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Lincoln Rhyme
More Twisted
"New York Times" bestselling author Jeffery Deaver has famously thrilled and chilled fans with tales of masterful villains and the brilliant minds who bring them to justice. Now the author of the Lincoln Rhyme series ("The Cold Moon" and "The Bone Collector," among others) has compiled a second volume of his award-winning, spine-tingling short stories of suspense.While best known for his twenty-four novels, Jeffery Deaver is also a short story master -- he is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader's Award for Best Short Story, and he won the Short Story Dagger from the Crime Writers Association for a piece that appeared in his first short story collection, "Twisted. The New York Times" said of that "A mystery hit for those who like their intrigue short and sweet . . . [The stories] feature tight, bare-bones plotting and the sneaky tricks that Mr. Deaver's title promises." The sneaky tricks are here in spades, and Deaver even gives his fans a new Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs story.
Deaver is back with sixteen stories in the tradition of O. Henry and Edgar Allan Poe. His subjects range from a Westchester commuter to a brilliant Victorian England caper. With these intricately plotted, bone-chilling stories, Jeffery Deaver is at the top of his crime-writing game.
Deaver is back with sixteen stories in the tradition of O. Henry and Edgar Allan Poe. His subjects range from a Westchester commuter to a brilliant Victorian England caper. With these intricately plotted, bone-chilling stories, Jeffery Deaver is at the top of his crime-writing game.
416 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
June 17, 2020
Top drawer collection of short crime, mystery and/or thriller stories with a twist, including one with Deaver's greatest creation, Lincoln Rhymes. Easily one of the best crime short story collections that I've read, although please note that I haven't read many. An 8 out of 12, Four Star read.
2015 read
2015 read
April 4, 2024
“The title of my anthologies is no coincidence.”
In his foreword, Deaver continues, “To me, that big oh-my-God surprise is what short stories are all about.”
When I gave a 5-star review to TWISTED, Deaver’s first collection of this type of short story and novellas, I recognized his skill at producing his pre-announced surprise endings that were absolutely expected from the first word in the story but both unknown and unknowable in their reality until Deaver pulled back the curtain for that final reveal. I also complimented his mature skills as an author in putting these twists into such a polished literary setting,
“Deaver brings to the short story all the sophisticated skills that have been the foundation of his success as a novelist. He has a gift for dialogue, vivid characterization and suspense and his stories show deep insight into the emotions, the motivations, the fears and the love and happiness of his widely varied cast of characters. Despite its fundamentally gritty nature, his writing shows uncommonly refreshing humour and a capacity to convey deep feeling.”
Unfortunately MORE TWISTED might have been more accurately entitled LESS TWISTED. The writing skill, the dialogue, the characterization, and the suspense were all there but those endings were, not to put too fine a point on it, simply less convincing, less shocking, less satisfying, and, well, less twisted. I don’t think I’d go quite so far as to say they were predictable but they came disappointingly close. The anthology, in its entirety, was moderately enjoyable but came nowhere near producing the delight that I felt with that first effort.
Paul Weiss
In his foreword, Deaver continues, “To me, that big oh-my-God surprise is what short stories are all about.”
When I gave a 5-star review to TWISTED, Deaver’s first collection of this type of short story and novellas, I recognized his skill at producing his pre-announced surprise endings that were absolutely expected from the first word in the story but both unknown and unknowable in their reality until Deaver pulled back the curtain for that final reveal. I also complimented his mature skills as an author in putting these twists into such a polished literary setting,
“Deaver brings to the short story all the sophisticated skills that have been the foundation of his success as a novelist. He has a gift for dialogue, vivid characterization and suspense and his stories show deep insight into the emotions, the motivations, the fears and the love and happiness of his widely varied cast of characters. Despite its fundamentally gritty nature, his writing shows uncommonly refreshing humour and a capacity to convey deep feeling.”
Unfortunately MORE TWISTED might have been more accurately entitled LESS TWISTED. The writing skill, the dialogue, the characterization, and the suspense were all there but those endings were, not to put too fine a point on it, simply less convincing, less shocking, less satisfying, and, well, less twisted. I don’t think I’d go quite so far as to say they were predictable but they came disappointingly close. The anthology, in its entirety, was moderately enjoyable but came nowhere near producing the delight that I felt with that first effort.
Paul Weiss
December 12, 2017
I'm not a writer but I would think writing a short story that holds the readers interest right to the end would be difficult.
Well Jeffery Deaver does just that here.
A cold case that's been on the shelf for a while gets a break when a reporter brings a library book to the attention of the police. There has been passages in the book that have ringed by someone and they bare some relevance to the cold case. The police start looking at the case with new eyes and before long come up with a possible killer. The suspect ends up dead and everybody's please that there is an ends to the case, but all is not as it seems.
A good story with a cup of coffee what more could you ask for?
Well Jeffery Deaver does just that here.
A cold case that's been on the shelf for a while gets a break when a reporter brings a library book to the attention of the police. There has been passages in the book that have ringed by someone and they bare some relevance to the cold case. The police start looking at the case with new eyes and before long come up with a possible killer. The suspect ends up dead and everybody's please that there is an ends to the case, but all is not as it seems.
A good story with a cup of coffee what more could you ask for?
August 15, 2022
The problem with reading too many short stories by Deaver is that, I know there will be multiple twists and have even started guessing some of them right. Hence, some of these were not as much as fun as they ought to be. Most of the stories have the bad guy getting away.
In the afterword, Deaver wears his professorial hat and explains how he incorporates fear and twists in his fiction, which was good to know.
In the afterword, Deaver wears his professorial hat and explains how he incorporates fear and twists in his fiction, which was good to know.
June 1, 2020
I find Jeffery Deaver to be a hit or miss author for me. I either really enjoy the book or I’m indifferent to it. When I got my hands on a short story collection, I decided to dive in and see how I felt about them. Although I have not read the first collection of short stories, this stands perfectly fine without any prior knowledge.
The first story in this collection, Chapter and Verse, hooked me. I will be honest and say I thought it was going to be a three-star rating, but, when the end came about, I found myself rounding it up to a four-star rating. Although a short story, this one caught me off guard and I fell for the trick. It certainly left me with high hopes for the rest of the collection.
After enjoying the first story so much, I was eager to dive into the second. Unfortunately, for me, Commuter was a let-down. It was obvious from the start where this one was going, and I worked it all out very easily. I had hoped for a nice twist, something that would surprise me, but there were no shocks with this one. In the end, this was a two-star rating.
The Westphalian Ring, the third story, was another story I wasn’t crazy about. I enjoyed watching the pieces come together, but I was never overly invested in it. In fact, the only detail that I really liked was the appearance of Holmes. It was a nice little detail, but it didn’t win me over. Another two-star rating.
Surveillance was a story that had potential but didn’t quite deliver. It was interesting to see the way the details came together, but there were no surprises with this one. Everything was too obvious and clear, and I was waiting for the shocking detail to hit. Only, it never hit. Another two-star rating.
Born Bad was a story where I was stuck between ratings. I didn’t love it, but I did like the way things played out. I rounded this one down to a two-star rating, but it was more of a two-point-five-star rating. Although I devoured this one and enjoyed the two sides to it, there was the potential for a wee bit more and that’s why I rounded down.
Interrogation was a story that I did not expect much from, after being disappointed by the prior stories, but this one won me over. At first, it was interesting, but it wasn’t amazing. When the ending hit, however, I enjoyed the way all the details came together. All in all, Interrogation was a three-star rating.
Afraid was an unusual read, one that was interesting, but I had expected a bit more drama from it. It certainly held my attention, it was different, but it didn’t quite wow me in the way such a story could have. Although I liked how different it was, it ended up a two-star rating.
Double Jeopardy was an entertaining read, one that was somewhat funny at times. It wasn’t a laugh-out-loud read, but it did provide amusement. It’s certainly one of the better stories in this one. All in all, a four-star rating.
Tunnel Girl was a story that was interesting, but some elements were very predictable. I expected more from this one and feel it could have made for a great longer read, as it was, I wasn’t quite won over. Another two-star read.
Locard’s Principle gave me my first introduction to Lincoln Rhyme, a character I’ve been wanting to find out more about for a while. Although I wasn’t crazy about this one – at this point in the stories, we seem to have a bit of a theme – it has left me curious about reading more of Lincoln Rhyme. All in all, a two-star rating.
A Dish Served Cold was another interesting but predictable read. It kept me turning the pages, wanting to see how everything played out, but I kept hoping for more. All in all, a two-star read.
Copycat was almost a four-star rating, but the ending had me rounding down. It was a fun read, one I really enjoyed, but the ending made it very predictable. Without the last section of it, it would have been a nice read; with the last section, it gave me what I had anticipated from the first page. All in all, a three-star rating.
The Voyeur, unfortunately, did not work for me. I felt nothing for the story and was waiting for something to happen throughout. It could have been an entertaining read, but I was disinterred throughout. This was my least favourite of the stories, and a one-star rating.
The Poker Lesson was a rounded-up rating, one that I didn’t much care for. It was a dull read, one that never really grabbed me. The only thing that really interested me was the ending, which saved it from being a single star read. As a whole, a two-star read.
Ninety-Eight Point Six was another decent read, but one that I wanted more from. It kept me turning the pages, it was one that kept me curious about the way it would play out, but it didn’t blow my mind. All in all, another two-star read.
A Nice Place to Visit was a story that came together well, but I was mostly disinterested in the story. The story certainly had plenty to it, but I was never connected with the characters. This final story was another two-star rating.
As a whole, there were some decent stories in this collection, but most didn’t work for me. It was nice to see how the author does short stories, but I’ll be sticking to his full-length novels in the future.
The first story in this collection, Chapter and Verse, hooked me. I will be honest and say I thought it was going to be a three-star rating, but, when the end came about, I found myself rounding it up to a four-star rating. Although a short story, this one caught me off guard and I fell for the trick. It certainly left me with high hopes for the rest of the collection.
After enjoying the first story so much, I was eager to dive into the second. Unfortunately, for me, Commuter was a let-down. It was obvious from the start where this one was going, and I worked it all out very easily. I had hoped for a nice twist, something that would surprise me, but there were no shocks with this one. In the end, this was a two-star rating.
The Westphalian Ring, the third story, was another story I wasn’t crazy about. I enjoyed watching the pieces come together, but I was never overly invested in it. In fact, the only detail that I really liked was the appearance of Holmes. It was a nice little detail, but it didn’t win me over. Another two-star rating.
Surveillance was a story that had potential but didn’t quite deliver. It was interesting to see the way the details came together, but there were no surprises with this one. Everything was too obvious and clear, and I was waiting for the shocking detail to hit. Only, it never hit. Another two-star rating.
Born Bad was a story where I was stuck between ratings. I didn’t love it, but I did like the way things played out. I rounded this one down to a two-star rating, but it was more of a two-point-five-star rating. Although I devoured this one and enjoyed the two sides to it, there was the potential for a wee bit more and that’s why I rounded down.
Interrogation was a story that I did not expect much from, after being disappointed by the prior stories, but this one won me over. At first, it was interesting, but it wasn’t amazing. When the ending hit, however, I enjoyed the way all the details came together. All in all, Interrogation was a three-star rating.
Afraid was an unusual read, one that was interesting, but I had expected a bit more drama from it. It certainly held my attention, it was different, but it didn’t quite wow me in the way such a story could have. Although I liked how different it was, it ended up a two-star rating.
Double Jeopardy was an entertaining read, one that was somewhat funny at times. It wasn’t a laugh-out-loud read, but it did provide amusement. It’s certainly one of the better stories in this one. All in all, a four-star rating.
Tunnel Girl was a story that was interesting, but some elements were very predictable. I expected more from this one and feel it could have made for a great longer read, as it was, I wasn’t quite won over. Another two-star read.
Locard’s Principle gave me my first introduction to Lincoln Rhyme, a character I’ve been wanting to find out more about for a while. Although I wasn’t crazy about this one – at this point in the stories, we seem to have a bit of a theme – it has left me curious about reading more of Lincoln Rhyme. All in all, a two-star rating.
A Dish Served Cold was another interesting but predictable read. It kept me turning the pages, wanting to see how everything played out, but I kept hoping for more. All in all, a two-star read.
Copycat was almost a four-star rating, but the ending had me rounding down. It was a fun read, one I really enjoyed, but the ending made it very predictable. Without the last section of it, it would have been a nice read; with the last section, it gave me what I had anticipated from the first page. All in all, a three-star rating.
The Voyeur, unfortunately, did not work for me. I felt nothing for the story and was waiting for something to happen throughout. It could have been an entertaining read, but I was disinterred throughout. This was my least favourite of the stories, and a one-star rating.
The Poker Lesson was a rounded-up rating, one that I didn’t much care for. It was a dull read, one that never really grabbed me. The only thing that really interested me was the ending, which saved it from being a single star read. As a whole, a two-star read.
Ninety-Eight Point Six was another decent read, but one that I wanted more from. It kept me turning the pages, it was one that kept me curious about the way it would play out, but it didn’t blow my mind. All in all, another two-star read.
A Nice Place to Visit was a story that came together well, but I was mostly disinterested in the story. The story certainly had plenty to it, but I was never connected with the characters. This final story was another two-star rating.
As a whole, there were some decent stories in this collection, but most didn’t work for me. It was nice to see how the author does short stories, but I’ll be sticking to his full-length novels in the future.
November 1, 2018
Съдържание:
1. "Глава и стих" 2. "Пътникът" 3. "Наблюдение" 4. "Разпит"
5. "Страх" 6. "Момичето в тунела" 7. Вдовицата от Пайн Крийк"
8. "Преквалифициране на деянието"9. "Коледният подарък"
10. "Принципът на Локар" 11. Ястие, сервирано студено
12. "Имитаторът" 13. "Трийсет и седем"
14. "Приятно местенце за посещение"
15. "Пръстенът от Вестфалия".
Джефри Дивър продължи линията, застъпена в Престъпления с неочакван край т.1 и, както заглавието добре подсказва, в тези 15 истории нищо не беше такова, каквото привидно изглеждаше. Постоянни врътки, обрати, екшън на макс, при това не винаги с тържество на доброто...
Ето какво е написал в предговора си авторът:
Разказите са като куршум от снайпер. Бързи и шокиращи. В разказа аз мога да направя добрия лош, а лошия още по-лош (и което е още по-забавно: истински добрия - истински лош)
Всичко имаше в тази книжка: ченгета се надлъгваха с килъри ("Глава и стих"), обирджии ("Наблюдение"), затворници в сектора за смъртници ("Страх"), серийни убийци ("Имитаторът"), избягали пандизчии ("Трийсет и седем"); животът на арогантен бизнесмен се срути, заради разговор на висок глас по телефона във влака ("Пътникът"); на друг негов колега, неотстъпващ му по арогантност, се наложи да преосмисли лошите си дела в миналото ("Ястие, сервирано студено"); съдебна драма почти оневини 100% престъпник, но... ("Преквалифициране на деянието"); два пъти се мярнаха легендарният сакат гений Линкълн Райм и чаровната му помощничка Амелия Сакс ("Коледният подарък", "Принципът на Локар"), че и... Шерлок Холмс ("Пръстенът от Вестфалия"). Харесах!!!
1. "Глава и стих" 2. "Пътникът" 3. "Наблюдение" 4. "Разпит"
5. "Страх" 6. "Момичето в тунела" 7. Вдовицата от Пайн Крийк"
8. "Преквалифициране на деянието"9. "Коледният подарък"
10. "Принципът на Локар" 11. Ястие, сервирано студено
12. "Имитаторът" 13. "Трийсет и седем"
14. "Приятно местенце за посещение"
15. "Пръстенът от Вестфалия".
Джефри Дивър продължи линията, застъпена в Престъпления с неочакван край т.1 и, както заглавието добре подсказва, в тези 15 истории нищо не беше такова, каквото привидно изглеждаше. Постоянни врътки, обрати, екшън на макс, при това не винаги с тържество на доброто...
Ето какво е написал в предговора си авторът:
Разказите са като куршум от снайпер. Бързи и шокиращи. В разказа аз мога да направя добрия лош, а лошия още по-лош (и което е още по-забавно: истински добрия - истински лош)
Всичко имаше в тази книжка: ченгета се надлъгваха с килъри ("Глава и стих"), обирджии ("Наблюдение"), затворници в сектора за смъртници ("Страх"), серийни убийци ("Имитаторът"), избягали пандизчии ("Трийсет и седем"); животът на арогантен бизнесмен се срути, заради разговор на висок глас по телефона във влака ("Пътникът"); на друг негов колега, неотстъпващ му по арогантност, се наложи да преосмисли лошите си дела в миналото ("Ястие, сервирано студено"); съдебна драма почти оневини 100% престъпник, но... ("Преквалифициране на деянието"); два пъти се мярнаха легендарният сакат гений Линкълн Райм и чаровната му помощничка Амелия Сакс ("Коледният подарък", "Принципът на Локар"), че и... Шерлок Холмс ("Пръстенът от Вестфалия"). Харесах!!!
August 16, 2010
You walk into a cafe and sit sipping coffee, time passes and someone joins you at the table. At this point its slightly hazy as to your relation with the person. The two of you strike up a conversation and get comfortable with each other. Then you finish your coffee and walk out the door and in passing through an alley the person turns around quick and stabs you right through the midriff...it's lights out for you !!! This is what a shocker short story would be like. You never know what caught you and by the time you are out of the sudden jolt, the tale is done with and you stand at the page where a new one begins. Jeffrey Deaver displayed an ingenuity in creating such tales with his collection 'Twisted' and the memory of it ( from almost 5 years ago) prompted me to pick this one up.
Deaver's characters are never what they seem and after a tale or two, you become wary of them. No matter how much they smile at you or charm you with their words, there is always a nagging thought at the back of your mind "What is this guy upto ?" and by the time you reach the closing lines, you guess turns out right too. The tales feature most of the vices we attribute to human kind : lies, lust,scams,murder, voyeurism, double crossing and the works.. the twist however is always there . However even with all these factors in favor of the book, I was not very impressed, for i still think "Twisted" was leagues ahead of this work. Post one or two tales, your mind starts working the different combinations as to what could be the intent of the characters and does sometime guess the outcome too. Some of the tales do remain stale for even from the start point, you can see down the end of the plot as in a straight road. Others keep you guessing till the end. Some of my favorites were : Afraid, Poker Lesson & A nice place to visit.
An entertaining read but for those unaccustomed to Deaver, please try out Twisted first...
P.S : As i finished with this book, a line i read in a blog in the not so distant past came to mind. This was what the author wrote : " Just when you think you have me figured out, I turn around and give you the surprise of your life"...
Deaver's characters are never what they seem and after a tale or two, you become wary of them. No matter how much they smile at you or charm you with their words, there is always a nagging thought at the back of your mind "What is this guy upto ?" and by the time you reach the closing lines, you guess turns out right too. The tales feature most of the vices we attribute to human kind : lies, lust,scams,murder, voyeurism, double crossing and the works.. the twist however is always there . However even with all these factors in favor of the book, I was not very impressed, for i still think "Twisted" was leagues ahead of this work. Post one or two tales, your mind starts working the different combinations as to what could be the intent of the characters and does sometime guess the outcome too. Some of the tales do remain stale for even from the start point, you can see down the end of the plot as in a straight road. Others keep you guessing till the end. Some of my favorites were : Afraid, Poker Lesson & A nice place to visit.
An entertaining read but for those unaccustomed to Deaver, please try out Twisted first...
P.S : As i finished with this book, a line i read in a blog in the not so distant past came to mind. This was what the author wrote : " Just when you think you have me figured out, I turn around and give you the surprise of your life"...
January 16, 2016
A bunch of OK stories that follow-up Deaver's first mediocre collection, TWISTED. The problem is that all these stories hinge around just one thing: The Surprise Plot Twist. Everything else is mere window dressing.
Unfortunately for readers, knowing a big twist is coming often makes it easy to spot said twist from a mile away. Even worse, any real surprises found in this book are usually the result of Deaver not laying the proper groundwork for making the "twist" feel organic to the story. A truly satisfying twist should make the readers slap their foreheads and shout "Of course!". Anyone can write a twist by simply withholding all the clues. A NY TIMES bestselling author like Jeffrey Deaver ought to be better than that.
Which brings me to what REALLY annoyed me about MORE TWISTED. In the book's Introduction, Deaver gives the impression that he's the best thing to come down the pipe since O. Henry. Considering how mediocre most of these stories are, his highly inflated opinion of himself is hard to stomach. And he doesn't stop there. In the Afterward, he feels compelled to explain his methodology for generating horror in his fiction. (At least, he calls it horror. To me, nothing in this book was scary in the slightest.) But, when you get right down to it, Deaver's formula is nothing more than a bunch of regurgitated horror cliches dating all the way back to Bram Stoker. How inspired!
Deaver is a solid enough writer that, despite all its flaws, MORE TWISTED was a fairly enjoyable read. But his overestimation of his own talent really left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Unfortunately for readers, knowing a big twist is coming often makes it easy to spot said twist from a mile away. Even worse, any real surprises found in this book are usually the result of Deaver not laying the proper groundwork for making the "twist" feel organic to the story. A truly satisfying twist should make the readers slap their foreheads and shout "Of course!". Anyone can write a twist by simply withholding all the clues. A NY TIMES bestselling author like Jeffrey Deaver ought to be better than that.
Which brings me to what REALLY annoyed me about MORE TWISTED. In the book's Introduction, Deaver gives the impression that he's the best thing to come down the pipe since O. Henry. Considering how mediocre most of these stories are, his highly inflated opinion of himself is hard to stomach. And he doesn't stop there. In the Afterward, he feels compelled to explain his methodology for generating horror in his fiction. (At least, he calls it horror. To me, nothing in this book was scary in the slightest.) But, when you get right down to it, Deaver's formula is nothing more than a bunch of regurgitated horror cliches dating all the way back to Bram Stoker. How inspired!
Deaver is a solid enough writer that, despite all its flaws, MORE TWISTED was a fairly enjoyable read. But his overestimation of his own talent really left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
November 15, 2017
One genre I love to read aside from romance and fantasy are suspense thrillers. I love getting scared with stories sending shivers down my spine. Jefferey Deaver is a favorite of mine. I've read Twisted and More Twisted, an anthology of tales featuring most of the common, if not rampant issues we associate with humankind: pride, lust, , scams, murder, lies, greed and envy, while the unexpected twist and turns is always there.
In More Twisted, there's the story about a commuter's conversations on the phone, loudly talking to his wife, his mistress, his friend and soon was arrested for murder. There's that tunnel girl who needed rescue but was unknowingly a victim of something far more sinister than a greedy opportunist. There's a murder scene with a clue left behind, only to be led to the one who could be orchestrating everything. Plus a dish served cold made the whole book really far interesting. The list of twists and turn of events in this book was endless, and at the end of every short story, I am left reeling and anticipating for more.
Would have loved if all the short stories had been turned each into full novel.. I would definitely be cracking up codes and do some investigation myself on how the stories would end. Thumbs up for this exciting heart-pounding reads!
In More Twisted, there's the story about a commuter's conversations on the phone, loudly talking to his wife, his mistress, his friend and soon was arrested for murder. There's that tunnel girl who needed rescue but was unknowingly a victim of something far more sinister than a greedy opportunist. There's a murder scene with a clue left behind, only to be led to the one who could be orchestrating everything. Plus a dish served cold made the whole book really far interesting. The list of twists and turn of events in this book was endless, and at the end of every short story, I am left reeling and anticipating for more.
Would have loved if all the short stories had been turned each into full novel.. I would definitely be cracking up codes and do some investigation myself on how the stories would end. Thumbs up for this exciting heart-pounding reads!
January 27, 2013
These bite-sized thrills that make each page worth turning. I took my time with each story. Each of them left me with sweaty palms and some switch-off-the-lights hesitations. Jeffrey did not for one page disappoint. As a matter of fact, I rue the fact that I had this book in my possession for over 4 years and never once opened it to read because the cover didn't really intrigue.
I'll give it 4 stars for being good and use the one as a blanket replacement for those moments I needed it during this read.
Keep writing Jeff! Keep thrilling! :)
I'll give it 4 stars for being good and use the one as a blanket replacement for those moments I needed it during this read.
Keep writing Jeff! Keep thrilling! :)
March 4, 2017
Anyone who knows me will know that I love books of short thriller stories and this one doesn’t disappoint ! I absolutely love Jeffrey Deaver so a book of short stories by him... yes please! It has exactly what you’d expect great thrillers that still have depth even though they are short stories . There wasn’t a single one that I didn’t enjoy and was definitely perfect for calming my thriller craves when busy .
August 15, 2015
These stories told by various narrators definitely have some unexpected twists! They kept me guessing till the end, very entertaining.
February 12, 2025
This was a great read a must for every reader of suspense literature.
This are twisted stories thats mean a stories that does not have ( and mostly they dont ) have to end with a happy end. In contrary most of them dont.
A friend of mine dit tell me once upon a time that She dont believe Mister Deaver not even his nose between his own eyes ,because he is the man who could with a one single sentence twist the whole story 360° around.
And that is exactly what he is das in this book.
Not every story is happening in the USA and not every story is happening even in our own time
The Westphalian ring for example happens in some kind of Dickensian England realm.
And story called Afraid happend in Florence Italy.
legendary disabled detective Lincoln Rhyme and his Trustfull sidekick Amelia Sachs who have been asked to help to investigate an assassination of wealthy industrial and aide his grewing widow. In Lockard's principle.
Wery awkward meeting between mother and her daughter in Born bad.
Citing just few that truly got my attention.
This are twisted stories thats mean a stories that does not have ( and mostly they dont ) have to end with a happy end. In contrary most of them dont.
A friend of mine dit tell me once upon a time that She dont believe Mister Deaver not even his nose between his own eyes ,because he is the man who could with a one single sentence twist the whole story 360° around.
And that is exactly what he is das in this book.
Not every story is happening in the USA and not every story is happening even in our own time
The Westphalian ring for example happens in some kind of Dickensian England realm.
And story called Afraid happend in Florence Italy.
legendary disabled detective Lincoln Rhyme and his Trustfull sidekick Amelia Sachs who have been asked to help to investigate an assassination of wealthy industrial and aide his grewing widow. In Lockard's principle.
Wery awkward meeting between mother and her daughter in Born bad.
Citing just few that truly got my attention.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2026
It was a very good read, a collection of the short gripping thriller and suspense stories that were mind blowing!!!!
December 20, 2013
Jeffrey Deaver, has been wasted, and he is himself responsible for this waste of his talent. Had he written anything, by which I mean “SERIOUS” literature, he would have got himself shortlisted for any number of awards which puts the mark, “I AM A LITERARY SNOB” on ones lapel. He is that good. Had he written some obscure literature he would have been heralded as a genius, whose book makes you a better human being, and forces you to write 4000 words long reviews, and if you do read his books, you would be sure to be branded as an intellectual. In short he is a F***ing talented guy, who has simply wasted his talent writing crime novels.
But, he is also a compassionate guy. He realised that by wasting his talent, he would basically bring joy of tears on the faces of intellectually handicapped fatsos like me who just cant give up on crime fiction. He sacrificed his stardom for charity. He is such a great and straight man, yet he called his short story collection TWISTED, and MORE TWISTED, because he may be a great guy, but his short stories are really TWISTED, and time and again they proved that come what may, he remains and will always remain as one of the best short story writer of all times (this fact would have been more publicised had he been a “SERIOUS FICTION” writer, one of them did write short story and got herself a Nobel).
Now, to the book, and to the stories. Ratings are given on a total of 5,
1. CHAPTER AND VERSE – 2.5
Nice story, with more than enough twists. But an ending which doesnt justifies the tension the story created.
2. THE COMMUTER – 5.0
A pure work of art. The story shows us to be good to everyone, not to be rude, and to speak softly on your cellphone.
3. THE WESTPHALIAN RING – 3.5
A bit long and tedious, but the end justifies the length. And the use of a famous fictional detective(not created by Deaver) adds spice to the story, and saves it from becoming boring and plain.
4. SURVEILLANCE – 4.0
A Heist story, with a predictable ending. But the way to the dusty end creates enough twisty moments to keep the reader hooked.
5. BORN BAD – 5.0
A story which will make you feel, that you might know whats gonna happen, but the style of Deaver makes you second guess, and in the process makes the ending highly enjoyable.
6. INTERROGATION – 10.0
Pure work of bondage art. This is the kind of story which makes me realise that at the end of the day a good crime story doesn’t necessarily means the good guys winning.
7. AFRAID – 2.0
A story with a moral, and with a loose plot.
8. DOUBLE JEOPARDY – 5.0
A legal thriller, which makes not liking it almost illegal.
9. TUNNEL GIRL – 3.5
As inside a tunnel, this story is dark and chilling with a nice twist to end it.
10. LOCARD’S PRINCIPLE – 3.5
A Lincoln Rhyme short story, which gets tangled un in the gadget blabber, but without it, comes out with a nice plot, but a predictable ending.
11. A DISH SERVED COLD – 5.0
Once again, please be polite to people around you.
12. COPYCAT – 4.5
Its not always rosy and safe being a writer. A short story which is kept short and sharp, with an ending which cuts through.
13. Voyeur – 4.0
A sad story, which highlights the plea of a middle age bachelor.
14. THE POKER LESSON – 5.0
A long drawn short story, which ends with a twist worthy of a standing applause.
15. NINETY-EIGHT POINT SIX – 3.5
An OKAY sort of story, featuring an escaped convict, a salesman, and a family.
16. A NICE PLACE TO VISIT – 3.5
This was a good story about a family extracting revenge. But, not the best story to end the book with.
But, he is also a compassionate guy. He realised that by wasting his talent, he would basically bring joy of tears on the faces of intellectually handicapped fatsos like me who just cant give up on crime fiction. He sacrificed his stardom for charity. He is such a great and straight man, yet he called his short story collection TWISTED, and MORE TWISTED, because he may be a great guy, but his short stories are really TWISTED, and time and again they proved that come what may, he remains and will always remain as one of the best short story writer of all times (this fact would have been more publicised had he been a “SERIOUS FICTION” writer, one of them did write short story and got herself a Nobel).
Now, to the book, and to the stories. Ratings are given on a total of 5,
1. CHAPTER AND VERSE – 2.5
Nice story, with more than enough twists. But an ending which doesnt justifies the tension the story created.
2. THE COMMUTER – 5.0
A pure work of art. The story shows us to be good to everyone, not to be rude, and to speak softly on your cellphone.
3. THE WESTPHALIAN RING – 3.5
A bit long and tedious, but the end justifies the length. And the use of a famous fictional detective(not created by Deaver) adds spice to the story, and saves it from becoming boring and plain.
4. SURVEILLANCE – 4.0
A Heist story, with a predictable ending. But the way to the dusty end creates enough twisty moments to keep the reader hooked.
5. BORN BAD – 5.0
A story which will make you feel, that you might know whats gonna happen, but the style of Deaver makes you second guess, and in the process makes the ending highly enjoyable.
6. INTERROGATION – 10.0
Pure work of bondage art. This is the kind of story which makes me realise that at the end of the day a good crime story doesn’t necessarily means the good guys winning.
7. AFRAID – 2.0
A story with a moral, and with a loose plot.
8. DOUBLE JEOPARDY – 5.0
A legal thriller, which makes not liking it almost illegal.
9. TUNNEL GIRL – 3.5
As inside a tunnel, this story is dark and chilling with a nice twist to end it.
10. LOCARD’S PRINCIPLE – 3.5
A Lincoln Rhyme short story, which gets tangled un in the gadget blabber, but without it, comes out with a nice plot, but a predictable ending.
11. A DISH SERVED COLD – 5.0
Once again, please be polite to people around you.
12. COPYCAT – 4.5
Its not always rosy and safe being a writer. A short story which is kept short and sharp, with an ending which cuts through.
13. Voyeur – 4.0
A sad story, which highlights the plea of a middle age bachelor.
14. THE POKER LESSON – 5.0
A long drawn short story, which ends with a twist worthy of a standing applause.
15. NINETY-EIGHT POINT SIX – 3.5
An OKAY sort of story, featuring an escaped convict, a salesman, and a family.
16. A NICE PLACE TO VISIT – 3.5
This was a good story about a family extracting revenge. But, not the best story to end the book with.
January 26, 2013
This is a book collection of Deaver's short stories, previously published elsewhere and collected here for our enjoyment. Going into this, I had never read anything by Deaver, I only knew of his name as he was linked to James Bond, having written one of the novels, which I haven't read yet. So my expectations were, well frankly I had none. When I picked up this book at my library I had no idea I was about to gain a new writer as a favorite.
The short stories in this collection are:
A Dish Served Cold (nice story about revenge)
Born Bad (story was great, the major twist you never see coming is a treat)
Chapter and Verse (I admit to not seeing the ending of this one coming)
The Commuter (I truly believe this is my favorite of all the short stories)
Copycat (This was okay, could have been better in some ways)
Double Jeopardy (Liked this one, surprised ending for sure)
Interrogation (This one is definitely number 2 on the favorite list or straight up tied with number one, this one will give you chills)
A Nice Place to Visit (This one has so many twists and turns I never saw the ending in sight, mmuch lost saw it coming. Well played)
Ninety-eight point six (Scary in more ways than one)
The Poker Lesson (Love it up until the ending, but overall good story)
Surveillance (Loved this one, had several surprises in it.)
Tunnel Girl (I found this one hard to get into, just from the content and frankly stupid title, but it was a good story, but not the best)
The Westphalian Ring (This was was okay, pretty forgettable once it was over though, unlike the others in this book, this one just didn't leave an impression; I literally do not remember anything special about the story and remember only vague details and I have a great memory, so its the writing that left me wanting more, sparks!)
Locard's Principle (This is the only one I didn't read completely and the reason I didn't was I found myself hating Lincoln Rhyme. This short story actually led to deleting 8 books of Deaver's from my ebook collection, because they had Lincoln in it and if I couldn't stand him for more then 4 pages in short story, he didn't have much hope of redeeming himself in a novel or 200-400 pages)
Afraid (this one, women will creeped out for sure. One note on this one, Deaver at the end of the book tells what went into creating the story, how he drew out the readers fear, which I found more delightful than the story to be honest. Then again, I love knowing how writers make stories come off the page and knowing how he did it, made it even better.)
The Voyeur (Creepy, more so with the ending, which I found a little bit of a letdown.)
Overall I gave this book a 4 star rating because all the stories, but Lincoln's and the Westphalian Ring I found very enjoyable. Each story has a way of making you think, scaring you, making you re-read, trying to figure out how you missed the twist and the answer is Jeffery Deaver is a master at spinning a web and pulling the white rabbit out of the hat, at the same time.
The short stories in this collection are:
A Dish Served Cold (nice story about revenge)
Born Bad (story was great, the major twist you never see coming is a treat)
Chapter and Verse (I admit to not seeing the ending of this one coming)
The Commuter (I truly believe this is my favorite of all the short stories)
Copycat (This was okay, could have been better in some ways)
Double Jeopardy (Liked this one, surprised ending for sure)
Interrogation (This one is definitely number 2 on the favorite list or straight up tied with number one, this one will give you chills)
A Nice Place to Visit (This one has so many twists and turns I never saw the ending in sight, mmuch lost saw it coming. Well played)
Ninety-eight point six (Scary in more ways than one)
The Poker Lesson (Love it up until the ending, but overall good story)
Surveillance (Loved this one, had several surprises in it.)
Tunnel Girl (I found this one hard to get into, just from the content and frankly stupid title, but it was a good story, but not the best)
The Westphalian Ring (This was was okay, pretty forgettable once it was over though, unlike the others in this book, this one just didn't leave an impression; I literally do not remember anything special about the story and remember only vague details and I have a great memory, so its the writing that left me wanting more, sparks!)
Locard's Principle (This is the only one I didn't read completely and the reason I didn't was I found myself hating Lincoln Rhyme. This short story actually led to deleting 8 books of Deaver's from my ebook collection, because they had Lincoln in it and if I couldn't stand him for more then 4 pages in short story, he didn't have much hope of redeeming himself in a novel or 200-400 pages)
Afraid (this one, women will creeped out for sure. One note on this one, Deaver at the end of the book tells what went into creating the story, how he drew out the readers fear, which I found more delightful than the story to be honest. Then again, I love knowing how writers make stories come off the page and knowing how he did it, made it even better.)
The Voyeur (Creepy, more so with the ending, which I found a little bit of a letdown.)
Overall I gave this book a 4 star rating because all the stories, but Lincoln's and the Westphalian Ring I found very enjoyable. Each story has a way of making you think, scaring you, making you re-read, trying to figure out how you missed the twist and the answer is Jeffery Deaver is a master at spinning a web and pulling the white rabbit out of the hat, at the same time.
April 30, 2014
Pleased with the recently (2014) published “Trouble In Mind” Deaver short-story collection, we proceeded to read his other two: “Twisted” and this one, “More Twisted.” Again we have a variety of 16 short tales, roughly 25 pages or so each, not counting a little longer 50-page appearance of Lincoln Rhyme, an easy guess given the title “Locard’s Principle”, an axiom (we readers have had explained to us multiple times) on which Rhyme has based his whole forensic career. The other entries feature random characters and topics, including a poker game bunch, a trapped “Tunnel Girl”, an amusing burglary, a mother “Afraid” of her daughter, and so on. Somehow we felt the planned twists that Deaver announces as his goal for the end of each account weren’t quite up to the other two books, and a couple of the stories were actually not even that interesting or entertaining. We felt there were too many instances of scammers double crossing other scammers – and overall, just felt a little less enthusiastic about this anthology than the other two.
July 5, 2009
I didn't realize these were all short stories by Jeffery Deaver. I thought it was THRILLER 2. I listened to this one at work and it was quite excellent. The opening story is about a Sheriff's Deputy?? Or was it just a cop? I can't remember. But the whole time he's trying to figure out this riddle that a dead snitch left and in the end he gets it completely wrong. The other story in the collection I liked the most in the collection was about the girl and her parents. He sets it up so you think that the girl is just a really bad teenager acting out and the mother doesn't understand what she did wrong in raising her daughter. In the end the girl becomes a detective and we find out that her parents were really thieves!! The girl was trying to be "good". That was a nice twist. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Jeffery Deaver as much as I do and who loves short stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2016
This collection of 16 short stories vary from gripping suspense to outright horror and cold blooded murder (although the one story is in theory a good way to get book sales up...if somewhat psychotic). Each one has its own little twist, some of which you can see (or maybe sense/feel is more accurate) from the outset while others don't hit you until you reach the final page. Having read some of Deaver's full length works, I did feel these were lacking a little of his usual flare as the characters and stories didn't have the same time to develop but if you've not read Deaver before this won't be an issue so these make a great introduction.
April 3, 2017
Rating - 8.2
Some good 'twists' (the daughter, double jeopardy) but it is not the page-turning, mind-churning read that the original was; The kiss of death is that the stories/twists start to resemble each other
Having experience w Deaver, the reader can actually start predicting the multiple turns (including the red herring) per story & it becomes a chess match on the number of turns & where they will end
Some good 'twists' (the daughter, double jeopardy) but it is not the page-turning, mind-churning read that the original was; The kiss of death is that the stories/twists start to resemble each other
Having experience w Deaver, the reader can actually start predicting the multiple turns (including the red herring) per story & it becomes a chess match on the number of turns & where they will end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2020
Read this collection in preparation of delving into writing a thriller.
Some good plot-twisting short stories. I like how each, though following more or less the same formula, is written with just enough originality to be unique.
There's even a lovely step by step guide to writing thrillers at the end. Very handy for any writer!
Overall, I'll not be rushing back to read again, however will be keeping it on my bookcase just in case. Good read, good depth, and good worlds to get lost in.
Some good plot-twisting short stories. I like how each, though following more or less the same formula, is written with just enough originality to be unique.
There's even a lovely step by step guide to writing thrillers at the end. Very handy for any writer!
Overall, I'll not be rushing back to read again, however will be keeping it on my bookcase just in case. Good read, good depth, and good worlds to get lost in.
March 22, 2022
Enjoyable collection of short stories
As you might expect with short stories, some will be more interesting and enjoyable than others and this is the case here. Also you might expect a cunning twist at the end of each one and you would not be disappointed with this collection by Jeffery Deaver . They are engaging and make a pleasant change. Only 4 stars because I prefer a novel to short stories.
As you might expect with short stories, some will be more interesting and enjoyable than others and this is the case here. Also you might expect a cunning twist at the end of each one and you would not be disappointed with this collection by Jeffery Deaver . They are engaging and make a pleasant change. Only 4 stars because I prefer a novel to short stories.
October 17, 2020
Another book I read to understand my customers at the used bookstore... I was pleasantly surprised, while many stories were bland several were easily five star stories that were so well written and had such shocking well thought out endings I was kind of blown away! Would give him another read
June 15, 2022
creepy and strangely compelling
Some of these stories are really inventive, while others seem to be variations on a theme. The twists are usually good. Don’t read this before bedtime.
Some of these stories are really inventive, while others seem to be variations on a theme. The twists are usually good. Don’t read this before bedtime.
July 18, 2021
I read “Twisted” several years ago and remember really liking it because the twists were so good and unexpected. This collection was just so so.
January 22, 2022
Really, Really good! Not as fantastic as Twisted, But a definite close second.
July 4, 2019
I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. So many twists! As usual, I put a review below with each story:
Chapter and Verse - Murder mystery. Really good one didn't see it coming and couldn't guess the killer. Wicked ending.
The Commuter - Serial Killer story. Again excellent story where the serial killer goes after a jerk of a man and makes his life a living heck. Superb ending.
The Westphalian Ring - Okay story about a robbery. Pretty interesting how things were calculated and the ending where the ring really was.
Surveillance - Excellent story about a thief who is put on surveillance. But the thief turns it around and does surveillance on the cops. Good ending.
Born Bad - Omg what a twist! Here I thought the daughter was bad the whole time.... Loved the story and the ending!!
Interrogation - Awesome story about a cop who got a murderer behind bars and talks to him about why he killed the women. The killer turned the tables on the cop and omg what an ending! I did not see that coming!
Afraid - At first you think it's a creepy story but it's not. A girl goes on a weekend trip with her new boyfriend. He isn't what she thinks he is. Great twist at the end. Who did she call? We will never know...
Double Jeopardy - Wow what a story! I did not guess it at all. A man is on trial for murder and the lawyer does everything he can to get him acquitted. Great twist at the end.
The Tunnel Girl - All I can say is, what a twist I did not see coming! It's a story about a girl stuck in rubble after a building collapses on her. There are people trying to save her with each agenda all of their own.
Awesome story.
Locard's Principle - Yay! A Lincoln Rhyme short story!!! Loved it from beginning to end. Was completely shocked by the killer and did not figure it out. As usual, the chemistry between Lincoln and Sachs was awesome.
A Dish Served Cold - Hilarious story about a man who thinks someone is out to get him and makes him paranoid. Or is he? Great story and awesome ending.
Copycat - Yup guessed the killer on this one. He did a lot of twists to throw me off track but I stuck with my gut and was right. Good Story/ending.
The Voyeur - Wow, did not expect the ending! Story about a neighbor who is worried about an attractive woman who has a peeping Tom. Things go awry and crazy and the truth is unbelievable.
The Poker Lesson - Story about an expert poker player gets swindled by a kid. Of course, there's a lot of swindling going around to keep it interesting.
Ninety-Eight Point Six - Great story of a salesman who happens upon a weird family situation when his car breaks down. A lot of accusing each other goes around and big surprise at the end.
A Nice Place to Visit - Lastly, a story about a detective who gets set up to kill the people he works with and to pay bribe money. Probably the least favorite of the stories in the book.
Chapter and Verse - Murder mystery. Really good one didn't see it coming and couldn't guess the killer. Wicked ending.
The Commuter - Serial Killer story. Again excellent story where the serial killer goes after a jerk of a man and makes his life a living heck. Superb ending.
The Westphalian Ring - Okay story about a robbery. Pretty interesting how things were calculated and the ending where the ring really was.
Surveillance - Excellent story about a thief who is put on surveillance. But the thief turns it around and does surveillance on the cops. Good ending.
Born Bad - Omg what a twist! Here I thought the daughter was bad the whole time.... Loved the story and the ending!!
Interrogation - Awesome story about a cop who got a murderer behind bars and talks to him about why he killed the women. The killer turned the tables on the cop and omg what an ending! I did not see that coming!
Afraid - At first you think it's a creepy story but it's not. A girl goes on a weekend trip with her new boyfriend. He isn't what she thinks he is. Great twist at the end. Who did she call? We will never know...
Double Jeopardy - Wow what a story! I did not guess it at all. A man is on trial for murder and the lawyer does everything he can to get him acquitted. Great twist at the end.
The Tunnel Girl - All I can say is, what a twist I did not see coming! It's a story about a girl stuck in rubble after a building collapses on her. There are people trying to save her with each agenda all of their own.
Awesome story.
Locard's Principle - Yay! A Lincoln Rhyme short story!!! Loved it from beginning to end. Was completely shocked by the killer and did not figure it out. As usual, the chemistry between Lincoln and Sachs was awesome.
A Dish Served Cold - Hilarious story about a man who thinks someone is out to get him and makes him paranoid. Or is he? Great story and awesome ending.
Copycat - Yup guessed the killer on this one. He did a lot of twists to throw me off track but I stuck with my gut and was right. Good Story/ending.
The Voyeur - Wow, did not expect the ending! Story about a neighbor who is worried about an attractive woman who has a peeping Tom. Things go awry and crazy and the truth is unbelievable.
The Poker Lesson - Story about an expert poker player gets swindled by a kid. Of course, there's a lot of swindling going around to keep it interesting.
Ninety-Eight Point Six - Great story of a salesman who happens upon a weird family situation when his car breaks down. A lot of accusing each other goes around and big surprise at the end.
A Nice Place to Visit - Lastly, a story about a detective who gets set up to kill the people he works with and to pay bribe money. Probably the least favorite of the stories in the book.
December 8, 2018
I’ve read an awful lot of Jeffery Deaver’s books the last few years, and it’s hard to write a review of any of his offerings without feeling as though I’m repeating myself. Fortunately, reading his books is much more rewarding than writing reviews – which is why I keep reading them.
This is Deaver’s second collection of short stories. A nice twist (pardon the pun) that provides his readers a bit of a diversion from what they’re used to. In addition to being a great writer, Deaver’s gift is the ability to fool the reader. He lulls his audience with what seems like a predictable, linear story, only to completely bewilder and baffle his audience with a shocking ending filled with turns and …..well… twists. (His first collection of short stories was simply called “Twisted”.)
After you’ve read a lot of from this author, you know that the direction that he takes you will be severely altered near the end, so in that sense, a lot of the foolery then becomes absent. You can’t really be fooled when you know you’re about to be fooled. Fortunately, though, this never takes away from the enjoyment of his writing. He’s a great story teller, even if most of his stories are slightly on the morbid side (another definition of “Twisted”, I guess). It’s even fun to try to match wits with the author and see if you can predict how he will try to trick you as you’re proceeding through the tales. Sometimes it’s like watching a magician. If you’re quick and astute, you may be able to spot a slight of hand, but in most cases, it’s best to relax and enjoy the performance.
Most of the stories here succeed. There was one or two that I felt could have been better, but most were highly entertaining and, as usual with Deaver, quite educational. The short story about the poker game was probably my favorite. In addition to a great twist, one learns much about the intricacies of the game. He even includes a Lincoln Rhyme short story within this collection. Sadly, I’m a bit weary of Lincoln Rhyme. All of the full-length Rhyme books are good. I think the problem is that I’ve read too many of them in too short of a time frame. So for me, the short story here still seems a bit like “I’ve read this all before”.
The Short Story is not something that all authors pursue. I’m a bit surprised. I would think short stories would be easier to churn out than a complete novel. Regardless, Deaver succeeds in this format just as well as his full length novels. I’m hoping for a lot more of this kind.
This is Deaver’s second collection of short stories. A nice twist (pardon the pun) that provides his readers a bit of a diversion from what they’re used to. In addition to being a great writer, Deaver’s gift is the ability to fool the reader. He lulls his audience with what seems like a predictable, linear story, only to completely bewilder and baffle his audience with a shocking ending filled with turns and …..well… twists. (His first collection of short stories was simply called “Twisted”.)
After you’ve read a lot of from this author, you know that the direction that he takes you will be severely altered near the end, so in that sense, a lot of the foolery then becomes absent. You can’t really be fooled when you know you’re about to be fooled. Fortunately, though, this never takes away from the enjoyment of his writing. He’s a great story teller, even if most of his stories are slightly on the morbid side (another definition of “Twisted”, I guess). It’s even fun to try to match wits with the author and see if you can predict how he will try to trick you as you’re proceeding through the tales. Sometimes it’s like watching a magician. If you’re quick and astute, you may be able to spot a slight of hand, but in most cases, it’s best to relax and enjoy the performance.
Most of the stories here succeed. There was one or two that I felt could have been better, but most were highly entertaining and, as usual with Deaver, quite educational. The short story about the poker game was probably my favorite. In addition to a great twist, one learns much about the intricacies of the game. He even includes a Lincoln Rhyme short story within this collection. Sadly, I’m a bit weary of Lincoln Rhyme. All of the full-length Rhyme books are good. I think the problem is that I’ve read too many of them in too short of a time frame. So for me, the short story here still seems a bit like “I’ve read this all before”.
The Short Story is not something that all authors pursue. I’m a bit surprised. I would think short stories would be easier to churn out than a complete novel. Regardless, Deaver succeeds in this format just as well as his full length novels. I’m hoping for a lot more of this kind.
April 17, 2013
I've read one Deaver novel, A Kathryn Dance one, which I enjoyed very much; and several of his short stories now. I enjoyed most of these stories with them ranging from excellent to mediocre and, imho, most were good-very good. My average rating comes to a 3.5 for the stories and I feel happy with that; just a bit better than good! Deaver shows himself to be a good writer and the master of the twist ending. He's been on my tbr list forever. Perhaps next year I can devote some time to him.
1. Chapter and Verse - Good one! I played right into the author's hands! A witness in protection is threatened before going to trial and the police try to figure out a clue left by a dead man. I thought I'd figured it out right at the beginning and when the twist came I was proven right until the second twist that is!! Fun. Great start. (4/5)
2. The Commuter - This starts off by telling us about a serial killer currently on the loose killing middle class men. A wife is worried about her husband and then we follow his day to day life and end up watching it unravel in a tale of revenge. Love how this just completely went in unexpected directions at ever turn. (5/5)
3. The Westphalian Ring - An historical fiction piece set in Victorian London. Not exactly a mystery but the tale of an accomplished burglar who suddenly finds himself under suspicion and how he races against time and the police, now using the latest investigative techniques, to avoid being caught. I actually found myself getting a little bored in the middle as it seemed to be unravelling quite naturally, then, swish, there was the twist, and what a fun story it was. Enjoyable. (4/5)
Note: I am hoping some of these stories will start becoming scary or tense rather than just fun soon.
4. Surveillance - Similar to the previous story but modern. A police officer is determined a certain man is the thief in a recent burglary and uses all the latest surveillance techniques to find proof. At the same time the man uses his wits to get the police off his tail. A cat and mouse chase. The twist changed the story but wasn't very shocking. Just ok. (3/5)
5. Born Bad - This is a mysterious story. A mother gets a phone call from the daughter she hasn't seen or heard from in three years and nervously waits the 30 mins for her arrival. Her thoughts turn to the past and we get the picture of a wild, disobedient girl, always trouble, who eventually ran off as soon as she was old enough to. When the daughter arrives the scenario starts to unwind but in a new perspective. Clever and fun. (4/5)
6. Interrogation - This is what I've been waiting for! Days before his sentencing, a killer agrees to see a detective. It has been planned that this man would do the final interrogation to try to find the motive for the man's apparent random act. Once he thinks he has it all figured out, only then does the detective realise the killer has turned the tables on him. Chilling! (5/5)
7. Afraid - Whoa! A tour de force! A woman is going away for the weekend with a man for the firs time whom she has been dating for about a month as he drives to their destination he starts using backroads and eventually enters a rundown part of the city. Set in Florence, Italy. Terrifying and creepy! (5/5)
8. Double Jeopardy - Another great story! This one is a bit different. We see a defense attorney use his skills to play the system and get his (guilty) client off; this *is* what he is known for. But this time he finds out that those who hired him are not who he thought they were and he gets played in the end. Very clever and fun! (5/5)
9. Tunnel Girl - A coed walking home one evening falls in a hole and an abandoned building collapses on her. The story of her rescue is told from the man who owns the building across the way which city officials say has a connecting underground tunnel. I could see the twist coming in this one but it was still a good story. (3/5)
10. Locard's Principle - At this point we have what is probably the piece de resistance for most of the author's fans: a Lincoln Rhyme novella. I haven't read any of this series yet but I have seen The Bone Collector movie. I loved this story! A nice long story, the novella takes up the middle section of the book and has Rhyme on the case of a retired billionaire CEO turned philanthropist who was murdered in his bed. Not only is the killer unknown to the reader but several other people's identities are left unidentified causing the ending to be quite exciting as everything is revealed in the last few pages. Makes me want to get to this series even more than before. (5/5)
11. A Dish Served Cold - Another fine example of mounting tension and psychosocial suspense. When a when a wealthy man is made aware by the police that an attempt on his life is possibly in the works he doesn't know what to think. A t first no too serious, but the police are protecting him with bodyguards and things begin to happen that are a bit too close for comfort. Who could want him dead? He's not a horrible person but he sure has done enough things to piss a lot of people off. It could be any of them, or they could have paid someone to do it. The police know who the hitman is but not who is behind it. Then the story starts to slowly piece by piece fall apart and have the police been made to play the fool here?... Devilishly sneaky. (5/5)
12. Copycat - Two girls have been murdered and a civilian notices that they mimic the crimes in a book written a while ago. But it doesn't end their, previously, there were two other murders which have the same MO. A reporter brings this coldcase to Detective Alltman and a wild ride follows as he unravels who the Greenville Strangler is. Full of twists and turns and just when it's all sorted out Deaver throws in a final twist to completely shock you. Loved it. This one was more novella size as well. (5/5)
13. The Voyeur - A man is watching a young woman in the next apartment building trying to figure out a way to actually meet her when he spies another man watching her from the bushes. Well, this certainly had a twist and it totally surprised me with where it went. I was a little disappointed though as it could have been pretty creepy but instead ended up being dark humour instead. (3/5)
14. The Poker Lesson - An 18yo joins a high stakes poker table. One guy tries to take an other while the other has his own take on the go. In the end the whole table is taken by a twist. Surprise ending but way too much information about poker and gambling that I never had any interest in that it was quite boring at times. (2.5/5)
15. Ninety-Eight Point Six - A man's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and when he reaches the only house nearby to call AAA he encounters a couple who seem very strained with the tattooed young man with them. The man get suspicious and the twist and turns keep rolling in this one! Creepy and fun! (5/5)
16. A Nice Place to Visit - Starts out with a tourist in New York City and works its way down to petty thieves, crooks, scam artists, dirty cops, and killers. Then someone is out for revenge and you won't believe who it is. Quite intense, but not exactly twisted. (4/5)
1. Chapter and Verse - Good one! I played right into the author's hands! A witness in protection is threatened before going to trial and the police try to figure out a clue left by a dead man. I thought I'd figured it out right at the beginning and when the twist came I was proven right until the second twist that is!! Fun. Great start. (4/5)
2. The Commuter - This starts off by telling us about a serial killer currently on the loose killing middle class men. A wife is worried about her husband and then we follow his day to day life and end up watching it unravel in a tale of revenge. Love how this just completely went in unexpected directions at ever turn. (5/5)
3. The Westphalian Ring - An historical fiction piece set in Victorian London. Not exactly a mystery but the tale of an accomplished burglar who suddenly finds himself under suspicion and how he races against time and the police, now using the latest investigative techniques, to avoid being caught. I actually found myself getting a little bored in the middle as it seemed to be unravelling quite naturally, then, swish, there was the twist, and what a fun story it was. Enjoyable. (4/5)
Note: I am hoping some of these stories will start becoming scary or tense rather than just fun soon.
4. Surveillance - Similar to the previous story but modern. A police officer is determined a certain man is the thief in a recent burglary and uses all the latest surveillance techniques to find proof. At the same time the man uses his wits to get the police off his tail. A cat and mouse chase. The twist changed the story but wasn't very shocking. Just ok. (3/5)
5. Born Bad - This is a mysterious story. A mother gets a phone call from the daughter she hasn't seen or heard from in three years and nervously waits the 30 mins for her arrival. Her thoughts turn to the past and we get the picture of a wild, disobedient girl, always trouble, who eventually ran off as soon as she was old enough to. When the daughter arrives the scenario starts to unwind but in a new perspective. Clever and fun. (4/5)
6. Interrogation - This is what I've been waiting for! Days before his sentencing, a killer agrees to see a detective. It has been planned that this man would do the final interrogation to try to find the motive for the man's apparent random act. Once he thinks he has it all figured out, only then does the detective realise the killer has turned the tables on him. Chilling! (5/5)
7. Afraid - Whoa! A tour de force! A woman is going away for the weekend with a man for the firs time whom she has been dating for about a month as he drives to their destination he starts using backroads and eventually enters a rundown part of the city. Set in Florence, Italy. Terrifying and creepy! (5/5)
8. Double Jeopardy - Another great story! This one is a bit different. We see a defense attorney use his skills to play the system and get his (guilty) client off; this *is* what he is known for. But this time he finds out that those who hired him are not who he thought they were and he gets played in the end. Very clever and fun! (5/5)
9. Tunnel Girl - A coed walking home one evening falls in a hole and an abandoned building collapses on her. The story of her rescue is told from the man who owns the building across the way which city officials say has a connecting underground tunnel. I could see the twist coming in this one but it was still a good story. (3/5)
10. Locard's Principle - At this point we have what is probably the piece de resistance for most of the author's fans: a Lincoln Rhyme novella. I haven't read any of this series yet but I have seen The Bone Collector movie. I loved this story! A nice long story, the novella takes up the middle section of the book and has Rhyme on the case of a retired billionaire CEO turned philanthropist who was murdered in his bed. Not only is the killer unknown to the reader but several other people's identities are left unidentified causing the ending to be quite exciting as everything is revealed in the last few pages. Makes me want to get to this series even more than before. (5/5)
11. A Dish Served Cold - Another fine example of mounting tension and psychosocial suspense. When a when a wealthy man is made aware by the police that an attempt on his life is possibly in the works he doesn't know what to think. A t first no too serious, but the police are protecting him with bodyguards and things begin to happen that are a bit too close for comfort. Who could want him dead? He's not a horrible person but he sure has done enough things to piss a lot of people off. It could be any of them, or they could have paid someone to do it. The police know who the hitman is but not who is behind it. Then the story starts to slowly piece by piece fall apart and have the police been made to play the fool here?... Devilishly sneaky. (5/5)
12. Copycat - Two girls have been murdered and a civilian notices that they mimic the crimes in a book written a while ago. But it doesn't end their, previously, there were two other murders which have the same MO. A reporter brings this coldcase to Detective Alltman and a wild ride follows as he unravels who the Greenville Strangler is. Full of twists and turns and just when it's all sorted out Deaver throws in a final twist to completely shock you. Loved it. This one was more novella size as well. (5/5)
13. The Voyeur - A man is watching a young woman in the next apartment building trying to figure out a way to actually meet her when he spies another man watching her from the bushes. Well, this certainly had a twist and it totally surprised me with where it went. I was a little disappointed though as it could have been pretty creepy but instead ended up being dark humour instead. (3/5)
14. The Poker Lesson - An 18yo joins a high stakes poker table. One guy tries to take an other while the other has his own take on the go. In the end the whole table is taken by a twist. Surprise ending but way too much information about poker and gambling that I never had any interest in that it was quite boring at times. (2.5/5)
15. Ninety-Eight Point Six - A man's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and when he reaches the only house nearby to call AAA he encounters a couple who seem very strained with the tattooed young man with them. The man get suspicious and the twist and turns keep rolling in this one! Creepy and fun! (5/5)
16. A Nice Place to Visit - Starts out with a tourist in New York City and works its way down to petty thieves, crooks, scam artists, dirty cops, and killers. Then someone is out for revenge and you won't believe who it is. Quite intense, but not exactly twisted. (4/5)
February 4, 2021
5/5 stars. I dipped in and out of this book, reading a short story here and there every time I was between other books, and this helped me to not become deadened by the promised, and therefore anticipated, twists. After all, with a title like this, it would be easy to spend the entire reading session waiting for (and/or trying to guess) the upcoming big twist in each story. It’s a credit to Deaver that these stories still work, and most of the time, what happens is you get the big forecasted twist you expected, PLUS another one on top if it to change it all again. Those twists are often more subtle and less sensational than you’d expect, but this works somehow, otherwise I think you truly would become deadened by the whole experience.
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