Customer Reviews

Their Wildest Dreams

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

 

 

Several stories of varied characters converge in a literally explosive climax in this extraordinarily well written novel. On the Mexican US border outside of Tucson, lives Mackie Larkin, a divorced housewife who dreams of owning a dance studio but after a failed real estate deal, desperately needs money just to make ends meet. Her daughter, Lianne falls for an older man who works at the same ranch her father does. Nicholas Loeb is a mystery writer who travels to rural Arizona to get hands on experience in law enforcement. Buck Samsonov is a crime lord who runs a couple of strip joints in the region. All their paths converge in this very clever crime novel. The question is who will be on top in the end.
After a slow start the plot becomes increasingly fast paced once we get to know each of the characters and their separate problems. Alternate chapters are used initially to reveal the individual characters. Part of the change in momentum occurs when the characters' lives converge making the separation by chapter no longer necessary. The characters, a major strength of the work, are all original creations. The conclusion is a bit problematic and unrealistic. However, this one is well written and very much worthy of a reader's time.

RAther odd suspense/love story that is typical of Abrahams and makes his novels more interesting than the usual suspense. Mackie, a single mom, takes up stripping to make ends meet after her husband divorces her and manages to lose all their money. Her daughter strikes up a romance with a not so bright ranch hand on the ranch where her father has gotten a job. Her father ruins his job prospects, not surprisingly, but the daughter sticks with the ranch hand, despite his obvious limitation in the brains department. This is not funny but bittersweet.

The boyfriend is convinced to commit a bank robbery and in the process Mackie ends up with the money and the boyfriend ends up dead. Meanwhile, Mackie has developed a relationship with Nick, a writer, who has come to town to immerse himself in the police for some research for the book. The cops are investigating a crime ring which ends up wanting the money that is stolen from the bank.

All the lives collide when the crime boss (who reminds me of characters from elmore Leonard's books) kind of funny but also very brutal beats up Nick and Mackie's husband and kidnaps Mackie and her daughter. It is Mackie's daughter that ultimately is able to free them through using one of the tricks her boyfriend taught her (thus redeeming him and his stupidity)

Mackie learned what a louse her husband was after she discovered he was cheating on her and divorced her. The housing development they were creating went into foreclosure and the bank took possession of it leaving her and her daughter Lianne barely able to afford the payments on the model house. When she gets a notice from the IRS saying she owes over $100,000, she finds out Kevin did some financial maneuvering that make her liable for the bill.

Her friend gives her the idea of stripping as a way of getting back on her feet financially and the Tucson resident travels to the border town of Aqua Fria where she gets hired on as an exotic dancer at Buckaroo's. The owner of the club Buck Samsanov also owns the local bank. He has a scheme where one of his workers robs the place and he gets the money back plus the insurance. Through a quirky set of circumstances, Mackie winds up with the money, Lianne's boyfriend is dead, and Kevin is kidnapped. A crime writer looking for inspiration winds up in the middle of the whole mess and manages to make matters worse.

This suspense thriller is a memorable reading experience due to the cast of characters who are unique and believable. Peter Abrahams has a colorful writing style and his prose is a work of art even with plenty of farcical humor that lowers the tension level when the reader needs a bit of relief from the almost non-stop action. Once again, Mr. Abrahams proves he is one of the grandmasters of suspense.

Harriet Klausner

The pace of this book is much quicker than Mr. Abrahams' previous efforts. Additionally, he does a masterful job of injecting subtle, self-deprecating humor into the main character, Nick Loeb.

I thought the author's utilization of Amazon.com's book review feature was particularly clever.

The dialog is sharp and realistic, with many surprises along the steadily developing plot.

I have read several of this author's previous books, enjoying The Fan and The Tutor. I found Revolution #9, The Perfect Crime and Lights Out to be a bit slow and tedious.

This novel is definitely Mr. Abrahams' most entertaining effort to date.

When Stephen King insists that Peter Abrahams is "my favorite American suspense novelist", I take an immediate interest in that author. And I have yet to be disappointed. Page-turners like The Tudor and The Fan set the hook deep in my throat, forcing me to become a huge Abrahams' fan. Then along comes Their Wildest Dreams. Where most successful authors appear to follow a formula, Mr. Abrahams threw this avid reader a curveball that caught me completely by surprise, while distancing himself from his earlier thrillers. But don't be disillusioned. Their Wildest Dreams is a great read with layered characters that you'll really care about. If he ever decides to give up writing--God, I hope not--maybe, just maybe he should look into becoming a magician. How can an author juggle the lives of so many convincing characters without losing the audience? Ask Peter Abrahams. How can an author take an average teenage girl, a divorced mom, loser dad, and a struggling mystery writer, and make a compelling story? Read Their Wildest Dreams. After I read this novel, I found myself looking at my female neighbors with a discriminating eye. Could one of these moms be a stripper in Fort Erie, Canada? Obviously, Mr. Abrahams did his homework on a number of subjects, including his fictional writer, Nick Loeb who learned how to "do women." For those with some dirty thoughts: Give depth to a woman character. Their Wildest Dream is a terrific read worthy of your attention.

Having read a lot Peter Abrahams' books, this one is definitely the best. I love Abrahams' style. Not for one moment is the reader's interest allowed to wane. His character descriptions are brilliant which shows his great grasp of the human race, the so-called "normal" people and life's oddballs. True, Mackie does sound a little bit too good to be true but I suppose there are people like that. My imagination was also a bit stretched by the fact that Lianne, a wholesome, well-brought up teenager, would suddenly not only think of a crime but would be prepared to participate in it. Other than these two instances, I found the rest very believable indeed. Anyway, buy this book, borrow it from a friend or go to your local library. A treat awaits you. Also, I think it is time that Abrahams' older books were brought back into print. I am sure there are enough other readers like myself who don't only read "new" books. Yes, looking at the date of first publication is interesting, but certainly not an indication of whether the book should be read or not.

Abrahams brings a lot of characters together in this character-driven novel. It moves very quickly and sometimes went in directions that surprised me. Once or twice the author overreached (the most notable example was what seemed like a physically impossible sex scene on horseback), but for the most part this was a fun read.

An author can often choose any kind of book he wants to write. Peter Abrahams (PA) breezes through this sometimes interesting story with cliched dialogue and a plot that should have some edginess, given its inherent nature, but falls flat almost all the time. This book also struck me as being very anti-male, probably soup de jour in PA's neck of the woods. The ex-husband is a jerk; the chief cop is dumb and owned by the villains. The villains of course are all male. The daughter's boyfriend is nice, but mentally dull. The author in the story (read: book within a book) is trying to write a novel for which he is particularly unsuited (only star appearances on the Today show or with Diane Sawyer or Oprah...ad nauseam will sell his book). He is saved in the end by the unbelievable heroics of the daughter, who is Supergirl incarnate. One nice thing was the lead bad guy is Russian, not German ... I kind of think PA is playing a joke on his readers: ordinary housewife becomes extraodinary stripper (a transparent implausibility); her daughter who saves the day; the obtuse writer whose life is turned around by a reader/reviewer (e.g. moi) on Amazon. This book will stay in my mind more than one minute solely because of the ways prudish PA limply describes how stripper/dancers get the big money when performing. Get thee to a rocking strip joint gallant author PA and gain some authenticity in your writing. Other problems: obligatory lesbian strippers (authentic, for once); as already noted: unsubtle to the max super teen girl; the happy ending: good girls and guy should be drawn and quartered, which would have happened if the reality established in this novel had been adhered to. Turbo lets lil' one save the day. Unreal. Unreal. Readers who like this book won't read Ruth REndell, so I won't recommend her. But Michael Connelly, please, read him and get depth, sound characterization, a good plot (almost all his novels) and great prose.

Abrahams has got something - talent for invention and plotting!

This was a really enjoyable one day read. A novel with some of the twists of an Alistair MacLean and then some. This is a saga of larceny, marital chaos, adolescent lust and misguided passion, helplessly lost characters in the morass of the USA - Mexican border culture, black humor, the 'Old West' and of course good old sex and money.

It is a tale of 6 characters whose lives come together in a disjointed blend of violence and intrigue around the traditional 'easy' bank caper. Oh yes, and just as traditionally things do not quite go as planned - but just how is where the enjoyment lies. That said though, this is not a predictable book and the author deserves praise and recognition for that. Just as you think you know exactly what will happen it doesn't. There are lots of twists and turns that sting just when you relax.

This is not great prose though I did love the characterizations and yes it is the worst of American culture on display but it demonstrates a thoughtful author working to entertain his readers. It is entertainment - pure and unadulterated. My mind pictured another big bloody Technicolor Tarantino movie as 'Kill Bill' flashed past my eyes.

I laughed at what I thought were colorful, enjoyable images:
"He took the bottles, opened them with his teeth, both at once, handed one to Loeb. Loeb suspected they'd reached the high-water mark of their friendship, might never again be this close." (p206, ISBN 0141011300)

Abrahams runs an interesting subplot (or maybe it is the real plot) of an author struggling to get back into his creative realm and real enjoyment comes along as this budding sleuth accompanies the reader bumping his way through the plot. Along the way some well placed reflections of the state of publishers and literature find voice. Initially, I found this additional character annoying; but everything comes together and harmony ensues.

A tale that satisfies and will lead you to read more. A good airport and wet day yarn.

I hate to disagree with other readers here, but I just have to say I hated this book. It was completely implausible and unbelievable from beginning to end. I was sorry I wasted my time reading this. I read Abrahams new book, End of Story, and really loved it, so went to the library to get something else he wrote, but was more than disappointed with this book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.