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Junction Chronicles #2
A Murder of Crows
David Rotenberg’s Decker Roberts is back, and he always knows when who’s telling the truth.
Since Decker Roberts’ last run in with the NSA, he’s been trying to remain off the radar, searching for his estranged son. His synaesthetic abilities, once a lucrative gift, are increasingly becoming a liability.
When a vicious attack wipes out the best and brightest of America’s young minds, devastating the country’s future, Decker is forced to step out of the shadows and help track down the killer. And as the hunt brings him in contact with other people of “his kind,” Decker begins to realize that there may be depths to his gifts that he had never even imagined.
Meanwhile, several parties are secretly tracking the progress of Decker’s son, Seth, trying to determine if he has the same unique gift as his father. Decker is determined to go to any lengths to find his son, but along the way he will have to face down enemies, both old and new, as well as struggle with whether his son even wants to be found.
David Rotenberg’s thrilling sequel to The Placebo Effect is full of suspense, and will challenge what you think you know about people who have special “gifts.” From rural Africa to downtown Toronto, the paths of Rotenberg’s colorful characters intertwine as they move towards a conclusion that none of them can see coming.
Since Decker Roberts’ last run in with the NSA, he’s been trying to remain off the radar, searching for his estranged son. His synaesthetic abilities, once a lucrative gift, are increasingly becoming a liability.
When a vicious attack wipes out the best and brightest of America’s young minds, devastating the country’s future, Decker is forced to step out of the shadows and help track down the killer. And as the hunt brings him in contact with other people of “his kind,” Decker begins to realize that there may be depths to his gifts that he had never even imagined.
Meanwhile, several parties are secretly tracking the progress of Decker’s son, Seth, trying to determine if he has the same unique gift as his father. Decker is determined to go to any lengths to find his son, but along the way he will have to face down enemies, both old and new, as well as struggle with whether his son even wants to be found.
David Rotenberg’s thrilling sequel to The Placebo Effect is full of suspense, and will challenge what you think you know about people who have special “gifts.” From rural Africa to downtown Toronto, the paths of Rotenberg’s colorful characters intertwine as they move towards a conclusion that none of them can see coming.
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
4 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
David Rotenberg
24 books19 followersDavid Rotenberg has been a master acting teacher for over 20 years. He has directed on Broadway, in many major regional theatres, for television, and he has published six novels, including the Zhong Fong detective series, all of which are available at your local bookstore or online. The series is in the process of being optioned for film.
David has taught at York University, the National Theatre School of Canada, the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the University of Cape Town, and Princeton. He regularly teaches professional classes in Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax. He directed the first Canadian play in the People's Republic of China. Most recently, David has directed at Penn State University and at York University, where he adapted and directed a stage version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
The roster of his students reads like a who's who in ranks of Canadian actors, including Scott Speedman, Rachel McAdams, James McGowan, Polly Shannon, David Hirsh, Jonas Chernick and Shawn Doyle. His unique techniques are used by actors in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the People's Republic of China.
Like him on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pla...
David has taught at York University, the National Theatre School of Canada, the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the University of Cape Town, and Princeton. He regularly teaches professional classes in Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax. He directed the first Canadian play in the People's Republic of China. Most recently, David has directed at Penn State University and at York University, where he adapted and directed a stage version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
The roster of his students reads like a who's who in ranks of Canadian actors, including Scott Speedman, Rachel McAdams, James McGowan, Polly Shannon, David Hirsh, Jonas Chernick and Shawn Doyle. His unique techniques are used by actors in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the People's Republic of China.
Like him on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pla...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 11, 2013
I had to go back before I read A Murder of Crows to refresh my memory of the first book The Placebo Effect as it had been a long time since I had read it, it didn't take me long to pick up and remember such a well written book, so on to the second I went. Like the first book it didn't take me long to get myself engrosed into this book either, Mr. Rotenburg has a way of drawing you in and keeping you there along for the ride right from the very first page.
Decker Roberts has Synaesthete's abilities, synaesthete's is a person who has the ability to see if someone is telling the truth, what a gift to have I'm not sure if I would want that gift or not, would it be a burden? Well Decker has it and now a new deadly game is afoote. America has some of the best young minds and they are being murdered, now if that was the only problem Decker has it gets worse, he needs to find his estranged son before the others find him.
As with his first book Mr. Rotenburg has again captured my attention with this incredible well written book, the story line, the plot, the characters are all woven like a perfect web you get caught in while reading. I have really enjoyed his style of writing, very smooth and the story flows nicely as you switch from scene to scene, some books that do this I sometimes have to go back feeling I missed something, but that is not the case here it flows, with great twists and turns and an ending I DID NOT see coming I am waiting for the third book in this series, and as a fellow Canadian it is a bit more special to read places I have seen. This is not my usual genre of reading but I always love going outside of my comfort zone and finding a gem when I do. A must read series and bravo Mr. Rotenburg I can't wait for the next book.
I must apologize for my late review, I was supposed to have this out March 7th for Mr. Rotenburg's tour with Simon & Schuster but I was very sick with pnemonia and I am very sorry this is so late. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did, please check out the trailer for A Murder of Crows. You can also find Mr. Rotenburg at these links.
S&S.ca bookpage: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Murd...
Author website: http://www.davidrotenberg.com/
Decker Roberts has Synaesthete's abilities, synaesthete's is a person who has the ability to see if someone is telling the truth, what a gift to have I'm not sure if I would want that gift or not, would it be a burden? Well Decker has it and now a new deadly game is afoote. America has some of the best young minds and they are being murdered, now if that was the only problem Decker has it gets worse, he needs to find his estranged son before the others find him.
As with his first book Mr. Rotenburg has again captured my attention with this incredible well written book, the story line, the plot, the characters are all woven like a perfect web you get caught in while reading. I have really enjoyed his style of writing, very smooth and the story flows nicely as you switch from scene to scene, some books that do this I sometimes have to go back feeling I missed something, but that is not the case here it flows, with great twists and turns and an ending I DID NOT see coming I am waiting for the third book in this series, and as a fellow Canadian it is a bit more special to read places I have seen. This is not my usual genre of reading but I always love going outside of my comfort zone and finding a gem when I do. A must read series and bravo Mr. Rotenburg I can't wait for the next book.
I must apologize for my late review, I was supposed to have this out March 7th for Mr. Rotenburg's tour with Simon & Schuster but I was very sick with pnemonia and I am very sorry this is so late. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did, please check out the trailer for A Murder of Crows. You can also find Mr. Rotenburg at these links.
S&S.ca bookpage: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Murd...
Author website: http://www.davidrotenberg.com/
April 1, 2013
A smile crept over his face. Yeah, time to get back at every one of them who put him in shadow, who rejected his brilliance. Who refused him admission to their damned club. Well, I’ll grant you all admission—admission to hell.
And as he watched the third act he thought of how simple it was to make an explosive device—kid’s stuff really. But where to put it? That was the question: where to put it?
Then he saw the mob gathering onstage to hear Anthony’s speech over Caesar’s dead body—and he knew. A mob gathered to listen. Oh, yes. Universities have such gatherings once a year. We surely do.
He ran the three necessities for a crime in his head:
Motive: in spades.
Means: you bet.
Opportunity: he’d have to work on that. Bombs need to be planted. And what would a professor be doing digging in the ground or lifting platforms. No, he’d need an assist with that.
Then he remembers the janitor who’d given “unwarranted attention” to bouncy Marcia and smiled… and to his surprise he felt comfortable in his theatre seat. He had lots of room; it fit just fine.
***
Decker Roberts, acting instructor, truth-sensing synaesthete, and valued NSA asset is back in A Murder of Crows, the second of David Rotenberg’s Junction Chronicles trilogy. Fourteen months have passed since the incident with Yolles Pharmaceuticals in The Placebo Effect. Decker continues to seek information about his estranged son, Seth, who is suffering from a rather aggressive cancer of the bladder. This time Decker is called upon by the NSA to help solve the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11—the bombing of an Ancaster College graduating class (and by association, the decimation of America’s scientific elite).
A Murder of Crows wastes no time tossing readers back into the mix, immediately re-introducing Decker, his sometimes duplicitous best friend Crazy Eddie, and NSA hard-ass Yslan Hicks as the book’s protagonists. The story begins with Decker on a job in Las Vegas. Crazy Eddie is still trying to win back his daughter, Marina, and to do so he’s got to make a play against a particular bastard of a lawyer named Ira Charendoff. Charendoff and Decker have a history, so in order to clear the playing field and keep the NSA off Decker’s back at the same time, Crazy Eddie sends Decker off to South Africa. Following the attack at Ancaster, the NSA tracks down Decker in South Africa and “encourages” him to return to the United States, using his son’s whereabouts as a fantastically manipulative bargaining chip. The novel also introduces a number of new characters via quick, sometimes half-page chapters—characters such as: Ancaster student and scientist Grover Cleveland Rabinowitz, who is preternaturally obsessed with the mysterious lumps of microwaved faecal matter that appear on campus from time to time; Walter Jones, Esq., an Ancaster janitor whose rather simple behaviour becomes creepy and stalkerish with little pushing; and Viola Tripping, a psychic medium who is presented, troublingly so, as simultaneously a woman and a little girl in both appearance and mannerisms.
Like the first book in the series, A Murder of Crows plays fast and loose with the concept of synaesthesia. In some cases, it flat-out makes up its own definitions. The synaesthesia presented in this book is less the phenomenon we know it as (a crossing of the senses wherein some people can smell words or see colours and shapes with music or taste certain letters and syllables, etc.) and something far more… supernatural. In fact, it’s entirely supernatural—the character of Viola Tripping is in fact a medium for speaking to the dead, which has absolutely nothing to do with synaesthesia, or for that matter, reality. When Harrison says at one point, “We really don’t know sweet fuck all, do we?” he’s right—the rules of what is and what isn’t synaesthesia in Rotenberg’s world are still not clear.
As problematic as The Placebo Effect was, A Murder of Crows has an even greater number of issues. Most of them are continuations of problems that existed in the previous title: the film- and pop culture-based asides are just as prevalent and still add little if anything to the characters, only now they are matched by political asides (commentating on the position of “the whites” in South Africa, Julian Assange’s guilt or innocence, and the timely idiocy of Sarah Palin’s “death panels”) that feel less tied to the characters and more as if they are a product of the author breaking the fourth wall to tell us how he feels about the world. Many of the side plots introduced in the first book are finally resolved here, such as why Garreth Senior has such a hate-on for Decker, and why Seth wants nothing to do with his father—though in the case of the latter, it’s an answer that comes too little too late, as what could have been used in the first book to better frame their troubled relationship lands with more of a “it’s about bloody time” than an “oh, I get it now.”
Building further on the problems from the first book is the strange and out of place racial insensitivity on display when describing the almost magical connection most Africans seem to have to the planet, or the very free-flowing anti-Muslim language used in sections describing suspects in the attack. None of it meshes with the otherwise popcorn vibe of the book. Rather it feels at odds with what’s been provided, as if deliberately used to exoticize the “other” (further exemplified through Decker’s relationship with Inshakha, who appears to know a great deal more about the world than she lets on).
There is also insensitivity displayed towards women and size and sexual attraction. For example, the one character openly referred to as a bitch is also repeatedly referenced for her ample size, as if that is condemnation of her personality. To go even further, the novel makes special note to point out that the twisted, borderline insane killer has a thing for bigger women, as if that were another point of perversion on a character who has already been revealed as a murderous stalker with a scatological obsession.
And what is it with this book’s preoccupation with piss and shit? Every time it managed to pull me out of the narrative—especially when it is used in moments to exclusively de-age or dehumanize characters, such as when Viola is introduced via the immortal words, “I’ve made a poopoo.” It rang entirely false.
From the unrealistic and all-too-simple decision (made with Dr. Claw-like aplomb) to murder dozens of innocent professors and young adults made by two childish villains who feel short-shafted by life, to side narratives that are never given enough room to breathe or feel essential to the story or characters, and an overwhelmingly childish tone that can be at time politically patronizing and frustratingly obtuse as it vacillates between fear of the other and “fuck the rich and entitled, they all deserve to die,” the second book in Rotenberg’s trilogy is more coherent from point A to point B than the first, but shares all the same problems and then some.
Perhaps, though, the single greatest problem so far is that after two books in this series, I still don’t feel I know who Decker is—what he feels, what he thinks, or for that matter what any of the characters are feeling or thinking. The closest we as readers come to gaining a greater understanding of Decker is through his all-too brief relationship with Tinnery in South Africa. She is able to cut beneath the surface of Decker, if only for a moment. That brief encounter aside, Rotenberg’s characters are still frustratingly thin—a problem that stems in large part from the breakneck pace of each very short chapter. The basic structure of A Murder of Crows is restrictive—offering brevity of time, place, and thought that does not allow for any one personality to grow or shine in an organic way.
And as he watched the third act he thought of how simple it was to make an explosive device—kid’s stuff really. But where to put it? That was the question: where to put it?
Then he saw the mob gathering onstage to hear Anthony’s speech over Caesar’s dead body—and he knew. A mob gathered to listen. Oh, yes. Universities have such gatherings once a year. We surely do.
He ran the three necessities for a crime in his head:
Motive: in spades.
Means: you bet.
Opportunity: he’d have to work on that. Bombs need to be planted. And what would a professor be doing digging in the ground or lifting platforms. No, he’d need an assist with that.
Then he remembers the janitor who’d given “unwarranted attention” to bouncy Marcia and smiled… and to his surprise he felt comfortable in his theatre seat. He had lots of room; it fit just fine.
***
Decker Roberts, acting instructor, truth-sensing synaesthete, and valued NSA asset is back in A Murder of Crows, the second of David Rotenberg’s Junction Chronicles trilogy. Fourteen months have passed since the incident with Yolles Pharmaceuticals in The Placebo Effect. Decker continues to seek information about his estranged son, Seth, who is suffering from a rather aggressive cancer of the bladder. This time Decker is called upon by the NSA to help solve the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11—the bombing of an Ancaster College graduating class (and by association, the decimation of America’s scientific elite).
A Murder of Crows wastes no time tossing readers back into the mix, immediately re-introducing Decker, his sometimes duplicitous best friend Crazy Eddie, and NSA hard-ass Yslan Hicks as the book’s protagonists. The story begins with Decker on a job in Las Vegas. Crazy Eddie is still trying to win back his daughter, Marina, and to do so he’s got to make a play against a particular bastard of a lawyer named Ira Charendoff. Charendoff and Decker have a history, so in order to clear the playing field and keep the NSA off Decker’s back at the same time, Crazy Eddie sends Decker off to South Africa. Following the attack at Ancaster, the NSA tracks down Decker in South Africa and “encourages” him to return to the United States, using his son’s whereabouts as a fantastically manipulative bargaining chip. The novel also introduces a number of new characters via quick, sometimes half-page chapters—characters such as: Ancaster student and scientist Grover Cleveland Rabinowitz, who is preternaturally obsessed with the mysterious lumps of microwaved faecal matter that appear on campus from time to time; Walter Jones, Esq., an Ancaster janitor whose rather simple behaviour becomes creepy and stalkerish with little pushing; and Viola Tripping, a psychic medium who is presented, troublingly so, as simultaneously a woman and a little girl in both appearance and mannerisms.
Like the first book in the series, A Murder of Crows plays fast and loose with the concept of synaesthesia. In some cases, it flat-out makes up its own definitions. The synaesthesia presented in this book is less the phenomenon we know it as (a crossing of the senses wherein some people can smell words or see colours and shapes with music or taste certain letters and syllables, etc.) and something far more… supernatural. In fact, it’s entirely supernatural—the character of Viola Tripping is in fact a medium for speaking to the dead, which has absolutely nothing to do with synaesthesia, or for that matter, reality. When Harrison says at one point, “We really don’t know sweet fuck all, do we?” he’s right—the rules of what is and what isn’t synaesthesia in Rotenberg’s world are still not clear.
As problematic as The Placebo Effect was, A Murder of Crows has an even greater number of issues. Most of them are continuations of problems that existed in the previous title: the film- and pop culture-based asides are just as prevalent and still add little if anything to the characters, only now they are matched by political asides (commentating on the position of “the whites” in South Africa, Julian Assange’s guilt or innocence, and the timely idiocy of Sarah Palin’s “death panels”) that feel less tied to the characters and more as if they are a product of the author breaking the fourth wall to tell us how he feels about the world. Many of the side plots introduced in the first book are finally resolved here, such as why Garreth Senior has such a hate-on for Decker, and why Seth wants nothing to do with his father—though in the case of the latter, it’s an answer that comes too little too late, as what could have been used in the first book to better frame their troubled relationship lands with more of a “it’s about bloody time” than an “oh, I get it now.”
Building further on the problems from the first book is the strange and out of place racial insensitivity on display when describing the almost magical connection most Africans seem to have to the planet, or the very free-flowing anti-Muslim language used in sections describing suspects in the attack. None of it meshes with the otherwise popcorn vibe of the book. Rather it feels at odds with what’s been provided, as if deliberately used to exoticize the “other” (further exemplified through Decker’s relationship with Inshakha, who appears to know a great deal more about the world than she lets on).
There is also insensitivity displayed towards women and size and sexual attraction. For example, the one character openly referred to as a bitch is also repeatedly referenced for her ample size, as if that is condemnation of her personality. To go even further, the novel makes special note to point out that the twisted, borderline insane killer has a thing for bigger women, as if that were another point of perversion on a character who has already been revealed as a murderous stalker with a scatological obsession.
And what is it with this book’s preoccupation with piss and shit? Every time it managed to pull me out of the narrative—especially when it is used in moments to exclusively de-age or dehumanize characters, such as when Viola is introduced via the immortal words, “I’ve made a poopoo.” It rang entirely false.
From the unrealistic and all-too-simple decision (made with Dr. Claw-like aplomb) to murder dozens of innocent professors and young adults made by two childish villains who feel short-shafted by life, to side narratives that are never given enough room to breathe or feel essential to the story or characters, and an overwhelmingly childish tone that can be at time politically patronizing and frustratingly obtuse as it vacillates between fear of the other and “fuck the rich and entitled, they all deserve to die,” the second book in Rotenberg’s trilogy is more coherent from point A to point B than the first, but shares all the same problems and then some.
Perhaps, though, the single greatest problem so far is that after two books in this series, I still don’t feel I know who Decker is—what he feels, what he thinks, or for that matter what any of the characters are feeling or thinking. The closest we as readers come to gaining a greater understanding of Decker is through his all-too brief relationship with Tinnery in South Africa. She is able to cut beneath the surface of Decker, if only for a moment. That brief encounter aside, Rotenberg’s characters are still frustratingly thin—a problem that stems in large part from the breakneck pace of each very short chapter. The basic structure of A Murder of Crows is restrictive—offering brevity of time, place, and thought that does not allow for any one personality to grow or shine in an organic way.
September 3, 2022
There's just something quintessentially Canadian about authors from the Great White North. Call it a sense of subtlety or a flair for understatement, but I find that even when dealing with fantastic subjects, their tales are often more grounded and - dare I say it? - literate than their peers from around the world. That's not a complaint or a knock against other authors, just an observation, and one that occurred to me again while reading David Rotenberg's A Murder of Crows.
Here we have a hero who is able to 'see' whether a person is lying or telling the truth. It's a fantastic ability, but one that is portrayed through the simplicity of a haze of squares (truth) or squiggles (lies). Other than that, he's an entirely normal guy, more embarrassed by his talent than motivated to use it for personal, professional, or altruistic gain. His awkward relationship with the CIA agent tracking his movements is your standard adversarial relationship, with quirks that are grounded, everyday, and banal.
The plot here is a strange one, multi-layered, with what feels like a climax coming at the halfway point. Each chapter is titled as a countdown to the real climax (T minus this and that), but there's no sense of rushing towards a big event. Instead, the story is told quite leisurely, putting human emotions and motivations at the forefront. Whereas many authors would make a spectacle out of the graduation ceremony explosion that kills hundreds, playing it to the hilt, and glorifying every grotesque detail, Rotenberg jumps directly from planning to aftermath - and even then omits anything more than the most minimal detail regarding the carnage.
More than anything, this is a solid mystery tale, one that just happens to have a few speculative elements. The language is sparse and economical, with very little written or said that doesn't advance the story. There are no grandiose descriptions of places or events, and no minutiae of detail regarding facial features or clothing. Internal dialogue is kept to a minimum, and the POV only strays from Decker when we need to understand something integral to the plot. The character relationships are exceptionally strong, filled with pain, sorrow, and an (at times) almost crippling sense of loss.
There was a point where I really wasn't sure what the point of the novel was, or just what the central plot entailed, but that's just fine. I was more than willing to play along, to see where Decker was leading me, and to find out precisely what was happening, and how all the myriad layers meshed. A thoroughly enjoyable tale, and one that I would recommend to sci-fi / urban fantasy looking for a little realism, or to mystery fans eager for a taste (just a taste, mind you) of the fantastic.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Here we have a hero who is able to 'see' whether a person is lying or telling the truth. It's a fantastic ability, but one that is portrayed through the simplicity of a haze of squares (truth) or squiggles (lies). Other than that, he's an entirely normal guy, more embarrassed by his talent than motivated to use it for personal, professional, or altruistic gain. His awkward relationship with the CIA agent tracking his movements is your standard adversarial relationship, with quirks that are grounded, everyday, and banal.
The plot here is a strange one, multi-layered, with what feels like a climax coming at the halfway point. Each chapter is titled as a countdown to the real climax (T minus this and that), but there's no sense of rushing towards a big event. Instead, the story is told quite leisurely, putting human emotions and motivations at the forefront. Whereas many authors would make a spectacle out of the graduation ceremony explosion that kills hundreds, playing it to the hilt, and glorifying every grotesque detail, Rotenberg jumps directly from planning to aftermath - and even then omits anything more than the most minimal detail regarding the carnage.
More than anything, this is a solid mystery tale, one that just happens to have a few speculative elements. The language is sparse and economical, with very little written or said that doesn't advance the story. There are no grandiose descriptions of places or events, and no minutiae of detail regarding facial features or clothing. Internal dialogue is kept to a minimum, and the POV only strays from Decker when we need to understand something integral to the plot. The character relationships are exceptionally strong, filled with pain, sorrow, and an (at times) almost crippling sense of loss.
There was a point where I really wasn't sure what the point of the novel was, or just what the central plot entailed, but that's just fine. I was more than willing to play along, to see where Decker was leading me, and to find out precisely what was happening, and how all the myriad layers meshed. A thoroughly enjoyable tale, and one that I would recommend to sci-fi / urban fantasy looking for a little realism, or to mystery fans eager for a taste (just a taste, mind you) of the fantastic.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
December 8, 2018
Science fiction series - I think it was too long between reading the first book in the series and then this one. I missed a lot of the past plot references. And the ones I did get did not make a lot of sense. Still not sure what is happening to Decker's son.
Pharmacy reference - mention of a pharmaceutical company.
Canadian references - Rotenberg is Canadian and sets a good part of this book in Toronto. Lots of Canadian references including a mention of Arcade Fire.
Pharmacy reference - mention of a pharmaceutical company.
Canadian references - Rotenberg is Canadian and sets a good part of this book in Toronto. Lots of Canadian references including a mention of Arcade Fire.
June 16, 2024
This was a hard read. I wanted to know the story, but it felt so juvenile. There was also a heavy focus/hand in putting in pop culture references.
I missed that it was a sequel, so maybe some things got lost in translation for me.
I missed that it was a sequel, so maybe some things got lost in translation for me.
February 27, 2013
”Synesthesia / sinəsˈTHēZHə A perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).
Are you telling the truth? You better be or Decker Roberts will know. In his follow up to The Placebo Effect, David Rotenberg brings Decker back with even more action and suspense.
Synaesthete Decker Roberts has had previous interaction with the NSA and has been hiding out since, spending his time spanning the globe from Canada to South Africa. After a bombing at a science college commencement, Decker is found and brought back to the USA to work in tandem with a fellow Synaesthete whose gift is speaking for the dead. Their task, assist the NSA find the killer.
Decker’s mind is being pulled in two directions; as he works the case he is also searching for his son Seth, who he suspects is ill. While Decker is searching for Seth, so are other groups whose intentions are more nefarious in nature.
The best selling mystery author has a proven track record plying his craft. He brings to light the sometimes secret abilities of people society considers “off.” Being a Canadian author, Rotenberg waxes nostalgic with his references to Toronto landmarks as his loyal readers have grown to expect.
The book begins with the ruminations of a madman that successfully pulls the reader headlong into the story. It’s the jumping off point for fast paced-action and suspense that doesn’t give up. Rotenberg points fingers in all directions causing the reader to think they have the killer pegged, only to be wrong and struggling to figure it all out again. Further character development of Decker, his son Seth, and Agent Yslan Hicks allows for readers to identify with each as the story plays out.
Final thought; the book is well-written, easily switching from one scene to the next, which makes “A Murder of Crows” a read mystery fans would most certainly enjoy.
The ARC was given to me by Simon & Schuster for an honest and unbiased review.
Are you telling the truth? You better be or Decker Roberts will know. In his follow up to The Placebo Effect, David Rotenberg brings Decker back with even more action and suspense.
Synaesthete Decker Roberts has had previous interaction with the NSA and has been hiding out since, spending his time spanning the globe from Canada to South Africa. After a bombing at a science college commencement, Decker is found and brought back to the USA to work in tandem with a fellow Synaesthete whose gift is speaking for the dead. Their task, assist the NSA find the killer.
Decker’s mind is being pulled in two directions; as he works the case he is also searching for his son Seth, who he suspects is ill. While Decker is searching for Seth, so are other groups whose intentions are more nefarious in nature.
The best selling mystery author has a proven track record plying his craft. He brings to light the sometimes secret abilities of people society considers “off.” Being a Canadian author, Rotenberg waxes nostalgic with his references to Toronto landmarks as his loyal readers have grown to expect.
The book begins with the ruminations of a madman that successfully pulls the reader headlong into the story. It’s the jumping off point for fast paced-action and suspense that doesn’t give up. Rotenberg points fingers in all directions causing the reader to think they have the killer pegged, only to be wrong and struggling to figure it all out again. Further character development of Decker, his son Seth, and Agent Yslan Hicks allows for readers to identify with each as the story plays out.
Final thought; the book is well-written, easily switching from one scene to the next, which makes “A Murder of Crows” a read mystery fans would most certainly enjoy.
The ARC was given to me by Simon & Schuster for an honest and unbiased review.
March 14, 2013
The second book in the Junction Chronicles, A Murder of Crows continues the story of Decker Roberts, acting professor and discerner of truths. Decker is a synaesthete – a person who has with the rare sensory ability to perceive if someone is telling a truth. Though A Murder of Crows does bring Decker’s story further, you can still read this book without having read The Placebo Effect, the first novel in this series.
I enjoyed this novel for its story line as well as the main character. I’m a fan of Decker’s wit and his true-to-life persona. The author knows his characters well and writes them with consistency. They are not all good or all bad but a mixture of both. I know I’m reading a good book when a likeable main character admits to an unlikable trait.
The story has twists and turns and enough suspense that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. In this second novel, there are more explanations of the synesthete ability and what happens when someone is using it - though it could be I just picked up more on the effects of using this sensory ability in this book than I did in the first, nevertheless, it rounds out the story and leaves the reader with the impression that more will be revealed in the next novel.
A Murder of Crows is a polished, well-written novel that explores what happens when a person is born with a gift that can be used for both good and evil. I like to think that if I had this special gift, I would use it only for good, but the temptation to serve one’s heart desire must be great. Decker faces this dilemma and more in this great series. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a mix of genres.
I enjoyed this novel for its story line as well as the main character. I’m a fan of Decker’s wit and his true-to-life persona. The author knows his characters well and writes them with consistency. They are not all good or all bad but a mixture of both. I know I’m reading a good book when a likeable main character admits to an unlikable trait.
The story has twists and turns and enough suspense that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. In this second novel, there are more explanations of the synesthete ability and what happens when someone is using it - though it could be I just picked up more on the effects of using this sensory ability in this book than I did in the first, nevertheless, it rounds out the story and leaves the reader with the impression that more will be revealed in the next novel.
A Murder of Crows is a polished, well-written novel that explores what happens when a person is born with a gift that can be used for both good and evil. I like to think that if I had this special gift, I would use it only for good, but the temptation to serve one’s heart desire must be great. Decker faces this dilemma and more in this great series. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a mix of genres.
October 11, 2014
Having really loved the first book in the Junction Chronicles (The Placebo Effect), I bought this next one -- A Murder of Crows -- immediately, and had really looked forward to reading it. I raced through book two, which continues the tale of truth-teller and acting coach/play director Decker Roberts, his journey to find himself, his search for his estranged son, Seth, and his "service" to the NSA. He seems not to be able to stay off their radar for long and, once again, they locate him and whisk him away to use his unique abilities.
This is another well-written, suspenseful tale. It features some unifying literary elements that you'll definitely notice (and that I don't want to give away as spoilers here), and that will also explain the title of the book.
I'd definitely recommend reading The Placebo Effect first, so that you get to know the characters involved -- all of those favorites from book one are here again, along with a couple of quirky new additions. There are a number of loose ends remaining after this second chapter in Decker Roberts' story and I am now anxiously awaiting the third book, which is due out in about a month.
This is another well-written, suspenseful tale. It features some unifying literary elements that you'll definitely notice (and that I don't want to give away as spoilers here), and that will also explain the title of the book.
I'd definitely recommend reading The Placebo Effect first, so that you get to know the characters involved -- all of those favorites from book one are here again, along with a couple of quirky new additions. There are a number of loose ends remaining after this second chapter in Decker Roberts' story and I am now anxiously awaiting the third book, which is due out in about a month.
July 21, 2013
I won this book and the one previous in a goodreads giveaway. I read the first book and was happy enough to move on to the second. I will say right off the bat that I would NOT read this book before reading the first one. There just isn't any point - the book does not stand alone AT ALL.
The book continues with Decker Roberts and follows many of the patterns of the first book - people chasing Decker Roberts, Decker Roberts running around. There was more mystery brought into this book with the introduction of new characters (with 'special' gifts, no less). It loosely tells the story of a bombing a prominent US university - which is a fascinating story which I really enjoyed and would have liked more time paid to it.
My biggest problem with this series is it just feels like they are trying to sell books - never really ending all of the story lines. I know this is supposed to keep you coming back however it just annoyed me.
That being said I actually liked this book more than the first in the series and would recommend it to anyone who liked the first book.
The book continues with Decker Roberts and follows many of the patterns of the first book - people chasing Decker Roberts, Decker Roberts running around. There was more mystery brought into this book with the introduction of new characters (with 'special' gifts, no less). It loosely tells the story of a bombing a prominent US university - which is a fascinating story which I really enjoyed and would have liked more time paid to it.
My biggest problem with this series is it just feels like they are trying to sell books - never really ending all of the story lines. I know this is supposed to keep you coming back however it just annoyed me.
That being said I actually liked this book more than the first in the series and would recommend it to anyone who liked the first book.
December 20, 2012
Won this book from a Goodreads giveaway, and Simon and Schuster also sent the first book, The Placebo Effect. I loved the first book and got invested with the characters, I was looking forward to getting to know them in more depth in this book, but I was a little disappointed. I did not feel that the characters developed much in "A Murder of Crows". There is a suspensful story, with an intriguing plot , the author creates suspense and and there is a satisfying conclusion to the story, but I didn't feel i got to get to know the characters any better than I had in the first book. It felt a little like watching the series"Lost" keep introducing a few more mysteries, but not resolving them for you, I was glad to hear there will be a third book because i definitely need to get some closure.
I guess the face fact that I really want to read the thrid book shows that I did like this one though. I just am not a big fan of loose ends.
I guess the face fact that I really want to read the thrid book shows that I did like this one though. I just am not a big fan of loose ends.
May 6, 2013
I received a copy of this book through the Goodread Firstreads Giveaway.
This book was the second involving the lead character. I do not feel that having not read the first took away from enjoying this book. There were a few things that reading the first book would explain in the second. I believe that this book can stand alone.
I enjoyed the book. The character were developed enough to explain the actions. This was a more action driven novel.
This was not a tradional murder mystery. A bomb killing hundreds of students at a college is something that makes for an interesting murder investigation. With few clues, the FBI turns to alternative methods. That includes special people with supernatural skills. This is what might turn off those who are into the more tradional murder mysteries. It does make it a shorter investigation.
I liked the book. You do have to have an open mind to read the book.
This book was the second involving the lead character. I do not feel that having not read the first took away from enjoying this book. There were a few things that reading the first book would explain in the second. I believe that this book can stand alone.
I enjoyed the book. The character were developed enough to explain the actions. This was a more action driven novel.
This was not a tradional murder mystery. A bomb killing hundreds of students at a college is something that makes for an interesting murder investigation. With few clues, the FBI turns to alternative methods. That includes special people with supernatural skills. This is what might turn off those who are into the more tradional murder mysteries. It does make it a shorter investigation.
I liked the book. You do have to have an open mind to read the book.
November 3, 2012
Thank you Simon & Shuster! I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed The Placebo Effect, and frequently recommend it as a bookseller. I am thrilled to have received an ARC for Book Two of the Junction Chronicles. Since I had already purchased The Placebo Effect, I am passing it on to other booksellers.
Canadian and international settings, a thriller with a twist. I like a world full of synaesthetes.
I enjoyed spending more time with Decker. But I really would have liked more time with Seth, and in Namibia. I am already looking forward to the final book in this trilogy. Crazy Eddie is a favorite character I would have liked to have had more scenes.
This book made me think. I like reading novels that contain references that inspire further reading. I found myself googling anchorites along with Decker.
Canadian and international settings, a thriller with a twist. I like a world full of synaesthetes.
I enjoyed spending more time with Decker. But I really would have liked more time with Seth, and in Namibia. I am already looking forward to the final book in this trilogy. Crazy Eddie is a favorite character I would have liked to have had more scenes.
This book made me think. I like reading novels that contain references that inspire further reading. I found myself googling anchorites along with Decker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2012
I received the advanced free copy of A Murder of Crows through Goodreads First Reads. The package, which also included The Placebo Effect, arrived very quickly. What a nice surprise to receive both books.
Thank you very much to Goodreads and Simon and Schuster. I dove right into A Murder of Crows. There were many characters to keep track of, but once I got everyone figured out I really enjoyed reading the book. I found myself getting annoyed at some, angry at others and rolling my eyes even. This book had me anticipating what was going to happen next. The ending did not turn out how I thought it would and I would recommend this book. Now I am going to read The Placebo Effect
Thank you very much to Goodreads and Simon and Schuster. I dove right into A Murder of Crows. There were many characters to keep track of, but once I got everyone figured out I really enjoyed reading the book. I found myself getting annoyed at some, angry at others and rolling my eyes even. This book had me anticipating what was going to happen next. The ending did not turn out how I thought it would and I would recommend this book. Now I am going to read The Placebo Effect
July 23, 2016
This is my 2nd attempt to finish "A Murder of Crows". I originally had started this book a couple of years ago and then left it at work one day, and somebody must have taken it home or it got thrown away. I had to pay to replace it at the library as it was borrowed. So now I got to read it again, and having just finished the prequel, it was an enjoyable read. I am looking forward to reading the 3rd in the "Junction" series, The Glass House. 4 stars.
Want to read
October 25, 2012Just recieved A Murder of Crows by David Rottenberg in the mail yesterday from Simon and Schuster Canada as a advanced readers copy !!! Super excited.
Although at the moment I do not have the time to delve into this exciting novel which I am looking forward to reading I will try to read and post a review at my nearest convience (I do have to read the first novel first - which also came in the package) Thank you Simon and Schuster :) <3
Although at the moment I do not have the time to delve into this exciting novel which I am looking forward to reading I will try to read and post a review at my nearest convience (I do have to read the first novel first - which also came in the package) Thank you Simon and Schuster :) <3
April 29, 2013
Another great mystery by an author that just happens to be Canadian. This is the second book in the series, so I'll definitely go looking for The Placebo Effect to see if I can figure put some of the unexplained bits. Or maybe I'll have to wait for book three. Either way, I'm sure it will be a great read.
December 20, 2013
Once again Mr. Rotenberg has given us a fast paced psychological thriller that picks up nicely where "Placebo Effect" left off. Using a taut thriller/mystery/chase vehicle he Delves into our relationship with the "truth" and our notion of family. A wonderful addition to his collection of Zhong Fong crime novels set in China, and his excellent historical epic "Shanghai"
Want to read
October 20, 2012I just received A Murder of Crows in the mail. I also received The Placebo Effect in the mail too. Thank you very much Simon and Schuster. I received this from the Goodreads First Reads. That was very generous to send out both books!!
Want to read
October 14, 2012I won this book here on Goodreads as a Firstreads free giveaway! I will write a review upon completion.
March 22, 2014
Review coming soon.
July 21, 2013
Despite the familiar and welcome Junction (Toronto) landmarks, I have trouble with Decker Roberts and his "powers"/
Want to read
October 13, 2012Thank you Goodreads! I can't wait to read and review A Murder of Crows!
October 26, 2014
Good story. Can't wait for the next installment
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