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XO: A Kathryn Dance Novel [Hardcover]

Jeffery Deaver
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 12, 2012 Kathryn Dance
COUNTRY-POP INGÉNUE Kayleigh Towne’s career is just reaching new heights with her huge hit single “Your Shadow”—but increased fame is also bringing unwanted attention. An innocent exchange with one of her fans, signed with an “XO,” leads Kayleigh into the dangerous and terrifying realm of obsession.

Edwin Sharp thinks Kayleigh’s songs contain messages that speak directly to him. Despite her clear rejection and threats from lawyers and law enforcers, he remains convinced that “Your Shadow” was written just for him, and he announces he’s coming for Kayleigh. Then a potentially fatal accident occurs at the concert hall where Kayleigh is rehearsing for a triumphant hometown performance, and she is convinced that someone—maybe Edwin—was there watching her from the darkness.

True to his word, Edwin Sharp soon makes an ominous appearance in town, and California Bureau of Investigation Agent Kathryn Dance, a friend and fan of Kayleigh’s on vacation in Fresno to attend the show, intervenes on her behalf, drawing Sharp’s frightening attention to herself. That night a member of the road crew whom Kayleigh had once dated is murdered in an eerie echo of an image from her chart-topping song. As more deaths loom on the horizon, Kathryn Dance must use her considerable skills at investigation and body-language analysis to stop the stalker and save more innocent victims. But before long she learns that, like many celebrities, Kayleigh has more than one fan with a mission . . .

This nail-biting thriller from suspense master Jeffery Deaver speeds along over just three short days, filled with terrifying twists that will keep readers held in rapt suspense until the final shocking revelation.


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XO: A Kathryn Dance Novel + The Kill Room (Lincoln Rhyme)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deaver’s infernal puzzle mysteries invariably inspire words like devious, diabolical, and devilish, all of which apply to XO. It’s Dance’s toughest case, and one of Deaver’s best books.”New York Times Book Review

“Deaver is a master of manipulation. XO delivers more twists than a bag of pretzels, and just when readers believe they have everything figured out, another surprise awaits them.”—Associated Press

“Just in time for poolside season, Jeffery Deaver gives us XO. . . . Deaver's talent will keep you plugging away.”St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“In his new thriller, XO, Jeffery Deaver gives his readers triple or quadruple their money, with more twists, turns, and doglegs than an East Tennessee back road. . . . Just when you think you’ve finally hit the straightaway in XO, there’s another series of hairpins in your path.”Knoxville News-Sentinel

“In XO, Deaver challenges the reader, entertains the reader, and satisfies the reader. If every successful book is a notch on his computer he has just added one more mark.”—HuffingtonPost.com



“Sharply drawn characters, fully realized protagonists, and unexpected plot twists will keep readers guessing until the very last page. Deaver is one of this country’s most popular writers and he proves with his latest book that he is at the top of his game.”—TucsonCitizen.com

“Thriller Award-winner Deaver’s excellent third novel featuring Kathryn Dance (after 2009’s Roadside Crosses) takes the California Bureau of Investigation agent on a vacation . . . plenty of surprises and red herrings complement developments in Dance’s problematic relations with boyfriend Jon Boling and Det. Michael O’Neil . . . Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, the leads of Deaver’s other series, make cameo appearances in a novel sure to please fans of both.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Fans of Deaver’s celebrated sleuthing marathons will wait with bated breath as this onion is peeled to disclose multiple layers of deception, betrayal and triple crosses.”Kirkus Reviews

“Written with Deaver’s usual keen eye for dialogue and character and featuring his customary right-angle plot twists, the novel will be a sure-fire hit with not only his legion of fans but also with readers who have yet to sample a Deaver novel. And Deaver fans who have felt that the Dance novels aren’t quite as sharp as his Lincoln Rhyme series might have to think again. This may be the most compelling of the Dance books.”Booklist

About the Author

Jeffery Deaver is the international, #1 bestselling author of more than twenty-seven suspense novels, including The Bone Collector, which was made into a film starring Denzel Washington. He lives in North Carolina.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (June 12, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1439156379
  • ISBN-13: 978-1439156377
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffery Deaver was born outside of Chicago in 1950. His father was an advertising copywriter and his mother was a homemaker. He has one younger sister who writes novels for teenagers ' Julie Reece Deaver.

Deaver wrote his first book ' which consisted of two entire chapters ' when he was eleven, and he's been writing ever since. An award-winning poet and journalist, he has also written and performed his own songs around the country. After receiving a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Deaver worked as a magazine writer, then, to gain the background needed to become a legal correspondent for The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, he enrolled at Fordham Law School. After graduation he decided to practice law for a time and worked for several years as an attorney for a large Wall Street firm. It was during his long commute to and from the office that he began writing the type of fiction he enjoyed reading: suspense novels. In 1990 he started to write full time.

The author of twenty-two novels, Deaver has been nominated for six Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, an Anthony award, a Gumshoe Award, and is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader's Award for Best Short Story of the Year. In 2001, he won the W.H. Smith Thumping Good Read Award for his Lincoln Rhyme novel The Empty Chair. In 2004, he was awarded the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain's Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for Garden Of Beasts and the Short Story Dagger for "The Weekender." Translated into 35 languages, his novels have appeared on a number of bestseller lists around the world, including the New York Times, the London Times and the Los Angeles Times. The Bone Collector was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington as Lincoln Rhyme. A Maiden's Grave was made into an HBO film retitled Dead Silence, starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin.

Jeff has also released two collections of his short stories, called Twisted and More Twisted.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book stinks - a total waste of time. I seems to written by a high school girl. Like Paterson seems to have done, I'm starting to think he's farming his work out and just signing off on it (without even reading it). Too bad you can't select 0 stars. Deaver, too, is now off my list. I'd rather read a new author who stinks than a previously good one who sold out and stinks.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Deaver's Disappointing "Dance" June 20, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've always thought Deaver was the best of the multiple, "didn't see THAT one coming" plot twisters. Much better than Harlan Coben, for example. But "XO" isn't up to Deaver's usual standards. Its plot seemed more convoluted than usual. Cliches abound. But the biggest sin of all is that "XO" never really GRABBED me. The story just isn't particularly riveting. Deaver never ratchets up the tension.

Disclaimer: I've read pretty much everything Deaver's written. So it's quite possible I may just be growing tired of his shtick. Regardless, if you've never read Deaver and want to give him a try, I urge you to go back and grab any of the early Lincoln Rhyme novels. DON'T start with this one.
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34 of 44 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Skip this one June 24, 2012
Format:Hardcover
I've read all of Jeffery Deaver's books, and this one was very disappointing. The plot was
very thin, and there was none of the suspense of his earlier books and the ending felt like
an afterthought. It was unexpected to see the politics in this - whole thing was awful.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Dance is back in this average thriller July 6, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
Jeffrey Deaver's XO features the return of Kathryn Dance, the CBI investigator and body language expert. Kathryn's on vacation, spending time with international superstar country singer Kayleigh Towne in her home town of Fresno. In a few days, she'll be giving a concert, but in the meantime Kayleigh has to deal with Edwin Sharpe, a stalker whose presence is growing more and more threatening.

The book held my interest, primarily because of Kayliegh Towne and the country music singer twist. Deaver brought to life the industry and the pressure an overbearing father can have on a figure like Kayliegh. The twists and turns and evidence were all interesting, but not really that suspenseful. Deaver continues to do what he did in the very first novel I read of his years ago. He has something suspenseful happen then after the fact he explains how it happened, or how the evidence led to what happened. Telling instead of showing. The 1-star reviews bashed the politics of the novel. I just ignored it. I guess to seeing foolish politics injected into the books and movies I enjoy. It won't take away from your enjoyment.

I remember loving the first Kathryn Dance novel, and not quite getting the second. This one is perhaps somewhere in the middle, although Dance's body language skills seem to not offer much help in solving the crime. This isn't a MUST read, but Deaver fans should probably check it out.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed June 24, 2012
Format:Audible Audio Edition
I read the first Kathryn Dance novel and wasn't very impressed but since I am a fan of Jeffery Deaver's books I thought I would give this one a try.
The body-language analysis expert couldn't manage reading one person correctly in either book. She never seems to have her gun when she needs it, and she seems to get herself into some pretty stupid situations for someone supposedly so brilliant. Just in case you are not aware of how brilliant she is, the book will remind you over and over and over.
Quite frankly I find it insulting to the reader. Maybe more for a teenager.
I will say Marlin Ireland did a great job narrating the audio book.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Godawful! June 28, 2012
By Nancy
Format:Hardcover
I really hated this book but I hated myself even more for wasting time reading half of it. What a pile of badly written trash. The story is appallingly contrived and strains credulity. It seemed to have been written by, and for, 13 year old girls but I know smarter 13 year olds than this. The metaphors, in particular were eye-rollingly trite. (If you don't believe me, open to almost any page). i.e: audiences were "loyal as golden retrievers", or, the 250 pound bodyguard who "looked like a rapper with an attitude" or, the murky heat which "filled the venue like thin stew". OK, that's only the first few pages! The story may only take place over six days but it feels like a protracted illiterate coma. Truly a waste of time, and trees. My first, and last, Deaver book.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Zzzzzzzz June 16, 2012
By MSL
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ive read all of Deaver's novels, but I think this one is the end of the road for me. So many extraneous details and tedious interactions did not make for a gripping read. I really struggled to finish this one.
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17 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Are there no editors anymore? Does no one ever tell best-selling authors that every word they write is not precious and that not every thought that comes into their heads while writing a book should be included? Deaver takes an interesting premise, stalking a celebrity, and turns it into an overblown whodunit with too many twists to care about following. While he's in the process of making something into nothing, he's insulting half of his readers with his pointless plot device involving the Congressman, his aides and the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

The Lincoln Rhyme series is on its last legs, perhaps Kathryn Dance should be retired, too. Maybe the deaf teacher from A Maiden's Grave is available or the blue guy from Praying for Sleep.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars A Book Only MSNBC Could Love
I have been a big fan of Jeffrey Deaver for a long time and XO is by far his worst book. What bothered me most was that Deaver appears to have written this book primarily to push... Read more
Published 9 days ago by Patrick R
2.0 out of 5 stars Yet another liberal Democrat mystery writer
Yet another liberal Democrat mystery/crime writer. There must be a factory making them. Pumping them out like Pringles. Read more
Published 14 days ago by stooben
4.0 out of 5 stars A pretty good read.
I didn't rate 5 star because of the final "act"...I think it just ended poorly. Maybe I am too sentimental?

A good page turner once it gets started.
Published 1 month ago by Michael Wilbur
1.0 out of 5 stars Bad. Pointless. Time wasted reading this tripe is lost forever.
Early in this book the cracker jack CA state investigator heroine goes on vacation in CA and leaves her gun at home. Later we're all thinking, gee, that was a mistake. Read more
Published 1 month ago by kalusa
5.0 out of 5 stars Top read
Vintage Jeffrey Deaver - with great characters, tense plot and more twists and turns that a back road through the Italian Alps. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Reader Downunder
5.0 out of 5 stars xo
i love all the "dance" novels. deaver reels you in & never lets go. the attention to detail is staggering & so well thought out. deaver is a genius.
Published 1 month ago by CALANDRA DAUGHERTY
4.0 out of 5 stars XO
I can never say enough about Jeffery Deaver. Enough good things that is. Kathryn Dance is a delightful character and I love her.
Published 1 month ago by Bookwyrm
3.0 out of 5 stars "XO" Jeffery Deaver
A good story, but not up to the usual standard. Seems to be dragging to fill sufficient pages.

Bev Gledhill
Published 1 month ago by Beverley Gledhill
5.0 out of 5 stars Always a good read.
Jeffery Deaver writes such great characters and his mysteries always deliver! I wish he wrote more stories with Lincoln Rhyme. He never disappoints his reader.
Published 1 month ago by Nancy F. Thysell
5.0 out of 5 stars Another excelent Deaver novel
Another Stellar work from Jeffery Deaver, I was excited to read this because I really enjoy the Kathryn Dance series. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Chris Brunner
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