Customer Reviews

Watchlist: Two Serial Thrillers in One Killer Book

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The two "serial thrillers" offered in "Watchlist" are the product of the collaborative effort of 22 of the finest thriller writers in the world. Among the authors participating in the project are: Linda Barnes, Lee Child, Lisa Scottoline, Erica Spindler, David Hewson and Jeffrey Deaver (who created the basic characters and wrote the first and last chapters of the two novels). "The Chopin Manuscript" was first offered as an audio book and was named 2008 Audio Book of the year by the Audio Publisher's Association. Its follow-up, "The Copper Bracelet," throws several of the same characters into a new adventure some two years after the conclusion of the first book.

And as bad as "The Chopin Manuscript" is, "The Copper Bracelet" is equally as good.

The two books have much in common but one gets the sense that the authors did not really hit their stride with the concept until the second book. "The Chopin Manuscript" reads less like a cohesive novel than it does a competition among its 15 writers to ensure that their individual chapters contain more outlandish action than the chapter immediately preceding theirs. So little time is spent on character development that the rapid-fire adventure seems to be happening to cartoon characters rather than to real people - and the constant losing-and-regaining of the upper hand plus last second rescues of main characters will test the patience of readers.

"The Copper Bracelet," authored by 9 of the first book's 15 writers, plus 7 new ones, spends more time developing characters and explaining their motivations. As a result, although much of the action in this second book is every bit as wild as that in the first, readers will find it easier to suspend their disbelief because of the emotional attachment they will feel toward this story's characters, hero and villain, alike.

Harold Middleton, a former military intelligence officer who has more recently functioned as a war-crimes investigator, is the main character in both books. Other recurring characters include Middleton's daughter Charlotte, a talented young Polish violinist called Felicia Kaminski, and several members of what Middleton calls The Volunteers, a small group of trusted colleagues who help him in his investigations and who are willing to share the violence directed their way by those wanting to stop their snooping. The collection's finer villains, in particular, Devras Sikari, his son Archer, and their female accomplice, Jana, are reserved for the second book.

"Watchlist" transports its readers from Virginia to Washington D.C., Poland, Italy, Pakistan, Kashmir, London and Paris, among other stops, with much violence and nonstop action sure to be had at each location. Despite the unevenness of the two stories, this one will appeal to thriller fans and readers intrigued about the process by which the two books were written. The second book is such a huge improvement over the first, in fact, that I find myself hoping that the authors will collaborate on a third.

Authors of The Chopin Manuscript: Jeffrey Deaver, David Hewson, James Grady, S.J. Rozan, Erica Spindler, John Ramsey Miller, David Corbett, John Gilstrap, Joseph Finder, Jim Fusilli, Peter Spiegelman, Ralph Pezzullo, Lisa Scottoline, P.J. Parrish, Lee Child

Authors of The Copper Bracelet: Jeffrey Deaver, Gayle Lynds, David Hewson, Jim Fusilli, John Gilstrap, Joseph Finder, Lisa Scottoline, David Corbett, Linda Barnes, Jenny Siler, David Liss, P.J. Parish, Brett Battles, Lee Child, Jon Land, James Phelan

Jeffery Deaver helms a collaborative effort by 21 thriller writers--including Lee Child, Lisa Scottoline and Joseph Finder--that includes two novellas--The Chopin Manuscript, in which Harold Middleton discovers that a score by Chopin holds a deadly secret, and its sequel The Copper Bracelet, which finds Harold drawn into a plot that could lead to a nuclear war. Bt.
This was an interesting collaboration of authors, all very qualified and talented thriller writers. As a whole these were two very entertaining novels, though I preferred The Copper Bracelet a wee bit more even though it was a bit more intricate. I like the idea behind this type of collaboration but to me it seems that it takes away some of the fluidity you get from a single author. With the talent that was presented though, it still came out a quality thriller sure to satisfy any readers of any of these authors.

Back in your primary school days you probably partook in the exercise of everyone in the class writing a paragraph then passing the paper to the person sitting next to them who wrote the next paragraph, passed it to the next person and so on until everyone in the class had contributed to each of the 30 or so stories. Well that is exactly what the publishers of Watchlist did for the two stories contained within, with thriller writers who various levels of success in the real world. Well originally the first story The Chopin Manuscript was an audio book exercise but more or less they did the same thing. Not an original concept by any means (unless maybe for a spoken book project) but for a written novel, it has been done plenty of times before. The first time I came across this concept in a published book was for a book called Naked Came the Manatee. Since then I've come across various tackling a project like this maybe ten times, although none of the finished stories have been masterpieces or even that memorable as I can't even remember those books' names. The same forgetableness occurs with Watchlist's two stories, The Chopin Manuscript and The Copper Bracelet. In fact this is probably the worst effort of this sort of project that I've read.

Jeffery Deaver starts of both stories well, but most of the other authors seemed to either not really get the spirit of the project, or just plain didn't have the ability to continue the story well. With the first couple of authors it seems everyone must have fought to be the writer who started the novel, as they are completely different characters with the editor maybe giving those stories back after they were unsuccessful at being the opening author and saying well here's the order your in, live with it, read the previous and link yours somehow. I mean we start of with a piano tuner chatting to a man who unbeknownst to him has just murdered the other occupants of the building. Then we go to a guy (who becomes the main character) waiting for a plane and being detained by the Polish police with a weak link of he had lunch with the guy. Then we jump to Italy where a struggling Polish immigrant is busking and being harassed by a homeless guy who it is pretty obvious isn't going to just be a homeless guy with the weak link, the guy was her uncle. Where's the spirit of the project in just creating a new characters and settings, instead of having to further develop the characters from the previous chapters, pick up the scene from where the previous author left off, using what's already there, maybe put in a twist and let the next author continue on from the challenges in the plot written in the chapter before? The biggest problem of all for both stories, is that they are pretty boring and with most authors' work a struggle to get through. The only thing that keeps you going is you know the contributions by the author you are reading will be over very soon and you're hoping a better author will save the story or at least make it more interesting. Never really happens though!

I think I'm being generous in giving this three stars.

I bought the Audiobook of "The Chopin Manuscript" as it was being released, out of loyalty to my favorite author, Jeffery Deaver. It had exciting plot twists, but the inconsistencies drove me up the wall. Here's an example, which won't involve a major spoiler: a character is murdered in his home, and the author of that chapter stresses his having been extremely security-conscious--meaning that the killer had to be someone he knew. But Deaver, in his wrap-up, has the killer turn out to be, not only a stranger, but an obviously dangerous-looking individual whom the victim never would have let in. The contradiction could have been explained away in a few sentences--heck, I could have written my way out of it! But Deaver simply doesn't bother.

At another point in "Chopin," an author's establishing that it was "morning" left me extremely confused about the timeline. Had Character A been talking to Character B on the phone after Character B was killed? Or...just how late the previous evening had characters been having dinner? And how many hours would it have taken B to drive 150 miles? The problem never would have occurred to me if an editor had deleted that unnecessary reference to "morning."

Worst of all, I found Deaver's final plot twist ridiculous.

I was stunned when "Chopin" was named Audiobook of the Year. What must the competition have been like?

Still, I loyally bought "The Copper Bracelet." But I couldn't force myself to start listening to it--and was delighted when I could, instead, read "Watchlist."

Had editors corrected any of the inconsistencies in "Chopin"? Nope.

On the whole, I enjoyed "Bracelet" more than I had "Chopin"--probably because I could read all of "Bracelet" at once, without having time to think about what had been established in each separate chapter.

But once again, I felt cheated by the ending. This time, the problem was a plot device involving the U.S. presidency. In my opinion, it doesn't work--wouldn't have been plausible in any time period since the 1930s.

I was enthused to read this book. I was familiar with many of the authors. I am 76% through and I have to stop. There is little to no character development. The story jumps all over the globe from paragrah to paragraph. One thought is never completed before another jump in the story occurs. There are so many characters who are sometimes referred to by first name, sometimes by last name, sometimes by nickname - it is difficult to remember who everyone is. I was very disappointed in this collaborative effort.

This collection reminds me of the parlor game Story Telling. A story starts with a premise, and is passed from one person to the next in an attempt to find entertaining continuity. Intended for entertainment and usually fueled with alchohol for inspiration, the story usually takes some absurd twists and turns. So it is withthis collection. The most absurd twist withthis collection takes place with Lee Child, who gets so absorbed in musical technicalities that the point is lost for most readers. There seems to be some effort to duplicate Dean Brown's use of classical art as a plotline with classical music instead, but was so far over my head ( and I assume many readers) to the point of distraction.

When you see a group of authors featured on a book, a lot of times it means that each of them wrote a short story. Well, thanks to an idea by Jeffery Deaver, as well as all the authors who contributed to this, we get two thrillers in one package that promises to deliver. The question is, with all these authors, is this going to be the best we've ever read? I didn't think it was, but I did think it was pretty good. Was it close to the worst thing out there I've picked up? Not by a long shot!

THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT and THE COPPER BRACELET, both thrillers featuring a man named Harold Middleton. Both with a little something to hide that could threaten the lives of many and cause some chaos.

THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT has the musical quality, and introduces us to Harold Middleton. It hints at a piece of music by the great composer, Frederic Chopin that could possibly have a message within handwritten notes. Middleton is being chased after in this, all the while trying to solve the mystery, and accomplish his mission at the same time. And while trying to keep certain family safe at the same time.

THE COPPER BRACELET takes you into shark-infested waters as well. It never claims to stay safe, and plays with the head. What is this copper bracelet, or who? We once again find Middleton in the mix, this time with possible nuclear proportions. Middleton proves to be tough, while his enemy proves to be equally wily. And it gets wilder by the minute.

I've read some of the authors who were dedicated to writing these chapters. I've read Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Joseph Finder, David Liss and Gayle Lynds. I found myself very impressed by Joseph Finder's chapters in both, while thinking that Liss could've done better. Deaver is always a master at his craft, and that doesn't change when it comes to simply a few chapters. As far as who I might read further? Peter Spiegelman is a name that really impressed me, with the possibility of P.J. Parrish, Lisa Scottoline, David Hewson and possibly David Corbett and Jon Land.

There was really nothing to complain about on my part. I'm glad I got to see what this was all about!

The idea behind the two short novels that comprise WATCHLIST --- THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT and THE COPPER BRACELET --- was truly groundbreaking. Take the concept of a somewhat shadowy organization called the Volunteers (headed up by a late middle-aged, ex-war crimes investigator named Harold Middleton), whose purpose is to hunt down war criminals and prevent new crimes from happening. Open and close a book with chapters written by Jeffery Deaver, the creator of the concept, then let the world's top thriller authors each contribute a chapter, taking the story in a never-ending set of twists and turns from beginning to end.

There have been similar projects --- though not quite of this scale --- done in the mystery, romance and science fiction genres, but what is truly groundbreaking here is the manner in which THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT was released. Not only was it an original audiobook (one that earned a 2008 Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year), it also released a chapter at a time on a weekly basis, thus truly earning classification as a "serial thriller." Not content to rest on those considerable laurels, Deaver, accompanied by a stellar cast of thriller authors, did it again in 2009 with THE COPPER BRACELET. WATCHLIST brings both works together for the first time in print, the result demonstrating that the experiment works as well, if not better, in the traditional book medium.

THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT, as one might guess from the title, is concerned with classical music, at least peripherally. Middleton is bequeathed with what appears to be an original handwritten score composed by Frederic Chopin that heretofore has never seen the light of day. The score is both more and less than it seems, however. Practically from the moment it passes into Middleton's possession, it begins to set off a chain reaction of events that puts Middleton --- as well as his pregnant daughter --- in terrible danger. He barely arrives in Washington, D.C. from Warsaw before he is on the run, accused of murdering two policemen even as he is pursued by a shadowy group of thugs who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the document in his possession.

The only people whom Middleton can truly trust are his fellow Volunteers, who themselves are hamstrung by government officials who seem to be operating at cross purposes to them. Events reach a climax when the work in Middleton's possession is scheduled to be performed by a young woman who is a virtuoso on the violin. Her performance of the long-lost work will herald either a new cultural era or provide the signal for the opening of an unthinkable disaster.

While THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT is more of a plot-driven work, THE COPPER BRACELET focuses more on Middleton and the personalities of the characters involved, without detriment to the pacing, which, as with its predecessor, moves along at breakneck speed. As indicated by the title, the Copper Bracelet is the focus of Middleton and the Volunteers as they race to prevent what appears to be the sabotage of a major construction project that is fraught with adverse political ramifications. The key to the plot seems to be contained in the drawings of a bracelet worn by an assassin, and its discovery sets off a chase that leads from Paris to Moscow to Kashmir.

Middleton, aided by the Volunteers --- one of whom is his former lover --- has few other allies, and betrayals and death are his constant companions. What he discovers is that the plot involves far more than he originally imagined, with ramifications that will extend beyond a disputed border and across the world.

A great deal of the fun involved in reading the novellas that comprise WATCHLIST is the experience of having your favorite thriller writers --- Lee Child, Gayle Lynds, P. J. Parrish, David Hewson, John Miller and Brett Battles, among many others --- treading far outside of their comfort zones and riffing in unfamiliar territory. It's kind of like walking into a small club and finding several of your favorite musicians taking successive solos around a common theme. The plots are fast-paced and the paragraphs fly by so fast that a seat belt should be included in the binding. It's an experience you do not want to miss, not only for the names with which you might be familiar, but also for the ones that you don't know.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

It is not a good sign to begin a book and to leave it after 75 pages in order to begin another one.
It is not a good sign if you must leaf back because your are lost and confused and guessing who is who or who belongs to who.The plot is awkard...the characters are superficial...the tension is nowhere.Each writer has to kill at least two persons (there are 17 writers!!)...a bloody story...
I did not like this kind of "potpourri"

The writters were able to keep the story line moving at a rapid pace. Sometimes I'd forget who's good or who'd bad, but it all comes together with each writter taking care to keep us on track.