Customer Reviews

Man of Wax (Man of Wax Trilogy)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Imagine a Reality Show and a Simon Says game from hell. The goal is to survive, but the odds are not in your favor and your loved ones will die, too. Well written, fast paced and unfortunately believable. With this book Robert Swartwood is rapidly becoming one of my "go to" authors for a good read. He also keeps getting me in trouble at work. I will be reading during my lunch or break and he keeps me so enthralled I don't want to stop. So, you might want to set aside a weekend when you can just sit down and read this. Need to keep my job so that I can buy the next book (due April 2012).

I've read most of his books by now, and they all have a special quality to them. This one started off feeling a little like "Serial Killer's Wife," with a main character being controlled by an ominous voice on the other end of the phone. But then it veered into something I've never read before, and was punctuated with some serious action throughout. The ending's unresolved until the second book, I guess. Something to look forward to.

Disclosure: I bought this book and am not a friend of the author.

After reading and greatly enjoying The Dishonored Dead, Swartwood's zombie novel, I decided to buy this novel. It is not a horror novel, but instead a very suspenseful and well written thriller. The basic plot, a person threatened to perform certain actions by an unknown foe, is not new but Swartwood infuses some originality into the story and I was riveted to the end, waiting to see how it all resolved. The ending is satisfying in a number of ways, but the story is not fully finished as this is a planned trilogy. Swartwood's writing continues to impress and I have already started reading another of his books.

Absolutely loved this book! Could not put it down. Finished it in a day & a half! The author keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time and I had to just keep turning the page to find out what was going to come next. The characters were great and I had an image of each one in my head. The end was good but I definetly cannot wait for the second book to come out in April so I can continue with this story!!!

Robert Swartwood's Man of Wax is a brilliant thriller! I think I read this in about three days, just could not put it down! Man of Wax is full of suspence and thrills at every turn! Looking forward to to his new book coming in April 2012!

I usually guilt myself into putting a book down when my children want to play. Sorry boys, but this time I want to read!! Someone else said it was like the reality show from Hell. That's exactly it. And so many of us are living the "American Dream" and fear something invading our lives. That's what makes this so good. As far fetched as it seems, at the same time it's totally believable. I don't write a lot of reviews, but this book is worth spreading the word in my opinion.

I liked this book! I had no idea how young (to me) the author is and I think to a degree that shows in his work (some trite phrases) but he'll only get better. I too found it difficult to put the book down and finished it in just a couple days! Good job to the author!!

I've been on a bend lately, trying to go with lesser known writers, seeking out the pearls, if you will. And frankly, I'm paying for college at the same time, so the more inexpensive the novel is, that's a going point as well. Robert Swartwood's "Man of Wax" is a very interesting take on what a man would do when he is pushed to his limits. Our hero (loosely speaking) has found himself abducted from his loving home and family, transported across the country, and finds himself in a terrifying predicament. The story jumpstarts from there, and continues fairly strongly from there. The writer does an excellent job of placing you behind the eyes of a man who has everything to lose, and must play a game with the devil to keep his family safe. The storyline is a twisted cross of the SAW series, and the short (book) series Run for Your Life. All in all, the writing is sound, the story a terribly compelling tale, and the characters (majority) believable. There was nothing that was overly gory, although the deaths are detailed. Those that complained that it was too gruesome or graphic... well, please note that yes, you are shockingly enough, browsing in the horror section of Amazon. Deal or cut. Overall, an exceptional start to what looks to be an excellent trilogy.

This one was free with Amazon Prime Membership. Which is usually the kiss of death when looking for a "Good" book to read. Seriously, 6 out of 10 free books are, to be kind, really crappy reads. The other 4 are fairly good but you're not going to hit a home run, New York Times Top 10, recommend to a friend kind of book if you are not paying for it.

Usually.

This one is an exception to the above rule. Nicely plotted, good dialog, scene transition. Very suspenseful thriller that will evoke a "Don't turn out the light quite yet" response when your spouse wants to go to sleep. To put it simply, I would have paid to read this book. And now that I'm sucked in, and this is a trilogy; Guess I will be paying to read the next two.

But I know they will be worth it.

Some reviewer called this book disturbing. It is. And that's the way I like it. This is one of those books that will have your eyes shifting left and right, looking around the room as you read it, feeling like you're being watched. I think that's a good thing. I like when a book bleeds over into life -- that kind of realism, creepy as it is, is hard to find and impossible to force.

I'll be recommending this book to friends, and look forward to its sequels.