39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I have ever read, July 2 2010
By R. Gjemmestad - Published on Amazon.com
This is simply a fantastic book. I stumbled up on it by chance, and when I first started reading I could not put it away. The style is a mix between "Silence of the lambs" and Dan Brown's "Angels and Deamons" and "The Da vinci Code", and Funaro does a fantastic job of mixing history with the crimes of the sculptor.
The book kept me constantly on my toes with twists and turns, but some people might be turned of by some sections where the author explains both a bit of philosophy and history surrounding the art-works the sculptor uses. For me this was a perfect way to do it, but others might not like it as much.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A suspenseful debut novel, May 29 2010
By Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sculptor (Paperback)
NOTE: I received a complimentary review copy of this book directly from the author.
I admit that I began reading this book with some apprehension, as I have read many first-time novels that just weren't very good. But it didn't take many pages into THE SCULPTOR for me to be presently surprised, as I found it to be unexpectedly well-written. Furthermore, author Gregory Funaro creates a compelling murder mystery from the opening lines, in which the reader actually observes the killer interacting with one of his victims, through the attempts of the FBI to solve the case. The first half of the book is particularly fast-paced, with the twisted, diabolical killer, "The Sculptor," always being at least one step ahead of FBI Special Agent Sam Markham and the Art History professor who finds herself inexplicably wrapped up in the case, Dr. Catherine Hildebrandt.
Where I think Funaro shows particular skill is in the development of The Sculptor character. He does an excellent job of gradually weaving in the murderer's backstory throughout the book, so by the conclusion, the reader has a more complete picture of exactly what led to his killing spree. Less successful, in my mind, is the portrayal of the killer's gratitude to Dr. Hildebrandt. Although Funaro establishes this connection well, the undying gratitude to the woman herself seems a bit strained and out of character. Funaro also goes out of his way at the end of the novel to leave the possibility open for a sequel; this felt like an over-dramatic and unnecessary flourish which actually detracted from the rest of the book.
One final note: I believe that this book could have benefited from some more judicious editing. Again, Funaro does write well, but he has several quirks, such as a penchant to overuse italics. Overall, however, I did enjoy this book, which I found to be a suspenseful, page-turning thriller, and I would recommend it to others who enjoy this genre.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decently Done for a Debut, Feb 26 2010
By Thriller Lover - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sculptor (Paperback)
If you like serial killer novels, and want to give a new novelist a chance, THE SCULPTOR isn't a bad choice.
Author Gregory Funaro follows the traditional serial killer plotline here. The major twist is that the killer is heavily influenced by the work of Michelangelo --this gives Funaro an excuse to teach the reader a lot about that artist's work and life. That makes THE SCULPTOR more interesting than your typical suspense novel, and I give it three stars for that reason.
THE SCULPTOR isn't perfect. Funaro's characterization needs some work -- most of his characters comes across as flat, and most of their dialogue is stilted. In particular, this book's romantic subplot is totally unbelivable. Also, much of this book consists of dialogue and background information, at the expense of action. The main character isn't in any real danger until the final twenty pages or so, so the suspense level is not as high as I would have liked.
Still, Funaro's writing has potential, and his writing has a satirical edge that I found amusing. So it will be interesting to see how his career develops. It should be noted that this novel has some intensely graphic scenes of violence and sexuality, so more sensitive/conservative readers should probably avoid this one.