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Speaking in Tongues
Tate Collier, the flawed hero of best-selling author Jeffery Deaver's exciting new thriller, is a divorced prosecutor whose tangled feelings about his ex-wife and their teenage daughter come to the forefront when the girl is kidnapped by a murderous psychiatrist bent on settling a personal score with Collier. It soon becomes clear that Tate really doesn't have a clue about Megan's life or her emotional reality, but the reader gets a fuller explanation from the girl's own perspective, and it's Megan, rather than her father, who turns out to be the real hero of this story.
Deaver draws the reader into the angry, rebellious Megan's desperate fight to save her own life in the creepy surroundings of a decrepit insane asylum in the Virginia mountains. (Deaver practically writes blueprints for the inevitable Hollywood set designer who will have a field day bringing the shuttered, rat-infested scene of Megan's captivity to the screen.) The motivation for Dr. Aaron Matthews's vendetta against the Colliers isn't revealed until most of the way through this crisply paced novel, but he's convincingly insane enough for it not to matter. Deaver throws a few implausible scenarios the reader's way, but they won't matter either; the chase is the thing. The narrative steams along without letting up, and the result is a nail biter that will keep the pages turning. --Jane Adams
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
239 people are currently reading
2721 people want to read
About the author
Jeffery Deaver
509 books11.7k followers#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
October 11, 2021
This book (original title “Speaking in tongues”) is a great book, with a nice complicated plot and a writing style that captivates the reader. It is a crime novel, with many pages spent to highlight two other disciplines that obviously fascinate the author, namely psychology and oratory. The whole plot revolves around the strange disappearance of Megan, a problematic seventeen year old; in the unfolding of the plot we will meet many co-protagonists, among which obviously he stands out, the Guilty (who of course in this review I cannot say who he is). Very pleasant reading indeed and if I really have to find faults, I find two, however not able to ruin the reading: the first is that sometimes it seems too easy how the Guilty manages to convince and manipulate others, and the second is that the intelligent and investigative part of the Police is so minimal and incapable that it appears ridiculous and not very credible. But everything else is really ok. Four stars.
April 10, 2024
SPOILERS AHEAD
I like Deaver as an author. His books are very easy to read. This one was no exception although very cliche driven. I also did not like that the research into Belize was non existent. For f**ks sake it is the only English speaking country in Central America not Spanish. Rant over.
Tate Collier is a smooth talking lawyer the good guy and Aaron Matthew’s the smooth taking evil psychologist. Aaron kidnaps Megan who is Tate’s daughter for revenge and takes her to an abandoned asylum where he used to be an inmate.
Tate lives near Manassas site of the first battle in the American Civil War where I have visited. The location of the story brought back a few memories. But I digress. Megan’s boyfriend or ex boyfriend follows the insane Aaron and manages to get attacked by five Rottweilers and injured by a machete. In between Aaron manages to manipulate anyone who could scupper his plans.
The climax to the story was ridiculous. Megan shoots Aaron, finds out her father is not her father hence the divorce from Bett. The ex wife and their relationship also is suddenly mended with the possibility of Tate and Bett reconciling.
I like Deaver as an author. His books are very easy to read. This one was no exception although very cliche driven. I also did not like that the research into Belize was non existent. For f**ks sake it is the only English speaking country in Central America not Spanish. Rant over.
Tate Collier is a smooth talking lawyer the good guy and Aaron Matthew’s the smooth taking evil psychologist. Aaron kidnaps Megan who is Tate’s daughter for revenge and takes her to an abandoned asylum where he used to be an inmate.
Tate lives near Manassas site of the first battle in the American Civil War where I have visited. The location of the story brought back a few memories. But I digress. Megan’s boyfriend or ex boyfriend follows the insane Aaron and manages to get attacked by five Rottweilers and injured by a machete. In between Aaron manages to manipulate anyone who could scupper his plans.
The climax to the story was ridiculous. Megan shoots Aaron, finds out her father is not her father hence the divorce from Bett. The ex wife and their relationship also is suddenly mended with the possibility of Tate and Bett reconciling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2014
My father surprised me by picking up Speaking in Tongues when he was visiting me. I think he was attracted to the back cover copy about two men of words, one seeking peace and other seeking violence. Actually, considering the climax of the book, that cover copy is an oversimplification. Both men were seeking peace in their own way, but neither could agree with the other’s methodology. One character is a former psychiatrist and the other is a former prosecuting attorney, sometimes known as the “devil’s advocate” for the way he manipulated juries. Truthfully, Speaking in Tongues is all about ruthless manipulation and it works on multiple levels.
As a rule, I prefer mysteries to thrillers, but heart-thumping page turners have their place and Speaking in Tongues certainly had its place in a recent train commute for me. I didn’t want to put it down when I reached my destination. At any point that the pace seemed to be about to flag, author Jeffrey Deaver delivered another gut-wrenching scene of manipulation where professional expertise, unmitigated fraud, sadistic malice, and unnatural hubris caused events to go crashing out of the frame (Sorry about the cinematic metaphor, but there were times when I was visualizing the scenes as wild, frenetically directed avant garde films from the late ‘60s and ‘70s.), sometimes leaving me with a desire to evacuate my stomach’s contents as the story grabbed me viscerally.
Speaking in Tongues revolves around two men who use words like weapons. Both need to create a credible story—one to cover up and the other to uncover. Just when the reader feels like the cover-up is perfect, something threatens to unravel and then, the antagonist manages to veil his evil intent once again. The gullibility of the supporting characters in this novel is amazing, but what was really frightening to me was how realistic it was. The antagonist simply manages to make people believe what they want to believe and helps them take the path of least resistance in much the way a demagogue would do so in politics.
But if the story were simply about words, that wouldn’t be enough. It is also a story of human failure, misunderstanding, courage, adrenalin, risk, and redemption. I can’t explain all of these elements without running more of a risk of “spoilage” than I already have. Yet, I thought Speaking in Tongues was a marvelous balance of horror, cleverness, and surprises. The irony is that, even though I pictured events in a film format, I don’t think my suspension of disbelief would have been as effective in a film. A few of the coincidental events seemed all too convenient (the reason I pulled back from a five-star review), but they were so well-written that I forgave the author for some of that poetic license. Nor is this the kind of book with memorable lines or descriptions! Speaking in Tongues is part thriller and part movie adaptation (not that it is a movie adaptation, just that it reads like one in places).
As a rule, I prefer mysteries to thrillers, but heart-thumping page turners have their place and Speaking in Tongues certainly had its place in a recent train commute for me. I didn’t want to put it down when I reached my destination. At any point that the pace seemed to be about to flag, author Jeffrey Deaver delivered another gut-wrenching scene of manipulation where professional expertise, unmitigated fraud, sadistic malice, and unnatural hubris caused events to go crashing out of the frame (Sorry about the cinematic metaphor, but there were times when I was visualizing the scenes as wild, frenetically directed avant garde films from the late ‘60s and ‘70s.), sometimes leaving me with a desire to evacuate my stomach’s contents as the story grabbed me viscerally.
Speaking in Tongues revolves around two men who use words like weapons. Both need to create a credible story—one to cover up and the other to uncover. Just when the reader feels like the cover-up is perfect, something threatens to unravel and then, the antagonist manages to veil his evil intent once again. The gullibility of the supporting characters in this novel is amazing, but what was really frightening to me was how realistic it was. The antagonist simply manages to make people believe what they want to believe and helps them take the path of least resistance in much the way a demagogue would do so in politics.
But if the story were simply about words, that wouldn’t be enough. It is also a story of human failure, misunderstanding, courage, adrenalin, risk, and redemption. I can’t explain all of these elements without running more of a risk of “spoilage” than I already have. Yet, I thought Speaking in Tongues was a marvelous balance of horror, cleverness, and surprises. The irony is that, even though I pictured events in a film format, I don’t think my suspension of disbelief would have been as effective in a film. A few of the coincidental events seemed all too convenient (the reason I pulled back from a five-star review), but they were so well-written that I forgave the author for some of that poetic license. Nor is this the kind of book with memorable lines or descriptions! Speaking in Tongues is part thriller and part movie adaptation (not that it is a movie adaptation, just that it reads like one in places).
May 16, 2018
Speaking in Tongues is my third Jeffery Deaver read, and it has me believing Jeffery Deaver is going to be a love-hate author for me. My first Jeffery Deaver read, Mistress of Justice, was a big disappointment. Retrospect has me believing I was too kind with my three-star rating, yet at the time I was feeling generous and gave it such a rating because it promised potential fun Jeffery Deaver reads. My second Jeffery Deaver read, Edge, was much more enjoyable. I devoured Edge, finding myself addicted to the story and in need of more. Thus, I was more than eager to jump into another of the Jeffery Deaver books sitting on my shelf.
In truth, a part of me feels as though I was too generous with the three-star rating. Again. This was more of a two-point-five-star rating, yet because my enjoyment was about on par as my enjoyment of Mistress of Justice I decided it would be rounded up. Had I not read Mistress of Justice and been generous in my three-star rating, it’s likely Speaking in Tongues would have received a two-star rating from me.
My big issue with this story is that everything felt far too cliched. You could have picked any number of kidnapping movies and you would find the majority of this plot played out. Everything from the undervalued teenager through to the mental illness of the kidnapper. There was nothing shocking that stood out, even the end which was intended to be a shock failed to hit the right spot. By the time the information was revealed, I was so disinterested in the story that I failed to have an emotional reaction to the detail.
I have a couple of other Jeffery Deaver books sitting on my shelf – for anyone who knows of my book purchasing habits, you will be correct in your assumption of there being an offer that prompted me into grabbing multiple books– so I will be reading more, yet I find I’m less than eager to do so.
In truth, a part of me feels as though I was too generous with the three-star rating. Again. This was more of a two-point-five-star rating, yet because my enjoyment was about on par as my enjoyment of Mistress of Justice I decided it would be rounded up. Had I not read Mistress of Justice and been generous in my three-star rating, it’s likely Speaking in Tongues would have received a two-star rating from me.
My big issue with this story is that everything felt far too cliched. You could have picked any number of kidnapping movies and you would find the majority of this plot played out. Everything from the undervalued teenager through to the mental illness of the kidnapper. There was nothing shocking that stood out, even the end which was intended to be a shock failed to hit the right spot. By the time the information was revealed, I was so disinterested in the story that I failed to have an emotional reaction to the detail.
I have a couple of other Jeffery Deaver books sitting on my shelf – for anyone who knows of my book purchasing habits, you will be correct in your assumption of there being an offer that prompted me into grabbing multiple books– so I will be reading more, yet I find I’m less than eager to do so.
June 19, 2014
If you look up a definition of cliché writing, this book would be one of the prime examples of it. It is as average as average gets.
First of all, I don’t read many crime novels but I have read enough to know what is original and what have been overused over time or beaten to death. Second, I have also watched a tons of movies that focus on crimes such as kidnapping (just as this book does) and I also know what is considered a good story and what passes as a weak attempt at story telling.
This is one of those stories. You got a lot of examples of cliché writing such as deviant teenager, parents who got divorced, parents who are too busy to pay attention to their child (why have them if you don’t want to raise them??), teenager has anger issues towards parents, a someone you least suspect acting as a kidnapper but also hiding in plain sight, father having powerful job that lets him take advantage of his friends in high places (FBI, police, etc.), and of course, the biggest cliché ever, parents only caring about their kid only when he/she is in danger.
There is nothing new. Parents go from person to person connected to their child, interviewing them, and being shocked when they find out things that they did not know about their daughter. Again, nothing new.
Also, I am not a psychopath or someone who knows a lot about kidnapping, but I think if I was to kidnap someone, I would lock them away in a room where they can use half of the stuff in there to hurt/kill me. I would also chain them up a bit so they can’t get away. None of these things the person in the book apparently knows about, yet he can study you for five minutes and know your inner most secrets and personality quirks. I am not buying it that he is this stupid.
Deaver tries to write teenage dialogue as best as he can but it comes out pretty weak. It is full of “likes” (almost every other word is a “like”). It gets annoying.
Weak effort overall but I will definitely read more of Deaver’s work. I got his Bone Collector book on my list to read this year.
P.S. The book had a bit of a twist ending but not worth the read.
First of all, I don’t read many crime novels but I have read enough to know what is original and what have been overused over time or beaten to death. Second, I have also watched a tons of movies that focus on crimes such as kidnapping (just as this book does) and I also know what is considered a good story and what passes as a weak attempt at story telling.
This is one of those stories. You got a lot of examples of cliché writing such as deviant teenager, parents who got divorced, parents who are too busy to pay attention to their child (why have them if you don’t want to raise them??), teenager has anger issues towards parents, a someone you least suspect acting as a kidnapper but also hiding in plain sight, father having powerful job that lets him take advantage of his friends in high places (FBI, police, etc.), and of course, the biggest cliché ever, parents only caring about their kid only when he/she is in danger.
There is nothing new. Parents go from person to person connected to their child, interviewing them, and being shocked when they find out things that they did not know about their daughter. Again, nothing new.
Also, I am not a psychopath or someone who knows a lot about kidnapping, but I think if I was to kidnap someone, I would lock them away in a room where they can use half of the stuff in there to hurt/kill me. I would also chain them up a bit so they can’t get away. None of these things the person in the book apparently knows about, yet he can study you for five minutes and know your inner most secrets and personality quirks. I am not buying it that he is this stupid.
Deaver tries to write teenage dialogue as best as he can but it comes out pretty weak. It is full of “likes” (almost every other word is a “like”). It gets annoying.
Weak effort overall but I will definitely read more of Deaver’s work. I got his Bone Collector book on my list to read this year.
P.S. The book had a bit of a twist ending but not worth the read.
June 2, 2020
ReedIII Quick Review: Short read that includes an engaging battle of wits with two intelligent communicators. This is a good, fast paced story that is more predictable than other Deaver stories.
November 11, 2022
Not one of his better efforts. Formerly, I usually read his novels that weren’t centred around serial rapists, paedophiles and garden variety psychotics, but I ran out, lol. This story is closer to the horror genre in content and style than mystery/ thriller. Not the best book I might have wished for to achieve my 90/90, 2022 reading target. But the year isn’t over, lol, so I upped my challenge to 110 hoping to end on a higher note.
April 20, 2021
Unul dintre cele mai slabe romane ale autorului, parca nici nu il recunosti pe autorul seriei Lincoln Rhyme in aceasta carte. Inceputul este dezlanat, am avut impresia la un moment dat ca nu este scris cu plan, ci doar ca o incercare, sa vada unde il duce povestea. Abia catre final a avut o oarecare coerenta, insa am ramas si cu unele semne de intrebare, fire narative neterminate. Desi mai am romane de sine statoare de-ale lui necitite, cel putin pentru o vreme ma voi rezuma la seriile lui, sunt net superioare celorlaltor scrieri ale sale.
February 11, 2017
Jeffrey Deaver certainly knows how to write suspenseful novels. I've enjoyed severslmof them, but this one was a bit too gruesome and the characters too weird for me. I didn't realize I was listening to an abridged version of the audio book, but I'm glad it was. Not my favorite of Deavers books to say the least!
April 22, 2018
Speaking in Tongues is quite different from any other jeffery Deaver Book I have read. The story revolves around two troubled men, Tate Collier, a well known former trial attorney and Aaron Mathews, a psychologist. Both men have a history that brings them together when Tate's teenage daughter is kidnapped. As you follow the story, you become very aware that each of these men and their families are damaged and the baggage from their history brings them together as they try to make sense of their lives and in Aaron's case, revenge for the harm he believes had beeen done to his family. Both men have one thing in common, they both can use words most convincingly swaying others to their position, but will this talent get them the results they are hoping for. Tate's daughter, Megan, is a troubled teen, who finds strength's she didn't know she had as she fights to stay alive. Aaron appears to always be a step or two ahead of Tate, while Tate searches for his daughter, and Aaron is detemined to make Tate will pay.
May 21, 2021
I hated it! What a shock, from an author I usually enjoy. Too much time spent in the mind of the psycho and I skimmed the last third to be satisfied whodunit without the repetitiveness of each character beating themselves up for their faults. A crazy shrink kidnaps the daughter of the prosecutor who sent his son to jail, where he was killed. But he's brilliant and able to instantly analyze and then manipulate everyone he meets, see, and I just hated it.
February 11, 2012
I am sorry to say that I did not even finish this book, I disliked it so much. The main character is a crazy teenager who hears voices (of her stronger, wilder self) and is kidnapped by a brillian, evil psychiatrist looking for a mate for his violent and insane son. What's to like? The girls parents search for her but have their own issues. Depressing and uninvolving.
April 10, 2015
Psychological thrillers is one of my favorite genres. This book is a classic example of why I love them so!
This was a great book about a seventeen year old girl who is kidnapped for reasons unknown, then the story unfolds. The pieces come together beautifully true to Jeffery Deaver style.
This was a great book about a seventeen year old girl who is kidnapped for reasons unknown, then the story unfolds. The pieces come together beautifully true to Jeffery Deaver style.
August 14, 2017
Klischee Olé.
November 21, 2022
This was a gift as part of a blind date with a book present. I really enjoy it. Not read a thriller for a while and although a little cliched at times and a bit of a rushed ending I still enjoyed reading it and the book definitely had me hooked from the get go.
Take a 17 year old girl, Megan (who calls herself crazy) throw In divorced parents, each with their own issues and broken relationships add a sprinkle of a handsome charming smooth talking therapist and you get a suspenseful twists and turns kinda book. Oh and don’t forget the ex boyfriend too……..
Definitely one not to miss.
Take a 17 year old girl, Megan (who calls herself crazy) throw In divorced parents, each with their own issues and broken relationships add a sprinkle of a handsome charming smooth talking therapist and you get a suspenseful twists and turns kinda book. Oh and don’t forget the ex boyfriend too……..
Definitely one not to miss.
September 28, 2021
Celou dobu to bylo napínavé, ale jak jsem zvyklá na Deaverovy konce, kdy se nestačím divit zvratům, tentokrát mi to chybělo. Asi proto, že tahle knížka patří k těm kratším, tak se nestihlo třikrát otočit podezření.
Řekla bych, že jde o thriller s občasnými deaverovskými prvky.
Řekla bych, že jde o thriller s občasnými deaverovskými prvky.
September 16, 2022
To bolo super.
January 1, 2024
Buckle up for a fast and exciting read! Deaver always goes for the throat with action and characters who are multifaceted and real. Like all his novels, this one is not for the faint at heart but in the end, words are the most powerful weapon for both the hero and the killer. Loved it!
September 7, 2017
It got better toward the end but still not great for a Jeffery Deaver novel
February 15, 2021
Slow to start but a good finish
March 3, 2018
It was all right, not one of his best though.
December 7, 2018
In most instances, when I’m reading a book that I am not particularly enjoying, I don’t give up on it. I plow on ahead. This drives my wife crazy. Probably it drives her crazy because she has to hear my frustration. “If you don’t like it, stop reading it!” There’s some very good logic there. In this instance, though, I’m definitely glad that I did not give up on this book. This book was about 333 pages long, and I did not like it until I got to about page 250. I actually ended up with a very high appreciation for this work, which was very surprising considering how much grumbling I did during the first 75% of my adventure.
If you know anything about Jeffery Deaver, you know that he is the master of the plot twist. Nothing is ever as it seems, and even if you know that a twist is coming, you never can quite guess how he’s going to rearrange things. Usually it’s a very nice, believable surprise – which is really why many enjoy his books so much. This book is no different. I would say that the abrupt twists in this story actually save it, and they turn it from a “pretty bad” book into a “very good” book.
That’s not to say the book is perfect. There are some obvious flaws here. Without giving much of the story away, there’s a “bad” guy who does “bad” things. Essentially, he kidnaps a troubled teenager from a messed up home. For the kidnapper’s plans to work, every step that he plans must occur with meticulous accuracy. I would say that there’s about a 1 in 100,000 chance for everything to fall in exactly with the guy’s plans. Of course, everything he plans works perfectly. It’s a bit too much to swallow.
Once you get to the “twist” though, you’re so overwhelmed by the directional changes, you can easily forgive the events leading up to the moment. At least this worked for me. Many times when I read people’s reviews of books, they review the book before they finish it. They give it a very low rating and say something like “I couldn’t even finish this book….”. If you’re reading my review and you decide to invest in this story, I would ask you to stick it out until the end. Fortunately, it’s not a very long book, so hanging on an extra 100 pages or so isn’t too much to ask.
If you know anything about Jeffery Deaver, you know that he is the master of the plot twist. Nothing is ever as it seems, and even if you know that a twist is coming, you never can quite guess how he’s going to rearrange things. Usually it’s a very nice, believable surprise – which is really why many enjoy his books so much. This book is no different. I would say that the abrupt twists in this story actually save it, and they turn it from a “pretty bad” book into a “very good” book.
That’s not to say the book is perfect. There are some obvious flaws here. Without giving much of the story away, there’s a “bad” guy who does “bad” things. Essentially, he kidnaps a troubled teenager from a messed up home. For the kidnapper’s plans to work, every step that he plans must occur with meticulous accuracy. I would say that there’s about a 1 in 100,000 chance for everything to fall in exactly with the guy’s plans. Of course, everything he plans works perfectly. It’s a bit too much to swallow.
Once you get to the “twist” though, you’re so overwhelmed by the directional changes, you can easily forgive the events leading up to the moment. At least this worked for me. Many times when I read people’s reviews of books, they review the book before they finish it. They give it a very low rating and say something like “I couldn’t even finish this book….”. If you’re reading my review and you decide to invest in this story, I would ask you to stick it out until the end. Fortunately, it’s not a very long book, so hanging on an extra 100 pages or so isn’t too much to ask.
October 7, 2017
Il libro è scritto bene, in modo semplice, e la lettura è veloce. La storia è molto coinvolgente, infatti inizia con un vero colpo di scena e il nodo sembra inestricabile, quindi per tutta la vicenda mi sono chiesta cosa sarebbe successo poi e, soprattutto, come.
Il lato negativo è che la storia mi sembra inverosimile, non solo per il breve tempo impiegato per ritrovare la ragazza scomparsa, ma anche per tutte le altre sfaccettature. Poi, per carità, potrei essere ignorante io e scoprire che questo caso è più che plausibile, ma mi è sembrato difficile pensare questa storia come vera.
Il papà di Megan, la ragazza scomparsa, è un avvocato, mentre un altro personaggio principale è uno psichiatra. Ho molto apprezzato lo stile serio di Deaver e il fatto che l'autore abbia riportato i pensieri e i percorsi mentali dei due protagonisti come farebbero nella loro realtà, come farebbero davanti al giudice o in sala con il paziente. In particolare mi è piaciuto un passaggio:
**Tutti i gatti vedono al buio. Midnight è un gatto, quindi Midnight vede al buio.**
Passo più che logico, nessuna obbiezione, finché, un centinaio di pagine dopo, diventa:
**Tutti i gatti vedono al buio, quindi Midnight vede l buio... a meno che Midnight non sia cieco.**
SVOLTA ASSOLUTA. Un colpo di genio.
Malgrado la storia, dal mio punto di vista, forse un po' inverosimile, il libro è veramente carino e mi è piaciuto.
Il lato negativo è che la storia mi sembra inverosimile, non solo per il breve tempo impiegato per ritrovare la ragazza scomparsa, ma anche per tutte le altre sfaccettature. Poi, per carità, potrei essere ignorante io e scoprire che questo caso è più che plausibile, ma mi è sembrato difficile pensare questa storia come vera.
Il papà di Megan, la ragazza scomparsa, è un avvocato, mentre un altro personaggio principale è uno psichiatra. Ho molto apprezzato lo stile serio di Deaver e il fatto che l'autore abbia riportato i pensieri e i percorsi mentali dei due protagonisti come farebbero nella loro realtà, come farebbero davanti al giudice o in sala con il paziente. In particolare mi è piaciuto un passaggio:
**Tutti i gatti vedono al buio. Midnight è un gatto, quindi Midnight vede al buio.**
Passo più che logico, nessuna obbiezione, finché, un centinaio di pagine dopo, diventa:
**Tutti i gatti vedono al buio, quindi Midnight vede l buio... a meno che Midnight non sia cieco.**
SVOLTA ASSOLUTA. Un colpo di genio.
Malgrado la storia, dal mio punto di vista, forse un po' inverosimile, il libro è veramente carino e mi è piaciuto.
December 29, 2023
"Lui aveva perso suo figlio, Tate Collier avrebbe perso sua figlia. Una specie di catarsi, una specie di giustizia, una specie di vendetta…".
La figlia sbagliata, datato 2000, è uno dei primi romanzi di Jeffery Deaver, il futuro creatore della bellissima saga di Lincoln Rhyme. E che Deaver sia ancora "alle prime armi" si nota eccome: trama non molto complicata e situazioni al limite del ridicolo (addirittura con alcuni personaggi raggirati abbastanza ingenuamente, tanto che ti sorge il dubbio sul loro equilibrio mentale). Eppure, tutte le qualità che, in seguito, apprezzeremo nei libri con protagonista Rhyme ci sono già tutte: capovolgimenti di fronte, protagonisti che nascondono più di uno scheletro nell'armadio e "cattivi" che ti portano quasi a dubitare di essere davvero loro i "cattivi".
Trama davvero ben costruita: la figlia di una coppia di divorziati viene rapita da non si sa chi e per quale motivo e, per giunta, con tutti i vari personaggi coinvolti (genitori, amiche, parenti, psichiatri e forze dell'ordine) continuamente spiazzati e depistati. Con queste basi, durante la lettura, Deaver ci porta a fare innumerevoli ipotesi e congetture sull'identità del rapitore (e sui motivi del suo gesto)… e invece, strada facendo, tutto ciò che abbiamo ipotizzato cade giù come un castello di carte sino all'incredibile verità e allo spettacolare epilogo finale.
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La figlia sbagliata, datato 2000, è uno dei primi romanzi di Jeffery Deaver, il futuro creatore della bellissima saga di Lincoln Rhyme. E che Deaver sia ancora "alle prime armi" si nota eccome: trama non molto complicata e situazioni al limite del ridicolo (addirittura con alcuni personaggi raggirati abbastanza ingenuamente, tanto che ti sorge il dubbio sul loro equilibrio mentale). Eppure, tutte le qualità che, in seguito, apprezzeremo nei libri con protagonista Rhyme ci sono già tutte: capovolgimenti di fronte, protagonisti che nascondono più di uno scheletro nell'armadio e "cattivi" che ti portano quasi a dubitare di essere davvero loro i "cattivi".
Trama davvero ben costruita: la figlia di una coppia di divorziati viene rapita da non si sa chi e per quale motivo e, per giunta, con tutti i vari personaggi coinvolti (genitori, amiche, parenti, psichiatri e forze dell'ordine) continuamente spiazzati e depistati. Con queste basi, durante la lettura, Deaver ci porta a fare innumerevoli ipotesi e congetture sull'identità del rapitore (e sui motivi del suo gesto)… e invece, strada facendo, tutto ciò che abbiamo ipotizzato cade giù come un castello di carte sino all'incredibile verità e allo spettacolare epilogo finale.
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October 3, 2019
I don't understand how this book is written by the same man who wrote The Coffin Dancer and The Empty Chair!! As demonstrated through out The Bone Collector series, when he wants to Deaver can really pull out all the stops, delivering fast-paced, well-researched books. But Speaking In Tongues, while as fast-faced as ever, just doesn't have the cunning twists of plot or the techno-savvy that made the Lincoln Rhyme books so intriguing.
When the crux of your tale lies on creating characters of uncanny persuasive abilities, the heart of your novel must lie within the dialogue those characters utilize. In this case, neither Matthews or Collier ever speak convincingly enough, in my opinion, to warrant their being labelled as men who "speak in tongues."
My biggest pet peeve: Deaver cannot write dialogue for teenagers. In an attempt at creating authenticity, Deaver peppers their dialogue with an abundance of "like"s and "way lame"s so that they sound like rejects from some B-grade rip-off of a Dazed and Confused remake. I understand that kids still occasionally talk like this, but Deaver's use of these trite bits of characterization is so liberal it becomes intrusive and annoying and ludicrous.
When the crux of your tale lies on creating characters of uncanny persuasive abilities, the heart of your novel must lie within the dialogue those characters utilize. In this case, neither Matthews or Collier ever speak convincingly enough, in my opinion, to warrant their being labelled as men who "speak in tongues."
My biggest pet peeve: Deaver cannot write dialogue for teenagers. In an attempt at creating authenticity, Deaver peppers their dialogue with an abundance of "like"s and "way lame"s so that they sound like rejects from some B-grade rip-off of a Dazed and Confused remake. I understand that kids still occasionally talk like this, but Deaver's use of these trite bits of characterization is so liberal it becomes intrusive and annoying and ludicrous.
May 21, 2017
I wasn't sure what to think when I finished this book. I just kept looking at the book like "What? How did we get here from there? That's really how it ends." Not what I expected at all. I can usually guess where the story is going and somewhat how it will end. This one went way off in a different direction and kept going. This is a stand alone book, so not a character series. It's a story of a man who was a very good Defense Attorney and quite after he won life in prison for the accused. He is divorced and has a daughter who he rarely sees. He moves back to his family farm he inherited and worked on in his youth. His daughter is kidnapped. That is the sane part of the story. It goes into a very deep story of mind games and never lets you stop being surprised on each step in searching for her. His ex-wife joins him in the search. I think Jeffery Deaver outdid himself with this book. It will grab you heart and soul. I bought this when published in 2001, and as I finish my collection I have just read it.
January 2, 2013
For a book that's only 333 pages, it sure is packed with edge of your seat suspense, and twists. It is nice to read a book that keeps you guessing.
The only flaw I can find with the book is the lack of personality in the characters, mainly the main characters. They just felt... cookie cutter. (Pissed off teenager, out of touch parents, blah, blah , blah. The story was well written enough to keep you interested despite that fact. I enjoy Deaver's smooth and flowing writing style.
I guess I have one more negative thing to say about it after all... The ending fails to tie up a thing or two. (Does Josh survive? Is there any permanent damage? Do him and Megan get back together? What about Eckhard and Dr Hanson? Where they cleared and released? And Detective Konnie, how much trouble was he in? I could go on, but you get the idea.)
The only flaw I can find with the book is the lack of personality in the characters, mainly the main characters. They just felt... cookie cutter. (Pissed off teenager, out of touch parents, blah, blah , blah. The story was well written enough to keep you interested despite that fact. I enjoy Deaver's smooth and flowing writing style.
I guess I have one more negative thing to say about it after all... The ending fails to tie up a thing or two. (Does Josh survive? Is there any permanent damage? Do him and Megan get back together? What about Eckhard and Dr Hanson? Where they cleared and released? And Detective Konnie, how much trouble was he in? I could go on, but you get the idea.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2017
This took a lot longer than usual to finish; it was creepy enough that, when I'd put it down, it required a real act of will to get back to it. Once the degree to which this guy is warped became evident, I had to convince myself to finish it. Deaver has a true talent for inhabiting the minds of his characters; since this one was written 17 years ago, apparently he found his way out again. The twists he throws in here are of the "Oh, no, he's not gonna...oh, no..." type - one of the reasons that put me off, temporarily. Well worth finishing, though, and I'm glad I did. Working my way through the stand-alones, waiting for another Lincoln Rhyme/Amelia Sachs to come along. Just one question, though: whatever happened to Josh?
March 29, 2019
Speaking in Tongues by Jeffrey Deaver
For some reason I found this book more emotionally provocative than other Deaver books. Perhaps my stint as a school counselor sensitized me to the plights of troubled teens, but I found this captivating and disturbing. Simplistically, the premise of the book is that eloquent oratory can be dangerous.
Megan, a teen, feels alienated and acts out. Her estranged parents seem oblivious to her pain. A therapist with a grudge uses his oratory skills to manipulate and murder a wealth of people to get revenge.
The plot was complex and deviously Deaver.
I recommend the book but it is emotionally provocative.
For some reason I found this book more emotionally provocative than other Deaver books. Perhaps my stint as a school counselor sensitized me to the plights of troubled teens, but I found this captivating and disturbing. Simplistically, the premise of the book is that eloquent oratory can be dangerous.
Megan, a teen, feels alienated and acts out. Her estranged parents seem oblivious to her pain. A therapist with a grudge uses his oratory skills to manipulate and murder a wealth of people to get revenge.
The plot was complex and deviously Deaver.
I recommend the book but it is emotionally provocative.
September 23, 2018
I cattivi di Deaver sono davvero terribili, capaci delle azioni più abiette e anche in questo romanzo il cattivo di turno non fa difetto in questo senso, ma le sfumature che a mano a mano emergono dalla storia ci fanno intravvedere che spesso le cose non sono del tutto come sembrano, che c'è sempre uno spazio infinito e incolmabile tra il bianco e il nero, un spazio fatto di grigio.
In particolare in questa storia si ha a che fare con le parole, con il loro immenso potere che può portare a un'inesorabile condanna o a un'insperata salvezza.
In particolare in questa storia si ha a che fare con le parole, con il loro immenso potere che può portare a un'inesorabile condanna o a un'insperata salvezza.
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