One False Move. [Import] [Paperback]

Alex Kava (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Mira (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741161606
• ISBN-13: 978-1741161601
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

More About the Author

ALEX KAVA's two stand-alone novels and seven novels featuring FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell have been published in more than twenty countries, appearing on the bestseller lists in Britain, Australia, Poland, Germany, and Italy. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Alex divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Pensacola, Florida.
Photo credit Deborah Groh Carlin

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable, August 30, 2004

By 

Tracy L. (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: One False Move (Kava, Alex) (Hardcover)

Reading this book is a great way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. While it was a quick read, it was still very intriguing and suspenseful and I never lost interest. The story came together quite nicely and I was pleased with the outcome (including a nice little twist at the end.) This is the kind of book you could read while waiting in line at the DMV. Definitely recommend this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Revolutionary, Just Good, September 26, 2006

By 

Kevin L. Nenstiel "omnivore" (Kearney, Nebraska) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One False Move (Kava, Alex) (Hardcover)

Alex Kava's first free-standing suspense novel freely adapts from the author's personal experience, adding on elements of the Charles Starkweather murder spree, to create a story of violence and confusion on a sprawl across Nebraska that harkens back to the bleak despair of Terrence Malick's "Badlands" and Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska."

Jared Barnett, freed from Death Row by a crooked lawyer and a coerced testimony, teams with his sister, a small-time con woman, and her son, a professional shoplifter. They arrange to rob a bank to pay off Jared's debts, but when shots are fired and four people are left for dead, they sprint for the country. Crime novelist Andrew Kane has isolated himself at Platte River State Park, trying to kick-start his newest novel, but his isolation turns on him when the three killers stumble on his nest and take him hostage.

Platte River State Park is real, as is the Nebraska Bank of Commerce branch the killers mishandle, and the towns of Auburn and Hastings, where key moments of the plot take place. It's disconcerting to think that I may have slept in the cabin where Andrew Kane was taken hostage. The novel clips along at a short pace, with scenes so cinematic that I can almost see the blackouts and the camera pulling focus. By releasing hints of the characters' past in measured amounts and making us wonder where their loyalties lie, Alex Kava keeps the pages turning to the end.

There's nothing really new or revolutionary in this novel. It's probably not a classic of the genre. But it is well-paced, intriguing, peopled with interesting characters, and a cracking good read. Good airport reading or something to keep in your desk for your coffee breaks, this novel is a worthwhile investment for fans of suspense fiction.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tarja, a Finn in Spain, January 10, 2005

By 

Tarja Laine "A Finn" (Fuengirola, Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One False Move (Kava, Alex) (Hardcover)

Having been an enthusiastic fan ever since I accidently got a hold of her first book I now have to say that I was somewhat disappointed on her latest book.

The characters were "ok", but the entity certainly lacked certain elements of suspense and thrill. I really look forward hearing more of Maggie!