Undone [Hardcover]

Michael Kimball (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1996

In a novel of greed and betrayal fraught with psychological suspense, Sal Erickson finds himself drawn into his best friend's scheme to fake his own death and abscond with two million dollars of the government's money. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The thriller world's Maine man, Stephen King, calls this striking effort, set in the fictional Maine town of Gravity, "the sort of book you think about during the day and can't wait to settle back into at night." Kimball, who lives in York Harbor, just down the coast from King, combines Poe's The Premature Burial with James M. Cain's Double Indemnity, adds a jolt of sexual energy and a blast of betrayal, creates a cast of no less than a dozen fascinating characters and winds up with a book guaranteed to keep you touched and enthralled.

From Publishers Weekly

In the first scene of Kimball's electrifying new novel of psychological suspense, Bobby Swift is getting ready to be buried alive, part of an elaborate scheme to fake his own death so that he can keep $2 million from a defaulted loan and leave Gravity, Maine, for a life of leisure in the Cayman Islands. But Bobby meets a cruel fate when his wife and co-conspirator, Noel, fails to unearth him from the grave. After the third participant in the plan, an undertaker, is murdered, Bobby's best friend, Sal Erickson, is quickly drawn into the speculation and intrigue arising from the two deaths. Sal, a music teacher and recovering alcoholic, complicates his already problematic relationship with his wife, Iris, by falling off the wagon and pursuing a destructive affair with Noel, a seductive femme fatale who may be a victimized widow?or a clever murderess. Muddying the waters further are the schemes of Iris's brother Jerry, a shrewd redneck who plans to use incriminating evidence to blackmail Noel into an affair, and the conflict between the local constable and two government detectives assigned to the case. Kimball (Firewater Pond) skillfully juggles the murderous motives of varied suspects, all the while tightening the noose around Sal's neck as he begins to suspect that Noel is double-crossing him. The characters, briefly drawn but compelling, vivify the passions that lurk beneath the placid surface of a rural community and that, here, resolve dramatically in a keen-edged climax. 25,000 first printing.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 341 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (T); 1st edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380973057
• ISBN-13: 978-0380973057
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,988,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the ultimate page turner, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Undone (Mass Market Paperback)

I started this book on a rainy morning and spent the whole day reading it until I finished it. The story is compelling...it grabs you right away. The characters are interesting and well flushed-out. Just when you think you have the ending figured out...there's another twist and turn in the plot. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a well-written suspensful thriller.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrillers Hit a New High, January 26, 2000

By 

Richard Callahan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Undone (Mass Market Paperback)

Michael Kimball has put it all together in UNDONE: a complex plot, fully developed characters,highly visual descriptions, crackling dialogue and brisk pacing. So many of his scenes remain sharp in the reader's memory because he makes us see, hear, and touch the places he describes. He puts us into a coffin and induces claustrophobia,suspense and surprise all within a few paragraphs. His characters' motivations and actions are organic, making the story unfold naturally in front of our eyes. Kimball is an exceptional writer, and he has elevated the psychological thriller to a new level with UNDONE. Let's hope he keeps 'em coming.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Blistering, Seductive Read, March 15, 2001

By 

Christine "loves to read" (Setauket, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Undone (Mass Market Paperback)

Undone is a naughty little novel drenched with wicked characters doing equally wicked deeds. This story is dark and mesmerizing at the same time. You can't help but feel for Sal. He's a devoted family man who becomes an unwilling participant in his best friend's "death scheme". As the story progresses we are witnesses to a small town drama filled with murder, betrayal and seduction. A classic "in the wrong place at the wrong time" type of story that will keep you guessing until the very end. Read this on a day when you have lots of uninterrupted time.

Four stars for the unrelenting pace and unforgettable characters.

Cris