Customer Reviews

Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can't Put Down

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read the first Thriller and enjoyed it immensely. Thriller 2 is even

better. There were several stories that grabbed my attention. "The Weapon"

by Jeffery Deaver had a stunning ending. "Remaking" by Blake Crouch was a

very good story. "The Circle" written by David Hewson will frighten you.

"Roomful Of Witnesses" by R.L. Stine has a novel approach. "The House On

Pine Terrace" by Philip Margolinleaves you wondering who is good and who is bad. "The Lamented"by Lawrence Light was a very god story. Through Light I discovered a new author. "Vintage Death" by Lisa Jackson takes a

close up look at a California wine dynasty. "Suspension Of Disbelief" offers a different look at the world of a writer. "A Calculated Risk "

gives you an interesting look at the world of doublecrossing. "The Fifth

World" by Juan Sierra shows the end of the world according to Mayan lore. "Ghost Writer" by Gary Braver was another interesting story in this book."Through A Veil Darkly" gives you a unique look at the Presidency.

"Bedtime For Mr. Li' by Davifd Montgomery is an interesting of a professional killer. "Killing Time" by Jon Land was an outstanding story about a contract killer on the run from the authorities. Be sure to read

"Thriller 2". This is a very good book.

As a history teacher I don't typically read fiction. I came across this book at a time when I happened to be in the mood for some light fiction reading. The stories can be read in 20-30 minutes and although I have not read them all the first 10 have all been good and have exposed me to authors that I would probably never have read otherwise. A very good investment for those times when you might be between other works and/or not certain what you want to read next.

This book provides a great opportunity to sample the very different styles of various authors. Unlike reading a novel, if a particular author does not suit your taste, you can quickly move on to another. And if you do discover someone whose writing captivates you, then you can buy other works.

While not every author in this collection is someone who I would read again, many are, and I enjoyed being exposed to so much writing that I would not otherwise have discovered. This book is definitely worthwhile if you like sampling new authors and expanding your reading horizons.

I bought Thriller One and was pleased to see this one. It is a great way to be introduced to some great thriller writters.

The twenty three tales included in this collection are for the most part excellent and timely. The anthology opens with Jeffery Deaver's "The Weapon" focusing on torture while Lisa Jackson's "Vintage Death" contains several terrific thriller twists. "The Circle" by David Hewson will indirectly remind readers of the London bombings as a pregnant woman riding the tube hears a passenger mumbling "They will remember my name." Marcus Sakey's "The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away" examines how strong the bond the band of brothers forged in the battlefields of the Iraq War survives once everyone is stateside. Gary Braver's "Ghost Writer" was once a famous novelist, but now writes stories for other people to "author" as that pays better though leaves him depressed. Finally with Carla Neggers, Joan Johnston, Robert Ferrigno, Jon Land, R.L. Stine, and Lisa Jackson amongst others contributing, THRILLER 2 lives up to its subtitle of "stories you can't put down".

Harriet Klausner

Reviewers should read the entire collection before writing reviews. The reviewer who quit reading after the first story missed some very good writing. As another reviewer noted, the best stories are in the second half of the collection. The collection includes 23 short stories by different authors. As in most collections, you will like some stories more than others. Some of the stories are by newer authors, and it is a good way to sample their writing. Some stories are by authors you will recognize from their earlier writing.

I was pleased to find a short story, "A Calculated Risk," by Sean Chercover. He has previously written about a PI in Chicago. In this story he introduces a new character, Tom Bailey, a man with a past he does not talk about who has reinvented himself as a charter boat operator in the Caribbean. Bailey may take you fishing, or for a price he may deliver you quietly to another location. I hope that we may see more of Bailey, who seems to be a mix of Travis McGee and Jack Reacher.

The stories can be read in any order. "A Calculated Risk" may be a good starting point.

I am fan of this series and will definitely keep my eye out for the third collection. However, this collection of 23 stories was not as strong or entertaining as the first Thriller. Do not get me wrong, I still recommend it highly, it just falls a star less for me. It starts off very well with Deaver's The Weapon, which turns the tables on torture, Blake's creepy Remaking, which covers the depths of a father's love, and Hunsicker's Ice, that ably shows how one's life can go so far off the rails.

It introduced me to some new authors: Mariah Stewart, Carla Neggers, Gary Braver, and Jon Land. And this is the real purpose of these collections and the group of authors behind them identified as the International Thriller Writers, Inc. co-founded by David Morrell and Gayle Lynds. I enjoyed 18 of the 23 stories immensely so that speaks to the book's overall value. Each story keeps a great pace (which in some cases makes up for a weak plot and characters) and it is possible to digest the whole thing in a day or savor over time. A couple of standouts were Marcus Sakey's The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away and A Calculated Risk by Sean Chercover. By all means, pick it up, as I am confident more than a few of the stories will thrill you.

These are all bite size chunks and very readable. Some are a little wacky. They are all pretty spooky. I recommend it.

This was well worth my time. As you would expect, some stories were more interesting and faster paced than others. Some were ridiculous and the characters insite preternatural. But as a whole, it was a fun book and I may not revisit all of the stories, but I definitely will read through one or two once again to see if I missed anything the first time around.

These 23 original stories are by authors who are members of International Thrillers Writers Inc. Most of the stories are good and suspensful with excellent narration (each story has a different narrator) and each story is prefaced by an introduction. The stories include:

The Weapon / Jeffrey Deaver

Remaking / Blake Crouch

Iced / Harry Hunsicker

Justice Served / Mariah Stewart

The Circle / David Hewson

Roomful of Witnesses / R.L. Stine

The House on Pine Terrace / Phillip Margolin

The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away / Marcus Sakey

On the run / Carla Neggers

Can you help me out here? / Robert Ferrigno

Crossed Double / Joe Hartlaub

The Lamented / Lawrence Light

Vintage Death / Lisa Jackson

Suspension of Disbelief / Tim Maleeny

A Calculated Risk / Sean Chercover

The Fifth World / Javier Sierra

Ghost Writer / Gary Braver

Through a Veil Darkly / Kathleen Antrim

Bedtime for Mr. Li / David J. Montgomery

Protecting the Innocent / Simon Wood

Watch Out For My Girl / Joan Johnston

Killing time / Jon Land

Boldt's broken angel / Ridley Pearson