- Hardcover: 704 pages
- Publisher: Thorndike Press; Lrg edition (July 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 078625498X
- ISBN-13: 978-0786254989
- Product Dimensions: 22.1 x 16.3 x 3.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 835 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Versatile and prolific, King not only finds time for two successful mystery series but also manages to produce the occasional stand-alone gem. Fans will discover that this gripping tale shares certain locations and characters with Folly (2001), but her hero and subject are unique to this novel. At its simplest, this is the story of a man who helps rescue women and/or children from dangerously abusive men. King's lengthy, brilliantly executed backstory of Allen Carmichael's experiences in Vietnam, his disastrously unhappy return home and his eventual discovery of his "calling" showcase some of her finest writing. Now in his early 50s, Allen is ready to retire from his dangerous vocation, to settle on his remote island and perhaps serve as a consultant to those who continue the struggle. But his last rescue, that of a 12-year-old boy trapped in a horrible situation, continues to haunt him. And when reports reach him that loose ends from that case may be unraveling, he's compelled to check it out since his actions may have endangered others. King captures perfectly the contradictions of combat: the exhilaration and the horror, the isolation and the camaraderie. The niche Allen eventually finds, the one that allows him to function more or less successfully, offers almost the same mix of extreme emotions. This novel of harrowing suspense and wrenching resolution should earn King plenty of accolades.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
Alan Carmichael, who has devoted his life to rescuing abused children, takes on one last case-with devastating consequences. The latest from multi-mystery-award winner King.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of King's Best,
By
This review is from: Keeping Watch (Hardcover)
I've come to love Laurie King's literate, thoughtful and humanistic takes on mystery and suspense. KEEPING WATCH didn't let me down one bit. Fully realized characters, a suspenseful plot and remarkable writing all add up to a one great book.It's a wonderful read with a great payoff for the patient reader. I'm a believer - King can't write a bad book.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not her best work,
By A Customer
This review is from: Keeping Watch (Hardcover)
I love Laurie R. King and have eagerly awaited each of her novels. And enjoyed each one greatly. This one however could have used some major pruning. I was instantly disappointed to discover how much of the novel was set in Vietnam, as I have no interest in war stories, and almost gave it up. I imagine many of her heavily female readership feels the same. Once the Vietnam stuff was over, though, the story became her typical compelling read. (...) The really interesting story was Alan's story back in the states, and his relationship with the kid. (...)
5.0 out of 5 stars
At least as good as Folly,
By
This review is from: Keeping Watch (Hardcover)
Allen Carmichael was a second-tier character in Laurie King's delightful novel Folly, the story of internationally-renowned woodworker Rae Newborn's attempt to tighten her tenuous hold on reality by building a house on an uninhabited island in Washington State. In Keeping Watch, Allen's character and history are fully fleshed out, from the experiences in Vietnam that ineradicably imprinted themselves on him, to the mission he undertook after the War as a means of quelling his demons: Allen has spent more than 25 years applying his jungle survival skills to the task of rescuing abused children and wives from their abusers, usually by illicit means. When the action of Keeping Watch begins, Allen is in his mid-fifties and is about to retire from the field, but one final case requires his attention first: twelve-year-old Jamie O'Connell lives in terror of his father, whose casual abuse and cruel manipulations have warped the boy beyond measure.King's exploration of Allen's character is wholly successful, and her depiction of his patrols in the "green" in Vietnam riveting. The contemporary story of Jamie's rescue is equally rewarding, indeed downright engrossing after about page 240, when of a sudden one stops knowing for certain who the bad guys are. Keeping Watch is at least as good as King's novel Folly. Familiarity with the earlier book is not at all necessary, but readers of Keeping Watch will almost certainly want to treat themselves to a broader view of the universe Allen Carmichael inhabits once they've finished with King's latest.
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