Customer Reviews

Mania

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Plot/Storyline: 3 Stars

This book starts off with a bang, or perhaps a slice. Either way, it's a terrific start that pulls you right into Nick's world as he and his brother are attacked by a vagrant, an attack which results in his brother's death.

The story then goes back in time to a couple of months before the attack. This is a common tactic, but it's still not one of my favorites. I don't really like knowing what happened first. My dislike stems from the fact that when I already know what happened, I find myself rushing through the back-story with a `get to the action' attitude. This author does do a better job using this format than some because he switches from past to present often, telling the current and the back-story at the same time. It did get a little confusing now and then, especially when I had to put the book down for awhile to do other things. However, overall, it was an interesting way to tell the story.

The story is told mostly from Nick's viewpoint, which is an excellent method to hold suspense due to his brief memory lapses. However, for some inane reason, there are occasional bits thrown in from other viewpoints. Not only are these portions unnecessary, but one such bit actually gave away a major spoiler. It wasn't a direct giveaway, just one sentence that hinted at something, and perhaps some people will miss it. After reading that bit, I kept thinking, "No, I have to be wrong. No author would give so much away right in the beginning." Unfortunately, I was not wrong, which ruined quite a bit of the ending for me.

As I stated, the book starts off at a good pace with a fast draw, but there are some middle portions that drag almost interminably. For instance, Nick makes a trip to visit a childhood girlfriend. Since she had nothing to do with the actual plot, I thought perhaps the visit was thrown in for character development. However, there really seemed to be no purpose at all as there was no revelation or great epiphany. It was just filler.

The book does pick up in the last quarter. As a matter of fact, the ending is a somewhat edge-of-your-seat type where multiple surprises are revealed.

Character Development: 4 Stars

Nick is a terrific, well-rounded character. The reader can really feel his pain and confusion throughout the story.

Through Nick's interactions and observations, the reader can get a real feel for Sam, his brother. The flashbacks of their childhood also provide some interesting insight into Sam's personality.

Nick's girlfriend is the only real character failure in the book. Throughout the novel, she is not given any real play, even though she is a major player.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

With tight prose, Mr. Larsen has an excellent writing style. His terrific sentence structuring, combined with gritty, realistic dialogue work will in this genre. His descriptions are compelling and powerful.

The action scenes are also very well written. I love it when I can picture action segments in my head without any confusion about who is doing what.

Editing/Formatting: 5 Stars

Both were of professional quality.

Rating: PG-15 for Adult Situations, Violence, and some Sexual Scenes and Conversation

MANIA is one of the most impressive thriller debuts of 2009. Craig Larsen, who started writing what he describes as "Dick and Jane" stories at a very early age, apparently has decided not to stick with that genre. The loss to children's literature is indeed the thriller genre's gain.

The heart of MANIA lies with Nick Wilder. Be forewarned: Nick is not a particularly sympathetic character. It is evident almost from the beginning that there is something wrong with him. A freelance newspaper photographer who barely ekes out a living, Nick constantly has blackout spells, repressed memories, hallucinations --- and a habit of turning up at murder scenes where the guest of honor is a victim of a Seattle serial killer known as the Street Butcher. Nick does this so frequently that it has caused a split in the Seattle police department between Adam Stolie, the detective investigating the case, and Lieutenant Dombrowski, Stolie's superior officer. Stolie thinks that Nick is innocent, just unlucky, while Dombrowski believes he is guilty as sin.

The worst part about it is that Nick isn't totally sure himself. His older brother, Sam, is wildly successful and very supportive of him. But Nick is jealous --- and he keeps having these weird memories of Sam, memories that are not only strange but incomplete as well. While so much is wrong with his life, there is Sara Garland. He meets her in a coffee shop, and it is like love at first sight. Sara is beautiful, intelligent and wealthy, but most importantly, she is incredibly supportive of Nick as she aggressively pursues him. How can a loser like Nick be so lucky? Well, for one thing, as we discover, he is definitely not a loser...but there is something that is most definitely wrong with him. And part of the deep, dark mystery of MANIA is uncovering the "what" and the "why" behind it.

Larsen is strong on plot and characterization, and there are indications throughout the book that his talents run long and deep in those areas. The novel's ultimate asset, however, is its brooding, disturbing atmosphere. Almost from the first page, Larsen infuses his story with the feeling that all is not right or well. And indeed, it is not. The subject matter --- a serial killer loose on the streets of Seattle, killing victims at random --- would be enough, but the elements such as homelessness, sibling rivalry and manipulation that populate MANIA are all painted in even darker shades than those normally accorded to them. Larsen connects his characters in dark, vicious circles --- some immediately obvious, others not as much --- and then begins dropping surprises and revelations like raindrops during a thunderstorm. You are going to have a hard time getting Nick and the lovely Sara and the Street Butcher out of your head --- and it won't be for lack of trying.

Keep an eye on Craig Larsen. I have the feeling we can expect more top quality books from him in the future. And set aside a night to read MANIA. You won't want to stop once you start.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

The story kept me off balance and guessing from the first page. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Larsen twisted the plot another direction. Will we see Nick again?

Full disclosure: I won this book.

I entered a giveaway for this book based on a small blurb of a description. It was the best giveaway I've ever entered. The plot of this book requires the reader to think and to engage in the action or risk losing the threads of the story. The title couldn't be more appropriate. I read this book in a fever. I couldn't put it down and when I was forced to, I mean you've gotta eat right, all I could think avbout was what would happen next. I devoured this book in a day. Nick and his brother are attacked and from there, Nick's life unravels. The past and present are mixed together throughout this book as Nick's mind jumps around trying to figure out exactly what is going on in Seattle. I would describe the plot flashes back and forth as that of Pulp Fiction. Everything will make sense at the gripping, heart-racing end. You won't be able to put this book down once you get within several chapters of the conclusion. Is Nick guilty of murder? Was his childhood really as he remembers it? Is he mentally ill? Exactly who is this woman who has no business loving a man like Nick? You'll be guessing to the end and even then, you'll probably guess wrong.

If you like your thriller/mystery books to be intelligent, then this book is for you.

I read for pleasure and as a recent retiree I have ripped through the current offerings of all my favorite authors. I sample Kindle freebies as a cheap way of finding new authors to follow. Mania was one such freebie and is well worth the "standard" 9.99 Kindle price. The writing style included flashbacks that I initially didn't care for but these flashbacks were handled differently than I've seen before: as the story progressed the flashbacks "tightened" and were essential to the story, an integral part of the protagonist's mind and thought processes.

I eagerly await the next Craig Larsen book, due in 2010. I'll actually buy that one.

Plot twists were somewhat predictable, but not completely, leading to a good read that kept me interested through the very end.

Seattle Telegraph newspaper photographer Nick Wilder has always looked up to his brother Sam; who is on his way to becoming a billionaire if the drug trials for the anti-psychotic Matrix Zarcon holds up as expected. Nick currently covers the brutal murders of men so unrecognizable their family members could not identify them. He becomes part of the story when a homeless man without shoes stabs and kills his sibling.

The incident triggers in Nick flashbacks and hallucinations that make him and the police wonder if he is the vicious psychopathic killer who murdered his own brother. In a coffee shop, Nick meets Sara Garland, stepdaughter of the Telegraph's owner Jason Hamlin. They hit if off and she helps him cope with the nasty hallucinatory incidents and horrific dreams that he fears are repressive memories. The cops question Nick re Sam's murder and that of another victim, but let him ago as they lack evidence although Police Lieutenant Dombrowski believes he allowed the killer to leave; he plans to find proof to lock away this maniac for life.

Throughout the story line Nick struggles with his sanity as he is unable to delineate reality from dreams of events that happened to him. The audience is as unsure whether Nick is the killer or suffering from some other psychotic derangement. MANIA is a fascinating thriller that delves deep into the mind of a struggling protagonist who ponders what reality really is. Although a final spin seems over the top of the Needle fans will relish this action-packed psychological thriller starring a beleaguered hero who no longer has the mental fight to argue with people telling him what the truth is.

Harriet Klausner

I bought this on my Kindle for around $5 because of the high ratings, close to 5 stars. Now I discover it was previously a free book, which explains the high rating. For free, this was an acceptable effort but it's got some obvious flaws.

I live in Seattle and it looked like a fun read. I used to work downtown in the same areas this book takes place, and it was depicted accurately which made everything sort of cool. It starts great, the hook is good, but it degenerates pretty quickly. I feel like the author had a great idea but then wasn't sure how to execute it.

The hidden plot/hook is patently obvious, mostly due to how the one-dimensional characters treat the protagonist, Nick. They're either fawningly, overbearingly kind to him for no apparent reason, or they're self-centered villains with a secret evil plan. Or both! All of them are caricatures of beauty, intelligence and wealth. Because people who are that smart and beautiful need to ruthlessly murder and cheat to succeed, right? And not just murder, but butcher in finely detailed ways. Also, the only way to fulfill a truly evil plan is to find an innocent pawn and make his life hell.

Nick spends the whole story bewildered and lost, professing his love for Sara while droning on about his total lack of worth. But there's nothing lovable about her except that she's incomparably beautiful and rich. Nick has nothing going for him, and there's no reason to sympathize with him - at all.

Why is Nick's brother his incredibly generous savior *and* his most jealous enemy? There's no way to know, because none of the characters is ever explored in depth.

The plot itself is interesting, but there are too many characters doing illogical things for no realistic reason to make this story enjoyable. In fact, I would argue that every major action by every character in the book makes no sense. Characters this smart, savvy and worldly would find a way to achieve their plan without butchering somebody.

I read this sometime ago and it was my first copy of a signed book by an author so it means a lot to me. I loved the story and it really made me think, this book had me asking a few times did I just read that? Which was a good thing because it made the story anything by the typical thriller. I loved the thrill ride of this book and hope to see more books by this author!

I love to read and when I find an author I enjoy, tend to consume their works at a prodigious rate, until I'm left 'book-less'; impatiently waiting for them to create new books which can seem to take forever to come. Being without a book is not an option for this addict, which means I'm always on the look-out for a new writer (or at least, new to me.) Thus I was thrilled (pun intended :)) to read MANIA by Craig Larsen - a fresh and truly enjoyable book all the way through. Craig is now one of my newest favourite authors. Buy it - try it - you won't be disappointed!