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Product Description
From Amazon
Raymond Chandler once proclaimed that the first-person narrator should never turn out to be the villain in a good mystery or thriller. Luckily, the excellent writer Greg Iles has seemingly ignored Chandler's advice. Iles has created a character--Harper Cole, a futures trader and online pornographer--who could very well be the person killing off subscribers to his Internet sex service. Or is it Miles Turner, Cole's very odd colleague? If you thought that stalking a killer on the Internet had been done to death in books and bad movies, this one will have you pushing the reload button on your browser. Other Iles books in paperback include Black Cross and Spandau Phoenix.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Yet another serial killer stalks the Internet, this one courtesy of the talented Iles (Black Cross; Spandau Phoenix). When futures trader Harper Cole, who moonlights as the systems operator of an erotic online services called EROS, contacts the New Orleans police with information about the murder of celebrated author-and EROS subscriber-Karin Wheat, he immediately becomes the prime suspect in six other murders of EROS subscribers across the country. Also on the FBI's short list is Cole's eccentric friend and EROS colleague Miles Turner, who has dubbed the killer "Brahma." When Cole learns that the man he thought was Brahma was killed a year ago and that his online identity was stolen, a tense cat-and-mouse game commences. Professional hunters, like FBI psychiatric profiler Arthur Lenz, have the online tables turned on them time and again by an insanely brilliant murderer, and it's up to Cole to render justice. His digging leads to an exciting payoff when he goes online and poses as a potential victim, using as bait a secret that endangers the mother of his child, as well as his wife. While Cole's obsession over this guilty secret makes him less than likable at times, a nailbiting climax erases any doubts about his character-and any lingering questioning about the storytelling abilities of Iles, who here uses rich first-person narration and clever plotting to tell a sizzler of a thriller. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selection; simultaneous Penguin Audio Book.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
An overly long series of sadly missed opportunities!,
By
This review is from: Mortal Fear (Paperback)
EROS is a high end, very expensive, intensely private and ultra-kinky erotic on-line chat room service. When several normally high frequency users of the service drop off line but continue to allow the almost exorbitant debits to be charged to their bank accounts, Harper Cole, the EROS systems operator, becomes suspicious and worried. As a skilled internet derivatives, commodities and futures trader, he is well aware of the power of money and is justifiably concerned that something has happened to this set of vanishing customers. Further investigation with the help of his colleague, Miles Turner (a very eccentric geek type with extraordinary computer skills) morphs these worries into an ironclad certainty that these customers have been murdered by another EROS customer whom they label "Brahma".They also discover that Brahma has murdered a male EROS customer and stolen his on-line EROS persona to trap unwitting victims. When they bring their suspicions to the attention of the authorities, local police and the FBI immediately place him and Miles as #1 and #2 on the suspect list for the string of brutal serial killings concentrating their efforts, of course, in this completely wrong direction. Cole and Turner realize that their own freedom, not to mention the lives of other EROS subscribers, depend on their trapping the killer themselves. Concocting an elaborate on-line false identity, they conduct an elaborate ruse to bring the killer into the open but time after time, the brilliant killer sniffs out his pursuers and remains one step ahead of them. They come to realize that they are now targets and, not only have they placed themselves in dire peril, but they've managed to endanger Cole's child, the mother of his child and his trusting wife. Greg Iles has created a plot with the potential to sizzle off the page - sex, brutality, blood and guts, computer technology, cat and mouse games with an insanely brilliant and devious killer - but, sadly, "Mortal Fear" is actually an overly long, under-edited series of sadly missed opportunities. "Mortal Fear" could have delved into the sociological ramifications of on-line sex as a form of infidelity. It didn't. "Mortal Fear" could have dug deeply into the legal issues of "right to privacy". It didn't. "Mortal Fear" could have discussed the psychological impact of incest on its participants and victims. It didn't. "Mortal Fear" could have provided some absolutely fascinating sidebars on the science of transplants, hemophilia and the pineal gland, in particular. It didn't. (I know, I know ... that came out of left field but if you actually bother to read "Mortal Fear" after reading this review, you'll discover how these things fit into Iles' plot!) "Mortal Fear" could have discussed the esoteric art of serial killer profiling in considerably greater detail. It didn't. On top of that, each and every one of his characters were quite flat. There was lots of action, lots of dialogue and lots of movement but none of it really seemed to lift the story off the page into believability. Frankly, a poor effort overall in comparison to some of his other page turners such as "Turning Angel". Not recommended. Paul Weiss
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!,
By Tessie (Denver) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mortal Fear (Paperback)
I could not put this book down. It was very good from the start and excelerated to a break neck pace halfway through. Likeable characters flaws and all.I definately recommend this book for those of you that like a chilling murder mystery. I am ready to buy another Greg Iles book and if it anything like this, I may have a new favorite author. 2 thumbs way up!
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay,
By Peanut Butter "P, B & J" (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mortal Fear (Paperback)
I read this book due to the fact that I had read Iles "True Evil" and found it one of the best books I've ever read. This book was an okay read. I found it long and drawn out at times...at other times, it was riveting. Overall, I would recommend this book.
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