Impulse

by Michael Weaver

Barely surviving the vicious attack that ended his wife's life, columnist Paul Garrett must track down the psychopathic killer who would target his new love and make Garret his link to the world he preys upon. Reprint.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Mystery

497 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much blood, so certainly not quite my genre of book. Although carefully constructed, some things are hardly believable: Meade's logistics, the way he stoles cars and disguises himself, Canderro's seeing through thick blankets.
So, three stars are more than enough...

[Dollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really intense. William Meade is an ex-convict who went to jail for rape and murder. Now he is on parole, only no one knows how dangerous he really is until his raping and killing spree starts again. This guy is really the worst. He’s even worse than any of the bad guys in John Sanford’s Prey novels (and those are some bad mothers). There is a team of three trying to find Meade before he can kill anymore - Paul Garrett, editorial writer for The Times, parole officer Jacqueline Wurzel, and Lieutenant Frank Canderro. This was a really good story. It really gave me the creeps because I’m sure there are people out there who are as crazy as Mr. Meade. Good book.

[Rob Twinem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when it was first published and enjoyed better then (some 20 years ago!) than now. It reads and feels to much like a b movie or "made for tv" series. with the narcissistic killer William Meade becoming somewhat tedious as the story progresses...........

[Maureen DeLuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A subject that has been talked about so many times. How do you feel about a murder, rapist who was sent to prison for 40 years- and then gets let out 'early' . One side feels that if he behaved well in prison, does all the good things- then give him another chance. Others say NO WAY. No early release.

So, one beautiful day Paul and Emily Garret ( a husband and wife ) are in their summer cabin and a very nice, good looking man comes by hiking and is admiring their home- they start to talk. They offer him some water from their garden hose. That man turns out to be William Meade, a skilled serial murderer with a sideline in brutal rape. Meade, ties up Paul while he brutally rapes his wife Emily- then Meade kills Emily and shoots Paul, in the head twice- leaving him to die. The only thing is, Paul survives.... and now the 'hunt' begins.

The story is broken into three narratives , Paul Garret- survivor , William Mead the killer and Lieutenant Canderro of the Poughkeepsie police who is trying to catch the killer.

Keeping in mind that this book came out in the early 90's I truly enjoyed the sick, darkness of this book and the main character. At one point I was going to give this book a 5 star- but it was just a 'tad' bit long winded- and a few things did bother me - giving it a 4 star read.

[Sandybeach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why on earth does the book cover show a book called Impulse by Catherine Coulter???

Impulse by Michael Weaver is one of my all time favourite books that I re-read every few years. Looking at the blurb on the back of the book, it just doesn't do it justice. However this recommendation says it all -

"This novel will leave every reader breathless, probably with their throat raw from silent screaming."
James Patterson

The blurb on the front of the book is simple, but perfect -

He loved women.
Obsessively.
But most of all,
he loved to kill them.

[Christina Hewitt-Largo Christopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional book, the plot was clever and he characters deep and amazing! 5 stars for this one!

[Ainhoa Dolz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lo único bueno que tiene esta novela es que transmite la idea de que muchas veces parece que el ciudadano debe de tomarse la justicia por su mano porque el sistema no ayuda. Quizás, también, el desenlace no está del todo mal. Más allá de eso, nada.

Múltiples veces se introduce información sin dar ningún tipo de contexto y en ese momento el trozo de historia deja de ser coherente. No es que se busque que el lector se haga un lío y empiece a pensar, sino que simplemente no tiene sentido. Lo hace sin más y no hay ningún tipo de hilo que te haga llegar a X conclusión, no hay ningún tipo de misterio que haga que el lector vaya de un cabo a otro para acabar atándolos todos. Lo tienes que acabar deduciendo todo, y no porque eso sea parte del libro y eso mantenga la intriga, sino porque la explicación no llega en ningún momento. Lees y relees las páginas para ver si te has saltado algún punto sin querer, y no hay nada por ningún lado. Esa no es la gracia de un thriller.

He leído muchos thrillers y este es uno de los peores. No por la historia como tal, porque tiene potencial, sino por cómo se ha construido.

[Lost Owl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three strikes and you're out:
The Appalachian Trail is not "colonial." It dates back to the 1920s.
There is no such thing as an "automatic 9mm" handgun.
New York police hand victims fully loaded handguns with 2 bonus holsters on request?
Closed the book.

[Heart Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If i were to describe this book in one word the word would be BRILLIANT. It got me hooked from the beginning. I love the sadistic touch to the novel and the way the author made the villain.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an audio book on cassette that I listened to while driving to my daughter's house. It was tightly wound and so intense that I ALMOST didn't want to stop to see my grandkids. Garret and his wife are kind to a hiker and gave him water to drink. The hiker is evil and does terrible things to Garret and his wife. Garret survives and works hard at catching Meade. The plot twists and turns with more murders and kidnapping. I would have given this all 5 stars but it was just too vivid and gory. Way too realistic but it will keep you captivated.

[Thomas Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller and crime story. Definitely a page-turner. A shockingly amoral (but believable) villain. A grief-stricken hero who finds a second love after saving her. A brave police detective. It might have been first published in 1993 but its entertainment value has not lessened.

[Bob Box · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1995. After his wife is raped and murdered and he is shot and left for dead Paul Garret must somehow find justice for his wife. A brutal hunt for a serial killer ensues. Powerfully suspenseful. One of my favorites that year.

[Aneta Osowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gdy czytałam tę książkę po raz pierwszy wydawała mi się majstersztykiem. Teraz gdy się wróciłam do niej już któryś raz, nie myślę już w ten sposób. Dostrzegam liczne błędy, jednak sentyment do historii pozostał. Na plus zasługują kreacje złych postaci.

[Lewis Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read.

[catherine Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite books. I read this book 20 years ago and have read it again 3 or 4 times since.

[ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho el principio, las resoluciones de los personajes no me gustaron del todo.

[Carletta Campion]

Very very good

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

primer libro de misterio y estilo reportaje, estuvo bien

[Julieta Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Ania · Rating 4 out of 5]

well written, really enjoyed it

[Caroline Price]

Utter crap

[Sofi Gatica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es entretenido, empieza muy bien y decae de golpe

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book on cassette, that I listened to on my road trip, was intense, suspenseful and so exciting, I almost didn't want to stop the car to see my daughter and grandkids. It's about a kind couple who offered a drink to a hiker but the hiker is blatantly evil. There is murder, rape and kidnapping. The hiker is a serial killer. Garret has lost his loved one and wants to catch Meade. Meade taunts him and it does not go well. This story is very well woven. I would have given it 5 stars except it was just way too gory for my taste and way to realistic.

[Bob Corrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My only gripe is that this whole premise is a bit far-fetched. I don't particularly care for books in which the evil-doer is SOOOOOOO much smarter and cleverer than everyone else. Of course they always get their comeuppance, but ... it just stretches credulity to believe that 1 whacko is that much smarter than everyone else. It's like movies - current time I might add - where the little computer whizzes can do anything and everything in a heartbeat --- zoom a camera right smack on the villain, shut down an entire city's electric grid, manipulate all the redlights in a flash, etc. All of this can be done, but not in nanoseconds. This book struck me as a little like that -- unbelievable. So - 3 stars from me.

[Abhishek Chanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Novel starts so abruptly that you would be hooked from Page 4. Imagine this. You're enjoying a cocktail with your wife in the warm countryside of New York State. A tired but smiling hiker walks up to your cottage and asks for water. What could possibly go wrong ? Well, that's when the Nightmare begins.
Television's 'Dexter' would pale in comparison to William Meade, main antagonist.
Cops can't catch him because he is slippery. The only thing left to do is delve into his past............

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read by Weaver: suspenseful, some good character development, not too much description as in some books, of houses, trees, highways, clothing, etc. Could have been a 5-star except the "bad guy"
was so awful - psychotic sociopath, etc. he was hard to read about. If you are a tried and true mystery reader willing to accept much death you will enjoy this one. If you like mystery that is not so steeped in what seems a hopeless pursuit of a madman, you may find it depressing.

[Camila Fernanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusto, aún que en varios momentos lo encontré un poco lento. Un libro super explicito donde a veces no puedes creer lo que te cuentan, así que nada mas que decir, me gusto :)

"Había muchos tópicos sobre los efectos curativos del tiempo, todos falsos. Ciertas heridas jamas curan. Si eras afortunado, quizá pasado el golpe inicial dejabas de sangrar."

[Candice Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book. It had a very different plot than the regular serial killer novel. It keeps you in suspense till the very end. A little on the darker side, rape and sadism, but I guess that just adds to the uniqueness of the plot. Overall pretty good horror novel.

[Gerry Ormerod · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense book . A brief look into the adaptability of mankind. Not for the faint of heart.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dark subject matter - Rape, Murder, Sadism. Not my idea of an enjoyable book