Taking Lives [Paperback]

Michael Pye (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2004

Martin Arkenhout found his true calling on a lonely Florida highway -- with a sharp rock to the skull of an injured friend. He didn't just take the boy's life; he went on to live it. When that life became too risky, he found another, and another, changing his name, papers and style at will, until he chose the wrong life -- a scholarly thief on the run from the determined and troubled John Costa. The two men will meet, and there will be murder. But there is something much worse: the sweet seduction of taking another's life to be your own. Chillingly suspenseful, brilliantly executed and truly disturbing, Taking Lives is an entertainment to make you think and shiver.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Martin Arkenhout, a young student from Holland, is taking a break from his studies to explore the United States and beyond. Tall, skinny, and somewhat unsure of his new surroundings, Arkenhout looks and acts like any other traveler. But this 17-year-old is no innocent abroad. He takes the concept of enriching one's life through travel to a terrifying new level, and gets his kicks from murdering various strangers along the way. What makes these killings even more grotesque is the fact that Arkenhout steals the identities of his victims in an attempt to displace his own persona. This perversity allows him to "invent himself" whenever the urge strikes. Yet one personality is harder to maintain then all the others--that of Professor Christopher Hart, who was an art teacher with a special affection for Dutch art and, apparently, a love for valuable manuscripts. The theft of one such manuscript gained the special attention of a private investigator, John Costa. Martin Arkenhout must now pay his own price for the professor's purported crime, and is hotly pursued across the globe.

Taking Lives is a bizarre masquerade ball where nothing is as it seems, and every character has a hidden past. The final reprise of this deranged dance reaches a brilliant crescendo, and keeps us hanging on until the very last, and very shocking, note. --Naomi Gesinger --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

The second novel by the author of The Drowning Room is equal parts literary thriller, noir study of the mysteries of identity and poignant account of exile and return. It begins as Martin Arkenhout, a Dutch exchange student traveling in Florida, brutally dispatches a traveling companion badly injured by a hit-and-run driver, rationalizing the death blow as a mercy killing. He then takes over the victim's identity and begins a series of such killings, ever in search of new persona?as long as each victim has good sources of cash and credit. One of them, however, turns out to be an art historian who has stolen some valuable antique watercolors from the British Museum, and John Costa, a minor official at the museum, sets out to find him. He tracks Arkenhout to Portugal, where the novel takes a new turn?for Costa's father recently returned there after a life of exile in London, and on his death it becomes clear that he left a mystery, related to the dire politics of the old days, behind him. Costa and Arkenhout both become involved with an attractive local lawyer; there is an inevitable further murder and yet another switch of identities; and the book ends on a somberly enigmatic note. Pye is a writer with a remarkable eye and a fresh, vigorous style, and many scenes leap to life; the sense of rustic life in Portugal is exquisitely rendered (the author lives there), and he is equally adept at sudden outbursts of violence. But the book's rather shallow concept, including its unconvincing sex scenes involving the Portuguese lawyer, weighs against its virtues. It reads as if the author intended to write a modish thriller, then was led, by the weight of his material, into more interesting but ultimately unresolved directions. 50,000 first printing.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed. January 2004 edition (February 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400075734
• ISBN-13: 978-1400075737
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,060,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and Rewarding, September 14, 2004

By 

Aussie "peter_b2" (Easton, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Lives (Paperback)

Taking Lives is the first Michael Pye book I've read. Based on an unusual, but plausible premise, it is an engrossing read. Pye writes very well and does a great job of putting you in the scene. The story starts off and finishes off well, but sags a bit in the middle. Despite this, Taking Lives is worth reading if you like this genre.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Merits - Taking Lives - One Reader at a Time, February 23, 2004

By 

Track Cejj (My Library) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Lives (Hardcover)

The type of book any avid reader can easily delve into, and stay hooked. The writing technique was sophisticated and superb, brought the story to life.

After the plot thickened, I was able to piece together what would happen, but I finished, and was glad I did! Mind blowing conclusion... would recommend to any body.

I wasn't a fan of John Costa's character.. not sure if that's just me? But I liked the writing techniques, that displayed the personalities of Martin. So many people can be related to him, and it helped bring him to life. Very haunting, but very reverent.

Based on the merit, this book has received in reviews, I'm shocked to find so many disapproved of it. This story captures every aspect of any other suspense thriller. This book held everything for me.. drama, suspense, crime.. you name it.. This book deserves better credit! A+

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS AND CHILLING, February 28, 2000

By 

Alexander Besher - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Lives (Hardcover)

Beautifully written, elegantly plotted, marvelously conceived,diabolical . . . and what style!