Death Watch

by Elizabeth Forrest

From the author of Dark Tide, a tale of intrigue and terror presents the story of an innocent woman, an escaped serial killer, and an obsessed psychiatrist who uses virtual reality to transform the fragile personalities of her patients. Original.

Genres: Fiction

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Agerius · Rating 1 out of 5]

Largely unreadable 90s thrillerslop, Death Watch is a bloated and incoherent mess which chokes to death on irrelevant subplots for 450 pages before collapsing exhausted at the reader’s feet. At least a third of its page count could be excised without remotely impacting the story, a convoluted yet half-hearted romp where abused wife McKenzie escapes her sociopath husband only to be stalked by him while also falling under the eye of a serial killer who may in fact be a DIFFERENT serial killer who is using virtual reality to- actually, let’s just stop there. Death Watch is one of the rare no-shit cases of a book attempting to conceal its incoherence under a veneer of sophistication and depth. There is almost no chance that Salsitz herself could provide a summary of what occurs in the book; this was written utterly without outline or even rough plan, its bizarre conclusion slapped together in the final fifty pages after four hundred pages of foot dragging and “red herrings” which are more like subplots which simply fail to materialize; there are entire named characters and chapters which are utterly tertiary to the story being told. That is not to say that it is a worthwhile story in the first place, mostly because Salsitz can’t decide which story to tell. Is it a slasher horror novel? Is it a psychological horror about science and medicine run amok? Is it a high-concept techno-thriller ready to tease the brain just as much as it raises goosebumps? It’s all of them and none of them at once, every element cancelling out every other until what remains is an utterly inchoate mass of pulp and ink. Not like I didn’t know what I was getting into- getting blurbed by Koontz seems more damning than leaving the cover blank.

https://hideousrecollection.substack.com

[Fred Rayworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this in 1995, I didn’t even have Internet, so I couldn’t review it. So, now I can in 2015, after the fact. Since the author and I became e-mail friends and she became a mentor, all because I became a huge fan through her writing, this book and fine example, I remember her stories well.

Death Watch is an unusual story about a serial killer and virtual reality. Of course, mayhem ensues. I won’t go over any more plot details than that.

This is a very well done and intricately plotted novel with a cast of sympathetic characters. The writing is outstanding and the author presented a fine third-person prose with solid narrative and no rambling exposition.

If her earlier work hadn’t already cemented me as a fan, this one would’ve done the trick.

Highly recommended.

[Tomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mystery - I don't know much about virtual reality, but it plays a significant role in this book. I just hope the book's premise doesn't come true! At first I wondered how all the characters tied together, but Forrest did a good job making everything work.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading her books. I think what made this one exceptional was the fact that it could happen and a lot of it does happen every day to a lot of women.

[Sga]

I have no idea where this book came from.

[Booknblues · Rating 3 out of 5]

Psychiatrists, virtual reality and serial killers...