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Three A.M.
Fifteen years of sunless gray. Fifteen years of mist. So thick the streets fade off into nothing. So thick the past is hazy at best. The line between right and wrong has long been blurred, especially for Thomas Vale. Long gone are the days when new beginnings seemed possible€”when he was a new recruit, off to a new start fresh in the army. He had hoped to never look back. Not like there was much to see, anyway. First came the sickness, followed by the herd the healthy into the city, shoot the infected. The gates closed and the bridges came down€¦ followed by the mist.Fifteen miserable years of the darkest nights and angry, awful gray days. Thomas Vale can hardly fathom why he keeps waking up in the morning. For a few more days spent stumbling along? Another night drinking alone? Another hour keeping the shadows at bay€¦. But when Rebecca Ayers walks into his life, the a
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 27, 2012
4 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Steven John
2 books4 followersSteven John is a writer living in Glendale, California (by way of Washington DC). He and his wife Kristin, an elementary school teacher, were joined by their son Benjamin in October of 2013. In addition to writing for several websites and journals, Steven published his first novel, THREE A.M., in 2012. His second book, OUTRIDER, hits shelves in September of 2014. When not writing or spending time with his family, Steven tries to squeeze in some mountain climbing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 9, 2012
I had been twenty-eight the last time I saw the sun. Fifteen years ago. And that had just been a chance parting in the mist. It took months for it to go from clear to hazy to socked in. I was so used to it that it rarely occurred to me just how different things were. But those first days—those had been horrible times. Everyone gripped by a sense of despair. Suicides ran rampant. Fear was everywhere. As the sickness spread and they started shutting down cities, quarantining us by the thousands, the fog started in and changed everything. Fucked everything up.
***
Thomas Vale, ex-military turned halfhearted private investigator, is trapped. A decade and a half earlier, an undefined disease began laying waste to the world outside his city. As a thick, mood-setting fog rolled in, the city found its self inexplicably protected, an island world in a sea of disaster.
Like all good noir, Steven John’s Three A.M. starts with a dame in a bar and a fifty thousand dollar murder mystery. With a running count of only 304 pages, it doesn’t take long for the story to spiral into corporate conspiracy, wrongful imprisonment, and unexpected sexual encounters as Vale attempts to discover who killed Samuel Ayers and why, and to understand the origin of the fog that has enveloped his city.
Three A.M. has a lot going for it in the beginning: a good (albeit somewhat clichéd) noir tone—with whisky, smokes, and shakedowns everywhere you turn; and interesting science fiction mystery that Dark City’s up the atmosphere in some pretty explicit ways; well dressed mystery men stalking up and down all too vacant city streets. Not to mention the character of Vale, who’s not without his fair share of one liners and comic assholery.
As fantastic as that all sounds, about two-thirds of the way through I hucked the book across the room and didn’t get back to it for a solid hour. I can forgive a lot of ridiculous things, providing a book and its characters have a tight enough hold on me. I’m the first in line to give props to a book that tries its best but just doesn’t seem to stick the landing. However, character assassination and tonal destruction, those aren’t such simple things to overlook.
Now, I’m going to dive into some pretty specific spoiler territory here, so if you’re still interested in picking up Three A.M., I would probably stop reading.
Still with me? Fantabulous.
Just past the book’s middle, some fairly significant events happen. We discover things aren’t so cut and dry, and what at first seemed like a pseudo-noir take on the zombie genre—with the infected and diseased swarming the world outside the fog-protected city—is quickly overturned and exposed as a massive wool-over-the-eyes-of-the-world operation. To protect the people in the city from a truth that they would surely not be able to handle (which is a nice way of saying that the kids have lied themselves into a corner, and would rather keep lying than admit to mom and dad who really broke the window with the baseball… yes, I know it’s a stretch of a metaphor—let me have this). In discovering this, Vale is set up to be the fall guy in the case of who killed Samuel Ayers… except that, given certain revelations, no one would seemingly miss Ayers because the project he was working on was so secretive and important, yet all his contacts seem confined within the operation surrounding this city—and no one would really miss Vale, given that the city exists off the map, out of, well, any other jurisdiction in the world. It may as well not exist, and the same goes for him and the unfortunate deceased. So the depths of this plan to frame Vale for this murder strikes a hollow chord… because it doesn’t really matter to anyone but Ayers’ family that Ayers is dead, and his family has already been targeted by those in control. In other words, there seems to be little purpose to the frame job at the climax of the tale, except as a convenient way to reveal to Vale things he never could have known otherwise.
All that’s fine—it’s a hiccup on the road, but it doesn’t derail the novel. No, what takes Three A.M. out behind the woodshed with a rusty shovel and no remorse is the following:
They drew ever nearer. Had to be six, seven choppers at least. Big birds. The forest thundered with their roaring blades. Then, a few hundred yards off, powerful shafts of light pierced the canopy above and began to streak the forest floor. Rebecca screamed and threw her arms around my neck. Her voice was carried away as the rotor wash began to stir the air around us. Three and then four different beams strafed the forest, and I caught glimpses of still others far off to the sides. The howl became deafening. The lights were scarcely a hundred yards away, bouncing around among the trees, illuminating the night.
I looked down into her eyes and saw not fear but a great sadness and resignation. She pulled my ear down to her mouth and called out above the din, “I’m so sorry, Tom. I’m so sorry.”
I looked at her, holding her cheeks between my hands and shook my head. Then I pressed my lips to hers and her mouth opened eagerly. Her hands were on my back, my thighs, my ass, and then up my shirt. She peeled off my jacket and then pulled her own sweater over her head.
What follows is some explicit, awkward, forest-floor sex, chased almost immediately by a complete disregard for the book’s established tone—and the tone of the characters, for that matter—as Vale’s inner monologue goes from borderline hard-ass wisecracking PI to puppy love with a woman he barely knows. And, oh yeah, they decide to get it on, in a forest, while loud, threatening helicopters are combing the ground for them—ostensibly, so they can kill them several times over. Because when your life is threatened and you’re hiding from giant, sweeping beams of light and helicopters loaded with weapon-toting commandos—when staying low to the ground, not moving, and not making sounds are probably in your best interests—it’s probably not a good idea to get your fuck on.
Oh, and it ends with: “Will you stay in me for a while?” Again, while lying on the forest floor, and not at all fearing for their lives. Which makes them either incredibly cocky, or rock-solid stupid. I haven’t decided yet.
Steven John isn’t a bad writer. For a first-time author, he’s got some decent chops for humour and I really dug the setting of Three A.M. But the degree to which the story and characters fall apart post-mid book revelation make it impossible for me to give this title a pass. I’d like to see him take another stab at the genre, but with a clearer sense of tone and purpose.
***
Thomas Vale, ex-military turned halfhearted private investigator, is trapped. A decade and a half earlier, an undefined disease began laying waste to the world outside his city. As a thick, mood-setting fog rolled in, the city found its self inexplicably protected, an island world in a sea of disaster.
Like all good noir, Steven John’s Three A.M. starts with a dame in a bar and a fifty thousand dollar murder mystery. With a running count of only 304 pages, it doesn’t take long for the story to spiral into corporate conspiracy, wrongful imprisonment, and unexpected sexual encounters as Vale attempts to discover who killed Samuel Ayers and why, and to understand the origin of the fog that has enveloped his city.
Three A.M. has a lot going for it in the beginning: a good (albeit somewhat clichéd) noir tone—with whisky, smokes, and shakedowns everywhere you turn; and interesting science fiction mystery that Dark City’s up the atmosphere in some pretty explicit ways; well dressed mystery men stalking up and down all too vacant city streets. Not to mention the character of Vale, who’s not without his fair share of one liners and comic assholery.
As fantastic as that all sounds, about two-thirds of the way through I hucked the book across the room and didn’t get back to it for a solid hour. I can forgive a lot of ridiculous things, providing a book and its characters have a tight enough hold on me. I’m the first in line to give props to a book that tries its best but just doesn’t seem to stick the landing. However, character assassination and tonal destruction, those aren’t such simple things to overlook.
Now, I’m going to dive into some pretty specific spoiler territory here, so if you’re still interested in picking up Three A.M., I would probably stop reading.
Still with me? Fantabulous.
Just past the book’s middle, some fairly significant events happen. We discover things aren’t so cut and dry, and what at first seemed like a pseudo-noir take on the zombie genre—with the infected and diseased swarming the world outside the fog-protected city—is quickly overturned and exposed as a massive wool-over-the-eyes-of-the-world operation. To protect the people in the city from a truth that they would surely not be able to handle (which is a nice way of saying that the kids have lied themselves into a corner, and would rather keep lying than admit to mom and dad who really broke the window with the baseball… yes, I know it’s a stretch of a metaphor—let me have this). In discovering this, Vale is set up to be the fall guy in the case of who killed Samuel Ayers… except that, given certain revelations, no one would seemingly miss Ayers because the project he was working on was so secretive and important, yet all his contacts seem confined within the operation surrounding this city—and no one would really miss Vale, given that the city exists off the map, out of, well, any other jurisdiction in the world. It may as well not exist, and the same goes for him and the unfortunate deceased. So the depths of this plan to frame Vale for this murder strikes a hollow chord… because it doesn’t really matter to anyone but Ayers’ family that Ayers is dead, and his family has already been targeted by those in control. In other words, there seems to be little purpose to the frame job at the climax of the tale, except as a convenient way to reveal to Vale things he never could have known otherwise.
All that’s fine—it’s a hiccup on the road, but it doesn’t derail the novel. No, what takes Three A.M. out behind the woodshed with a rusty shovel and no remorse is the following:
They drew ever nearer. Had to be six, seven choppers at least. Big birds. The forest thundered with their roaring blades. Then, a few hundred yards off, powerful shafts of light pierced the canopy above and began to streak the forest floor. Rebecca screamed and threw her arms around my neck. Her voice was carried away as the rotor wash began to stir the air around us. Three and then four different beams strafed the forest, and I caught glimpses of still others far off to the sides. The howl became deafening. The lights were scarcely a hundred yards away, bouncing around among the trees, illuminating the night.
I looked down into her eyes and saw not fear but a great sadness and resignation. She pulled my ear down to her mouth and called out above the din, “I’m so sorry, Tom. I’m so sorry.”
I looked at her, holding her cheeks between my hands and shook my head. Then I pressed my lips to hers and her mouth opened eagerly. Her hands were on my back, my thighs, my ass, and then up my shirt. She peeled off my jacket and then pulled her own sweater over her head.
What follows is some explicit, awkward, forest-floor sex, chased almost immediately by a complete disregard for the book’s established tone—and the tone of the characters, for that matter—as Vale’s inner monologue goes from borderline hard-ass wisecracking PI to puppy love with a woman he barely knows. And, oh yeah, they decide to get it on, in a forest, while loud, threatening helicopters are combing the ground for them—ostensibly, so they can kill them several times over. Because when your life is threatened and you’re hiding from giant, sweeping beams of light and helicopters loaded with weapon-toting commandos—when staying low to the ground, not moving, and not making sounds are probably in your best interests—it’s probably not a good idea to get your fuck on.
Oh, and it ends with: “Will you stay in me for a while?” Again, while lying on the forest floor, and not at all fearing for their lives. Which makes them either incredibly cocky, or rock-solid stupid. I haven’t decided yet.
Steven John isn’t a bad writer. For a first-time author, he’s got some decent chops for humour and I really dug the setting of Three A.M. But the degree to which the story and characters fall apart post-mid book revelation make it impossible for me to give this title a pass. I’d like to see him take another stab at the genre, but with a clearer sense of tone and purpose.
March 28, 2012
My thoughts:
Three A.M. starts out in gritty noir fashion as Thomas Vale sets eyes on a beautiful blond, Rebecca, at the bar he frequents. Vale is a Private Investigator and Rebecca wants to hire him. What Vale doesn't know is that he's already caught up in something beyond a simple case for one of his clients.
Mr. John creates an incredibly dark and murky world of shadows and mist, a city without sunlight, which is reflected in Tom Vale. He's as hopeless as the city in which he lives. Vale is an intriguing character. He's morally ambiguous, down and out. He drinks a lot. Takes more pills than he should to sleep. He's a man with no illusions about anything, including himself. Over the course of the novel, things change for Vale as he learns more about what is really going on in his sunless city. Vale is the most well-developed character in Three A.M. At times during the story I actively disliked him. Despite this, I cared about Vale and what was happening to him.
While Three A.M. starts out feeling like noir, it does not hold that for the entire novel. Once certain events happen the entire tone of the novel changes. It became more of a thriller for me than anything else. While the pacing of the novel is quite good, I enjoyed the change of tone and the resulting quicker pace.
Three A.M. is a gripping mix of noir and thriller set in a near-future dystopia. It is at times deeply moving, at times very raw, and at times pure adrenalin rush.
I give Three A.M. 4 Qwills.
Originally posted at The Qwillery: http://bit.ly/HfRrpV
Three A.M. starts out in gritty noir fashion as Thomas Vale sets eyes on a beautiful blond, Rebecca, at the bar he frequents. Vale is a Private Investigator and Rebecca wants to hire him. What Vale doesn't know is that he's already caught up in something beyond a simple case for one of his clients.
Mr. John creates an incredibly dark and murky world of shadows and mist, a city without sunlight, which is reflected in Tom Vale. He's as hopeless as the city in which he lives. Vale is an intriguing character. He's morally ambiguous, down and out. He drinks a lot. Takes more pills than he should to sleep. He's a man with no illusions about anything, including himself. Over the course of the novel, things change for Vale as he learns more about what is really going on in his sunless city. Vale is the most well-developed character in Three A.M. At times during the story I actively disliked him. Despite this, I cared about Vale and what was happening to him.
While Three A.M. starts out feeling like noir, it does not hold that for the entire novel. Once certain events happen the entire tone of the novel changes. It became more of a thriller for me than anything else. While the pacing of the novel is quite good, I enjoyed the change of tone and the resulting quicker pace.
Three A.M. is a gripping mix of noir and thriller set in a near-future dystopia. It is at times deeply moving, at times very raw, and at times pure adrenalin rush.
I give Three A.M. 4 Qwills.
Originally posted at The Qwillery: http://bit.ly/HfRrpV
November 6, 2012
It was good. I could tell that it was his first book. Sometimes the writing was more sophisticated than his character, which doesn't work from first person. It was like a movie, though. In a good way. Fast-paced and action-packed, if you're into that. Didn't like Rebecca at all. It was so predictable, with her. I didn't consider her awfully important though, so it was still a great book.
April 11, 2020
Mystery, intrigue and action kept me captive in well crafted story
I'm not much of a critic, I only know if a book captivates me I can't put it down. This book did that for me. Steven John tells a story that has great character development and a story that keeps building until the end. It has intrigue, action, and romance - all in the right proportion.
I'm not much of a critic, I only know if a book captivates me I can't put it down. This book did that for me. Steven John tells a story that has great character development and a story that keeps building until the end. It has intrigue, action, and romance - all in the right proportion.
October 16, 2017
As so many others have noted, this book reads like a bad film noir version of Dick Tracy. It's like the Michael Keaton movie Johnny Dangerously, without the humor. It was a good novel for the first time out. The plot holds together well and the characters are decent. Unfortunately the only backstory was of the main character, Thomas Vale, which you would understand and expect. The other characters would have been better if we might have known a little more about them before the fog.
August 25, 2025
I gave it one star only because the author took the time to write it. I only finished the book because I have a thing about when I start something I have to finish. I hated it from start to finish
July 30, 2012
This book almost got put down early. The book jacket drew me in, the synopsis on the inside of the jacket set the hook and then the language and bleakness almost lost me. Now don't get me wrong, the language itself is not what turned me off, it was the frequency. I expected the author to use some rough language to set up the character, but after awhile, I thought he would drop it and get back to the plot. A little of both happened. The plot started moving along, but the language did not lessen like I hoped it would. Only my curiosity for the plot itself kept me reading, because I got really tired of the language real quick. Coupled with the language was the bleakness and hopelessness of the character and environment. Like language, I can deal with this if it is used to lay the foundation for a better story, but I just kept wanting to write the author and tell him that 'I get it...things are bad, and your main character is in a spiral of self-destruction." It just gets old after a while.
Eventually it ended; much later than I had hoped, but it ended. And a little bit after that, the plot took off. The second 1/3 of the book I couldn't put down. I loved the setting and the situations. I loved the mystery of all the different threads being related, from big to small. At this point, the book was firing on all cylinders. The last 1/3 of the book eased off of the gas a bit, but was still very entertaining.
I couldn't help but think that about midway through the book, the author gave away the big reveal too early. I don't want to describe it, but it would have made a great surprise at the end. I don't know how you could have placed it at the end and still have the book remain the same, but then again, that is why I am not a writer.
In the end, I am glad I stuck with it and finished reading the book. It had everything in it that I was hoping for based on the jacket write-up. Unfortunately, it had more than I was looking for as well. Even though my perseverence was justified by the end of the book, the beginning left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I don't know if I will be willing to sit through something like that just to get to the nugget that makes it worthwhile. Next time it will just be easier to put the book down.
Eventually it ended; much later than I had hoped, but it ended. And a little bit after that, the plot took off. The second 1/3 of the book I couldn't put down. I loved the setting and the situations. I loved the mystery of all the different threads being related, from big to small. At this point, the book was firing on all cylinders. The last 1/3 of the book eased off of the gas a bit, but was still very entertaining.
I couldn't help but think that about midway through the book, the author gave away the big reveal too early. I don't want to describe it, but it would have made a great surprise at the end. I don't know how you could have placed it at the end and still have the book remain the same, but then again, that is why I am not a writer.
In the end, I am glad I stuck with it and finished reading the book. It had everything in it that I was hoping for based on the jacket write-up. Unfortunately, it had more than I was looking for as well. Even though my perseverence was justified by the end of the book, the beginning left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I don't know if I will be willing to sit through something like that just to get to the nugget that makes it worthwhile. Next time it will just be easier to put the book down.
March 12, 2015
Something about this book kept me going. No, it wasn't anything spectacular and it didn't necessarily blow my mind, but I couldn't put it down.
I applaud the author for at least, if nothing else, making me care about Tom Vale, our hero. I think I just have a soft spot for the underdog, the broken man, but John made me care about what happened to Tom. I cared enough that I just had to finish his story.
Tom's voice is interesting. He's vulgar at times and philosophical at others. He sounds like his age which always makes me happy when I read a 1st person novel. Tom reminded me of nearly every video game main character--the former soldier, short haircut, scruffy face, and a general displeasure with life.
I wouldn't stand on a box in town square to promote this book, but I will probably mention it if I come across a scifi action fan who's looking for a new book to read.
All in all, this book probably won't change your life. It might make you a little paranoid, but you'll eventually get over it. I don't feel like I've wasted any time reading it, though. So if you want to give it a shot, I'm not going to spin horror stories about how awful and painful a read this is like other reviewers. I say just go for it.
I applaud the author for at least, if nothing else, making me care about Tom Vale, our hero. I think I just have a soft spot for the underdog, the broken man, but John made me care about what happened to Tom. I cared enough that I just had to finish his story.
Tom's voice is interesting. He's vulgar at times and philosophical at others. He sounds like his age which always makes me happy when I read a 1st person novel. Tom reminded me of nearly every video game main character--the former soldier, short haircut, scruffy face, and a general displeasure with life.
I wouldn't stand on a box in town square to promote this book, but I will probably mention it if I come across a scifi action fan who's looking for a new book to read.
All in all, this book probably won't change your life. It might make you a little paranoid, but you'll eventually get over it. I don't feel like I've wasted any time reading it, though. So if you want to give it a shot, I'm not going to spin horror stories about how awful and painful a read this is like other reviewers. I say just go for it.
April 9, 2012
Tom Vale has not seen the sun in over 15 years. A chain-smoking drunk, Vale lives in an unnamed city that has been shrouded in fog for a decade and a half. This persistent weather pattern coincided with the outbreak of a disease that killed the majority of the city's residents, including Tom's parents. Between alcoholic blackouts, Vale occasionally works as a private investigator, and it is in this capacity that he meets the beautiful and enigmatic Rebecca Smith, who solicits his expertise in solving a murder.
I admit I spent the first half of this book wondering where the heck it was going. It was dark, depressing, and read more like a pulp detective novel than the dystopian thriller the book jacket promised. Just when I thought I couldn't stand anymore of Vale's melancholic brooding and stumbling through mist-laden streets, something changed. The story unexpectedly opened up and the reader began to see the loser protagonist in a new light. To say more would be to spoil the surprise, but it made me glad I stuck with it. In the end, I was not disappointed. I would be inclined to read future novels by newcomer Steven John.
I admit I spent the first half of this book wondering where the heck it was going. It was dark, depressing, and read more like a pulp detective novel than the dystopian thriller the book jacket promised. Just when I thought I couldn't stand anymore of Vale's melancholic brooding and stumbling through mist-laden streets, something changed. The story unexpectedly opened up and the reader began to see the loser protagonist in a new light. To say more would be to spoil the surprise, but it made me glad I stuck with it. In the end, I was not disappointed. I would be inclined to read future novels by newcomer Steven John.
November 8, 2012
This is a compelling mystery novel that incorporates intriguing elements of Crime Noir and Dystopian Fiction.
The tale begins in a city shrouded in fog, and the sun hasn't been seen in over fifteen years. Ennui and depression seems to prevent any inquiry into the quandary. Thomas Vale, a jaded and boozy detective, is trying to find out who has been stealing from an entrepreneur who compiles artifacts to remind people of that long ago time when the sun used to shine.
Soon, the plot makes a complete "180", and you find that things are not at all what they seem to be.
Steven John's writing is strictly utilitarian, but the story is very inventive and the action is fast-paced and clicks right along. You won't be blown away by the character development or narrative structure, yet the dread and foreboding of being stuck in a life of unending fog is chillingly presented.
The quintessential 'beach' or 'airport' read!
The tale begins in a city shrouded in fog, and the sun hasn't been seen in over fifteen years. Ennui and depression seems to prevent any inquiry into the quandary. Thomas Vale, a jaded and boozy detective, is trying to find out who has been stealing from an entrepreneur who compiles artifacts to remind people of that long ago time when the sun used to shine.
Soon, the plot makes a complete "180", and you find that things are not at all what they seem to be.
Steven John's writing is strictly utilitarian, but the story is very inventive and the action is fast-paced and clicks right along. You won't be blown away by the character development or narrative structure, yet the dread and foreboding of being stuck in a life of unending fog is chillingly presented.
The quintessential 'beach' or 'airport' read!
May 18, 2013
Abandoned after 75 pages. Writing was sub-par. The interesting dystopian world of dense fog had potential but the author didn't have the necessary skill to write a detective procedural. I believe the author was going for bleak, gritty, gumshoe noir. Needlessly wordy. Repetitious activities replayed constantly ... drinking, smoking, drugging, masturbating, wandering, reminiscing. I had enough. The story may have improved further in but I wasn't willing to try. This may have been better as a short story.
July 15, 2012
Saw this in the new section at the library, picked it up on a whim... a couple chapters in and I still don't know what the hell this book is supposed to be about. Ramble ramble ramble about nothing.
I thought it might be kind of dystopian with the fog and sickness it talked about on the inside cover but the type of characters and all the f-bombs and the skankyness of it all are not really my cup of tea. Maybe it gets better but I won't continue reading to find out.
I thought it might be kind of dystopian with the fog and sickness it talked about on the inside cover but the type of characters and all the f-bombs and the skankyness of it all are not really my cup of tea. Maybe it gets better but I won't continue reading to find out.
August 7, 2014
This was a very interesting book. For one, it starts YEARS after the apocalyptic event, not during (like many other books). It also has this mystery/crime feel to the book that makes it enjoyable for people who aren't into dystopian books but rather mystery/crime books. The main character goes through so much and has flaws, making it very realistic, even relative to the daily lives of people today. It is very bittersweet and I enjoyed it greatly. I recommend the book and give it a 4/5 stars.
July 16, 2012
A post-apocalyptic sort of story...or is it? Vale is an interesting character and the questions surrounding Rebecca is a page-turner. I also loved the reveal about the meaning of the title. This was a quick read and it moved well. There were some plot breaks, but the intrigue behind the fog moved me past them. The scenes at the dam left me wanting, but overall it was a good read
July 19, 2012
Interesting book. Started off well, finished poorly. First 2/3 of the book were fun, good concept and protaganist was sympathetic. Last third though really sank fast. Antagonists were either killed off much too early or were just not very well fleshed out. Female romantic character was not well written and seemed cardboard. But an intesting start.
January 3, 2013
I was expecting another apocalypse story. It's not. Then I was expecting detective noir. Not that, either. Love story? Nope. Social criticism? Not at all...
Overall, I found it boring and predictable, with one shining spot of mild surprise from a minor character. I had great hopes for Three AM, but I only finished it because I'm emotionally unable to leave a book unfinished...
Overall, I found it boring and predictable, with one shining spot of mild surprise from a minor character. I had great hopes for Three AM, but I only finished it because I'm emotionally unable to leave a book unfinished...
January 24, 2013
It took me quite a while to warm up to this story and I found myself struggling to not walk away from it. I found the main character annoying and quite frankly, the premise of their lives, absurd. However, about 3/4 of the way through the book the tone of the story changed, the pace picked up, and I did begin to enjoy what was happening.
February 23, 2015
Repetitive activities throughout and a main character that only becomes redeemable AFTER you have learned to thoroughly dislike him. The apocalyptic premise had potential but was quashed by the (slow) rising action of the novel. Not impressed, though some issues may be a result of this being the author's first novel.
January 20, 2015
This book straight up PISSED me off. One moment it was so sophisticated and heartfelt...and then totally yawn-worthy. I was expecting something interesting to happen...and them it totally and entirely didn't.
did-not-finish
April 14, 2012I like the idea of the spooky fog surrounding the city, and I like the tough private eye shtick, but I just could not get into this book.
April 18, 2012
I couldn't even get through the first three chapters. The main character was whiney and character development was not quick enough for me.
May 5, 2012
I liked it, worth a read if you like speculative fiction, for my full review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/three-...
http://www.examiner.com/review/three-...
May 9, 2012
Good idea nice start but big fail this is a first effort and not a good one
May 17, 2012
Writers first novel and at times it shows. Slow to begin with and by the time I got half way through I had to finish it.
July 22, 2012
I loved the atmospheric nature of this debut novel! It reads like a Twilight Zone episode, has a thread of suspense running through the entire book, and doesn't have a hokey ending.
September 26, 2012
Gave up on page 98. It has a film noir vibe, but just couldn't get into the story. Just don't interesting. Rather flat and boring. Shame, because it sounded interesting.
Read
October 30, 2012Wow, I loved this book!!!!! It would make such a great action movie. Can't decide who should be the lead. Maybe Matt Damon? Or Jason Statham. Love love love this very original story. !!!!
December 24, 2012
Quite interesting, not what I expected.
January 5, 2013
Liked the idea of this story but was not very well written (first novel) but would try him again.
October 3, 2013
A little rough in places but still a good tale.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews