Customer Reviews

Vertical Run

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Business executive Dave Ellis shows up to work one morning to be greeted by his boss who is holding a gun and lamenting the fact that Dave must die. Dave can tell that today is not going to be a good day. He has to call on all the training he learnt many years ago in Vietnam as an army lieutenant. His specialty back then was covert operations and was armed with a vast knowledge of dirty tricks and ability to outthink the enemy. This knowledge proves to be of the utmost importance for his survival of this bewildering attack.

Why is he being hunted so determinedly? Why do his pursuers seem to be such professionals?

Throughout the chase he goes through a series of flashbacks as all of his training comes back to him. We find out where he learnt all his dirty tricks and booby traps, how he knows what his pursuers will do next and how to escape the traps that are set for him. The bulk of the action is confined within a 50-storey building as Dave tries to escape and his pursuers try to keep him penned in. With ingenious evasive manoeuvres and devious booby traps, Dave races from floor to floor as the net tightens and the number of chasers grows.

This is an action-all-the-way hell-raiser that is all the more enjoyable for it's unbelievable moments. There are sequences that remind me somewhat of the movie Die Hard, but was also refreshing in it's originality at the same time, funnily enough. A terrific ending capped off a very enjoyable book, containing everything required of a first-rate action adventure.

Hey, a new story. In this category of books, it is getting a tough to find something new but this was. I think I have had a few days like this - at least the part about the boss taking a shot at him. This is a fun book with a new interesting plot. Joe average all of a sudden has the world after him. He then has to run for his life. The book just keeps going and going. I think this will always be this author's best books, I do not know how he will top it. The story is very tight. It had it all, a great story, good characters, wonderful action and a quick pace. This is just a good old exciting book. The author peppers the book with plot twists that keep the reader on his toes. This author writes in a way that is tight and slick that keep you interested through out. Sit back and enjoy this book.

One minute you're sitting in your big cushy office, getting some work done, and the next you're running for your life, because it seems that everyone from your boss to the janitor wants you dead. And just to drive the point home, there's a team of skilled mercenaries on your tail. And all you have to get you out in one piece is your military training and a voice in your head. Now that, my friends, is a bad day at the office.

With light-speed pacing and expert storytelling, Joseph Garber's action-packed thriller is definatley worth a read. The book's office building setting and relentless action scenes draw immediate comparisons to Die Hard, all the while infusing a great mystery story, as protagonist Dave Elliot tries to figure out why everyone seems to want him dead. The character developent and writing are surprisingly good for an action novel, as are the use of subplot and flashbacks. Elliot's recolections of Vietnam are fascinating, and the military background makes him a surprisingly rescourcful character. None of this slows down the plot, however, which barrels along at supersonic speed and never lets up. Things explode, people get shot, and the ending is maddeningly creative. Vertical Run is a great piece of escapist fiction, definatley a ride worth taking.

I saw "Vertical Run" 's pre-release ad in 1995; it intrigued me: A normal guy comes to work and suddenly everyone, including his partner and best friend, are trying to kill him! Why? I finally read it this year; I'm sorry I waited. = This book moves like a runaway train and takes you with it, pulling you into the careening action in the first few pages. You have to go along, you don't have a choice. This is one of the five best action-thrillers I have read in my entire life. I will not give away the plot, it's too much fun to read it. Suffice to say, the clues are all there for those that like to puzzle out this kind of thing. Most of the action takes place in a high-rise office building, thus the title. And by God, it's a run alright. It has tension, conflict, fights, explosions (I like explosions), a little romance, and some fascinating nuggets of information on how to set booby-traps using only the materials at hand in a normal office environment (don't try those at work, kids, you'll get arrested). This book is not only worth reading, it's worth owning the hardback edition. You may have mixed feelings about the ending, but I think it's the right way for the plot to conclude.

Ingeniously plotted though suspension of disbelief required. Somehow, a story about escaping killers in a skyscraper has become more poignant since 9/11, which occurred long after this book came out.

Remember this name: Joseph R. Garber. He has written, apparently, three novels to date. I've read two of them, and they are surpassingly good! I first read Whirlwind, in an advance reader's edition (review copy). Amazon will not let me review it yet, because it will not be released until tomorrow, but let me tell you, it is a thriller that will hold you spellbound, as will this one: Vertical Run, his second book. The first was called Rascal Money, and he is a literary critic and business analyst for Forbes magazine.

From the back cover:

'Dave Elliott is about to have a very bad day at the office...

'It begins early this morning when the company president strolls into Dave Elliott's office with a gun in his hand and murder in his eye. From there it gets even worse. To Dave's mounting horror he discovers that his colleagues, friends, and even his wife and son wanbt him killed.

'He can't imagine why.

'Now he's trapped in a fifty-story New York office tower with a team of ruthlessly professional mercenaries hunting him floor by floor and expecting him to be dead by lunchtime.

'They're wrong.'

This is a 300 page (popular paperback) adventure thriller that is somewhat better than you would expect from Clancy, Cook, or Higgins. I predict that this author is destined to be our next leading writer in this genre. He writes like a man who has 'been there,' and the details of the 'spook trade' are utterly convincing as he describes it.

But, don't let it fool you. Because a man writes like an ex-Green Beret does not mean he has been one. The late R. Wright Campbell wrote a book called The Spy Who Sat and Waited, with the story set in the Orkneys. His description of the islands and the people was so poetic and convincing, I asked him how long he'd spent there. He answered me that he'd never been there. He learned all he knew about the area from the encyclopedia. Bobbie Campbell was, simply put, a born stroyteller: a troubador. Perhaps the same is true of Joseph Garber. In any case, he is a wonderful storyteller who will hold you spellbound. You won't be able to put it down.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

I've just read the comments by other reviewers, and as my rating indicates, I'm in agreement with the majority of them. To those who nitpicked the book to death I can only say yes, the characterizations are not profound psychological studies; yes, the plot has some holes in it; and no, this isn't literature with a capital L. It's a beach book, a page-turner--and a dandy one at that. Knowing nothing about it but intrigued by some of the cover blurbs, I bought the paperback several years ago and started reading it one afternoon. Amidst various interruptions, I got through three-quarters of it by late evening. If I hadn't had to go to work the next day I'd have finished it. As it was, as soon as I got home from work I barreled through to the end, enjoying every minute of it. I raved enthusiastically about it so much that my girlfriend, who was not much of a fiction reader and completely disinclined to read thrillers, picked it up herself. She too read it in a couple of days and, though not as enthusiastic about it as I was, admitted that she enjoyed it. If you decide to read it, make sure your schedule is clear of obstacles because you won't want to put this one down once you've started it. But for crying out loud, suspend your disbelief and don't pick it apart as though it's a work by Faulkner or Joyce! It's an action/suspense novel, and succeeds supremely well within that context. As thrillers go, this one is state-of-the-art.

It's no ordinary day at the office for businessman Dave Elliot when he shows up for work and his boss pulls a gun on him. Narrowly dodging the confrontation, Dave soon discovers his troubles have just begun. Every colleague, acquaintance, and friend he knows wants to see him extinguished. Trapped in a New York City skyscraper, Dave, a former Vietnam Veteran and Green Beret has to muster up his old survival skills as he becomes the hunted in an organized murder attempt on his life. All the while, Dave hasn't the faintest idea why everybody wants him dead.

Vertical Run reads more like a movie script than a novel. It's packed full of action, however, there is really nothing original here. The story is full of cliches, typical tough-guy dialogue, and harrowing escapes by the hero in a predictable fashion. The best part of the story is figuring out why Dave Elliot is a marked man. Unfortunately for myself, another reader a few posts below me gave away the answer in his review. Perhaps I would have found this a 4 star tale had it not been spoiled for me. I still recommend this book for any action-thriller lover, but if you enjoy your suspense please don't read the reviews on the next page.

Corporate executive David Elliot, an absolutely ordinary 47-year-old New Yorker, is about to have a hell of a day, and it starts with his habitual early morning jog to work, a relaxing shower, and his boss apologizing for having to kill him - and his boss, by the way, is pointing a gun. Things go downhill from there as, one after another, David's co-workers, friends, and family abruptly turn against him, also try to kill him. And let's makes it worse - David also promptly stumbles onto teams of covert, highly trained assassins lurking in the office building, each tasked with taking him out, no matter the cost.

Time is running out on David, and he's still frantically trying to piece all the clues together (except that there aren't very many clues). Just what did he do - or overhear or witness - that would warrant a death sentence? Or does it have to do with his dark past? Because, a long, long time ago, David Elliot was other than absolutely ordinary...

Joseph R. Garber, a self-professed slow writer, doesn't have a lot of novels under his belt, but no matter how many more he churns out, I don't think he'll ever top his debut work. VERTICAL RUN, a white-knuckle action thriller, crackles and tightens the screws and makes you late for whatever scheduled engagements or activities, and this very definitely includes sleep. Comparisons to DIE HARD will surface, it's inevitable. And yet VERTICAL RUN rapidly assumes its own identity. There's so much more going on.

The suspenseful Hitchcock element pulls you in quick. You know, that thing which Hitchcock so excelled at? The innocent man suddenly plonked in odd and dangerous circumstances, forced to run for his life and yet somehow still has to get to the bottom of things. I read this book years ago and I remember being on the edge of my seat from jump, and what affected me most was the puzzling, off-kilter behavior of David's friends and family towards him. It had my curiosity piqued like a mother. So, yes, I'm reminded of Hitchcock. Joseph Garber keeps us hanging and hanging, and we don't really know for sure what's going on until almost the very end, although, okay, there are hints dropped along the way. And put yourself in David Elliot's place - what if there actually were a good reason for why people wanted you dead?

The action is blistering, invigorating, and most of it takes place inside the colossal corporate highrise perched on Park Avenue, with David backed into a corner and forced to play dangerous cat-and-mouse games against the assassins and his fellow employees. The enemy is given a face in the shape of Ransome, the team leader of the assassins, and the cold, collected, and calculating Ransome really comes across as a worthy nemesis. Most of the book, David barely stays half a step ahead of him.

For the hapless romantic, there's even a whiff of romance, but only a whiff because there's no time for cuddly shenanigans, what with our guy's absolute, desperate focus on survival. We don't have to wait long before average, middle-aged David Elliot reacquires certain old skills and evolves into a dynamic and very resourceful assskicker. The writer gives him added depth and history by virtue of those occasional flashback passages which, admittedly, nowadays feel somewhat dated.

If you like conspiracy theories, you'll probably get a kick out of the undercurrent of cynicism regarding illicit military and government conduct. If you're down with stuff like booby traps, disguises, a dash of martial arts, explosions, heavy (and illegal) artillery, and dirty commando tactics, well, this book offers up all of these. And if you relish unpredictable endings, then that little memo at the very last page is sure to plant a big, wide grin on your mug. David Elliot, an absolutely ordinary 47-year-old executive vice-president, is someone not to be effed with.

I haven't read any of Garber's previous efforts, but loved this story about a upstanding businessman who finds everyone from his boss, his best friend and his wife all seemingly trying to kill him. Trapped in a NY high rise, this book is almost perfect.

Garber's principle character David Elliot is a likeable guy whose inner voice carries on a constant conversation. The banter is amusing and in a story where he is seemingly alone, much of the dialog is between him and himself.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading an adventure book. There are government conspiracies, Vietnam flashbacks and even a hint of mid-life crisis. Perfect for anyone that works in a high rise.

Spoiler ahead....

There is one point that confuses me. After Elliot's boss commits suicide, Agent Ransome instructs his team to put Elliot's blood at the crime scene to implicate him in the crime. Yet, we learn that Elliot is extremely contagious and bodily fluids could ultimately infect all of New York and beyond. Other than this apparent slip, the book is near perfect.