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Father and daughter relationships, workplace tensions, and the horror of a vindictive maniac make STALKER bestselling author Faye Kellerman's most gripping novel yet Cindy Decker's decision to follow in the footsteps of her police lieutenant father was never an easy one. For Pete Decker is, to say the least, overprotective of his only daughter. So when Cindy begins to wonder if she is being followed - maybe even stalked - her father is the last person she can confide in. Frantically trying to contend with her own raw, gnawing fear whilst balancing her work and a clandestine relationship with one of Decker's colleagues, she allows her father access to the horrific facts only when their cases seem to be on a collision course. Together they find themselves in uncharted criminal territory, where snap-second decisions can make the difference between the life and death of those you love...
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
301 people are currently reading
1836 people want to read
About the author
Faye Kellerman
179 books2,022 followersFaye Kellerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Sherman Oaks, California. She earned a BA in mathematics and a doctorate in dentistry at UCLA., and conducted research in oral biology. Kellerman's groundbreaking first novel, THE RITUAL BATH, was published in 1986 to wide critical and commercial acclaim. The winner of the Macavity Award for the Best First Novel from the Mystery Readers of American, THE RITUAL BATH introduced readers to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, termed by People Magazine "Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around." The New York Times enthused, "This couple's domestic affairs have the haimish warmth of reality, unlike the formulaic lives of so many other genre detectives."
There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman
Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.
There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman
Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
September 23, 2016
In this twelfth book in the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series, Faye Kellerman has created a whole new dynamic by centering Stalker around a grown Cindy Decker, who is now a rookie officer on the LAPD. Cindy has entered her father's professional world but has also entered a world where women have to prove themselves or a given a triple dose of rookie hazing. It is into this murky environment that Kellerman has thrust Cindy into, and for that I rate this thriller 4 stars.
Officer Decker has much to prove, both as a rookie officer and as the daughter of a lieutenant. Her superior officers are quick to criticize her every move yet are mindful that she could report them to her father, Lieutenant Decker. This episode takes place as much in Bellini's bar and in Cindy's apartment as it does on streets. Additionally, Officer Hayley Marx attempts to take Cindy under her wings and show her the ropes in a way that only another female cop can.
Meanwhile there have been a slew of car jackings in her father's precinct. Cindy would love to assist her father, Marge, and Scott Oliver in solving this ring of crimes so that she can prove herself their equal as a cop. Yet, Kellerman creates a multilayered case in which Cindy is both the law enforcement agent and the victim. Someone is stalking her- either inside or outside of the police department, leaving all of the Deckers on edge. This is in addition to the wave of crime centered around women with young children putting Rina in a high risk situation. All of these factors create for a high intensity, thrilling situation, putting me on edge as well for most of the book.
Kellerman turns to religion as a means to break the tension, which is what had me reaching for her series in the first place. Peter and Rina Decker, like myself, are Orthodox Jews, and on Friday night welcome the Sabbath in style. With Cindy being stressed out at work, she visits her family on Friday night to get a gourmet cooked meal and a taste of the sabbath in order to melt back the stress. Marge also attends with her newly adopted teenaged daughter Vega, who has endless questions about Judaism, making for a memorable night. Of course, as in Decker's other cases, the sabbath does not remain an island of peace as another car jacking takes both Deckers away from their day of rest. Kellerman has them racing to the scene of the crime so that they can hopefully solve the car jacking ring once and for all.
In the end, this book was about Cindy and how she grows as a cop. Rina and the rest of the family do make appearances, just not as often as in the other books. Many people note in their reviews that they dislike Cindy because she is whiny. She is also an educated young woman who is determined to crack the glass ceiling in the male centered police world. Combined with the police hazing and stalking and her grit to live up to her father's reputation make for a fast reading thriller. As a fan of Kellerman, I am looking forward to the next case, which hopefully features Cindy as well as Rina. I am with this series for its duration and am excited for whatever twists and turns Kellerman has in store for the Decker clan.
Officer Decker has much to prove, both as a rookie officer and as the daughter of a lieutenant. Her superior officers are quick to criticize her every move yet are mindful that she could report them to her father, Lieutenant Decker. This episode takes place as much in Bellini's bar and in Cindy's apartment as it does on streets. Additionally, Officer Hayley Marx attempts to take Cindy under her wings and show her the ropes in a way that only another female cop can.
Meanwhile there have been a slew of car jackings in her father's precinct. Cindy would love to assist her father, Marge, and Scott Oliver in solving this ring of crimes so that she can prove herself their equal as a cop. Yet, Kellerman creates a multilayered case in which Cindy is both the law enforcement agent and the victim. Someone is stalking her- either inside or outside of the police department, leaving all of the Deckers on edge. This is in addition to the wave of crime centered around women with young children putting Rina in a high risk situation. All of these factors create for a high intensity, thrilling situation, putting me on edge as well for most of the book.
Kellerman turns to religion as a means to break the tension, which is what had me reaching for her series in the first place. Peter and Rina Decker, like myself, are Orthodox Jews, and on Friday night welcome the Sabbath in style. With Cindy being stressed out at work, she visits her family on Friday night to get a gourmet cooked meal and a taste of the sabbath in order to melt back the stress. Marge also attends with her newly adopted teenaged daughter Vega, who has endless questions about Judaism, making for a memorable night. Of course, as in Decker's other cases, the sabbath does not remain an island of peace as another car jacking takes both Deckers away from their day of rest. Kellerman has them racing to the scene of the crime so that they can hopefully solve the car jacking ring once and for all.
In the end, this book was about Cindy and how she grows as a cop. Rina and the rest of the family do make appearances, just not as often as in the other books. Many people note in their reviews that they dislike Cindy because she is whiny. She is also an educated young woman who is determined to crack the glass ceiling in the male centered police world. Combined with the police hazing and stalking and her grit to live up to her father's reputation make for a fast reading thriller. As a fan of Kellerman, I am looking forward to the next case, which hopefully features Cindy as well as Rina. I am with this series for its duration and am excited for whatever twists and turns Kellerman has in store for the Decker clan.
September 4, 2019
This has certainly not got the intricate story line of some of Faye Kellerman's Decker/Lazarus novels.
But it is still a well-written and entertaining read.
Cindy can be impetuous and brattish, but she also has some good qualities, for example note
The love she has for her younger half-sister, Hannah.
Cindy has a lot of growing up to do!
I like the way she skillfully weaves the religious family life of Peter and Rina's family into the
novels.
In this one we see how observation of Shabbos (the Jewish Sabbath) is a beautiful and welcome respite from
the chaotic and amoral world outside.
Overall, entertaining , and flows easily.
There are however some loose ends left undone , for example we never find out who it was that was behind the attack on Rina in the park.
It is also better to begin the Decker/Lazarus series with one of Faye Kellerman's earlier novels.
But it is still a well-written and entertaining read.
Cindy can be impetuous and brattish, but she also has some good qualities, for example note
The love she has for her younger half-sister, Hannah.
Cindy has a lot of growing up to do!
I like the way she skillfully weaves the religious family life of Peter and Rina's family into the
novels.
In this one we see how observation of Shabbos (the Jewish Sabbath) is a beautiful and welcome respite from
the chaotic and amoral world outside.
Overall, entertaining , and flows easily.
There are however some loose ends left undone , for example we never find out who it was that was behind the attack on Rina in the park.
It is also better to begin the Decker/Lazarus series with one of Faye Kellerman's earlier novels.
never-finished-abandoned
February 3, 2019I gave this series an honest try - it's not a bad series, but it just isn't grabbing me, and this particular book really isn't about Decker and Lazarus - the main reason why I started reading it. I love police procedurals, but I prefer that the author stays true to the profession, i.e. follow procedure. I may pick up this book again and give the series another try, but my heart just isn't in it right now.
September 8, 2019
4.5 stars.
One of the better ones in the series. I have been erratically following the Decker Lazarus saga for quite a few years now , possibly a book or a couple a year. To me , what happens with them and their progeny is the main attraction , rather than the crime which is just a sideline.
I love reading the series out of order.
In this particular book , Cindy has just joined the PD as a rookie and is given much flak , especially as she is a female progeny of someone higher up ... And people are envious and uncomfortable.
Suddenly she gets involved in a financial scam/ shootout case her father , Peter Decker and his associate , Scott Oliver , along with Marge are involved in.. and things turn grim.
Cindy's home is vandalised , car is tempered with , she develops a relationship with one of her father's associates and things move to a head-on collision .
Was a very interesting read.
One of the better ones in the series. I have been erratically following the Decker Lazarus saga for quite a few years now , possibly a book or a couple a year. To me , what happens with them and their progeny is the main attraction , rather than the crime which is just a sideline.
I love reading the series out of order.
In this particular book , Cindy has just joined the PD as a rookie and is given much flak , especially as she is a female progeny of someone higher up ... And people are envious and uncomfortable.
Suddenly she gets involved in a financial scam/ shootout case her father , Peter Decker and his associate , Scott Oliver , along with Marge are involved in.. and things turn grim.
Cindy's home is vandalised , car is tempered with , she develops a relationship with one of her father's associates and things move to a head-on collision .
Was a very interesting read.
September 2, 2012
I am trying out a few good women mystery writers. This is my first Faye Kellerman. And likely my last.
Our lead character remarks early in the book that she is Jewish by way of explaining why she does not eat pork. I don’t read many books where I am aware of someone being Jewish so I was interested to see if that fact enters into the story. It does play a background role but does not tie in directly with the mystery.
This mystery series is titled “Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus.” I am reading book #12 as my introduction for the simple reason that this book was the one available from the online swap. Maybe not the best way to start a series especially since the protagonist in this particular book is their daughter Cindy, a rookie police officer. She is twenty-five, a cop, a redhead and a daughter, not necessarily in that order.
This is predominantly a book read by women judging by the fact that the vast majority of GR reviewers are women. Maybe that explains the long segments about clothing, fashion and furniture. When I say that, it might seem sexist. Why should books “for women” overdo these things? But there was a lot more “girl stuff” than the average book. Including fending off asshole men, a regular experience for women cops who evidently have no way to successfully combat it.
If you are trying to live in and create a world that is less gender dominated, you will not love this book even if you are a woman. Cindy is a woman trying to be strong and independent. But she is in a predominantly male world of a police department and is also set apart by her college education. Her father, Peter Decker, is a veteran officer in the same department. She is trying to learn about being a field police officer without taking advantage of her father’s position as well as being a woman fitting into a man’s world. I don’t think anyone in the book would qualify as a feminist including Cindy. That is disappointing to me.
There is a good deal of tension and excitement with the good cops and the really bad cops. The bad cops will disable your car and point a shotgun at you on the side of the road. It is a full time effort to decide which is which. Cops trying to protect her and cops trying to scare her and maybe even kill her. Occasionally I remember that this book is part of the “Peter/Rina” series and about all I know is that Peter is a police lieutenant and an overprotective father and Rina is a religious Orthodox Jew. I am not sure I could call this a dysfunctional family but they certainly have their issues with each other.
This is not a book that would make you very sanguine about the police department. This is the same police department as in the other books in the series. How distressing. The blue code of silence makes me want to puke. I do not pray but if I did, I would pray that nothing about the police in this book – and maybe in the series – is true. I give Stalker three stars for an exciting conclusion but one that leaves the blue code intact. Peter and Rina, the putative stars of the series, were small potatoes in this book and did not give any evidence that they would be more interesting in central roles. Now I want to find out if Jonathan Kellerman is any better at telling a story than Faye.
Our lead character remarks early in the book that she is Jewish by way of explaining why she does not eat pork. I don’t read many books where I am aware of someone being Jewish so I was interested to see if that fact enters into the story. It does play a background role but does not tie in directly with the mystery.
This mystery series is titled “Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus.” I am reading book #12 as my introduction for the simple reason that this book was the one available from the online swap. Maybe not the best way to start a series especially since the protagonist in this particular book is their daughter Cindy, a rookie police officer. She is twenty-five, a cop, a redhead and a daughter, not necessarily in that order.
This is predominantly a book read by women judging by the fact that the vast majority of GR reviewers are women. Maybe that explains the long segments about clothing, fashion and furniture. When I say that, it might seem sexist. Why should books “for women” overdo these things? But there was a lot more “girl stuff” than the average book. Including fending off asshole men, a regular experience for women cops who evidently have no way to successfully combat it.
If you are trying to live in and create a world that is less gender dominated, you will not love this book even if you are a woman. Cindy is a woman trying to be strong and independent. But she is in a predominantly male world of a police department and is also set apart by her college education. Her father, Peter Decker, is a veteran officer in the same department. She is trying to learn about being a field police officer without taking advantage of her father’s position as well as being a woman fitting into a man’s world. I don’t think anyone in the book would qualify as a feminist including Cindy. That is disappointing to me.
There is a good deal of tension and excitement with the good cops and the really bad cops. The bad cops will disable your car and point a shotgun at you on the side of the road. It is a full time effort to decide which is which. Cops trying to protect her and cops trying to scare her and maybe even kill her. Occasionally I remember that this book is part of the “Peter/Rina” series and about all I know is that Peter is a police lieutenant and an overprotective father and Rina is a religious Orthodox Jew. I am not sure I could call this a dysfunctional family but they certainly have their issues with each other.
This is not a book that would make you very sanguine about the police department. This is the same police department as in the other books in the series. How distressing. The blue code of silence makes me want to puke. I do not pray but if I did, I would pray that nothing about the police in this book – and maybe in the series – is true. I give Stalker three stars for an exciting conclusion but one that leaves the blue code intact. Peter and Rina, the putative stars of the series, were small potatoes in this book and did not give any evidence that they would be more interesting in central roles. Now I want to find out if Jonathan Kellerman is any better at telling a story than Faye.
February 16, 2014
Faye kellerman wrote the most boring book ever.
Cindy, the main character, is nothing more than an idiot. She has no common sense and puts her life at risk all of the time. She hooks up with a guy old enough her father, which is just disgusting. The plot is supposed to be suspenseful but I find watching the grass grow much more entertaining.
Don't bother with this book.
Cindy, the main character, is nothing more than an idiot. She has no common sense and puts her life at risk all of the time. She hooks up with a guy old enough her father, which is just disgusting. The plot is supposed to be suspenseful but I find watching the grass grow much more entertaining.
Don't bother with this book.
October 31, 2018
Two-haiku review:
Cindy's now a cop
Uniformed, proving herself
Strange things happening
Liked new POV
Decker and Rina still there
Good characters, plot
Cindy's now a cop
Uniformed, proving herself
Strange things happening
Liked new POV
Decker and Rina still there
Good characters, plot
May 19, 2017
This was a re-read for me after previously listening to this as an audiobook. I love this series involving LT Decker and his wife Rina Lazarus, and this one doesn't disappoint. It is another good mystery that focuses on Decker's daughter Cindy in the start of her police career. The familiar characters are there, Oliver and Marge, with both playing prominent roles in solving the mystery of who is stalking Cindy. Again I was thinking I had it figured out, then it ends up being someone else. Can't wait to read the entire series and re-read some I listened to awhile ago.
April 19, 2009
Another novel in Faye Kellerman's Peter Decker series.
Less emphasis on family life in this one, but his oldest daughter, Cindy, is part of the plot this time as she falls victim to a stalker.
Fast paced and emotional novel, Cindy's panic to being stalked translates very well to the pages, as does one of the main themes of the book, women in the police force. You know, I don't think I could stand having to battle the boys network everyday.
Good read that kept me to the edge of the seat up until the very end and I'm looking forward to Cindy being a more integral part in the rest of the series, not sure whether she is, though. The same job experiences would definitely enhance the father-daughter relationship and give insight into both characters.
Less emphasis on family life in this one, but his oldest daughter, Cindy, is part of the plot this time as she falls victim to a stalker.
Fast paced and emotional novel, Cindy's panic to being stalked translates very well to the pages, as does one of the main themes of the book, women in the police force. You know, I don't think I could stand having to battle the boys network everyday.
Good read that kept me to the edge of the seat up until the very end and I'm looking forward to Cindy being a more integral part in the rest of the series, not sure whether she is, though. The same job experiences would definitely enhance the father-daughter relationship and give insight into both characters.
December 30, 2015
This is my first Faye Kellerman novel. I am not one to give up on a book and will typically finish hoping that a novel will turn around at some point, but I couldn't finish it. I gave up about 200 pages the book was hard to follow, it was more cop banter than a thriller which was what I expected. I tried but couldn't get into this book at all. The book was slow and all over the place, but never really got anywhere.
January 19, 2010
One of her good ones! I'm a sucker for the combination of a strong (but wounded) female character, a loving (but dysfunctional) family, and a thoughtful mystery.
February 24, 2023
The story follows Peter Deckers daughter Cindy as she follows her fathers footsteps into the LAPD. Cindy is brash and opinionated and has a uphill climb with her fellow officers. A good story line with interesting characters.
August 9, 2010
The Stalker was an amazing story. Faye Kellerman writes this interesting cop mystery thrill that totally keep me on hooked thru out the whole story. It was a fast read for me since it was a real page turner. I know that Stalker is part of the Decker & Lazarus series, but this book centered on Decker's daughter Cindy. She is a brave, smart,strong confident & independent young woman. Also hard-headed too. She and her father share the same qualities. Their father/daughter relationship is very sweet and protecting. Since she is a rookie cop is works with male cops. Too bad for her case most of them are perverted, sexes jerks. Well Cindy is the one is being stalked, at first she shows no fear whatsoever until the stalking is getting way too close to home, and of her loved ones. In between the story there is some clever dark humor and some romance.
Faye Kellerman delivered gold in this crime tale. Now this is the second novel of I've read from her work. I know it wont be the last one either. I would recommend this book to anyone & give it two thumbs up. =)~
Faye Kellerman delivered gold in this crime tale. Now this is the second novel of I've read from her work. I know it wont be the last one either. I would recommend this book to anyone & give it two thumbs up. =)~
May 12, 2010
I don't think I'll read more Kellerman. Language is just too coarse for my taste. Strangely, the author seems enamored of the word "sweat" as it seems to get a mention once ever other page. I did find the storyline believable and it did hold my interest, despite entire chapters of nothing but dialogue. I fact the vast majority of the book seemed dialogue with only occasional action interspersed, but this did appear to be the author's strength.
April 25, 2016
I had a few issues here. That being said, I plan on reading a few more in this series, as I can see hints of brilliance here. Cindy is a complicated character, and you can't quite get a good feel on what her deal is, but that's ok--it makes for some interesting juxtapositions in the story. There are a few red herrings here and "coincidences" that make you groan. But overall, the characters are interesting enough to warrant reading another book or two.
December 18, 2018
This could well be my last Faye Kellerman novel - just too formulaic. When I am able to predict the complete plot arc in a book, I know I have wasted some time reading it. Additionally, the appeal of this series lies in the interaction of Peter and Rina, particularly their family struggles and the most fascinating religious side of their lives. That's nonexistent in this outing - clearly we are creating the Cindy Decker series. And that, I'm not interested in.
March 8, 2011
I liked this book. Pacing was excellent. Kellerman's writing style made easy to identify with the characters. The mystery was very involving. I did not guess the ending but I'm not really good at guessing anyway so you might not want to use that as a determinant for complexity of plot. I must have read a Decker mystery before but can't remember which one.
January 7, 2016
This book was extremely disappointing. I was actually excited to see Cindy follow in her dad's footsteps and was hopeful that this would provide even more reasons to like the Decker/Lazarus family. But in this book I found Cindy thoroughly unlikeable and at times rather stupid. On top of this, because the book revolved around Cindy, there wasn't enough of Peter and Rina to save it.
September 6, 2016
Urg. No more Kellermans for me. Didn't care for any of the characters, especially the main people. Never did figure out the motivation for the initial crime--I remember reading it, it didn't make sense, but I was not into the book enough to re-read even a paragraph.
March 13, 2011
Another good mystery by Kellerman. This one features Decker's daughter Cindy, who is a rookie cop. I enjoy getting a glimpse of the Jewish culture in this series.
June 4, 2012
If you like Faye Kellerman, you will like this one.
June 18, 2016
Held my interest but this book doesn't make me want to read another by this author.
August 4, 2020
storyline is mostly about Cindy, Decker's 25yr old daughter who is now a rookie police officer
reread this is one of my favorite of the series
reread this is one of my favorite of the series
April 8, 2021
DNF... i tried but i cant seem to get myself into the storyline. At 80 pages in it still dint hook me and the excessive use of the word "said" irritated me. At 150 pages in i am yet to be fully hooked on it. Ill just move on..
This maybe a really gpod one and im not being fair to it but i canmot continue with it.
This maybe a really gpod one and im not being fair to it but i canmot continue with it.
March 19, 2024
Very simple book and easy read. I felt I was able to get an insight to how police work. It was nice to know the characters seemed real and had actual human emotion. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a really good read. I'm glad I found it.
September 17, 2020
A typical Faye Kellerman story! However, she twisted the story interest the normal reader like me! It goes to show what goes behind the scenes in life of a police person, not really but what the hey! That a story from 20 years ago and nicely done.
May 6, 2014
This may contain spoilers-
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY.
My own thoughts. I had a hard time with this one. I listen to audiobooks and this was not the same narrator. If not all of them, most has been Mitch Greenberg. I was always questioning, am I listening to Faye Kellerman? I really thought this is so tacky, where are the high ratings coming from?
Although this reviewer gave 3 stars, I am only giving it 2. sure wish GR would have 1/2 stars
Our lead character remarks early in the book that she is Jewish by way of explaining why she does not eat pork. I don’t read many books where I am aware of someone being Jewish so I was interested to see if that fact enters into the story. It does play a background role but does not tie in directly with the mystery.
The protagonist in this particular book is their daughter Cindy, a rookie police officer. She is twenty-five, a cop, a redhead and a daughter, not necessarily in that order. (In previous books, I thought was a "nice and 'smart" person. I didn't get that in this one
This is predominantly a book read by women judging by the fact that the vast majority of GR reviewers are women. Maybe that explains the long segments about clothing, fashion and furniture. When I say that, it might seem sexist. Why should books “for women” overdo these things? But there was a lot more “girl stuff” than the average book. Including fending off asshole men, a regular experience for women cops who evidently have no way to successfully combat it.
If you are trying to live in and create a world that is less gender dominated, you will not love this book even if you are a woman. Cindy is a woman trying to be strong and independent. But she is in a predominantly male world of a police department and is also set apart by her college education. Her father, Peter Decker, is a veteran officer in the same department. She is trying to learn about being a field police officer without taking advantage of her father’s position as well as being a woman fitting into a man’s world. I don’t think anyone in the book would qualify as a feminist including Cindy. That is disappointing to me.
Even her dad was an ass, which I can understand, but I just didn't get this from previous books.. beating the hell out of one of the cops, and kicking him in the $@!!$ almost killing him. I did like the other female cop Marx
There is a good deal of tension and excitement with the good cops and the really bad cops. The bad cops will disable your car and point a shotgun at you on the side of the road. It is a full time effort to decide which is which. Cops trying to protect her and cops trying to scare her and maybe even kill her. Occasionally I remember that this book is part of the “Peter/Rina” series and about all I know is that Peter is a police lieutenant and an overprotective father and Rina is a religious Orthodox Jew. I am not sure I could call this a dysfunctional family but they certainly have their issues with each other.
This is not a book that would make you very sanguine about the police department. This is the same police department as in the other books in the series. How distressing. The blue code of silence makes me want to puke. I do not pray but if I did, I would pray that nothing about the police in this book – and maybe in the series – is true. I give Stalker three stars for an exciting conclusion but one that leaves the blue code intact. Peter and Rina, the putative stars of the series, were small potatoes in this book and did not give any evidence that they would be more interesting in central roles.
The whole dept are giving her a hard time about her education in a Ivy League college. Like the cops are under educated.
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY.
My own thoughts. I had a hard time with this one. I listen to audiobooks and this was not the same narrator. If not all of them, most has been Mitch Greenberg. I was always questioning, am I listening to Faye Kellerman? I really thought this is so tacky, where are the high ratings coming from?
Although this reviewer gave 3 stars, I am only giving it 2. sure wish GR would have 1/2 stars
Our lead character remarks early in the book that she is Jewish by way of explaining why she does not eat pork. I don’t read many books where I am aware of someone being Jewish so I was interested to see if that fact enters into the story. It does play a background role but does not tie in directly with the mystery.
The protagonist in this particular book is their daughter Cindy, a rookie police officer. She is twenty-five, a cop, a redhead and a daughter, not necessarily in that order. (In previous books, I thought was a "nice and 'smart" person. I didn't get that in this one
This is predominantly a book read by women judging by the fact that the vast majority of GR reviewers are women. Maybe that explains the long segments about clothing, fashion and furniture. When I say that, it might seem sexist. Why should books “for women” overdo these things? But there was a lot more “girl stuff” than the average book. Including fending off asshole men, a regular experience for women cops who evidently have no way to successfully combat it.
If you are trying to live in and create a world that is less gender dominated, you will not love this book even if you are a woman. Cindy is a woman trying to be strong and independent. But she is in a predominantly male world of a police department and is also set apart by her college education. Her father, Peter Decker, is a veteran officer in the same department. She is trying to learn about being a field police officer without taking advantage of her father’s position as well as being a woman fitting into a man’s world. I don’t think anyone in the book would qualify as a feminist including Cindy. That is disappointing to me.
Even her dad was an ass, which I can understand, but I just didn't get this from previous books.. beating the hell out of one of the cops, and kicking him in the $@!!$ almost killing him. I did like the other female cop Marx
There is a good deal of tension and excitement with the good cops and the really bad cops. The bad cops will disable your car and point a shotgun at you on the side of the road. It is a full time effort to decide which is which. Cops trying to protect her and cops trying to scare her and maybe even kill her. Occasionally I remember that this book is part of the “Peter/Rina” series and about all I know is that Peter is a police lieutenant and an overprotective father and Rina is a religious Orthodox Jew. I am not sure I could call this a dysfunctional family but they certainly have their issues with each other.
This is not a book that would make you very sanguine about the police department. This is the same police department as in the other books in the series. How distressing. The blue code of silence makes me want to puke. I do not pray but if I did, I would pray that nothing about the police in this book – and maybe in the series – is true. I give Stalker three stars for an exciting conclusion but one that leaves the blue code intact. Peter and Rina, the putative stars of the series, were small potatoes in this book and did not give any evidence that they would be more interesting in central roles.
The whole dept are giving her a hard time about her education in a Ivy League college. Like the cops are under educated.
July 20, 2023
Character and family development continues. We have known Peter's daughter Cynthia for awhile, and here she debuts as a policewoman over her father's objections. Plenty of suspense, but for me the family interactions are what's interesting. Rina was not much present in this book, and I missed her.
July 5, 2021
Decent read, not my favorite in this series. There wasn't enough mystery to really keep me interested and I don't find Cindy as fun to read about as Peter and Rina. Also, we didn't get to see Rina's sons enough for my taste, they're my favorite side characters these days.
September 8, 2008
I read many of the Peter/Rina books several years ago. I hope this one, starring Peter's daughter Cindy, picks up soon. I'm over a hundred pages in and for such a tabloid-headline title, it has been very slow moving and very heavy on dialogue.
Edit:
I've finished the book and I remain underwhelmed by it. I can't think of a single woman I know who would be as blase' about being stalked as Cindy was - not even believing it for a rather incredulous length of time. To me, the "reason" that she wanted to handle it on her own to prove herself was a rather unbelievable reason. And the way the tail scene was written - the tail was so incredibly sloppy that even *I* could have picked up on it, and I've never trained in the field, and yet it took Cindy forever to do and again, at first she didn't believe she was really being followed. And I also have trouble believing that any woman would want to stay in her own apartment after it had been broken into and trashed. Hello? How stupid can you get? If they can break in once, they can do it again! You were just lucky that they never came back!
And then, to go on to investigate the case herself without so much as telling her family and colleagues that she's doing it! That's just stupid. But it was almost at the end, around page 395, when all credibility finally completely snapped. That's the point at which I realized that she hadn't even read the entire list. The sentence describing the list-reading had been written in a vague enough manner (unintentionally, as far as I could tell) that I had not realized it until Cindy explicitly said it. Talk about sloppy work! Again, this was something I would have done - not because I'm trained, because I'm not, but just because it's what MAKES SENSE in investigating ANYTHING.
So the way the story was written, to make Cindy seem so naive and clueless, yet seemingly aware she was regularly risking her life, left me with little sympathy for her. And that's just sloppy writing. Your readers need to feel for your characters to become truly involved in the story.
I was given the recent Rina/Peter books along with this one. I hope that they are better. Faye Kellerman, I know from past experience that you can do better than the drivel that was this book!
Edit:
I've finished the book and I remain underwhelmed by it. I can't think of a single woman I know who would be as blase' about being stalked as Cindy was - not even believing it for a rather incredulous length of time. To me, the "reason" that she wanted to handle it on her own to prove herself was a rather unbelievable reason. And the way the tail scene was written - the tail was so incredibly sloppy that even *I* could have picked up on it, and I've never trained in the field, and yet it took Cindy forever to do and again, at first she didn't believe she was really being followed. And I also have trouble believing that any woman would want to stay in her own apartment after it had been broken into and trashed. Hello? How stupid can you get? If they can break in once, they can do it again! You were just lucky that they never came back!
And then, to go on to investigate the case herself without so much as telling her family and colleagues that she's doing it! That's just stupid. But it was almost at the end, around page 395, when all credibility finally completely snapped. That's the point at which I realized that she hadn't even read the entire list. The sentence describing the list-reading had been written in a vague enough manner (unintentionally, as far as I could tell) that I had not realized it until Cindy explicitly said it. Talk about sloppy work! Again, this was something I would have done - not because I'm trained, because I'm not, but just because it's what MAKES SENSE in investigating ANYTHING.
So the way the story was written, to make Cindy seem so naive and clueless, yet seemingly aware she was regularly risking her life, left me with little sympathy for her. And that's just sloppy writing. Your readers need to feel for your characters to become truly involved in the story.
I was given the recent Rina/Peter books along with this one. I hope that they are better. Faye Kellerman, I know from past experience that you can do better than the drivel that was this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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