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Tasmanian Thrillers #1
The Specialist
The specialist is a serial killer with very specific, unique tastes. Kirsten is a jewelry designer whose hobby is caving, and she carries a lot of emotional baggage, above-ground or in the bowels of the earth. Her sister Emma goes missing en route to visit Kirsten. When Emma's ring mysteriously turns up in a newly discovered cave on Vancouver Island, Kirsten has to solve the riddle of an apparent impossibility, with the help of a few old friends and one deliciously tempting new one. Kirsten wants answers. The specialist wants her to join him for dinner. Gordon Aalborg is married to mystery author Denise (Deni) Dietz, and lives on Vancouver Island.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Aalborg
4 books4 followersGordon Aalborg was born on February 5, 1942 in Alberta, Canada. He began his writing career as a reporter, columnist and bureau chief at The Edmonton Journal in his native Alberta. He wandered off to Australia in the '70s as a freelance journalist and radio/tv broadcaster.
The best-selling romance author, Victoria Gordon born in response to the publisher's claim that "no man" could write Harlequin category romance (Gordon is widely believed to be the first man to seriously meet the challenge) , and she survives after more than twenty novels published throughout the world.
Gordon Aalborg is married with to mystery writer Denise Dietz, who helped him in his book Finding Bess.
The best-selling romance author, Victoria Gordon born in response to the publisher's claim that "no man" could write Harlequin category romance (Gordon is widely believed to be the first man to seriously meet the challenge) , and she survives after more than twenty novels published throughout the world.
Gordon Aalborg is married with to mystery writer Denise Dietz, who helped him in his book Finding Bess.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 7, 2010
I wanted to like this more. I really did. The premise is interesting, the blurb on the book jacket sounded great, and actually, the writing was pretty good. The main characters were reasonably likable and fairly well developed. But the plot was...I don't even know what.
First of all, there wasn't a lot of development in the secondary characters. They'd pop up for their individual contributions to the plot, and then go away again, without really doing anything more than just being cardboard cutouts or props. Also, there only two possibilities for the serial killers among the named characters (well, one strayed through briefly, and he was almost immediately discounted, so... 2 1/2), and from there it was pretty easy to figure out who it had to be. There were some "clues" tossed around that were probably meant to sow confusion, but they might as well have been tagged with neon signs reading "Look, red herrings!" There was no explanation of the specialist, nor do I find a lot of his behavior credible, from what I understand about psychological profiling. And somehow or another, although we were introduced a lot of creepy and horrifying things that the Specialist did, I never found him that frightening or intimidating. Sorry.
Actually, the whole thing was kind of....boring. The action built at a snail's pace, and even the "climax" at the end was bizarrely dull. The author clearly wasn't going to "go there" and kill a named character, so I didn't have to worry about the fate of the characters--they would clearly get out okay, somehow or another. I did give credit for tying in something I thought was just a plot bunny at the very end, but I felt no real sense of suspense or fear or mystery, even in such a confined and claustrophobic setting. Come on--it's an underground cat-and-mouse game in a CAVE. That one practically HANDS you the chills, and I really couldn't get there. After taking over 200 pages to build to 50 pages of action (I kept looking at the remaining pages and thinking "...when does the scary start?"), I expected a bigger bang than I got. What little anticipation he'd managed to build fell flat, and the horrors he did manage to inflict weren't described in enough detail to make them flinch-worthy. Also, mystery writers seem to feel entitled to bring the book to an abrupt end immediately after the climax, with no clean up or explanation or even consideration of the other side plots they've tried to introduce. Action scene! Rescue! Revenge on bad guy! FIN! Really? It seems to be a genre-wide thing, so it's not fair to hold it completely against this author, but still. Lazy writing.
So I will probably read another book by the author if I run across one, because the writing itself wasn't too painful, I'd just like to see what he can do with a story that feels like a real novel and is longer. 274 pages isn't enough to build the kind of story that he was trying to tell here, but he could benefit from a second chance.
First of all, there wasn't a lot of development in the secondary characters. They'd pop up for their individual contributions to the plot, and then go away again, without really doing anything more than just being cardboard cutouts or props. Also, there only two possibilities for the serial killers among the named characters (well, one strayed through briefly, and he was almost immediately discounted, so... 2 1/2), and from there it was pretty easy to figure out who it had to be. There were some "clues" tossed around that were probably meant to sow confusion, but they might as well have been tagged with neon signs reading "Look, red herrings!" There was no explanation of the specialist, nor do I find a lot of his behavior credible, from what I understand about psychological profiling. And somehow or another, although we were introduced a lot of creepy and horrifying things that the Specialist did, I never found him that frightening or intimidating. Sorry.
Actually, the whole thing was kind of....boring. The action built at a snail's pace, and even the "climax" at the end was bizarrely dull. The author clearly wasn't going to "go there" and kill a named character, so I didn't have to worry about the fate of the characters--they would clearly get out okay, somehow or another. I did give credit for tying in something I thought was just a plot bunny at the very end, but I felt no real sense of suspense or fear or mystery, even in such a confined and claustrophobic setting. Come on--it's an underground cat-and-mouse game in a CAVE. That one practically HANDS you the chills, and I really couldn't get there. After taking over 200 pages to build to 50 pages of action (I kept looking at the remaining pages and thinking "...when does the scary start?"), I expected a bigger bang than I got. What little anticipation he'd managed to build fell flat, and the horrors he did manage to inflict weren't described in enough detail to make them flinch-worthy. Also, mystery writers seem to feel entitled to bring the book to an abrupt end immediately after the climax, with no clean up or explanation or even consideration of the other side plots they've tried to introduce. Action scene! Rescue! Revenge on bad guy! FIN! Really? It seems to be a genre-wide thing, so it's not fair to hold it completely against this author, but still. Lazy writing.
So I will probably read another book by the author if I run across one, because the writing itself wasn't too painful, I'd just like to see what he can do with a story that feels like a real novel and is longer. 274 pages isn't enough to build the kind of story that he was trying to tell here, but he could benefit from a second chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Specialist - Nevisande : Gordon Aalborg - ISBN : 1594142610 - ISBN13 : 9781594142611 - Dar 274 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2004
November 20, 2007
Every once in awhile I don't know what I want to read, and I figure that there's so many books out there that I'm bound to miss out on a few good ones. So I'll be totally nerdy and just start in the As and work my way through until I get bored with that method.
This time around started me out with this book. I'm not usually a mystery fan, so I wasn't sure about it, but again, there's that whole serendipity thing that sometimes happens when you least expect it to.
The setting of this book switches between Tasmania and Vancouver. Women, usually bicyclists, are disappearing without a trace and the local authorities have nothing to go on. Lucky for the reader, we're treated to the doings of "the specialist", a fairly anal retentive being who we find dismembering these victims, keeping the best parts to eat (hello, Hannibal!) and then disposing of them (and their poor torn apart bikes) into the ground in places he figures no one will ever look.
When the main character (who was obviously real memorable since I can't remember her name) finds that her sister is missing, she tries to take the local police advice and figure that she's just being irresponsible. As an avid cave explorer, she keeps on keepin' on, until, while exploring a brand new cave, she finds the ring she'd custom made for her sister years before. Which of course changes everything. Now, not only does she have the new evidence, she also has the help of a visiting author (from Tasmania *gasp*) who does one jigsaw puzzle piece at a time and throws elaborate dinner party.
Don't worry, it's not as simple as that. It is, however, just as boring. The plot moves slow and there are moments in the book that don't seem to have anything to do with the plot. Cave explorers might find it fun I guess. Since I'm not a cave explorer, I didn't really care, nor did I understand the main character's fascination with being underground. Unfortunately, I didn't think it was written well enough to make me care anyway, which is something that really good books achieve.
Definitely not my cup of tea, but that's what you get when you use a random order like this. Maybe the next one will be better!
This time around started me out with this book. I'm not usually a mystery fan, so I wasn't sure about it, but again, there's that whole serendipity thing that sometimes happens when you least expect it to.
The setting of this book switches between Tasmania and Vancouver. Women, usually bicyclists, are disappearing without a trace and the local authorities have nothing to go on. Lucky for the reader, we're treated to the doings of "the specialist", a fairly anal retentive being who we find dismembering these victims, keeping the best parts to eat (hello, Hannibal!) and then disposing of them (and their poor torn apart bikes) into the ground in places he figures no one will ever look.
When the main character (who was obviously real memorable since I can't remember her name) finds that her sister is missing, she tries to take the local police advice and figure that she's just being irresponsible. As an avid cave explorer, she keeps on keepin' on, until, while exploring a brand new cave, she finds the ring she'd custom made for her sister years before. Which of course changes everything. Now, not only does she have the new evidence, she also has the help of a visiting author (from Tasmania *gasp*) who does one jigsaw puzzle piece at a time and throws elaborate dinner party.
Don't worry, it's not as simple as that. It is, however, just as boring. The plot moves slow and there are moments in the book that don't seem to have anything to do with the plot. Cave explorers might find it fun I guess. Since I'm not a cave explorer, I didn't really care, nor did I understand the main character's fascination with being underground. Unfortunately, I didn't think it was written well enough to make me care anyway, which is something that really good books achieve.
Definitely not my cup of tea, but that's what you get when you use a random order like this. Maybe the next one will be better!
August 18, 2014
Well, The Specialist is officially on the bottom of my list of book rankings, right next to Glorious Failure, which I see I haven't rated, since I read that before Goodreads existed, and I completely forgot about it until reading The Specialist. This isn't quite as bad as GF, likely because Aalborg already has some sway as an author and the spelling and editing are decent. Everything else, as they say, is weak sauce.
But I'm probably not being all that fair. I was bored at the library and decided to start a game with myself, and picked the very first book off the shelf at the beginning of the alphabet in the Fiction section and the Fantasy/Sci-Fi section, no fair looking at jacket synopsis or author history, with intent to read no matter what. So this is not necessarily a book I would have naturally chosen. But hey, open mind etc. So I started on what began as a fairly promising serial killer adventure, which quickly turned into loads of clunky sentences, silly dialogue and monologue, lame scenarios trying to be clever (testicles and puzzle pieces, ugh), and lots of missed opportunities to deliver information in a fashion more interesting than dropping a fact into a block of narration.
After 100 pages I felt I could take a peek at the jacket. Lee Child has a blurb giving the book high marks, which can’t possibly be accurate, and the author is more known under a female pseudonym for romance novels. The writing made slightly more sense after knowing that, but I’m glad I read a healthy portion unburdened by that knowledge.
There’s lots of caving. If you like caves maybe this will be interesting for you.
But I'm probably not being all that fair. I was bored at the library and decided to start a game with myself, and picked the very first book off the shelf at the beginning of the alphabet in the Fiction section and the Fantasy/Sci-Fi section, no fair looking at jacket synopsis or author history, with intent to read no matter what. So this is not necessarily a book I would have naturally chosen. But hey, open mind etc. So I started on what began as a fairly promising serial killer adventure, which quickly turned into loads of clunky sentences, silly dialogue and monologue, lame scenarios trying to be clever (testicles and puzzle pieces, ugh), and lots of missed opportunities to deliver information in a fashion more interesting than dropping a fact into a block of narration.
After 100 pages I felt I could take a peek at the jacket. Lee Child has a blurb giving the book high marks, which can’t possibly be accurate, and the author is more known under a female pseudonym for romance novels. The writing made slightly more sense after knowing that, but I’m glad I read a healthy portion unburdened by that knowledge.
There’s lots of caving. If you like caves maybe this will be interesting for you.
July 14, 2008
07/13/08
TITLE/AUTHOR: THE SPECIALIST by Gordon Aalborg
RATING: 3.5/C+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery/2004/273 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: Present/ Tasmania & Vancouver
CHARACTERS: Kirsten/ jewelry designer & avid caver
FIRST LINES: The bicycle was the penultimate temptation.
COMMENTS: Library book. A serial killer is targeting female bicyclists in both Tasmania and Vancouver. The caving descriptions and setting of mostly Vancouver, some smaller parts of Tasmania -- were the best parts of the book for me.
TITLE/AUTHOR: THE SPECIALIST by Gordon Aalborg
RATING: 3.5/C+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery/2004/273 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: Present/ Tasmania & Vancouver
CHARACTERS: Kirsten/ jewelry designer & avid caver
FIRST LINES: The bicycle was the penultimate temptation.
COMMENTS: Library book. A serial killer is targeting female bicyclists in both Tasmania and Vancouver. The caving descriptions and setting of mostly Vancouver, some smaller parts of Tasmania -- were the best parts of the book for me.
January 18, 2019
First and foremost, this is a downright creepy, unnerving novel. It is not for the faint of heart. I picked it up in hopes of understanding Tasmania more.
On one hand, I liked the story, despite its disturbing plot. It portrayed the depraved serial killer as an all out horror. It briefly portrayed the law enforcement abeit weakly. Then it centered on Kirsten. Kirsten is portrayed as a complicated but capable young woman with issues to work out.
Unfortunately, I found the writing a bit "choppy". Sometimes the inner thoughts of the characters just rambled on and on for no true reason. While other times it seemed to help the plot proceed. Characters just meandered in, then out for no apparent reason. And it was so slow.
Tasmania is still a mystery to me.
On one hand, I liked the story, despite its disturbing plot. It portrayed the depraved serial killer as an all out horror. It briefly portrayed the law enforcement abeit weakly. Then it centered on Kirsten. Kirsten is portrayed as a complicated but capable young woman with issues to work out.
Unfortunately, I found the writing a bit "choppy". Sometimes the inner thoughts of the characters just rambled on and on for no true reason. While other times it seemed to help the plot proceed. Characters just meandered in, then out for no apparent reason. And it was so slow.
Tasmania is still a mystery to me.
March 20, 2024
A user named Rebecca reviewed this very well. I had trouble keeping my attention for a majority of the book. The end was the most exciting part but not a lot really happened. Could have been a really interesting premise.
Want to read
June 25, 2024Can read for free with Kindle Unlimited.
Tasmanian Thriller Series Book 1.
Tasmanian Thriller Series Book 1.
April 26, 2010
it was okay
May 19, 2012
Very interesting mystery, especially with the multiple points of view. Kept me guessing as to the identity of the specialist for a long time. Loved the abrupt ending!
Read
March 1, 2014A very enjoyable read
I love a good thriller, and I really liked this one. it had me hooked from the beginning. I also really liked reading about the caves and caving.
I love a good thriller, and I really liked this one. it had me hooked from the beginning. I also really liked reading about the caves and caving.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews