Customer Reviews

Out Of Sight (Tango Key Mysteries)

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

 

 

This book was an excellent adventurous read. Not since John Grisham's "The Firm" have I been unable to put down a book. I just had to find out what happened next. Keep up the good work! I plan on reading more works by the author.

I highly recommend!

Out of sight can be summed up in sever single words such as Suspensful,Intriguing,Mystical,Humorus,Provoking and even Romantic. I couldn't put the book down. It was the first book I have read by T.J. MacGregor but it won't be the last. Never a dull moment. Never once did I have to force myself to turn the next page in hopes that the story would pick up. I read it in 2 days and I work full time and I am a full time single mom.

As hard as I try I can not remember a time in my life when I wasn't reading "something." I am one of those who is on a constant search for a "good read". My search led me to Out of Sight and T.J. MacGregor. Not this author's first book and I pray not her last. I couldn't put this book down - not even when I should have - like to feed my family or do laundry. Good thing I read fast! When I was done with this book I immediately looked up all the titles of others by her. I made my list and began my mission of having them all on my shelf. I have since read 4 more and am now on my fifth! From the first page to the last, not one has let me down. Her characters are so real, it makes me feel as if I have found new friends. I find myself laughing out loud, gripping my seat, wiping a tear, or holding my breath for what might happen next.
Keep them coming T.J. MacGregor!

"Out of Sight" is one of the best books I've read in a long time. In this novel T.J. MacGregor chooses one of the toughest topics to write convincingly, and does it seemingly effortlessly. She had me believing in the situation of a secret government project using human guinea pigs in experiments on invisibility--or 'shrouding' as she calls it in the book. Well thought out and simply plotted, the characters are compelling--a family you feel an affinity to and the scientist villains are subtle but very real. The story is gripping; a real page turner. MacGregor does something that a lot of authors have difficulty doing. She makes you care about her characters and when you care about the characters, you really want to know how the story turns out. Even her digression into the world of shamanism and ghosting (one of the key players is a Ecuadoran shaman) is completely believable. Be warned, this book is not science fiction even though it deals with invisibility. It is more in line with Michael Crichten's Jurassic Park-- Science gone awry. Someone without much imagination might not buy into this book, but for others it will be a real treat.

This book is well written. But that's the only positive thing I can say about it. Of course, back flap texts are often too optimistic, but in this case, where the reader is promised much suspense, it is downright misleading. Basically, this book is about sickness; throughout the book the author goes on and on about the bad leg of one of the characters, the effects on health of invisibilty, medicines, hospitals, doctors, prescriptions, vitamin cocktails, etc., etc. Apparently, the author is obsessed by health and sickness, and treats the unexpecting reader to an quite hysterical overdose of it.

Apart from this, the book is extremely conventional, with a very weak plot. I have finished it, but it took an great effort!

Conclusion: not recommended at all!!!

Marc Verhoeven,
Tokyo

I have to wonder if I read the same book as other reviewers did. At any rate, I found this book one long, redundant mess of cliches, derivative plotting and characters. McGregor spends so much time rambling on about how each character feels being invisible to the point of where it's like come on, get back to the action. What little action there is doesn't compensate for the long, unimportant passages. Reni's character is especially whiny, and the character of Luis is so overboard, it's funny. First of all, why would anyone (even the Shaman and his friends) want to be invisible? What is the goal?
Dean Koontz does this kind of thing much much better.

I read this because it won an Edgar; I love good science fiction but hate it when it's badly done, and I had some hopes for this. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The plot (invisible family fights to free other invisibles from a government conspiracy) had some potential. However the invisibility concept, so important to the story, wasn't well explained. In some chapters the invisible people could see each other more clearly than the visible world, but a chapter earlier or later they could only see themselves when wet and only "saw" each other through some poorly explained synaptic memory malfunction. I wasn't fond of the characters either, particularly the ridiculously stereotyped "shaman." Many of the problems could have been solved through better editing to catch the inconsistencies and irritating mistakes (like spelling archaeological site "sight"). As it stands, however, there are too many problems for this book to be enjoyable to read. Despite the award, I'd skip this one.

Hmm, government conspiracy perpetrated by evil, power-mad scientists, secret lagoon in the everglades, a scientific process that creates invisible people (and one invisible dog) - I finished the book, but if I were you, I think I'd pass on this one. Unless maybe you are in middle school (kids might enjoy it) or you're a diehard conspiracy theorist.

T.J. MacGregor won this year's Edgar for best Paperback Original with "Out of Sight."

More of a SciFi/X-Files type, rather than a mystery read to me...but quite entertaining none the less.

Being a sucker for all government conspiracy theories, I was hooked from the start.

A shadow national security organization is funding a "mad scientist" type who has perfected a process that can render people invisible.

One invisible subject escapes and three more are zapped by accident. Their quest to bring down the covert project while being hunted by the shadow organization's thugs is classic cat and mouse.

Some great characters on both sides...extremely fast paced...superb South Florida settings. A bit too long, but with a suspension of disbelief, this is big fun.

Logan and Tyler Griffin agree to become part of an experiment after being, what they consider, well paid for the risk. Unbeknownst to themselves, they will be turned invisible- apparently irreversible. The Townsend family are on a camping vacation in the Everglades. They stumble upon a deserted campsite with a lone dog as an inhabitant. A sudden light blinds them and much to their dismay turns them invisible, as well. The organization that is running the experiment wants secrecy at all costs- even if it means the lives of the Townsend family. The Townsends must flee from their unknown pursuers and eventually team up with Logan to fight this enemy.
Calling OUT OF SIGHT a mystery is open to debate. Invisibility falls much more easily into the science fiction genre. If the reader does not fully buy into the premise that individuals might be turned invisible, the entire book may not work. The fact that the book was nominated for a prestigious award is surprising considering how silly the basic premise of the book actually is. Mystery fans expect at least a semblance of realism. It is hard to get that in this sci-fi thriller. Besides, the pacing is relatively slow with a length that appears endless. A disappointing nomination in an otherwise impressive group.