Customer Reviews

INFORMANT

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

James Grippando's second novel, The Informant, is not your average serial killer thriller. A series of murders is taking place across the country, and the only thing that ties them together is the manner in which the killer mutilates his victims. The FBI is baffled, and the agent in charge, Victoria Santos, has few leads until Miami Tribune reporter Mike Posten receives a phone call from a man who claims he can predict the next murder. The informant says he's not the killer, but his mind works like the killer's, enabling him to predict not only the next killing, but the time, place, and victim, too. When the predictions prove true, the FBI must decide whether Mike has been talking to the real killer, an accomplice, or something else.

Fast-paced and suspenseful, The Informant is one of the best thrillers of 1996. In addition to all the action, there's plenty of mystery and surprising plot twists. A perverse killer and a creepy informant who may or may not be one in the same are among the factors that make this story stand out among the crowd. Some of the violence in the book is graphic, reminiscent of James Patterson, but the reader will be rivited to the story. Grippando's first novel, The Pardon, was good, and The Informant proves that his name should be associated with today's best thriller writers.

Overall I think it was a great book, it was very realistic and really held my interest. It was never boring, and it kept a fast pace, the tension keeps getting higher and higher. The book is about a serial killer that murders people all over the US. In the book you follow FBI agent Victoria Santos who teams up with Mike Posten, reporter for the Tribune. Mike Posten is getting calls from a person who says he is an informant. This informant says he can predict the murders before they happen. It is a good book and I recommend it to anybody who like fast paced thrillers.Overall I think it was a great book, it was very realistic and really held my interest. It was never boring, and it kept a fast pace, the tension keeps getting higher and higher. The book is about a serial killer that murders people all over the US. In the book you follow FBI agent Victoria Santos who teams up with Mike Posten, reporter for the Tribune. Mike Posten is getting calls from a person who says he is an informant. This informant says he can predict the murders before they happen. It is a good book and I recommend it to anybody who like fast paced thrillers.

On the trail of a serial killer, FBI special agent Victoria Santos eventually teams up with Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Mike Posten when he begins receiving anonymous messages from a caller who claims to be able to predict the name of the next victim BEFORE they're murdered. As the pair reach the crime scenes they discover that the murders appear to be linked by certain physical evidence. Following the trail of victims, they must determine whether the caller is the real killer or an informant. The story follows the action from victim # 1 to the end with interesting sub-plots that add intensity to the overall story. The suspense is nonstop; a thrilling page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book since it was not overly popular. All I can say is, I'm surprised it wasn't a bestseller. I really enjoyed this story. It was believable fiction and really held my interest. Pay attention though.... the story gets very involved. A lot of twists and turns and a lot of "unexpected's". I highly recommend this book.

and it was a winner!

Grippando has given an intricate portrait of the tracking of a serial killer, and increased the believability by having the two main characters, FBI Agent Victoria Santos and reporter Mike Posten, work together in a credible way, and without the seemingly obligatory affair or companion story about them falling in love.

The identity of The Informant is a little too easy to guess, and a little farfetched, but other than that, the book succeeds on many levels. It's action-packed, with interesting characterization, and compels the reader to finish the tale as fast as possible. Grippando keeps the plot twists somewhat bizarre, so its difficult to know which way the story is going next....all of which adds up to a very satisfying read!

Excellent read. I couldn't put the book down. It was full of the kind of details that readers love to gnaw on. And suspense--forget about it. Wonderful!

This mystery had me enthralled from the first. It also had me scared of the dark for a few days. I strongly recommend this well written, and very scary thriller. If you like the genre, you will really enjoy The Informant.

The Informant demands your attention from the very beginning and doesn't let up until the very end. The basic plot involves the twists and turns of an FBI hunt for a serial killer, as well as of a reporter covering the case who gets anonymous phone calls from a person who claims to be able to predict the time, place and victim of the next slaying. It's an exciting, action-filled, fun book but its comparison to The Silence Of The Lambs is, in my opinion, giving it too much credit. What keeps me from giving The Informant a 5-star rating is that I found it somewhat easy to guess who the informant is and there were some pretty far-fetched coincidences that stretched my limit of credibility. Nonetheless, The Informant is well worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading other books by James Grippando. Enjoy!

The Informant, the third James Grippando book that I have read, is a high-class thriller. After reading The Pardon, and Beyond Suspicion (both recommended) I wasn't sure what I'd think of a non-Jack Swyteck Grippando novel. I was pleasantly surprised.

In The Informant Mr. Grippando has woven together an interesting story about three different people. Victoria Santos is a FBI agent tracking a serial killer, Mike Poston is a top notch reporter at a Miami newspaper, and the informant is a mysterious person with an uncanny ability to predict where the killer will strike next. I love the characters that Grippando creates. There always seems to one that has a past that works its way into the plot by stories end. This book is no exception. Although I did figure out the "twist" early in the story, it still was well crafted.

The story is fast paced, intriguing, and at times gruesome. The final 100 pages were non-stop action. It's a fun read that will keep you up all hours of the night. I recommend The Informant!

Great book overall. It's never boring, the quality is there throughout. The characters are strong and interesting, the plot is good, the pace fast, the tension keeps getting higher and higher. The only thing lacking is 'style'. Keep in mind that most authors don't have a difinitive style and not having one doesn't make a book not worth reading. I just think 'style' adds that something special to a book of this genre. Nevertheless, it's still a book worth reading for the excitement. I'd like to read it a second time.