not want miss this one!