Customer Reviews

Watch Me: They Said She Couldn't Catch A Serial Killer. She Said...

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Jaded thriller addict that I am, I picked up Watch Me thinking 'oh spare me, another dated cyber-cops-and-robbers, mouse-turns-vampire thing'. By page 90 I'd not only double-locked the doors, but made sure the dead bolts were set as well. This is a very satisfying and complex tale of pure human evil, carefully set in a wide variety of real and virtual locations, ranging from Vancouver to the dregs of cyberspace. Jay Fletcher, the leading lady, is morally ambiguous but lethally effective as she confronts a web of serial killers frighteningly disguised as normal people in our midst. Is this a disturbing book? Yes, definitely - what are the limits of legal protection? Is vigilantism justifiable, and if so, who decides? Holt's style is taut and spare: an excellent read in a safe place!

I'd read WATCH ME over a year ago but since I'd just gotten ahold of the sequel CATCH ME last w/e and am ignoring the books bought for me by my family for Xmas in favor of Holt's new novel, I thought that I'd share some of my impressions.

First off, I no more believe that WATCH ME is Holt's first book than I believe Robert James Waller has talent. This is a poised, polished, savvy effort and first novels, not even NATHAN'S RUN, turn out this good. Holt is a bestselling author under his/her real name and I'm sure that I've read this author before.

Secondly, just when people think the serial killer genre has been done to death (pardon the phrase) someone like AJ Holt comes along to breathe new life and brings us a combination of Brian Garfield's DEATH WISH and Thomas Harris's SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. There are several vigilante novels out there, the most execrable being PREDATORS, but Holt's slick, well-paced effort is easily head and shoulders above them.

The characterization was adequate, not nearly as detailed as in Harris's efforts but what the author lacks in character development (I didn't believe his half-hearted explanation as to why Jay turned renegade FBI agent), s/he more than makes up for in plotting and action. The denouement was genuinely thrilling and Holt set up a demand for the sequel, which thankfully had come two years ago.

What'll the next one be called? MATCH ME?

Holt's debut thriller features FBI agent and computer hacker Janet (Jay) Fletcher, whose zeal doesn't always follow proper legal channels. When her illegally obtained evidence blows a murder case, she is assigned to an arson detail in Santa Fe. But she can't help running her computer tracking system to find a local serial killer.

Find him she does but her methods are not court admissable. Agonizing over what to do, she finds herself face-to-face with the killer - and evidence of an on-line network of people like himself - serial killers who've made a game out of ritualistic murder.

Holt knows computers, and uses this fantastic scenario to dazzle rather than confuse the reader. The action never flags but even more interesting is the ethical nail-biting. With expert manipulation, Holt fires the reader emotionally with gruesome murder scenes then asks "What's more important - stopping a serial killer or obeying the law?" And to really make it disturbing, Fletcher begins to get a thrill out of her rogue vigilantism. Exciting from first page to last.

If you like a strong minded, intelligent and very capable woman who is fed up with the limits and pettifogging details of today's rule-bound society, then you'll love the growth and daring of Special FBI Agent Janet Louise Fletcher.

Like all mystery stories, this book deals with the chaos of criminals who know no rules and who operate in a rule-dominated society that is increasingly restricted and victimized by "the rights of criminals." All mystery stories are based on the premise of a hero who solves a crime with logic and perseverance to restore the normal peaceful and orderly function of society. This is no exception.

Today, life is not so simple. The question of guilt or innocence often takes second place to whether all of the accused's rights have been respected. One very good defense attorney once told me he could get an acquittal for anyone "because every prosecution involves thousands of separate and intricate procedures, and the police merely have to get one wrong for the accused to go free." Anyone remember why O.J. Simpson was aquitted?

It's what Fletcher faced as the book opens. The book is about her solution, which was very practical if somewhat unorthodox.

The underlying element of the book is even more interesting. Some people have an innate desire to hurt the object of their love -- whether it's a spouse, a job, or even a friend. It's not a lack of caring, instead it's a cry to be able to say, "You love me despite the horrible things I do to you and all the pain and misery I cause." They need proof they are loved despite their betrayals and the pain they inflict; in a curious way, it's very much an expression of caring.

Remember the saying "It is sometimes easier to be forgiven than to get permission in the first place." Think of Fletcher as operating on this principle.

In other words, "Even though I hurt you terribly, please forgive me." For Fletcher, it covers her education, career and job. She loves and believes in her work, yet she is bitterly frustrated in watching the judicial system throw away months of her best efforts to nab the most devious of criminals. So, counting on forgiveness, she plunges into risky behaviour intended to force her superiors to take extra-special steps to let her know she's still appreciated.

Sound complicated? Okay, think of 'The Matrix" films which are a magnificent screed against the dangers and excesses of modern technology. Yet, these films are beautifully crafted using the most modern, complex and manipulative technology. It's nothing new. Metropolis, in the 1920s, took the same approach and became a film classic. It is hardly surprising to use the techniques we fear to destroy the results we fear.

Why? Because The Matrix, like Metropolis, like 'Watch Me,' is built around an exceptionally fine story that will keep you up late reading -- then keep you awake in bed wondering just how much of it is feasible and real. Holt is a masterful story teller, and this is a good story that leads you into cheering for Fletcher and her unorthodox methods of achieving everything her years of training and work cannot accomplish.

In general, older mysteries are based on a private detective solving a crime -- an unsolved crime is a "mystery" -- that the "system" couldn't unravel. In today's world, the "system" is seen as part of the problem that prevents the just resolution crimes. Remember the old adage, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." Think of all the problems we hear about every day in those terms -- the book is Fletcher's journey to being part of the solution by promptly doing what the system is unable to neatly accomplish.

It's a far cry from the old traditional mystery stories. But, it's a welcome reflection of how today's world is very different; to quote an old Biblical saying, "New bottles for new wine." Fletcher is very clearly "a fine new wine." You'll love the bouquet of this book.

This was a good read. I would've given it five stars if it didn't have the Killer Webboard and meeting thing. Not very realistic. Most serial killers don't have the mindset to interact like that I don't think.

But it was a good book, no doubt about it. Me for, I'm someone that likes extremely realistic type fiction. Like -Killer On the Road- or -The Alienist-

Not sure who A.J. Holt is, but I'm reasonably certain that this isn't a first novel. It's written way too well for starters. Characters, dialogue, points of view, plot, realism, everything is top-notch. One of the best novels that I have read in quite a while...almost like a James Patterson novel for deep-thinkers. :) Very highly recommended!

I loved this book. I am an avid reader and this is one of my favorite books. I stayed up all night to finish it and was late getting to work. I have loaned this book out to many friends - who have also enjoyed it. Now I want to know - WHERE IS THE SEQUEL???? I AM IMPATIENTLY WAITING AND LOOK EVERY MONTH AT THE BOOKSTORE FOR ONE - PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER

Recommended to me by a friend who reads at least 40-50 books a year,(I read only 30), this book was certainly one of the top five spell-binding books I have ever read. As much as I have enjoyed the James Paterson books I felt this book was a cut above. Exciting story, excellent characters, jumps around in time without losing you, this book has it all. My only complaint is where is the sequel!!!!

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is an offbeat location for anything...including daily life. But there we are, complete with serial killer! I originally read this book because of its local interest but couldn't put it down because of my interest. The story is fast-paced, absorbing, and chilling. Computer details ring true, as do the descriptions of my small hometown. The main character, Jay, is especially well-drawn as she evolves in her own "serial" pursuits. I've been looking over my shoulder since I finished it

I read this book about 10 years ago and was reminded of it after re-watching Silence of the Lambs recently. The story was memorable for me because I thought the premise was really inventive. It went something like this: Special Agent Jay Fletcher specializes in computer programs. She designs some software that narrows down lists of violent criminals in order to predict the likelihood of their being serial killers. Turns out the program is incredibly accurate, bringing one such suspected killer to trial. As I recall, the methods her software used to profile the suspect were deemed an invasion of his privacy and therefore inadmissable in court. Suspect walks, but everyone knows he did it. Frustrated and disgusted, she begins to track these guys herself. When she finds and confronts the first one, she kills him on the spot. At first she's stunned by the violent act she's committed, but when she recovers she resumes the hunt. Here's the part I love: deliberately and methodically, she finds and kills these guys, and one by one, she becomes more desensitized and more ruthless. In effect, she becomes a serial killer... of serial killers. Such a clever twist. I'm surprised no one ever made it into a movie.