- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Simon and Schuster (July 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0684849550
- ISBN-13: 978-0684849553
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,664,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
This is the 16th outing for Stephen Greenleaf's series hero, San Francisco PI John Marshall Tanner (Past Tense, Strawberry Sunday). In Ellipsis, Tanner signs on as bodyguard to a bestselling romance novelist. Chandelier Wells's connections to people Tanner loves persuade him to temper his dislike and protect her from the death threats she's been receiving as she prepares to embark on a book tour. At first Tanner doesn't take the threats very seriously; he's halfway convinced they're just a publicity stunt. But when a car bomb kills a former FBI agent who's been moonlighting as Wells's driver, Tanner gets serious in a hurry.
Suspects aren't in short supply; it seems that Wells has as many enemies as readers. Is the perp a deranged fan, a fellow writer who swears Chandelier plagiarized her work, a real estate mogul she dumped in an act of public humiliation, or an ex-husband who believes he's entitled to a share of her wealth? With Tanner on the case, the chase is on, in a smartly paced story that gives the reader a deeper look into Tanner's emotional complexities and capacities. Greenleaf is a master plotter, and Tanner gets more interesting with every adventure. --Jane Adams
From Publishers Weekly
Still smarting from having been forced to shoot dead his best friend and rogue cop, Charley Sleet, in 1997's Past Tense, San Francisco PI John Marshall Tanner must protect a famous novelist in this high octane addition to a justly acclaimed sleuthing series. Imperious megaseller Chandelier Wells is at the receiving end of death threats. Naturally, her tempestuous lifestyle comes with the usual detritus: an embittered ex-husband who claims she owes him everything, a demented fan decked out in costumes taken from the author's pages, an insecure agent about to be left in the dust and a hapless unpublished author shouting accusations of plagiarism. Wells is mythically unpleasant, so Tanner takes a decidedly laid-back view of this gig, until a car bomb kills the author's driver, a former FBI agent. The subplots include Tanner's approaching 50th birthday, his elderly neighbor's attempts to cash in on a magazine's lofty sweepstakes claim and his romance with an assistant DA that seems to require selling out sources as tokens of affection. The solution is light by Greenleaf's usual high standards, but the plot has an irresistible momentum, and Tanner's emotional evolution continues to fascinate. Then there's the moment when a trio of publishing women eagerly watches as Tanner enters a restaurant. As Greenleaf puts it, "The three of them looked up expectantly, as if I were bringing an advance copy of Publishers Weekly." (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tired, mechanical, and unconvincing,
By R. B. Bernstein "R. B. Bernstein, Adjunct Pro... (Brooklyn, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Ellipsis: A John Marshall Tanner Novel (Hardcover)
I used to love Stephen Greenleaf's John Marshall Tanner mysteries, but ELLIPSIS was tired, mechanical, and unconvincing. It reminded me of the reasons why Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels ran out of steam. For one thing, there is too much midlife crisis angst on the part of Tanner, too much relationship trouble between him and his girlfriend. For another, there are two different women of mature years who are raunchy and amusing and make Tanner blush -- one is plausible, two are excessive. For a third, the plot is warmed-over. I was reminded of Parker's LOOKING FOR RACHEL WALLACE. Again the p.i. bodyguards a major female celebrity writer. Of course, in the Parker book the writer was lesbian; here she's straight and a romance novelist. A promising plot development -- allegations of plagiarism -- goes nowhere. Another plot line, a carryover from a previous book in the series, becomes increasingly significant, but if you haven't read the previous book you'll be frustrated and put off by the too-neat tying together of disparate plot lines. Finally, the ending of the Tanner character study in this book depends on a "deus-ex-machina" ending that had me throwing the book across the room.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Mystery With Brains,
This review is from: Ellipsis: A John Marshall Tanner Novel (Hardcover)
John Marshall Tanner, private investigator, tells his story of this case. His client is Chandelier, a super successful writer of romance novels. Her secretary is Lark. Tanner's girl friend is Coppelia. And the author surely has fun inventing names. Aside from that, he writes in clear, concise language, presents a tight plot that is well thought out. It is a book that is a pleasure to read because it is written intelligently and without the usual gimmicks. What more can one ask for? I highly recommend it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ellipsis is ...,
This review is from: Ellipsis: A John Marshall Tanner Novel (Hardcover)
This is the first book I've read by the highly recommended Greenleaf. Marshall Tanner, private investigator, is brash, sarcastic, quick-witted, and very human... He is hired to protect a suspense/romance writer who is then involved in a car bombing. Tanner's own personal life and the way Greenleaf ties the clues and different elements of the story together makes for entertaining reading that held my interest until the final surprise. His presentation of Tanner makes me want to go back and get to know him better. My guess is it will be just as satisfying as watching Michael Connelly's Hieronymous Bosch develop...
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
