Customer Reviews

STALKER

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Faye Kellerman took a chance with this book--choosing to develop the character of Lt. Peter Decker's daughter, Cindy, also a police officer, and relegating Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, to secondary albeit important supporting roles. And she has succeeded. An exciting and engrossing plot follows 25-year-old Cindy Decker as she tries to find a niche for herself following in her father's footsteps. She navigates a treacherous path trying to maintain her independence and still be one of the "guys." She receives resistance from fellow officers because she's a "wiseass" college-educated woman, unwanted protectiveness from her father, amorous advances from one of her father's detectives, and the frightening attention of a stalker. She doggedly pursues an investigation of one of her father's murder cases--one she was unknowingly involved in--seeing it to its resolution in a slam-bang climax. Hope we'll see more of Cindy in later books. Kellerman is an engaging writer and the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series is one of the best going.

Los Angeles Police Department Lieutenant Peter Decker faces the worst crisis of his professional career. His daughter Cindy has joined the force over his objections and he has to balance protecting her vs. showing favorable treatment. Tired of her father's shielding nature, Cindy hides from him the fact that she believes someone is stalking her every move and that person might be tied to the murder of a fellow health club member, Armand Crayton.

Meanwhile Peter works on a couple of car jacking cases. One of them he and his subordinates believe is tied to the murder of Armand. The carjackers have targeted health club members. To Peter's chagrin, he learns that his daughter is being stalked by most likely someone who wants to ensure the health club members remain silent.

The twelfth Decker police procedural is a great entry in a top-notch series because the prime story line turns personal. This provides readers insight into the charcaters of Peter and Cindy. Peter's dilemma and Cindy's distressed reaction to his struggle over a cop for a daughter turns an already fine mystery into a fantastic novel that will entice sub-genre fans to seek out other Faye Kellerman tales (see best-selling JUPITER'S BONES).

Harriet Klausner

I understand that authors get tired writing about the same characters, while fans want more of that characters. I got this book expecting a Peter Decker novel because that's how it was advertised. Although he does make more than a cameo appearance, I felt that Mrs. Kellerman did not stay true to character. By the middle of the book, Peter came across as an neurotic, over protective father who could not accept his daughter as an adult, let alone as a fellow police office. As for Cindy, while I emphasized with her need to be accepted as an adult, I'm not sure that I want to spend to much time in her company. And even though she is a rookie, I found several of the mistakes she made just plain stupidity -- either that or put in to further the plot development, rather than the character development. As for the story : There was very little of her wonderful explanation about Orthodox Jewish religion and culture. The plot details are covered in other reviews, but I do agree

with another reviewer that the plot rambles on in places. Still - a good read, but not Faye Kellerman's best.

For fans grown weary of the sometimes cloying relationship between Faye Kellerman's series duo LAPD detective Peter Decker and his Orthodox Jewish wife, Rina Lazarus, Kellerman's latest, "Stalker," offers a refreshing departure. Decker takes a back seat and Rina makes only brief appearances as Peter's daughter Cynthia, an ambitious, impetuous rookie cop, struggles to fit in and prove her independence from her illustrious father.

Subtle disturbances, hostility at work and a feeling of being stalked, initially put down to imagination, escalate into a savage vandalization of her apartment and a dangerous chase on the freeway. Is it some not-so-innocent rookie initiation or an attempt to warn her off the investigation of the carjacking murder of a real-estate tycoon?

The plot, riddled with mysteries and twists, involves intersecting investigations and in-house suspicion. Well-paced action heightens as Cindy's life grows increasingly tangled - a protective/romantic liaison with her father's colleague, clandestine investigations of her co-workers and the murdered man, a mounting log of secrets from her father and frictions at work. Quick thinking but rash, Cindy makes lots of mistakes, leading to a careening, breathtaking climax in the California hills. No angel, Cindy breathes new life into Kellerman's neatly plotted procedurals.

Against her father's wishes, Cynthia Decker, has become a police officer, working for the LAPD's Hollywood Division.

Peter Decker, still coming to terms with his daughter's career choice, must investigate a series of car-jackings.

Cynthia, also involved in the car-jacking investigation, fears that someone is watching her, and when personal belongings in her apartment are touched, and mysterious notes are left on her car, she realizes her fear is becoming a reality...someone is watching her. Determined to find the identity of her stalker, she sets out to solve this without the help of her father, pitting her against someone out to destroy her, or ultimately, kill her.

As the two cases come together, Decker believes there is a connection to a third unsolved case.

"Stalker" is an exciting entry into an already great series, and readers have the opportunity to welcome Decker's daughter, Cynthia. The novel balances 3 seperate plot lines while twisting and turning them, and bringing them all together in the climax.

Faye Kellerman has created a fascinating and tough character in Cynthia, and readers will look forward to seeing her again. Fans of the series will not be disappointed in this un-putdownable thriller.

Nick Gonnella

I have been a fan of Faye Kellerman since her first Decker/Lazarus novel was published. It pains me to say that while STALKER was an intriguing story I found myself caring very little for Cindy Decker. Her character acted spoiled and self centered. Unlike her father and stepmother I found her unworthy of the spotlight. Cindy received an Ivy League education and excelled in the police academy yet she made many foolish (not to mention dangerous) decisions throughout the entire story. Someone with her background should know better. Cindy just doesn't have the depth of character necessary to make the reader care about her outcome. I hope that in future novels Faye brings the spotlight back to Peter and Rina. Until Cindy matures a little she deserves to stay in the background of her family.

It's hard to believe that Cynthia Decker is really 25, not 15, given the immaturity she displays. We are told that she is a graduate of an Ivy League college, but, oddly, she is not smart enough to keep her head down and her mouth shut during her important rookie period. This book lacks a center. I missed Peter and Rina; I missed the focus which Orthodox Judaism lent to the early books in the series.

I have enjoyed all of the preceeding books by both Kellermans. In this case, however, I found myself wishing someone would simply kill Cindy and get it over with. I would have much preferred dealing with Peter and Rina's grief over Cindy's death than enduring her attitude and behavior. I sincerely hope that Ms. Kellerman brings much, much more maturity and depth to Cindy's character in the next episode. Until then, "Cindy-the Cop" is an idea gone very, very wrong!!

I have felt as though the last few Faye Kellerman books have been going down in quality of writing. This book absolutely confirms this for me.

While I was VERY intrigued to learn more about Decker's eldest child - Cindy, I was left feeling as though this character was never really put out for us to understand. Its as though Kellerman wasn't quite sure what kind of person Cindy should be so she made her into a very "neutral" kind of person.

Also, I found the storyline was very slow. As a matter of fact, the first 50 pages or so were incredibly boring and I had to force myself to read on.

Not a great book.

I was a bit disappointed in this latest by Ms. Kellerman. Her previous Decker/Lazurus books have been rich in characterzation,plot and the jewish faith. I felt this book lacked all these important traits. I can appreciate Ms. Kellerman going in a new direction with Cynthia, but given that, I expected Cynthia to be more fully drawn. I didn't feel the plot was terrilbly exciting either. This book wasn't horrible but neither did it keep me awake nights wanting to finish it. I would recommend all of the previous books in this series if you would like to see just how fabulous Ms. Kellerman can write. Ree-views