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Blutbringer
Als die siebenjährige Alyssa entführt wird, setzt der aufrechte Polizist Noah Harper alles daran, sie zu befreien - und steigert sich dabei in einen hemmungslosen Blutrausch. Noah rettet das Mädchen, aber er übertritt eine Grenze und verliert alles. Seinen Job, seine Frau, seine Freunde. Und auch sich selbst. 12 Jahre später: Noah hat ein neues Leben begonnen. Ein unheilvolles Leben mit Geheimnissen, an die keiner rühren sollte. Wie aus dem Nichts erreicht ihn eine Nachricht, die schreckliche Folgen nach sich zieht. Alyssa ist wieder verschwunden. Um sie zu retten, muss Noah den Tod bringen ... nichts Neues mehr für ihn. Blut soll fließen!
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
80 people are currently reading
702 people want to read
About the author
Paul Cleave
44 books865 followersPaul Cleave is an internationally bestselling author who is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His work has been translated into fifteen languages. He has won the Ngaio Marsh award for best crime novel in New Zealand, he won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award in the US, and shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award in Australia. When he's not writing, he spends his time swearing on a golf course, swearing on a tennis court, or trying to add to his list of 25 countries where he's thrown his Frisbee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
November 24, 2023
I loved it! Cleave has fast become an author to my liking. His sarcastic style and descriptive language made this book stand out for me as did the quiet people. It was also suspenseful, emotional and memorable. Well done Cleave!
November 20, 2019
EXCERPT: The house smells of dust and tastes of mold. The last time I was out here was three years ago when Jasmine Kelly called Drew from the other side of the country to say she hadn't heard from her folks in a week. I flick the light switch but there's no power. I follow the footprints in the dust. Floorboards creak under my weight. I can feel the heat coming up through the floor. Shadows move across walls as my flashlight lights everything up, and there are lots of everything's - couches, a dining table, beds, kitchen utilities, a coffee table with magazines and a TV that can't be any older than five years. There are paintings and photographs on walls and shelves. It feels like the house is waiting for somebody to return. I look into the bedroom where three years ago Ed and Leah Kelly took handfuls of sleeping pills and didn't leave a note to say why. The farm was heavily in debt and their daughter used to say her dad thought the land was cursed because only the weeds knew how to grow.
I head to the basement. Basements are where men like Conrad Haggerty keep girls like Alyssa Stone. I open the door. It smells like something crawled out of the grave, died all over again, then crawled back in. I hold my breath and light up the steps. They groan as I move down them. The walls are gray cinderblock. There are tools hanging on them. There's an old chest freezer big enough for a body that I hope is empty. There are piles of blankets and an old dining suite with chairs stacked on top and boxes of junk beneath it. I can no longer hold my breath. The smell doesn't improve any. There's an old heater, a couple of bicycles, an old TV. There are shelves full of Christmas lights that could only be ready in time if the untangling started at Easter. The same dust that coated everything upstairs coats everything down here too, even the floor, but the floor also has footprints going back and forth across it.
I follow them.
I don't have to follow them for long.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: When seven-year-old Alyssa is kidnapped, Deputy Noah Harper decides he will do what it takes to find her – but that means crossing lines he can never come back from. Finding the girl safe, isn’t enough to stop Noah from losing his job, his wife, and from being kicked out of Acacia Pines. He’s told if he ever returns, he’ll be put in jail and left there to rot. Now, 12 years later, comes a phone call. Alyssa is missing again and her father wants him to honour the promise he made to her all those years earlier – that he would never let anything bad happen to her again. To find her, Noah is going to have to head back to the pines, and come face to face with the past…
MY THOUGHTS: Whatever I was expecting from Paul Cleave's latest novel, it wasn't this. OMG! It certainly wasn't this. That this could happen never even crossed my mind....he took me places I didn't want to go. He stunned me with the violence, the sheer evil brought about by greed, the way we can know someone all our lives, but never truly know them.
And I loved it.
I lapped it up. I couldn't get enough.
And the fact that he could make me laugh at the same time with his little injections of sardonic humour, only more firmly cements him in my top ten author list.
And the ending....you just know that there's going to be more. Noah Harper is not the sort of man who is going to be able to let this go......
I can't wait!
Whatever it Takes, get your hands on a copy and read it.
💖😱💖😱💖
THE AUTHOR: Paul Cleave is an internationally bestselling author who is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His work has been translated into fifteen languages. He has won the Ngaio Marsh award for best crime novel in New Zealand, he won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award in the US, and shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award in Australia. When he's not writing, he spends his time swearing on a golf course, swearing on a tennis court, or trying to add to his list of 25 countries where he's thrown his Frisbee.
DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of Whatever it Takes by Paul Cleave (just as I own a copy of every book he has written), published by Upstart Press. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I head to the basement. Basements are where men like Conrad Haggerty keep girls like Alyssa Stone. I open the door. It smells like something crawled out of the grave, died all over again, then crawled back in. I hold my breath and light up the steps. They groan as I move down them. The walls are gray cinderblock. There are tools hanging on them. There's an old chest freezer big enough for a body that I hope is empty. There are piles of blankets and an old dining suite with chairs stacked on top and boxes of junk beneath it. I can no longer hold my breath. The smell doesn't improve any. There's an old heater, a couple of bicycles, an old TV. There are shelves full of Christmas lights that could only be ready in time if the untangling started at Easter. The same dust that coated everything upstairs coats everything down here too, even the floor, but the floor also has footprints going back and forth across it.
I follow them.
I don't have to follow them for long.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: When seven-year-old Alyssa is kidnapped, Deputy Noah Harper decides he will do what it takes to find her – but that means crossing lines he can never come back from. Finding the girl safe, isn’t enough to stop Noah from losing his job, his wife, and from being kicked out of Acacia Pines. He’s told if he ever returns, he’ll be put in jail and left there to rot. Now, 12 years later, comes a phone call. Alyssa is missing again and her father wants him to honour the promise he made to her all those years earlier – that he would never let anything bad happen to her again. To find her, Noah is going to have to head back to the pines, and come face to face with the past…
MY THOUGHTS: Whatever I was expecting from Paul Cleave's latest novel, it wasn't this. OMG! It certainly wasn't this. That this could happen never even crossed my mind....he took me places I didn't want to go. He stunned me with the violence, the sheer evil brought about by greed, the way we can know someone all our lives, but never truly know them.
And I loved it.
I lapped it up. I couldn't get enough.
And the fact that he could make me laugh at the same time with his little injections of sardonic humour, only more firmly cements him in my top ten author list.
And the ending....you just know that there's going to be more. Noah Harper is not the sort of man who is going to be able to let this go......
I can't wait!
Whatever it Takes, get your hands on a copy and read it.
💖😱💖😱💖
THE AUTHOR: Paul Cleave is an internationally bestselling author who is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His work has been translated into fifteen languages. He has won the Ngaio Marsh award for best crime novel in New Zealand, he won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award in the US, and shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award in Australia. When he's not writing, he spends his time swearing on a golf course, swearing on a tennis court, or trying to add to his list of 25 countries where he's thrown his Frisbee.
DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of Whatever it Takes by Paul Cleave (just as I own a copy of every book he has written), published by Upstart Press. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 11, 2019
Paul Cleave’s concept in this book is disturbing and sickening.
His protagonist, Noah, seems to be a likable character, but there’s something that prevents me from putting all my faith in him. He certainly takes a beating, but he can also deliver one. Is he really willing to do whatever it takes? Be prepared for physical violence.
In looking at the larger picture, though, there is a tremendous evil here, and this evil has much power. I don’t know how this evil can be overcome. Cleave has left me with such a sense of hopelessness. And sadness. And fear. As I read the final paragraph, my only thought was, “Noooo.”
Cleave explains in his Acknowledgement why he created a fictional setting for this book. He also says there will be more books from this setting. There damn well better be.
His protagonist, Noah, seems to be a likable character, but there’s something that prevents me from putting all my faith in him. He certainly takes a beating, but he can also deliver one. Is he really willing to do whatever it takes? Be prepared for physical violence.
In looking at the larger picture, though, there is a tremendous evil here, and this evil has much power. I don’t know how this evil can be overcome. Cleave has left me with such a sense of hopelessness. And sadness. And fear. As I read the final paragraph, my only thought was, “Noooo.”
Cleave explains in his Acknowledgement why he created a fictional setting for this book. He also says there will be more books from this setting. There damn well better be.
October 25, 2019
Not only is this author one of the nicest people on the planet, he writes AMAZING thrillers too! I have just found my new favorite from him. Thank goodness for a slow work day so I could finish reading this today as this one is absolutely binge worthy and you'll be glued to the pages.
If something terrible happened that took you away from the town you grew up with and served, what would it take to bring you back over a decade later? We live through Noah Harper throughout this novel. He took unconventional ways to save a little girl's life and was sent out of town because of it. Twelve years later, she has disappeared again and now he must keep his promise to her. What he comes back to is beyond anything he (or anyone else) would have expected.
Now, Noah's got some issues. That's for sure. But damn do I love his character! While he may not get things done in the prettiest manner, his heart is in the right place and damn it, I was rooting for him the entire time. One thing is for sure - he is tenacious and once his mind is made up... there's no stopping him. (Also, can I please have a cat named Lego?) Cleave has given us this small town hero and brought in something bigger than him, or that town, to contend with. I was NOT expecting some of what happened to come into play. And that ending - I LOVED IT. But also, WOW. I was halfway going YES - this is PERFECT to yelling NOOOOO... c'moooooonnnnnnnn! Hey now, these are the types of endings I live for though.
I especially loved reading the acknowledgments and how he came up with this story and love that he mentions his "Evil Twin" as I have one of those as well. This author needs be better known than he is amongst thriller lovers. He needs to churn out more books because I need more. I'd be pretty happy if Noah came back too.
If something terrible happened that took you away from the town you grew up with and served, what would it take to bring you back over a decade later? We live through Noah Harper throughout this novel. He took unconventional ways to save a little girl's life and was sent out of town because of it. Twelve years later, she has disappeared again and now he must keep his promise to her. What he comes back to is beyond anything he (or anyone else) would have expected.
Now, Noah's got some issues. That's for sure. But damn do I love his character! While he may not get things done in the prettiest manner, his heart is in the right place and damn it, I was rooting for him the entire time. One thing is for sure - he is tenacious and once his mind is made up... there's no stopping him. (Also, can I please have a cat named Lego?) Cleave has given us this small town hero and brought in something bigger than him, or that town, to contend with. I was NOT expecting some of what happened to come into play. And that ending - I LOVED IT. But also, WOW. I was halfway going YES - this is PERFECT to yelling NOOOOO... c'moooooonnnnnnnn! Hey now, these are the types of endings I live for though.
I especially loved reading the acknowledgments and how he came up with this story and love that he mentions his "Evil Twin" as I have one of those as well. This author needs be better known than he is amongst thriller lovers. He needs to churn out more books because I need more. I'd be pretty happy if Noah came back too.
July 8, 2021
What a devious (disturbed?) mind Cleave has! Such a great idea for a book, and, for me, not really knowing what was going on until the very latter parts of the book.
Noah was a very complex character and was brilliantly conceived and written. A good number of twists and turns with Drew, Maggie's new husband and his three man crew, the old sheriff and Conrad to name a few. I just loved the last paragraph of the book as well.
Highly recommend for fans of this author and those who like mystery/thriller novels.
Noah was a very complex character and was brilliantly conceived and written. A good number of twists and turns with Drew, Maggie's new husband and his three man crew, the old sheriff and Conrad to name a few. I just loved the last paragraph of the book as well.
Highly recommend for fans of this author and those who like mystery/thriller novels.
February 23, 2021
This is the best Jack Reacher novel I've ever read, and it doesn't even have Reacher in it.
All the other ingredients are there. An isolated American town. Bad guys who are really, really bad. A hero who is simultaneously matter-of-fact and evasive, and prepared to take or deliver beatings as required. Even the title, Whatever It Takes, seems to come straight out of the Lee Child playbook.
But the comparison does this book a disservice. Not just because Whatever It Takes is more action-packed (hey, you know the middle chunk of every Reacher book, where Reacher goes for a long drive so as Lee Child has time to come up with a good ending? Yeah, this book skips that, replacing it with the best four-on-one fight-to-the-death you'll ever read). It's also because this book is more thoughtful about morality, vivisecting the trope of the vigilante hero even as it revels in it.
We first meet Sheriff's Deputy Noah Harper when he's torturing a suspect to get a confession. Once he has the information he needs, he uses it to rescue seven-year old Alyssa Stone. But the suspect was the Sheriff's son, so no charges are laid - and Noah is forced to leave the town of Acacia Pines behind.
Twelve years later, Noah gets a call from his ex-wife. Alyssa has gone missing a second time. Is he still willing to do whatever it takes to save her again? And is he ready to confront the mistakes he made twelve years ago? In a twist that may surprise Jack Bauer, it turns out that torturing a suspect may not be the best way to find the truth. (See? Thoughtful!)
It's a dark tale, but it's also funny - Noah has Philip Marlowe's eye for his surroundings, and John McClane's knack for wisecracks. (The narrator of the audiobook has a laconic style, giving the proceedings a pleasant cowboy vibe.) And when it's not being funny, this book is being loud, with the carnage turned all the way up to eleven. The sheer badness of the bad guys makes the reader want to cheer as they get shot, stabbed and worse. And Noah's singularity of purpose - save Alyssa, whatever it takes - makes him a likeable hero, even when he does questionable things. He is occasionally capricious; at one point he nearly makes a confession, but then changes his mind at the last second. He had his reasons, but so does the author - confessing at that point would have ruined the story. And author Paul Cleave is here, first and foremost, to tell you a great story.
Cleave has his fixations, and if you've read his other thrillers, you'll figure out some of the turns of the plot before Noah does. (Others will knock you flat.) But he's also moved on from some of his past fixations - there are no serial killers in Whatever It Takes, which was a welcome change for me. At the risk of sounding patronising - Cleave is a more accomplished crime writer than I am - I think he's only getting better.
Whether you can solve the case faster the Noah or not, there's more to book than just what happens in it. How do I know? Because I now know what happens in Whatever It Takes, but I already want to read it again.
To give Lee Child his due, there are now 25 very good Jack Reacher novels. So I'm throwing down the gauntlet - Paul Cleave, we need 24 more Noah Harper books. Get busy.
Jack Heath is the author of Hideout.
All the other ingredients are there. An isolated American town. Bad guys who are really, really bad. A hero who is simultaneously matter-of-fact and evasive, and prepared to take or deliver beatings as required. Even the title, Whatever It Takes, seems to come straight out of the Lee Child playbook.
But the comparison does this book a disservice. Not just because Whatever It Takes is more action-packed (hey, you know the middle chunk of every Reacher book, where Reacher goes for a long drive so as Lee Child has time to come up with a good ending? Yeah, this book skips that, replacing it with the best four-on-one fight-to-the-death you'll ever read). It's also because this book is more thoughtful about morality, vivisecting the trope of the vigilante hero even as it revels in it.
We first meet Sheriff's Deputy Noah Harper when he's torturing a suspect to get a confession. Once he has the information he needs, he uses it to rescue seven-year old Alyssa Stone. But the suspect was the Sheriff's son, so no charges are laid - and Noah is forced to leave the town of Acacia Pines behind.
Twelve years later, Noah gets a call from his ex-wife. Alyssa has gone missing a second time. Is he still willing to do whatever it takes to save her again? And is he ready to confront the mistakes he made twelve years ago? In a twist that may surprise Jack Bauer, it turns out that torturing a suspect may not be the best way to find the truth. (See? Thoughtful!)
It's a dark tale, but it's also funny - Noah has Philip Marlowe's eye for his surroundings, and John McClane's knack for wisecracks. (The narrator of the audiobook has a laconic style, giving the proceedings a pleasant cowboy vibe.) And when it's not being funny, this book is being loud, with the carnage turned all the way up to eleven. The sheer badness of the bad guys makes the reader want to cheer as they get shot, stabbed and worse. And Noah's singularity of purpose - save Alyssa, whatever it takes - makes him a likeable hero, even when he does questionable things. He is occasionally capricious; at one point he nearly makes a confession, but then changes his mind at the last second. He had his reasons, but so does the author - confessing at that point would have ruined the story. And author Paul Cleave is here, first and foremost, to tell you a great story.
Cleave has his fixations, and if you've read his other thrillers, you'll figure out some of the turns of the plot before Noah does. (Others will knock you flat.) But he's also moved on from some of his past fixations - there are no serial killers in Whatever It Takes, which was a welcome change for me. At the risk of sounding patronising - Cleave is a more accomplished crime writer than I am - I think he's only getting better.
Whether you can solve the case faster the Noah or not, there's more to book than just what happens in it. How do I know? Because I now know what happens in Whatever It Takes, but I already want to read it again.
To give Lee Child his due, there are now 25 very good Jack Reacher novels. So I'm throwing down the gauntlet - Paul Cleave, we need 24 more Noah Harper books. Get busy.
Jack Heath is the author of Hideout.
July 31, 2020
I loved this book! What amazes me with all Paul’s books is that apart from the Tate/ Victim series, they all have a different voice. His ability to change his style and setting and his narrative shows his power as a first rate storyteller.
Whatever it Takes is set in the small fictional USA town of Arcacia Pines. Noah Harper used to be a deputy there until 12 years previous when he bet a confession out of a guy suspected in a child abduction. Alyssa, the missing 7 year old is found by Noah and he promises to always have her back. Because he has crossed some lines on the case he ends up losing his job and his wife.
Twelve years on he is happily settled in another town, he owns a bar and has a nice life. Then Alyssa’s father rings to say she has disappeared again and he is positive it is against her will. This means Noah returning to Arcacia Pines, confronting his past and his enemies and keeping his promise to Alyssa.
It’s a fantastic book and has taken over from Trust No One as my favourite of his books. Do read them all and in order if you can, you won’t be disappointed.
Whatever it Takes is set in the small fictional USA town of Arcacia Pines. Noah Harper used to be a deputy there until 12 years previous when he bet a confession out of a guy suspected in a child abduction. Alyssa, the missing 7 year old is found by Noah and he promises to always have her back. Because he has crossed some lines on the case he ends up losing his job and his wife.
Twelve years on he is happily settled in another town, he owns a bar and has a nice life. Then Alyssa’s father rings to say she has disappeared again and he is positive it is against her will. This means Noah returning to Arcacia Pines, confronting his past and his enemies and keeping his promise to Alyssa.
It’s a fantastic book and has taken over from Trust No One as my favourite of his books. Do read them all and in order if you can, you won’t be disappointed.
May 10, 2023
Bien, francamente bien. En la línea de todos los que he leído de este autor.
Intentaré pillar todo lo que escriba, me entretiene sin ningún problema, cosa que en estos momentos de mi vida, agradezco mogollón.
Intentaré pillar todo lo que escriba, me entretiene sin ningún problema, cosa que en estos momentos de mi vida, agradezco mogollón.
April 21, 2023
Wanneer Alyssa Stone vermist raakt, weet hulpsheriff Noah Harper dat hij heel wat grenzen moet overschrijden om het jonge meisje te vinden. Maar zijn reddingsactie kost hem zijn vrouw, zijn baan en zijn woonplaats. Wanner Noah twaalf jaar later een nieuw leven heeft opgebouwd, krijgt hij ineens een telefoontje. Alyssa is weer verdwenen en haar vader wil dat Noah de belofte nakomt die hij al die jaren geleden deed – dat hij ervoor zou zorgen dat haar nooit meer iets slechts overkwam.
Noah moet zichzelf de vraag stellen: hoever wil hij gaan om haar te vinden? Het zou betekenen dat hij moet terugkeren naar Acacia Pines. Het zou betekenen dat hij oog in oog komt te staan met zijn verleden. Het zou betekenen dat hij alles op alles moet zetten.
'Alles op alles' begint met een gebeurtenis die twaalf jaar eerder afspeelde. Alyssa is vermist en Noah doet er alles aan om het meisje te vinden. Het lukt hem, maar twaalf jaar later krijgt hij een telefoontje dat Alyssa weer vermist is... Noah keert terug naar de plek waar hij eerder alles is kwijtgeraakt.
De schrijfstijl van Paul Cleave is ontzettend fijn en de spanning is vanaf de eerste bladzijde al meteen voelbaar. Als Alyssa voor de tweede keer vermist raakt, voel je dat er bepaalde dingen niet kloppen.
Ondertussen gebeuren er ook heel veel dingen met Noah. Je verveelt je eigenlijk geen enkel moment, want er is volop actie en spanning. Misschien is het met momenten een beetje té, maar door de hele fijne schrijfstijl vond ik dat niet erg. Ik was heel erg benieuwd hoe het verhaal zich verder zou ontwikkelen en tot het einde blijft het boeiend. Je leert Noah steeds beter kennen en dit vond ik een interessant personage.
De dader vond ik ook verrassend, dus het plot zat goed in elkaar! Ik denk dat ik dit verhaal zelfs beter vind dan 'Kinderspel'. Dus mocht je van een verhaal houden dat behoorlijk wat actie bevat: lees 'Alles op alles!'
Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️
Noah moet zichzelf de vraag stellen: hoever wil hij gaan om haar te vinden? Het zou betekenen dat hij moet terugkeren naar Acacia Pines. Het zou betekenen dat hij oog in oog komt te staan met zijn verleden. Het zou betekenen dat hij alles op alles moet zetten.
'Alles op alles' begint met een gebeurtenis die twaalf jaar eerder afspeelde. Alyssa is vermist en Noah doet er alles aan om het meisje te vinden. Het lukt hem, maar twaalf jaar later krijgt hij een telefoontje dat Alyssa weer vermist is... Noah keert terug naar de plek waar hij eerder alles is kwijtgeraakt.
De schrijfstijl van Paul Cleave is ontzettend fijn en de spanning is vanaf de eerste bladzijde al meteen voelbaar. Als Alyssa voor de tweede keer vermist raakt, voel je dat er bepaalde dingen niet kloppen.
Ondertussen gebeuren er ook heel veel dingen met Noah. Je verveelt je eigenlijk geen enkel moment, want er is volop actie en spanning. Misschien is het met momenten een beetje té, maar door de hele fijne schrijfstijl vond ik dat niet erg. Ik was heel erg benieuwd hoe het verhaal zich verder zou ontwikkelen en tot het einde blijft het boeiend. Je leert Noah steeds beter kennen en dit vond ik een interessant personage.
De dader vond ik ook verrassend, dus het plot zat goed in elkaar! Ik denk dat ik dit verhaal zelfs beter vind dan 'Kinderspel'. Dus mocht je van een verhaal houden dat behoorlijk wat actie bevat: lees 'Alles op alles!'
Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️
February 20, 2020
How far would you go to save an abducted child? That’s a question quickly answered for Sheriff’s Deputy Noah Harper in Christchurch author Paul Cleave’s superb eleventh thriller, WHATEVER IT TAKES.
Bloodied hands and gunpowder residue are the evidence of Noah’s method; a rescued girl and self-destruction of his life the result. Job gone, marriage gone, banished from his town, Noah has no intention of ever returning to Acacia Pines. Twelve years later he’s semi-happily working in a bar far away, until Alyssa goes missing again, and a dying priest asks for Noah’s help.
Cleave’s first tale set abroad delivers the compromised characters, fizzing prose, settings that cast a character-like shadow, and jet-black plotlines salted with sly humour we’ve come to expect from the Crown Prince of antipodean crime, while taking readers somewhere fresh. Acacia Pines is heartland America, a one-road-in town of sawmills, vast forests, and elected lawmen.
Cleave expertly delivers a page-whirring tale that touches on tough issues while entertaining throughout.
This review was first published in the New Zealand Listener magazine in September 2019
Bloodied hands and gunpowder residue are the evidence of Noah’s method; a rescued girl and self-destruction of his life the result. Job gone, marriage gone, banished from his town, Noah has no intention of ever returning to Acacia Pines. Twelve years later he’s semi-happily working in a bar far away, until Alyssa goes missing again, and a dying priest asks for Noah’s help.
Cleave’s first tale set abroad delivers the compromised characters, fizzing prose, settings that cast a character-like shadow, and jet-black plotlines salted with sly humour we’ve come to expect from the Crown Prince of antipodean crime, while taking readers somewhere fresh. Acacia Pines is heartland America, a one-road-in town of sawmills, vast forests, and elected lawmen.
Cleave expertly delivers a page-whirring tale that touches on tough issues while entertaining throughout.
This review was first published in the New Zealand Listener magazine in September 2019
October 22, 2021
No entiendo la buena nota porque yo me he encontrado con un argumento que arranca muy bien pero que deriva en algo absurdo, unos diálogos irritantes y un desarrollo muy pesado.
May 3, 2020
I don't give many books a 5 star rating. For me, 5 stars means that book was exceptional and stood out for one reason or another -- could be the characters, could be the emotional punch, could be the story itself.
Whatever It Takes pretty much ticked all the boxes for me. A fomer deputy, Noah Harper was forced to leave town 12 years ago due to the lines he crossed to rescue a missing little girl, Alyssa. Now Alyssa is missing again and Noah returns to a town where not many want him or welcome him. As he tries to uncover exactly what happened to Alyssa and find her, he encounters a lot more obstacles than even he anticipated.
I'm not going to go into any further plot details, because everything that happens to Noah throughout the course of this book just adds to the suspense. What I am going to say is that this book had me from page one. I couldn't wait to get back to it every time I had the chance to read this past week (which wasn't as often as I would have liked). Noah is a character I instantly fell in love with, faults and all. There were no boring lags in this story for me. Even the less exciting parts were laced with an underlying tension because you can practically hear the clock ticking for Noah throughout the course of the book. There were several times during this book I found myself holding my breath over what was going to happen next. There were some things I anticipated and others that I never saw coming.
Now, I do have to be honest and say that there were some moments here where I felt Noah would have to be superhuman to accomplish some of what he did. There were times it felt like Die Hard: The Book. But, still being honest here -- I truly didn't give a shit. This book was one of the best I've read in a long time, and if a story has me that wrapped up in it, I am willing to go with the flow. So I said Yippee -ki-yay mother**** and turned those pages as fast as I could to see what was coming next!
In the afterword Paul Cleave said he plans to write another book or two in his fictional town of Acacia Pines. I sure hope that means we'll be seeing more of Noah Harper in the future too!
Whatever It Takes pretty much ticked all the boxes for me. A fomer deputy, Noah Harper was forced to leave town 12 years ago due to the lines he crossed to rescue a missing little girl, Alyssa. Now Alyssa is missing again and Noah returns to a town where not many want him or welcome him. As he tries to uncover exactly what happened to Alyssa and find her, he encounters a lot more obstacles than even he anticipated.
I'm not going to go into any further plot details, because everything that happens to Noah throughout the course of this book just adds to the suspense. What I am going to say is that this book had me from page one. I couldn't wait to get back to it every time I had the chance to read this past week (which wasn't as often as I would have liked). Noah is a character I instantly fell in love with, faults and all. There were no boring lags in this story for me. Even the less exciting parts were laced with an underlying tension because you can practically hear the clock ticking for Noah throughout the course of the book. There were several times during this book I found myself holding my breath over what was going to happen next. There were some things I anticipated and others that I never saw coming.
Now, I do have to be honest and say that there were some moments here where I felt Noah would have to be superhuman to accomplish some of what he did. There were times it felt like Die Hard: The Book. But, still being honest here -- I truly didn't give a shit. This book was one of the best I've read in a long time, and if a story has me that wrapped up in it, I am willing to go with the flow. So I said Yippee -ki-yay mother**** and turned those pages as fast as I could to see what was coming next!
In the afterword Paul Cleave said he plans to write another book or two in his fictional town of Acacia Pines. I sure hope that means we'll be seeing more of Noah Harper in the future too!
August 31, 2021
german and english review
netgalley audiobook
spoilerfree
Ich glaube vor Ewigkeiten habe ich schon mal ein Paul Cleave Buch gelesen, ich muss es in meinem Regal suchen, denn das will ich unbedingt nochmal lesen.
Aber jetzt das Buch hier.
Ich weiß garnicht wo ich bei der Bewertung anfangen soll und wie ich meine Gedanken in Worte fassen soll, weil ich absolut nichts spoilern will.
WOW. Der moralische Kompass ist mit diesem Buch so im tiefschwarzen, diese Story. Die Charaktere. Heiliges Kanonenrohr. Es ist ein Buch bei dem man denkt es wird nicht mehr schlimmer; nichts kann diesen Moment noch toppen. Und dann kommt das nächste Kapitel.
Die Wendungen. WOW. Nur eine einzige davon hab ich kommen sehen, das war ein absoluter DUH Moment. Alle anderen haben mich echt übel von der Seite erwischt.
WOW. Was für ein Buch.
Weil ich es als Hörbuch gehört habe, muss ich auch unbedingt erwähnen welchen GROSSARTIGEN JOB der Erzähler gemacht hat.
***
I think forever ago I read another book by the author and I really need to find it on my shelf and reread it.
But let's talk about this book.
I'm not sure how to start with this review and how to write down my thoughts without spoiling the heck out of the whole story.
WOW. The moral compass is all the way in the deep dark grey in this story. The characters. HOLY HECK. This is one of those books where you think it can't get any worse; nothing will top the moment before. And then the next chapter happens.
The twists and turns. WOW. I saw one of them coming, such a big DUH moment. Everything else snuck up on me and knocked me sideways.
WOW. What a book.
Since I listened to this on audiobook, I just have to mention the INCREDIBLE JOB the narrator did.
netgalley audiobook
spoilerfree
Ich glaube vor Ewigkeiten habe ich schon mal ein Paul Cleave Buch gelesen, ich muss es in meinem Regal suchen, denn das will ich unbedingt nochmal lesen.
Aber jetzt das Buch hier.
Ich weiß garnicht wo ich bei der Bewertung anfangen soll und wie ich meine Gedanken in Worte fassen soll, weil ich absolut nichts spoilern will.
WOW. Der moralische Kompass ist mit diesem Buch so im tiefschwarzen, diese Story. Die Charaktere. Heiliges Kanonenrohr. Es ist ein Buch bei dem man denkt es wird nicht mehr schlimmer; nichts kann diesen Moment noch toppen. Und dann kommt das nächste Kapitel.
Die Wendungen. WOW. Nur eine einzige davon hab ich kommen sehen, das war ein absoluter DUH Moment. Alle anderen haben mich echt übel von der Seite erwischt.
WOW. Was für ein Buch.
Weil ich es als Hörbuch gehört habe, muss ich auch unbedingt erwähnen welchen GROSSARTIGEN JOB der Erzähler gemacht hat.
***
I think forever ago I read another book by the author and I really need to find it on my shelf and reread it.
But let's talk about this book.
I'm not sure how to start with this review and how to write down my thoughts without spoiling the heck out of the whole story.
WOW. The moral compass is all the way in the deep dark grey in this story. The characters. HOLY HECK. This is one of those books where you think it can't get any worse; nothing will top the moment before. And then the next chapter happens.
The twists and turns. WOW. I saw one of them coming, such a big DUH moment. Everything else snuck up on me and knocked me sideways.
WOW. What a book.
Since I listened to this on audiobook, I just have to mention the INCREDIBLE JOB the narrator did.
July 16, 2020
Despite Paul Cleave being an internationally bestselling author, I feel he’s one of those authors not enough people talk about. I’m here to tell you that if you’re not reading his books, you are sorely missing out! Paul has been on my list of go-to authors for years and I don’t see that changing any time soon. My only criticism is that he doesn’t write fast enough and there’s always a rather long wait between books!
Paul Cleave’s previous books were all set in Christchurch, New Zealand. But Whatever It Takes marks a bit of a departure as we find ourselves on another continent altogether. In the small town of Acacia Pines, seven year old Alyssa goes missing. Deputy Noah Harper vows to do whatever it takes to find her and bring her back home safely. In doing so, he crosses lines he can never come back from. Noah loses everything. He loses his job, he loses his wife and he’s told in no uncertain terms that he should leave Acacia Pines and never return. Now, twelve years later, Noah receives a phone call. Alyssa has gone missing again and despite the danger he could place himself in, Noah decides to return to Acacia Pines to uphold his promise to her, that he would never let anyone hurt her again.
I can’t quite find the words to describe how good Whatever It Takes is. It is an incredibly tense and thrilling ride, which took me on a path I wasn’t at all prepared for. Noah is an extremely complicated and multi-layered character. Not always likeable but determined and fierce. He’s someone I undoubtedly wanted to root for, yet some of his actions didn’t always make that easy to do. If there is a line to cross, odds are Noah will do it and in an odd sort of way you can’t quite blame him for it because it always comes from the right place.
The cast of characters surrounding Noah is every bit as strong as he is. There’s the ex-wife, whom I couldn’t quite warm to; there’s the best friend and former partner and last but certainly not least, the former sheriff. Retired he may be but he still seems to rule the community with an iron fist. I fully expected this small town and its residents to be hiding secrets and as the story unraveled, I became quite suspicious of just about everyone. Yet, there was no way I could have predicted where this dark tale would end.
With a disturbing scenario that leads to a chilling conclusion, Paul Cleave once again proves he is one of the best storytellers out there. Whatever It Takes is clever, masterfully plotted and incredibly addictive. My reading mojo has been all over the place this year but Whatever It Takes had me utterly engrossed from start to finish. I highly recommend not just this book, but this author. Because as far as (crime) thrillers and authors go, this is top of the shelf stuff!
Paul Cleave’s previous books were all set in Christchurch, New Zealand. But Whatever It Takes marks a bit of a departure as we find ourselves on another continent altogether. In the small town of Acacia Pines, seven year old Alyssa goes missing. Deputy Noah Harper vows to do whatever it takes to find her and bring her back home safely. In doing so, he crosses lines he can never come back from. Noah loses everything. He loses his job, he loses his wife and he’s told in no uncertain terms that he should leave Acacia Pines and never return. Now, twelve years later, Noah receives a phone call. Alyssa has gone missing again and despite the danger he could place himself in, Noah decides to return to Acacia Pines to uphold his promise to her, that he would never let anyone hurt her again.
I can’t quite find the words to describe how good Whatever It Takes is. It is an incredibly tense and thrilling ride, which took me on a path I wasn’t at all prepared for. Noah is an extremely complicated and multi-layered character. Not always likeable but determined and fierce. He’s someone I undoubtedly wanted to root for, yet some of his actions didn’t always make that easy to do. If there is a line to cross, odds are Noah will do it and in an odd sort of way you can’t quite blame him for it because it always comes from the right place.
The cast of characters surrounding Noah is every bit as strong as he is. There’s the ex-wife, whom I couldn’t quite warm to; there’s the best friend and former partner and last but certainly not least, the former sheriff. Retired he may be but he still seems to rule the community with an iron fist. I fully expected this small town and its residents to be hiding secrets and as the story unraveled, I became quite suspicious of just about everyone. Yet, there was no way I could have predicted where this dark tale would end.
With a disturbing scenario that leads to a chilling conclusion, Paul Cleave once again proves he is one of the best storytellers out there. Whatever It Takes is clever, masterfully plotted and incredibly addictive. My reading mojo has been all over the place this year but Whatever It Takes had me utterly engrossed from start to finish. I highly recommend not just this book, but this author. Because as far as (crime) thrillers and authors go, this is top of the shelf stuff!
October 17, 2019
Excellent tale from Cleave concerning a man, Noah, a sheriff's deputy who is run out of town after he engages in some questionable behavior in locating a missing girl, Alyssa, who, twelve years later and now living as a bar owner somewhere else, returns to his hometown to find the same girl who once again has gone missing under curious circumstances. Can't say too much more without giving away the plot but, suffice to say, things may not be quite as they seem, and Noah's return does not sit well with many residents. The story is engaging right from the get go and the pace never lets up, pulling you along in Noah's quest to find out what happened to Alyssa both now and twelve years ago. The plot resolution is a bit implausible, and Noah takes more beatings than seem necessary for one person to stand, but these are minor quibbles which don't affect enjoyment of the story when all is said and done. The ending is powerful, like a blow to the face, and leaves open the possibility of a follow-up book, which is certainly welcome. Fans of Cleave should love this one and those that haven't read him could easily start here. 4-4.5 stars. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2021
Paul Cleave ist endlich zurück und das, wie ich finde, mit einer Killer-Story:
Als die siebenjährige Alyssa entführt wird, setzt Polizist Noah Harper alles daran, sie zu befreien – und steigert sich dabei in einen hemmungslosen Blutrausch. Noah rettet das Mädchen, aber er übertritt eine Grenze und verliert alles. Seinen Job, seine Frau, seine Freunde. Und auch sich selbst.
12 Jahre später ist Alyssa ist wieder verschwunden. Um sie zu retten, muss Noah den Tod bringen …
Paul Cleave hat beim Piper Verlag ein neues Zuhause gefunden und ich bin froh darüber endlich wieder was von ihm lesen zu können. Sein neuster Thriller spielt diesmal nicht im neuseeländischen Christchurch, sondern in den USA und beschäftigt sich mit der Frage wie weit ein Mensch gehen kann, um einen anderen Menschen zu retten, bevor er selbst zur Bestie wird. Der Autor verschwendet auch keine Zeit und legt gleich spannend und actionreich los und macht uns mit dem Protagonisten Noah Harper bekannt.
Noah war mir von Beginn an sympathisch und ich konnte seine Vorgehensweise bei der ersten Entführung absolut nachvollziehen. Er ist jemand der genau das macht, was er für richtig hält, ohne darüber nachzudenken. Er ist taff, loyal und lässt sich so leicht von nichts abschrecken, wodurch er einigen Leuten auf die Füße tritt. Aber genau das macht ihn auch so sympathisch. Bis auf Noah bleiben die restlichen Figuren der Geschichte allerdings recht blass, was mich nicht groß gestört hat da die meisten wirklich nur Nebenfiguren sind und dadurch unnötige Längen vermieden wurden. Der Autor konzentriert sich hier wirklich auf Noah und die Geschichte.
Paul Cleaves Schreibstil ist sehr speziell und zu Beginn etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, nach wenigen Seiten hatte ich mich aber daran gewöhnt und konnte mich voll und ganz der Geschichte hingeben. Ich war sehr gut unterhalten von der Story und nach und nach entwickelt sich ein immer größer werdender Sog der einen das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen lässt. Das liegt besonders auch an der unvorhersehbaren Geschichte bei der erst nach und nach alle Teile ein Bild ergeben. Der Autor erschafft eine sehr düstere und angespannte Stimmung was vor allem an der Abneigung der Bewohner gegenüber Noah geschuldet ist. Für einen Thriller hätte es an einigen Stellen etwas spannender sein können, dennoch fesselt die Geschichte einen an die Seiten und das Ende lässt einen fassungslos zurück.
Mit "Blutbringer" ist Paul Cleave ein unterhaltsamer und actionreicher Thriller gelungen. Eine komplexe und undurchsichtige Geschichte, ein sympathischer Protagonist mit fragwürdigem Moralverständnis und ein unglaublich gutes Ende machen die Geschichte zu einem kleinen Highlight. Ich fiebere schon dem nächsten Buch des Autors, entgegen das hoffentlich nicht so lange auf sich warten lässt. Eine absolute Leseempfehlung für "Blutbringer"
4,5 von 5 Sternen
Als die siebenjährige Alyssa entführt wird, setzt Polizist Noah Harper alles daran, sie zu befreien – und steigert sich dabei in einen hemmungslosen Blutrausch. Noah rettet das Mädchen, aber er übertritt eine Grenze und verliert alles. Seinen Job, seine Frau, seine Freunde. Und auch sich selbst.
12 Jahre später ist Alyssa ist wieder verschwunden. Um sie zu retten, muss Noah den Tod bringen …
Paul Cleave hat beim Piper Verlag ein neues Zuhause gefunden und ich bin froh darüber endlich wieder was von ihm lesen zu können. Sein neuster Thriller spielt diesmal nicht im neuseeländischen Christchurch, sondern in den USA und beschäftigt sich mit der Frage wie weit ein Mensch gehen kann, um einen anderen Menschen zu retten, bevor er selbst zur Bestie wird. Der Autor verschwendet auch keine Zeit und legt gleich spannend und actionreich los und macht uns mit dem Protagonisten Noah Harper bekannt.
Noah war mir von Beginn an sympathisch und ich konnte seine Vorgehensweise bei der ersten Entführung absolut nachvollziehen. Er ist jemand der genau das macht, was er für richtig hält, ohne darüber nachzudenken. Er ist taff, loyal und lässt sich so leicht von nichts abschrecken, wodurch er einigen Leuten auf die Füße tritt. Aber genau das macht ihn auch so sympathisch. Bis auf Noah bleiben die restlichen Figuren der Geschichte allerdings recht blass, was mich nicht groß gestört hat da die meisten wirklich nur Nebenfiguren sind und dadurch unnötige Längen vermieden wurden. Der Autor konzentriert sich hier wirklich auf Noah und die Geschichte.
Paul Cleaves Schreibstil ist sehr speziell und zu Beginn etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, nach wenigen Seiten hatte ich mich aber daran gewöhnt und konnte mich voll und ganz der Geschichte hingeben. Ich war sehr gut unterhalten von der Story und nach und nach entwickelt sich ein immer größer werdender Sog der einen das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen lässt. Das liegt besonders auch an der unvorhersehbaren Geschichte bei der erst nach und nach alle Teile ein Bild ergeben. Der Autor erschafft eine sehr düstere und angespannte Stimmung was vor allem an der Abneigung der Bewohner gegenüber Noah geschuldet ist. Für einen Thriller hätte es an einigen Stellen etwas spannender sein können, dennoch fesselt die Geschichte einen an die Seiten und das Ende lässt einen fassungslos zurück.
Mit "Blutbringer" ist Paul Cleave ein unterhaltsamer und actionreicher Thriller gelungen. Eine komplexe und undurchsichtige Geschichte, ein sympathischer Protagonist mit fragwürdigem Moralverständnis und ein unglaublich gutes Ende machen die Geschichte zu einem kleinen Highlight. Ich fiebere schon dem nächsten Buch des Autors, entgegen das hoffentlich nicht so lange auf sich warten lässt. Eine absolute Leseempfehlung für "Blutbringer"
4,5 von 5 Sternen
January 18, 2022
Increíble. ¿Cómo puede este hombre mantenerme en vilo todo el rato y que parezca que estoy en el final del libro casi desde el 50%? Cuando pensaba que ya no podía pasar nada más, que se estaría acabando, miraba y todavía me quedaba la mitad del libro, y así cada 10% aproximadamente 😆
Es verdad que en algún momento (sobre todo en uno concreto) llegué a pensar que el señor Noah Harper tiene no un ángel de la guarda, sino 100, porque vamos, de la que se salva no es ni medio normal 😅 Pero no puedo dejar de darle las 5 estrellas por eso. Aunque tenga algún momento increíble de "se salva porque es el protagonista, venga ya", la verdad es que el libro lo merece. Y ver al protagonista hecho una caca y, aun así, intentando solucionarlo todo, le da más sentido al "cueste lo que cueste". Es que es lo que tienes en mente todo el rato.
No esperaba para nada lo que se acaba descubriendo. Me he quedado a cuadritos.
Y me encanta el final. El final final, el que lo haya leído me entenderá. He leído dos libros de este autor y los dos me han gustado mucho. Tiene algo. Leeré más de él.
Es verdad que en algún momento (sobre todo en uno concreto) llegué a pensar que el señor Noah Harper tiene no un ángel de la guarda, sino 100, porque vamos, de la que se salva no es ni medio normal 😅 Pero no puedo dejar de darle las 5 estrellas por eso. Aunque tenga algún momento increíble de "se salva porque es el protagonista, venga ya", la verdad es que el libro lo merece. Y ver al protagonista hecho una caca y, aun así, intentando solucionarlo todo, le da más sentido al "cueste lo que cueste". Es que es lo que tienes en mente todo el rato.
No esperaba para nada lo que se acaba descubriendo. Me he quedado a cuadritos.
Y me encanta el final. El final final, el que lo haya leído me entenderá. He leído dos libros de este autor y los dos me han gustado mucho. Tiene algo. Leeré más de él.
September 13, 2019
Thrillers are not my typical go-to genre, but sometimes I just need to escape into a story and stay there until its safe to come out. The relentless pace of Whatever it Takes allowed no headspace for the outside world to creep in. I read it, then my mum read it and now my dad is reading it. A thriller for all the family! Set in the small US town of Acacia Pines, Deputy Noah Harper loses his friends, his job and his marriage when he finds kidnapped seven-year-old Alyssa Stone. Twelve years later when Alyssa goes missing again, he is called back to the town where he grew up to try and find her. This is writer Paul Cleave’s first book set outside of New Zealand and the first that I have read, but not the last. My mum is currently plundering the public library for his back catalogue! Whatever it Takes would make a fabulous film (in the style of Taken) or even a graphic novel. I’m very grateful to #upstartpress for gifting me a copy of Paul’s novel and allowing me to hide from the world and my own brain for a few nail-biting hours.
August 23, 2021
Der Autor der Geschichte ist mir völlig neu, so dass ich ohne Erwartungshaltung heran gegangen bin.
Erfreulicherweise handelt es sich hier um einen Thriller, welcher von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite den Spannungsbogen aufrecht erhalten konnte.
Man lernt direkt zu Beginn den Protagonisten Noah kennen - was er tut und wie er es tut lässt ihn energisch, selbstbewußt und ein wenig rücksichtslos erscheinen, als würde er über Leichen gehen, um zum Ziel zu kommen - dabei tut er eigentlich nur etwas sehr mutiges, um ein Leben zu retten.
Ich mochte ihn von Anfang an, auch wenn seine Methoden sicher etwas unkonventionell erscheinen.
Auch die Thematik fand ich spannend und wirklich gut umgesetzt - Hut ab.
Für den 5. Stern hat mir aber das gewisse Etwas gefehlt - dennoch absolut empfehlenswert.
Erfreulicherweise handelt es sich hier um einen Thriller, welcher von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite den Spannungsbogen aufrecht erhalten konnte.
Man lernt direkt zu Beginn den Protagonisten Noah kennen - was er tut und wie er es tut lässt ihn energisch, selbstbewußt und ein wenig rücksichtslos erscheinen, als würde er über Leichen gehen, um zum Ziel zu kommen - dabei tut er eigentlich nur etwas sehr mutiges, um ein Leben zu retten.
Ich mochte ihn von Anfang an, auch wenn seine Methoden sicher etwas unkonventionell erscheinen.
Auch die Thematik fand ich spannend und wirklich gut umgesetzt - Hut ab.
Für den 5. Stern hat mir aber das gewisse Etwas gefehlt - dennoch absolut empfehlenswert.
Read
June 3, 2024Love NZ authors, unfortunately do not enjoy thrillers/crime fiction. Will recommend to my family who do though !!
December 2, 2019
Paul Cleave has cracked out another masterful thriller. Rather than the usual setting around Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand, he has migrated to the USA for the first time and invented the small town of Acacia Pines. Well off the beaten track, it is a town surrounded by forests, lakes and wilderness walking trails. I think he likes the place and if you read his acknowledgements at the end of the book, you will see that he is thinking of writing some more stories based there.
For me, as a non-American, it was authentic enough but I suspect that genuine Americans might notice the odd phrase or description which is a bit ‘more kiwi’ than it should be. With the change of setting came a slight change of tone, and I was reminded of classic American thrillers and gumshoe plot lines. Spillane for the cell phone age.
The basic premise is very simple. Twelve years ago local cop Noah Harper went too far in the course of duty. Faced with a missing girl, he beat a confession out of his main suspect. Beat him with his bare hands and when that didn’t work put a bullet through his leg before being told where the girl was. The man he beat was the sheriff’s son. The beating means the man can’t be put on trial, but at least the girl was safe. Noah is forced to flee town, but escapes prosecution himself.
Cut to the present day and Noah is running a bar a million miles from his old life. Then the call comes. The same girl is missing again. The same girl that twelve years before he promised he would always come and find if she needed him. That leaves him no choice but to come home and face the demons of his past.
I won’t say any more about the plot, as I have given enough away already. What I will say is that this book is very like a river in flood. You get caught up by the current and literally swept along by the pace and the changing action. It is a great thriller and I love the constant reversals that Noah faces as he comes back to the town he was exiled from. He still has a lot of enemies. My only criticism; how many beatings can one man take? There is no room for concussion in this book, no place for head injuries that leave you constantly falling asleep. Noah keeps going, literally head-on, into the next beating.
One last comment. I love a good twist in the ending and the subtlety of an event left hanging which changes everything. This book doesn’t disappoint on either of these counts.
For me, as a non-American, it was authentic enough but I suspect that genuine Americans might notice the odd phrase or description which is a bit ‘more kiwi’ than it should be. With the change of setting came a slight change of tone, and I was reminded of classic American thrillers and gumshoe plot lines. Spillane for the cell phone age.
The basic premise is very simple. Twelve years ago local cop Noah Harper went too far in the course of duty. Faced with a missing girl, he beat a confession out of his main suspect. Beat him with his bare hands and when that didn’t work put a bullet through his leg before being told where the girl was. The man he beat was the sheriff’s son. The beating means the man can’t be put on trial, but at least the girl was safe. Noah is forced to flee town, but escapes prosecution himself.
Cut to the present day and Noah is running a bar a million miles from his old life. Then the call comes. The same girl is missing again. The same girl that twelve years before he promised he would always come and find if she needed him. That leaves him no choice but to come home and face the demons of his past.
I won’t say any more about the plot, as I have given enough away already. What I will say is that this book is very like a river in flood. You get caught up by the current and literally swept along by the pace and the changing action. It is a great thriller and I love the constant reversals that Noah faces as he comes back to the town he was exiled from. He still has a lot of enemies. My only criticism; how many beatings can one man take? There is no room for concussion in this book, no place for head injuries that leave you constantly falling asleep. Noah keeps going, literally head-on, into the next beating.
One last comment. I love a good twist in the ending and the subtlety of an event left hanging which changes everything. This book doesn’t disappoint on either of these counts.
August 17, 2019
Paul Cleave is my favorite author that I always look forward for his new books! with his new book; “Whatever it takes” he did not upset me. I read this book in a very short time ... amazing book; a real page turner; even night&day I couldn’t stop myslef and I read the book.
Story is really cool and easy to read and understand. He used clever and surprising plot twists in his story, as I like a lot. And with a twist ending you will like the book a lot. And days after you will still think about the end of this book.
Story is really cool and easy to read and understand. He used clever and surprising plot twists in his story, as I like a lot. And with a twist ending you will like the book a lot. And days after you will still think about the end of this book.
October 20, 2023
Ik heb al zoveel lovende reacties en recensies gelezen over dit boek van Paul Claeve, dat het voor mij ook een absolute must-read werd. Helaas kwam ik er door de drukte lange tijd niet aan toe, maar nu is het eindelijk zo ver. Het is mijn eerste kennismaking met schrijver Paul Claeve, dus ik heb geen idee wat ik van zijn schrijfstijl moet en kan verwachten. Wel heb ik hoge verwachtingen door de reacties.
Als Alyssa Stone vermist raakt zet hulpsheriff Noah Harper alles op alles en overschrijdt hij grenzen om het jonge meisje te vinden. Zijn reddingsactie, die slaagt, kost hem zijn vrouw, baan en woonplaats. Noodgedwongen moet Noah ergens anders een nieuw bestaan opbouwen. Dan volgt er twaalf jaar later een telefoontje. Alyssa is opnieuw spoorloos verdwenen. Hij heeft haar een belofte gedaan: hoever gaat hij ditmaal om haar te vinden? Hij keert terug naar Acacia Pines en komt oog in oog te staan met zijn verleden...
Wat een onwijs fijne, vlotte en levendige schrijfstijl heeft Paul Cleave. Hij weet je direct met het spannende begin mee te sleuren. Paul Cleave weet zijn verhaal met enorm veel gevoel en overtuiging te brengen. Op zo'n wijze dat ik het verhaal helemaal voor me zie. Daarbij heeft hij een perfect gevoel voor tempo en versnelt en vertraagt hij de verhaallijn op de juiste momenten.
De personages, met name het hoofdpersonage Noah, heeft hij op sterke wijze neergezet. Daarbij weet hij de unieke personages op zo'n manier in het verhaal neer te zetten dat je als lezer ook enorm goed de verhoudingen en de spanning tussen de personages ervaart. Dit verhoogt zeker het levendige en realistische gevoel van het verhaal.
De verrassende, sterke en goede verhaallijn heeft een goede opbouw. Daarbij weet Paul Cleave je te verrassen met twists die je niet aan ziet komen, die absoluut invloed hebben op de spanning en de kracht van de verhaallijn. Het verhaal heeft een vrij brede verhaallijn, waardoor je ook een goed beeld krijgt van Acacia Pines en de plaatselijke omgeving. Bij het plot vallen de puzzelstukjes op geniale en verrassende wijze samen, want ook hierbij weet Paul Cleave me wederom met het verhaal te verrassen. Met een krachtig en goed einde weet hij het verhaal af te sluiten.
Alles op alles heeft mijn hoge verwachtingen overtroffen. De personages zijn op sterke wijze neergezet, maar wat me het meest verraste was de verhaallijn die vol zit met goede twists. Hij heeft een levendige en vlotte schrijfstijl, waardoor je echt in het verhaal op kan gaan. Het verhaal zit enorm goed in elkaar en is erg spannend. Een dikke aanrader, ik ga zeker meer van Paul Cleave lezen.
Als Alyssa Stone vermist raakt zet hulpsheriff Noah Harper alles op alles en overschrijdt hij grenzen om het jonge meisje te vinden. Zijn reddingsactie, die slaagt, kost hem zijn vrouw, baan en woonplaats. Noodgedwongen moet Noah ergens anders een nieuw bestaan opbouwen. Dan volgt er twaalf jaar later een telefoontje. Alyssa is opnieuw spoorloos verdwenen. Hij heeft haar een belofte gedaan: hoever gaat hij ditmaal om haar te vinden? Hij keert terug naar Acacia Pines en komt oog in oog te staan met zijn verleden...
Wat een onwijs fijne, vlotte en levendige schrijfstijl heeft Paul Cleave. Hij weet je direct met het spannende begin mee te sleuren. Paul Cleave weet zijn verhaal met enorm veel gevoel en overtuiging te brengen. Op zo'n wijze dat ik het verhaal helemaal voor me zie. Daarbij heeft hij een perfect gevoel voor tempo en versnelt en vertraagt hij de verhaallijn op de juiste momenten.
De personages, met name het hoofdpersonage Noah, heeft hij op sterke wijze neergezet. Daarbij weet hij de unieke personages op zo'n manier in het verhaal neer te zetten dat je als lezer ook enorm goed de verhoudingen en de spanning tussen de personages ervaart. Dit verhoogt zeker het levendige en realistische gevoel van het verhaal.
De verrassende, sterke en goede verhaallijn heeft een goede opbouw. Daarbij weet Paul Cleave je te verrassen met twists die je niet aan ziet komen, die absoluut invloed hebben op de spanning en de kracht van de verhaallijn. Het verhaal heeft een vrij brede verhaallijn, waardoor je ook een goed beeld krijgt van Acacia Pines en de plaatselijke omgeving. Bij het plot vallen de puzzelstukjes op geniale en verrassende wijze samen, want ook hierbij weet Paul Cleave me wederom met het verhaal te verrassen. Met een krachtig en goed einde weet hij het verhaal af te sluiten.
Alles op alles heeft mijn hoge verwachtingen overtroffen. De personages zijn op sterke wijze neergezet, maar wat me het meest verraste was de verhaallijn die vol zit met goede twists. Hij heeft een levendige en vlotte schrijfstijl, waardoor je echt in het verhaal op kan gaan. Het verhaal zit enorm goed in elkaar en is erg spannend. Een dikke aanrader, ik ga zeker meer van Paul Cleave lezen.
August 31, 2020
Christchurch based author Paul Cleave has had a way of creating scenarios, and settings for his novels that have kept this reader awake and mildly anxious for a long time now. WHATEVER IT TAKES is a bit of a departure from his previous style, set in the USA, eschewing a lot of the slight paranormal elements that have been part of his previous books - making this particularly intriguing reading.
Cleave is, as fans of his are acutely aware, one of the great storytellers. His characters inhabit the places they move through, and the plots they encounter with considerable aplomb. They are often slightly flawed, conflicted, tricky people, engaged in a complicated balancing act between black and white. As is the case with Deputy Noah Harper who kicked the black and white into very murky grey when searching for a young kidnapped girl many years before. So much so that he lost his job, his wife, and had to leave the small town he had been happy in. Warned if he ever returned he'd go straight to jail, he's been living in the big city, running a bar, minding his own business. Until the phone call that tells him that same girl is missing again, and her father is calling in past promises. If he goes back to Acacia Pines, he'll have to confront a lot of ghosts from the past - most of whom are still living and bearing some very big grudges.
Cleave has created a wonderfully nuanced set of characters as always. Harper is a hard man, with a conscience, which he can park around the back if the perceived sin is greater than the act of resolution. Setting the action in the USA, Cleave has created an environment that these characters, and the plot make sense in. Everybody and everything in this novel feels authentic, even the sly humour of the type that fits right into the Christchurch setting works in this small town, heartland USA setting.
A bit of a page turner, WHATEVER IT TAKES, is not just a crime thriller though. There's plenty of problematic issues, and that ever present exploration of black and white, and the lines that good and bad people draw in the sand. Then kick into obscurity.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Cleave is, as fans of his are acutely aware, one of the great storytellers. His characters inhabit the places they move through, and the plots they encounter with considerable aplomb. They are often slightly flawed, conflicted, tricky people, engaged in a complicated balancing act between black and white. As is the case with Deputy Noah Harper who kicked the black and white into very murky grey when searching for a young kidnapped girl many years before. So much so that he lost his job, his wife, and had to leave the small town he had been happy in. Warned if he ever returned he'd go straight to jail, he's been living in the big city, running a bar, minding his own business. Until the phone call that tells him that same girl is missing again, and her father is calling in past promises. If he goes back to Acacia Pines, he'll have to confront a lot of ghosts from the past - most of whom are still living and bearing some very big grudges.
Cleave has created a wonderfully nuanced set of characters as always. Harper is a hard man, with a conscience, which he can park around the back if the perceived sin is greater than the act of resolution. Setting the action in the USA, Cleave has created an environment that these characters, and the plot make sense in. Everybody and everything in this novel feels authentic, even the sly humour of the type that fits right into the Christchurch setting works in this small town, heartland USA setting.
A bit of a page turner, WHATEVER IT TAKES, is not just a crime thriller though. There's plenty of problematic issues, and that ever present exploration of black and white, and the lines that good and bad people draw in the sand. Then kick into obscurity.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
February 27, 2026
Het boek Alles op alles van Paul Cleave is een spannende thriller die je van begin tot eind in zijn greep houdt. Het verhaal draait om voormalig hulpsheriff Noah Harper, een man die jarenlang probeert te ontsnappen aan zijn verleden.
Wanneer het jonge meisje Alyssa Stone vermist raakt, zet hulpsheriff Noah Harper alles op alles om haar terug te vinden. Tijdens zijn zoektocht overschrijdt hij grenzen die hem uiteindelijk zijn baan, zijn huwelijk en zijn woonplaats kosten. Zijn reddingsactie heeft grote gevolgen voor zijn leven. Twaalf jaar later heeft Noah een nieuw bestaan opgebouwd, maar het verleden haalt hem opnieuw in wanneer Alyssa weer verdwijnt. Haar vader herinnert Noah aan de belofte die hij jaren eerder heeft gedaan: hij zou ervoor zorgen dat haar niets slechts meer zou overkomen.
Vanaf dat moment begint een intense en gevaarlijke zoektocht. Noah moet beslissen hoe ver hij bereid is te gaan om zijn belofte na te komen. Tijdens zijn onderzoek ontdekt hij een duister crimineel netwerk dat betrokken is bij mensensmokkel en illegale orgaanhandel. Dit maakt het verhaal niet alleen spannend, maar ook schokkend en realistisch. De dreiging voelt constant aanwezig en zorgt ervoor dat je als lezer wilt blijven doorlezen.
Wat dit boek bijzonder maakt, is de psychologische spanning. Noah is geen perfecte held; hij is een man met fouten, schuldgevoel en een sterk rechtvaardigheidsgevoel. Juist dat maakt hem geloofwaardig. De schrijver laat goed zien hoe ver iemand kan gaan uit schuld, loyaliteit en belofte. De spanning wordt langzaam opgebouwd en bevat meerdere onverwachte wendingen.
De schrijfstijl van Paul Cleave is vlot en direct. Hij beschrijft gebeurtenissen duidelijk en zonder onnodige details, waardoor het tempo hoog blijft. Het boek is soms heftig door de thema’s die aan bod komen, maar dat past bij het thriller-genre.
Alles op alles is een meeslepende thriller over schuld, belofte en doorzettingsvermogen. Het boek laat zien dat het verleden je altijd kan inhalen en stelt de vraag: hoe ver zou jij gaan om een belofte na te komen? 📖
Wanneer het jonge meisje Alyssa Stone vermist raakt, zet hulpsheriff Noah Harper alles op alles om haar terug te vinden. Tijdens zijn zoektocht overschrijdt hij grenzen die hem uiteindelijk zijn baan, zijn huwelijk en zijn woonplaats kosten. Zijn reddingsactie heeft grote gevolgen voor zijn leven. Twaalf jaar later heeft Noah een nieuw bestaan opgebouwd, maar het verleden haalt hem opnieuw in wanneer Alyssa weer verdwijnt. Haar vader herinnert Noah aan de belofte die hij jaren eerder heeft gedaan: hij zou ervoor zorgen dat haar niets slechts meer zou overkomen.
Vanaf dat moment begint een intense en gevaarlijke zoektocht. Noah moet beslissen hoe ver hij bereid is te gaan om zijn belofte na te komen. Tijdens zijn onderzoek ontdekt hij een duister crimineel netwerk dat betrokken is bij mensensmokkel en illegale orgaanhandel. Dit maakt het verhaal niet alleen spannend, maar ook schokkend en realistisch. De dreiging voelt constant aanwezig en zorgt ervoor dat je als lezer wilt blijven doorlezen.
Wat dit boek bijzonder maakt, is de psychologische spanning. Noah is geen perfecte held; hij is een man met fouten, schuldgevoel en een sterk rechtvaardigheidsgevoel. Juist dat maakt hem geloofwaardig. De schrijver laat goed zien hoe ver iemand kan gaan uit schuld, loyaliteit en belofte. De spanning wordt langzaam opgebouwd en bevat meerdere onverwachte wendingen.
De schrijfstijl van Paul Cleave is vlot en direct. Hij beschrijft gebeurtenissen duidelijk en zonder onnodige details, waardoor het tempo hoog blijft. Het boek is soms heftig door de thema’s die aan bod komen, maar dat past bij het thriller-genre.
Alles op alles is een meeslepende thriller over schuld, belofte en doorzettingsvermogen. Het boek laat zien dat het verleden je altijd kan inhalen en stelt de vraag: hoe ver zou jij gaan om een belofte na te komen? 📖
February 14, 2026
8,5/10 Cueste lo que cueste és una novel·la intensa i angoixant que demostra la capacitat de Paul Cleave per retratar la part més fosca de la naturalesa humana. Ambientada en un poble, gairebé un personatge més, amaga secrets profunds que alimenten una atmosfera opressiva i una sensació constant de perill.
Amb un estil directe i un ritme narratiu implacable, l’autor combina escenes de violència crua amb el seu característic humor negre i sardònic, creant un equilibri efectiu entre tensió i ironia. El resultat és una història fosca i absorbent que et manté atrapat fins a l’última pàgina.
Amb un estil directe i un ritme narratiu implacable, l’autor combina escenes de violència crua amb el seu característic humor negre i sardònic, creant un equilibri efectiu entre tensió i ironia. El resultat és una història fosca i absorbent que et manté atrapat fins a l’última pàgina.
March 8, 2025
Wauw wat een goede thriller!
November 19, 2019
Noah Harper travaille dans les services de police d’une petite ville imaginaire des États-Unis, Acacia Pines. « Dans cette partie du pays, la fin du monde pourrait avoir lieu, et à moins que quelqu’un annonce la nouvelle à Acacia Pines, aucun de nous ne le saurait. » Pour retrouver une petite file disparue, Alyssa, il ne néglige aucune piste…encore moins ses méthodes en matière d’interrogatoire. Si Alyssa est retrouvée, Noah est obligé de quitter la ville. Il y est devenu persona non grata et ses méthodes, disons musclées n’ont pas plu à tout le monde. Sauf que… quelques années plus tard, Alyssa disparaît à nouveau. Fort d’une promesse de protection faite à la petite qu’elle était alors, Noah revient dans cette ville qui l’a vu naître et le moins que l’on puisse dire c’est que certains de ses détracteurs l’attendent au tournant.
D’abord, il me faut vous dire que ce roman dégage une formidable énergie ! Si la scène d’entrée vous scotche dans votre fauteuil, le retour de Noah à Acacia Pines va vous scotcher au mur. Ce roman est digne d’un film d’action, intrigue menée tambour battant, rythme effréné, course-poursuite et chasse à l’homme, scènes de bagarres épiques, un héros posé là qui en prend plein la tête et se relève toujours… Un peu léger me direz-vous… Ça ne suffit effectivement pas pour en faire un bon livre, assez bon en tout cas pour susciter un réel engouement.
Or, il a provoqué chez moi un réel engouement ! D’abord, par la création d’une atmosphère. Cette petite ville, un peu coupée du monde, à laquelle on accède par une seule route, retranchée dans les petits secrets de ses habitants contribue grandement à générer l’ambiance anxiogène que j’affectionne. Il y a cette idée qu’on ne peut pas s’échapper, et que d’une certaine manière Paul Cleave vous emprisonne dans son livre. Ensuite, l’auteur crée un personnage central un peu atypique en partant de plusieurs questionnements phares : la fin justifie-t-elle les moyens ? Quelle est la valeur de la parole donnée ? Doit-on absolument creuser derrière les apparences ? Noah est un idéaliste, soucieux des promesses faites, qui n’hésite pas à franchir la ligne rouge à de nombreuses reprises, qui prend des coups et en donne. Cela le rend extrêmement attachant.
Ce roman défile à toute vitesse, les rencontres de Noah donnent la cadence, ses bleus sont le pouls du récit. Il y a également une forme de renoncement à l’idée qu’on se fait de soi-même pour protéger le bonheur d’autrui qui m’a réellement touchée. « En me comportant en monstre, je lui ai donné la chance d’avoir une belle vie ».
Si l’auteur aborde des thématiques sociétales très actuelles, comme la violence faite aux femmes qu’il abordait dans une récente interview, il en est une autre qu’il nous réserve pour la fin de son roman. Croyez-moi, je ne l’ai pas vue venir et elle clôt cette enquête de manière bluffante.
Si le titre français montre à quelle vitesse, une vie peut se transformer en « Cauchemar », le titre anglais est bien plus révélateur de l’ambiance du roman. « Whatever it takes », sous-entend bien que la morale risque fort d’être piétinée à des fins qui semblent plus louables. Quoi qu’il en coûte, une parole est une parole. Bien rare de nos jours…
Cauchemar est mon premier roman de Paul Cleave. Je n’ai donc aucun point de comparaison par rapport aux précédents. Je n’en ai pas réellement besoin pour me donner envie d’en savoir plus et découvrir cette plume dynamique, ou d’autres thématiques abordées par l’auteur. Une fabuleuse découverte que je vous engage vraiment à découvrir aussi. Pour moi « Whatever it takes » sonne comme une promesse de beaux moments de lecture à venir !
D’abord, il me faut vous dire que ce roman dégage une formidable énergie ! Si la scène d’entrée vous scotche dans votre fauteuil, le retour de Noah à Acacia Pines va vous scotcher au mur. Ce roman est digne d’un film d’action, intrigue menée tambour battant, rythme effréné, course-poursuite et chasse à l’homme, scènes de bagarres épiques, un héros posé là qui en prend plein la tête et se relève toujours… Un peu léger me direz-vous… Ça ne suffit effectivement pas pour en faire un bon livre, assez bon en tout cas pour susciter un réel engouement.
Or, il a provoqué chez moi un réel engouement ! D’abord, par la création d’une atmosphère. Cette petite ville, un peu coupée du monde, à laquelle on accède par une seule route, retranchée dans les petits secrets de ses habitants contribue grandement à générer l’ambiance anxiogène que j’affectionne. Il y a cette idée qu’on ne peut pas s’échapper, et que d’une certaine manière Paul Cleave vous emprisonne dans son livre. Ensuite, l’auteur crée un personnage central un peu atypique en partant de plusieurs questionnements phares : la fin justifie-t-elle les moyens ? Quelle est la valeur de la parole donnée ? Doit-on absolument creuser derrière les apparences ? Noah est un idéaliste, soucieux des promesses faites, qui n’hésite pas à franchir la ligne rouge à de nombreuses reprises, qui prend des coups et en donne. Cela le rend extrêmement attachant.
Ce roman défile à toute vitesse, les rencontres de Noah donnent la cadence, ses bleus sont le pouls du récit. Il y a également une forme de renoncement à l’idée qu’on se fait de soi-même pour protéger le bonheur d’autrui qui m’a réellement touchée. « En me comportant en monstre, je lui ai donné la chance d’avoir une belle vie ».
Si l’auteur aborde des thématiques sociétales très actuelles, comme la violence faite aux femmes qu’il abordait dans une récente interview, il en est une autre qu’il nous réserve pour la fin de son roman. Croyez-moi, je ne l’ai pas vue venir et elle clôt cette enquête de manière bluffante.
Si le titre français montre à quelle vitesse, une vie peut se transformer en « Cauchemar », le titre anglais est bien plus révélateur de l’ambiance du roman. « Whatever it takes », sous-entend bien que la morale risque fort d’être piétinée à des fins qui semblent plus louables. Quoi qu’il en coûte, une parole est une parole. Bien rare de nos jours…
Cauchemar est mon premier roman de Paul Cleave. Je n’ai donc aucun point de comparaison par rapport aux précédents. Je n’en ai pas réellement besoin pour me donner envie d’en savoir plus et découvrir cette plume dynamique, ou d’autres thématiques abordées par l’auteur. Une fabuleuse découverte que je vous engage vraiment à découvrir aussi. Pour moi « Whatever it takes » sonne comme une promesse de beaux moments de lecture à venir !
April 22, 2020
Paul Cleave revient avec un nouveau personnage, Noah Harper, un nouveau lieu, Acacia Pines (exit Christchurch), et une nouvelle intrigue menée à 100 à l’heure qui va nous enchaîner à son bouquin.
Une petite fille de 7 ans, Alyssa Stone, a mystérieusement disparu. Noah, flic de son état, est chargé de l’enquête. Le principal suspect n’étant autre que le fils du shérif, et par la même occasion, intouchable, Noah ne va rien trouver de mieux que de le torturer pour obtenir des aveux.
Douze ans plus tard…Noah, limogé de la police suite à l’affaire Alyssa, a divorcé, quitté la ville et ouvert un bar. Sauf que…Maggie, son ex-femme, lui téléphone pour lui signaler la disparition d’Alyssa (une fois de plus). Voilà Noah de retour à Acacia Pines, face à ses fantômes et ses ennemis boostés de rancœur. Et là, tout dérape.
Un roman qui commence (un peu), comme une promenade tranquille, et qui, au détour d’un virage (oups, d’une page), se transforme en véritable circuit de formule 1. Cardiaques fuyez, et pour les autres, attachez vos ceintures et accrochez-vous.
Un rythme de fou, des rebondissements à la pelle, un personnage têtu, voire même buté, pour notre plus grand bonheur.
C’est Noah qui nous raconte son histoire, nous permettant une immersion totale et définitive. Son caractère est détaillé à l’extrême, comme tous les personnages de Paul. J’ai adoré son côté rentre dedans, on ne peut pas dire qu’il prenne des pincettes. Cela lui a valu de frôler la mort à plusieurs reprises, mais il s’en est toujours sorti. Et au petit jeu du « C’était lui ou moi », il sort grand vainqueur, inutile donc de vous préciser qu’il sème les cadavres. Nous avons donc là un thriller d’action, le lecteur craint que le livre ne lui explose à la figure à chaque chapitre.
Les personnages secondaires sont loin d’être ce que l’on peut croire. Acacia Pines est le cliché de la petite ville américaine où tout le monde se connait mais où chacun dissimule farouchement ses petits ou gros secrets et n’hésite pas à sortir une arme pour se faire respecter. Et Noah va donner un grand coup de pied dans cette fourmilière.
Paul nous pousse à la réflexion avec des sujets graves comme celui des violences conjugales. On ne peut pas s’empêcher de frémir, de se dire qu’il a tout à fait raison. Et perdre aussi l’espoir concernant la vraie nature des Hommes, pourris jusqu’à l’os.
La fin est grandiose, et le dernier petit sursaut m’a fait sourire. Paul est un bon, très bon ! La petite phrase qui remet tout en cause. Il s’est bien joué de nous, pauvres lecteurs qui avons tenté de suivre sa course folle.
Il nous a promis de revenir à Acacia Pines, j’espère y retrouver Noah ! Car j’y serai, sans hésitation !
#cauchemar #PaulCleave
Une petite fille de 7 ans, Alyssa Stone, a mystérieusement disparu. Noah, flic de son état, est chargé de l’enquête. Le principal suspect n’étant autre que le fils du shérif, et par la même occasion, intouchable, Noah ne va rien trouver de mieux que de le torturer pour obtenir des aveux.
Douze ans plus tard…Noah, limogé de la police suite à l’affaire Alyssa, a divorcé, quitté la ville et ouvert un bar. Sauf que…Maggie, son ex-femme, lui téléphone pour lui signaler la disparition d’Alyssa (une fois de plus). Voilà Noah de retour à Acacia Pines, face à ses fantômes et ses ennemis boostés de rancœur. Et là, tout dérape.
Un roman qui commence (un peu), comme une promenade tranquille, et qui, au détour d’un virage (oups, d’une page), se transforme en véritable circuit de formule 1. Cardiaques fuyez, et pour les autres, attachez vos ceintures et accrochez-vous.
Un rythme de fou, des rebondissements à la pelle, un personnage têtu, voire même buté, pour notre plus grand bonheur.
C’est Noah qui nous raconte son histoire, nous permettant une immersion totale et définitive. Son caractère est détaillé à l’extrême, comme tous les personnages de Paul. J’ai adoré son côté rentre dedans, on ne peut pas dire qu’il prenne des pincettes. Cela lui a valu de frôler la mort à plusieurs reprises, mais il s’en est toujours sorti. Et au petit jeu du « C’était lui ou moi », il sort grand vainqueur, inutile donc de vous préciser qu’il sème les cadavres. Nous avons donc là un thriller d’action, le lecteur craint que le livre ne lui explose à la figure à chaque chapitre.
Les personnages secondaires sont loin d’être ce que l’on peut croire. Acacia Pines est le cliché de la petite ville américaine où tout le monde se connait mais où chacun dissimule farouchement ses petits ou gros secrets et n’hésite pas à sortir une arme pour se faire respecter. Et Noah va donner un grand coup de pied dans cette fourmilière.
Paul nous pousse à la réflexion avec des sujets graves comme celui des violences conjugales. On ne peut pas s’empêcher de frémir, de se dire qu’il a tout à fait raison. Et perdre aussi l’espoir concernant la vraie nature des Hommes, pourris jusqu’à l’os.
La fin est grandiose, et le dernier petit sursaut m’a fait sourire. Paul est un bon, très bon ! La petite phrase qui remet tout en cause. Il s’est bien joué de nous, pauvres lecteurs qui avons tenté de suivre sa course folle.
Il nous a promis de revenir à Acacia Pines, j’espère y retrouver Noah ! Car j’y serai, sans hésitation !
#cauchemar #PaulCleave
January 14, 2022
This has got to be one of the most action-packed, tension-filled, spine-chilling, creepy stories I've ever read. Let me clarify that first bit. The action may not be constant, exactly - the protagonist spends a fair bit of time in his own head - but when action is promised... Man, does it deliver! If there's a sequel to this, Noah Harper, the protagonist, will probably turn out to be a Terminator or something, because he should probably be dead long before the end of the book... In fact, we should all just replace Chuck Norris's name in all those jokes about him - eg. Death once had a near-Noah Harper experience...
Paul Cleave has, in my mind, one of the most vivid imaginations of any author I know. Whether it's the sounds, sights and smells resulting from injuries; characters' emotions, relationships and experiences; or the description of the small country town surroundings, I had no trouble having a clear picture in my head of what it was like. On that note, I hope I never taste blood in my mouth again - rememberin PC's descriptions will do me for life! While I wouldn't call his writing style "light-hearted", I thought PC's tone here had a great, very dry humourous tone at times, which I loved.
I'm honestly struggling to find any negatives here. Even as an obviously flawed protagonist (which isn't a negative in itself), I didn't find Noah Harper as difficult to find fault with as some readers, and certainly those he interacted with, did. Given the circumstances, they're probably lucky he didn't upset them more than he did. Every time another character questioned why he did something... questionable... I found myself on his side more often than not. I wouldn't follow his footsteps necessarily, but he would have lost either way, most of the time. Make of that what you will!
This being my first taste of Paul Cleave's work, I'll certainly be back for more!
Paul Cleave has, in my mind, one of the most vivid imaginations of any author I know. Whether it's the sounds, sights and smells resulting from injuries; characters' emotions, relationships and experiences; or the description of the small country town surroundings, I had no trouble having a clear picture in my head of what it was like. On that note, I hope I never taste blood in my mouth again - rememberin PC's descriptions will do me for life! While I wouldn't call his writing style "light-hearted", I thought PC's tone here had a great, very dry humourous tone at times, which I loved.
I'm honestly struggling to find any negatives here. Even as an obviously flawed protagonist (which isn't a negative in itself), I didn't find Noah Harper as difficult to find fault with as some readers, and certainly those he interacted with, did. Given the circumstances, they're probably lucky he didn't upset them more than he did. Every time another character questioned why he did something... questionable... I found myself on his side more often than not. I wouldn't follow his footsteps necessarily, but he would have lost either way, most of the time. Make of that what you will!
This being my first taste of Paul Cleave's work, I'll certainly be back for more!
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