בית פתוח

by ויליאם כץ

A competently written thriller that is entertaining light reading. It concerns a New York City Police detective, Leonard Anthony Karlov pursuing a psychotic killer, a man who, as a result of his Russian heritage, harbors a deep fear of policemen-even though he is one. He is after a serial killer who gains entrance into the Upper West Side apartments of young women by disguising himself as a repairman then kills them and leaves papier-mâché' models of Venetian gondolas next to their heads, pointing west. Karlov soon learns that the gondolas were made to decorate a senior prom at a high school in Winnetka, Illinois, and were stolen on the night of the prom some 20 years before; he bases his investigation, therefore, on finding someone who holds a 20-year-old grudge connected with that prom. Katz builds suspense by writing alternately from the points of view of the killer, the detective, and an intended victim. Although the reader begins to care more about the victim than about the others, and becomes convinced increasingly of the killer's madness and Karlov's mere cleverness, the tension does build as these three characters' paths gradually converge.

Genres: Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Martina☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thriller scritto verso la fine degli anni Ottanta. Godibile ma, ahimè, invecchiato malissimo 😕

[Dolceluna ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al tempo in cui lo lessi ero un'adolescente avida e curiosa del genere thriller, genere del quale avevo letto pochissimo. Mi piacque, e molto, tant'è anche ancora oggi ne ricordo il ritmo spedito, una bella spruzzata di suspense in ogni capitolo e una trama avvincente...la copertina e il titolo italiano, poi, furono una calamita per l'io-lettrice adolescente, e forse lo sarebbero ancora oggi. Ma francamente non so dire se oggi, dopo le varie letture fatte nel genere e gli innumerevoli autori scoperti, lo apprezzerei allo stesso modo. Mi attengo al ricordo positivo che ho.

[WORDMAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I read about a month ago, and it’s been hanging around, I suppose, to garner some attention before retiring to its proper shelf. This was an okay story. One of those that can be read through without having to think too much. Light entertainment even though the story-line is dark. Keep in mind that this crime drama is set in the 1980s so putting aside your 2015 attitude is essential for your reading pleasure.

A rash of murders with no traceable clues; a detective assigned to find the murderer whom, it appears, all the victims knew; and a young woman who begins receiving anonymous gifts in the mail …

This page turner, even though the reader sees early-on what the author is up to, is suspenseful at every turn. The story unfolds through the voices of the three main characters: the killer; the detective; and the young woman who has caught the killer’s attention.

Enjoyable thriller.

[Patty_pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un uomo uccide giovani donne che vivono sole in appartamenti di loro proprietà e lascia come macabro ricordo una gondola di cartapesta. New York comincia ad aver paura e il detective incaricato delle indagini Leonard Karlov, di origini russe trema al pensiero di non fare in tempo a risolvere gli omicidi prima che quest'uomo colpisca ancora. Un thriller che risente del tempo. E' stato scritto negli anni 80 e sembra alquanto anacronistico leggerlo adesso. Le affermazioni delle donne e le prese di posizione dei poliziotti, degli uomini in generale, sembrano “politically correct” per non scontentare oppure offendere il “gentil sesso”. Tant'è vero che la soluzione la trovano delle donne poliziotto che però danno il merito al detective incaricato che se ne fregia con orgoglio. Per la parte thriller, devo ammettere che mi è piaciuta: ben congegnata e abbastanza complicata da rendere necessario l'utilizzo dell'intelligenza! Tuttavia non si merita più di tre stelline su cinque.

[Elisa Schiorlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

L'ispettore Karlov viene incaricato di indagare sulla morte di alcune giovani e belle ragazze che vivono a ;anhattan,
I casi hanno in comune anche la modalità della morte infatti sono state tutte uccise con un colpo al cuore provocato da un oggetto appuntito e una hondola di cartaesta trovata accanto ai corpi.

Piacevole, si legge velocemente e intrattiene abbastanza.

[Sara Six · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un thriller piacevole e scorrevole da leggere, ma non eclatante. Tuttavia, riesce a intrattenere e a suscitare ogni tanto un po' di suspence! Consiglio a chi cerca una lettura non impegnativa, di poche pagine (circa 200). Perfetto da leggere magari in viaggio o al mare, o comunque per chi cerca qualcosa da leggere quasi tutto di un fiato.

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent crime story. I liked the thought process of Detective Karlov. The descriptions of 1980s New York City were also interesting.

[Lucie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, well written, interesting story

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throw back suspense story from 1985. Fast read… Kept my interest… Serial killer/cop storyline.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A serial killer is loose in the city, and the team is after him.

Very 1980's. You can almost see the neon clothes.

[m_salvatoree · Rating 5 out of 5]

une bonne histoire avec une bonne intrigue qui va jusqu'au bout du livre, on ne s'ennuie pas. On est à la fois dans la peau des victimes, de l'assassin et de l'inspecteur.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have owned this book for years and recently reread it in an effort to purge the stash a bit. Although the style seems a bit dated the overall story is great and keeps you guessing. This is one I'll always hang onto for times I want a quick read.

[Marianne V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un roman policier assez convenu, l'issue était prévisible dès le premier quart du livre. Mais c'est pas trop mal écrit et on souhaite quand même comprendre comment l'inspecteur va trouver comme le tueur s'y prend (ce que le lecteur sait depuis le début puisque ce n'est pas un "who dunnit").

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good murder mystery.

[Jen Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Older book, but I enjoy reading crime stories from back when computers weren't able to do so much of the research work for detectives.

[Andrea M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

thrilling fast read. not bad for a short novel. Id recommend this to people who like mysteries and suspense. It was the first book I read of its kind, and I must say that I was not disappointed.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

New York

[Lyne Fortier · Rating 3 out of 5]

as always very good suspense

[Joan Ridge]

This was a quick read, it only has 180 pages but I was surprised as it was a really good mystery. I enjoyed it.