Customer Reviews

Precipice

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

 

 

Having already read Tom Savage's previous books, Valentine & The Inheritance, I picked this up recently and from the first page was capitivated by this mystery that takes place in St. Thomas, VI. Tom Savage develops his characters very well and this is the kind of book you have a hard time putting down for long. If you like intriguing, fast moving suspense, Precipice is the book for you. Why this was never turned into a movie is beyond me, it has all the right ingredients. Very highly recommended.

This is by far one of the better "page turners" among the latest crop of psychological thrillers being churned out and published. All the characters (even seemingly minor characters like Trish Manning, the best friend, and Kyle, the ship's mate) play an integral part in this devilishly concocted revenge story. It's more in the vein of the fair play murder mystery with several puzzle elements that will interest readers who like trying to guess whodunnit-- and more fitting for this novel -- why-they-dunnit. I look forward to reading Savage's latest, The Inheritance, due out in the Summer 1998. He certainly writes a great yarn and I envy thriller writers who write real thrillers with clever plots, mounting suspense and a just the right amount of wit.

Precipice was Savage's first book in print, but not the first book he wrote. "Dance of the Mongoose" has some eerie and fascinating similarities. Not as good, but a neat peak behind this writer's curtain (and not at all bad, either). "Dance" is written under a pen name because his publisher wants the "Savage" name to be associated with thrillers, and it's a mystery. However, you can get an idea how Tom's mind works from the fact that the hero of "Dance" is named "Joe Wilder."

PRECIPICE is not one of the best-written books I have read this year, but for sheer readibility it is hard to beat. Lots of suspense, interesting characters and lots of plot twists. Even the romance was a little different from the usual. If you're looking for a book that will take you away for a couple of hours, I don't think you can go wrong with this one

I really wanted to like PRECIPICE, but no matter how hard I tried I just did not like it. Most of the characters are not whom or what they claim to be and we know that the protagonist is portraying someone she is not. All it did was confuse me more and more and made it hard for me to enjoy it.

The only other book written by Savage that I have read is VALENTINE. That novel really kept me guessing and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. (I, however, am not interested in seeing the `movie'). I have SCAVENGER in my pile of books to read and hopefully I will like that one better.

Once again Tom Savage has got me hooked. Even though this was his first book written I read it last. I was hooked after I read Iheritance, then Valentine. Which led me to this book. My next adventure will be reading Dance of the Moongoose that I just found out about and I am still waiting for his fourth book to come out. Tom Keep up the great work. You never have to get of the Thrill Seeking Ride when your with Tom.

Precipice is a rollercoaster ride of a read. You'll not want to put down this book and when you finally do you'll have that satisfied feeling of just having finished a gourmet meal. This is not your everyday generic suspence. It's top-notch.

This was a cliff hanger of a novel (pun intended). While the author doesn't develop his characters in the fullest sense, the story line, the twists and turns that he takes capture the reader. As always Tom Savage provides us with an ending that would be most difficult to predict! Shazam!

There was one thing I feared at the start of my adventure with Precipice: that I would guess every plot turn before it happened. My fears were realized.

Even though Precipice is the first novel Tom Savage wrote under the Savage mantra, (Dance of the Mongoose is his first. Written under an alias) I read it last. Once you read two or three other Savage books, his modus operandi becomes recognizable. There are still things that genuinely surprise you, but you realize what you're dealing with. My familiarity with Savage's idiosyncratic storytelling assisted my deducement in major plot points. But the book was fun to read anyway. The predictability is the only reason I rate it four stars instead of five.

There is a touch of sadness throughout Precipice. You don't quite know how to take Diana Meissen at first, but she becomes the one you root for despite her mystery and questionable intentions.

As in all Savage books, no one is the person they appear to be, but there are no major contrivances on the part of Savage, as opposed to The Inheritance.

Tom Savage worked in a great bookstore called Murder Ink on the Upper West Side. I asked about his book, he said "Please do NOT buy it." He was a classy guy...but I bought it anyway and have to admit, on a trash-mystery level it is very entertaining.

I read it in one night, walked back the next day and told Tom: Your book was gratuitously violent, unnecessarily sexual and could only be the work of a seriously demented individual.

He said "Thank you."

Enjoy it on that level...up the review one star if you have ever met this extremely nice, witty individual who never failed to entertain even as he ran his little shop.