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Seamus Moynihan #1
Toxic: Der Biss - Das Feuer - Die Hölle
A second-generation homicide cop, ex-Major League baseball player, beleagured but loving father, heart-worn womanizer and renowned investigator, Seamus Moynihan figures after sixteen years on the job he’s already witnessed the worst kind of violence humans can visit upon another.
Then he’s summoned to a crime scene where the victim, a naked man, has been tied to a bed then assaulted with North America’s deadliest pit viper: an eastern diamondback rattlesnake.
Aided by a team of crack detectives, Moynihan enters a deadly world of twisted eroticism, hot herpetology, fanatical spiritual cults and ultimately the oldest mystery in the Bible, a riddle that has frustrated religious scholars for centuries: Who was the second woman, the enigmatic wife of Cain?
Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
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398 people want to read
About the author
Mark T. Sullivan
38 books4,323 followersMark T. Sullivan (b. 1958) is an author of thrillers. Born in a Boston suburb, he joined the Peace Corp after college, traveling to West Africa to live with a tribe of Saharan nomads. Upon returning to the United States, he took a job at Reuters, beginning a decade-long career in journalism that would eventually lead to a job as an investigative reporter for the San Diego Tribune.
Sullivan spent the winter of 1990 living with a group of skiers in Utah and Wyoming, and used the experience as the foundation for his first novel, The Fall Line (1994). In 1995 he published Hard News, a thriller based on his work as a reporter, and a year later he released The Purification Ceremony, which won the WH Smith Award for Best New Talent. His most recent work is Private Games (2012), which he co-authored with James Patterson. Sullivan lives with his family in Montana, where he skis, hunts, and practices martial arts.
Sullivan spent the winter of 1990 living with a group of skiers in Utah and Wyoming, and used the experience as the foundation for his first novel, The Fall Line (1994). In 1995 he published Hard News, a thriller based on his work as a reporter, and a year later he released The Purification Ceremony, which won the WH Smith Award for Best New Talent. His most recent work is Private Games (2012), which he co-authored with James Patterson. Sullivan lives with his family in Montana, where he skis, hunts, and practices martial arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 23, 2024
Zäher Anfang.... dann aber, gegen Mitte des Buches wird es richtig spannend.
Und erst gegen Ende wird klar, wer der Täter wirklich ist. Ich war überrascht..
Und erst gegen Ende wird klar, wer der Täter wirklich ist. Ich war überrascht..
April 27, 2019
Another intriguing story by a fine story teller. My 1st Mark Sullivan book was his latest, Beneath a Scarlet Sky. For me, that was a 5* novel. His 'The Fall Line' was ok. His Robin Monarch series of 3 novels was excellent.
The Serpent's Kiss is a simple, yet complex, story: Simple, in its basic plot of a detective, burdened by divorce and lack of contact with young son, who attempts to solve the strange murders of folks who had received poisonous snake bites while tied naked to a bed; complex in the biblical explanations of these murders and the characters involved. It is definitely not a story where the reader figures out the killer before the detective does!
It was difficult for me to put this book down before finishing it. Sullivan's style of writing, his many interesting and/or strange characters (some likeable, some not), and his involved plot are all top notch. The plot has humor, pathos, and emotion.
Detective Seamus Moynihan was a major-league player (injured early in his career) with a devoted cop father who died at an early age. He then becomes a San Diego policeman (honoring his father), marries, has a son, and gets divorced. He is a dedicated policeman, well-liked by his team, with the exception of one superior, but his haunted by his Dad's death and the fact that he hasn't been able to devote the time to his son that his Dad had to him. "I realized that my entire life had been a midlife crisis. I'd played major league baseball, been a cop, drove a penismobile, lived on a boat. For whatever reason, my marriage had sunk under the weight of my indiscretions. My relationship with my son was more of an uneasy friendship than a guiding hand."
The grizzly murders Moynihan and his fellow officers set out to solve are bizarre in nature. Biblical passages are left at the scenes. This eventually leads Moynihan to flying to the Bible Belt where he gets involved with a Christian sect that uses poisonous snakes in their rituals.
Also involved in the story is a Steve Irwin type character from Australia who has a TV show as well as a San Diego Zoo show featuring poisonous snakes. WOW!
The Serpent's Kiss is a simple, yet complex, story: Simple, in its basic plot of a detective, burdened by divorce and lack of contact with young son, who attempts to solve the strange murders of folks who had received poisonous snake bites while tied naked to a bed; complex in the biblical explanations of these murders and the characters involved. It is definitely not a story where the reader figures out the killer before the detective does!
It was difficult for me to put this book down before finishing it. Sullivan's style of writing, his many interesting and/or strange characters (some likeable, some not), and his involved plot are all top notch. The plot has humor, pathos, and emotion.
Detective Seamus Moynihan was a major-league player (injured early in his career) with a devoted cop father who died at an early age. He then becomes a San Diego policeman (honoring his father), marries, has a son, and gets divorced. He is a dedicated policeman, well-liked by his team, with the exception of one superior, but his haunted by his Dad's death and the fact that he hasn't been able to devote the time to his son that his Dad had to him. "I realized that my entire life had been a midlife crisis. I'd played major league baseball, been a cop, drove a penismobile, lived on a boat. For whatever reason, my marriage had sunk under the weight of my indiscretions. My relationship with my son was more of an uneasy friendship than a guiding hand."
The grizzly murders Moynihan and his fellow officers set out to solve are bizarre in nature. Biblical passages are left at the scenes. This eventually leads Moynihan to flying to the Bible Belt where he gets involved with a Christian sect that uses poisonous snakes in their rituals.
Also involved in the story is a Steve Irwin type character from Australia who has a TV show as well as a San Diego Zoo show featuring poisonous snakes. WOW!
September 21, 2021
Wie aus dem Nichts erschüttert das friedliche San Diego eine Serie von ungewöhnlichen Sexualverbrechen. Zu den Opfern gehören nur Männer, welche in ihrem besten Alter nackt ans Bett gefesselt wurden. Dabei kam jeder der Männer aufgrund des Giftes einer tödlichen Schlange um. Als wäre dies nicht schlimm genug, hinterlässt der Täter an jedem Tatort eine Botschaft. Für den Fall wird der zuständige Detective der Stadt namens Seamus Moynihan gerufen. Dieser Fall ist für ihn einer der spektakulärsten. Er ist so fixiert auf den Fall, dass er nicht merkt, dass je mehr er die wahren Gründe des Killers kennt, desto gefährlicher wird es für ihn!
Zuerst fand ich an diesem Buch gelungen, dass Detective Moynihan in diesem Fall nicht nur auf seine alleinige Ermittlung gestellt ist, sodass er tatkräftige Unterstützung von weiteren Detectives sowie Kollegen erhält. Diese sind neben dem Protagonisten sehr sympathisch entworfen worden, wenn man in das Team nicht den Chef der Einheit hineinbezieht. Sonst ist Detective Moynihan in seiner Rolle gut eingesetzt worden, da er auch nicht dem 0815 Prinzip entspricht. Man hat somit auch genügend Einblicke in das Leben des Detectives erhalten.
Die Plotidee an sich finde ich zugleich brutal aber sehr interessant. Die Idee mit einer Giftschlange ist durch den Autor hervorragend umgesetzt worden, da es mal ein anderer Fall auch für mich als Leser war. So ist das Buch von der Spannung her auch gut entworfen worden, da genau an den Stellen wieder Spannung aufkommt, wenn die Geschichte wieder ein bisschen ruhiger wird. Hier muss auch gesagt werden, dass man den zähen Anfang durchstehen muss, da dieser im Vergleich zu dem Rest des Buches viel ruhiger ist! Zudem fand ich den Einsatz von Wendungen in diesem Buch sehr gelungen, da diese wirklich stark waren.
Fazit: Rundum ein gelungener Thriller für zwischendurch. Ich habe mit viel Interesse das Buch verfolgt, da mich der Fall sehr interessiert hat und dieses Buch sich von der Idee her von dem allgemeinen Thriller-Genre unterscheidet. 3,5 Sterne, Tendenz nach oben!
Zuerst fand ich an diesem Buch gelungen, dass Detective Moynihan in diesem Fall nicht nur auf seine alleinige Ermittlung gestellt ist, sodass er tatkräftige Unterstützung von weiteren Detectives sowie Kollegen erhält. Diese sind neben dem Protagonisten sehr sympathisch entworfen worden, wenn man in das Team nicht den Chef der Einheit hineinbezieht. Sonst ist Detective Moynihan in seiner Rolle gut eingesetzt worden, da er auch nicht dem 0815 Prinzip entspricht. Man hat somit auch genügend Einblicke in das Leben des Detectives erhalten.
Die Plotidee an sich finde ich zugleich brutal aber sehr interessant. Die Idee mit einer Giftschlange ist durch den Autor hervorragend umgesetzt worden, da es mal ein anderer Fall auch für mich als Leser war. So ist das Buch von der Spannung her auch gut entworfen worden, da genau an den Stellen wieder Spannung aufkommt, wenn die Geschichte wieder ein bisschen ruhiger wird. Hier muss auch gesagt werden, dass man den zähen Anfang durchstehen muss, da dieser im Vergleich zu dem Rest des Buches viel ruhiger ist! Zudem fand ich den Einsatz von Wendungen in diesem Buch sehr gelungen, da diese wirklich stark waren.
Fazit: Rundum ein gelungener Thriller für zwischendurch. Ich habe mit viel Interesse das Buch verfolgt, da mich der Fall sehr interessiert hat und dieses Buch sich von der Idee her von dem allgemeinen Thriller-Genre unterscheidet. 3,5 Sterne, Tendenz nach oben!
February 15, 2012
I listened to the German audiobook version called 'Toxic', and it turned out to be a solid thriller. A series of religiously and sexually motivated murders has to be figured out by a token figure of the genre: a slightly disgruntled, divorced detective and weekend dad who, to my joy, is less sardonic and depressed than nowadays exemplaries of the species.
The plot was plausible, the religious science involved interesting, and snakes as a murder weapon unusual and interesting. Snake fans will cry out at the demonization of these fascinating animals, though. And those balking at sexual content might want to walk the other way. Neither was a problem for me.
The story is told as a 1st person narrative through the eyes of Detective Sergeant Seamus Moynihan, giving TOXIC a grounded, no-fuss, recognizably male voice. No literary flourish in this one,and it isn't needed.
Some of the characters are a little clichéd, but there is enough depth in the main cast to raise TOXIC above superficiality.
The German narrator, Wolfram Koch, drove me crazy with his mispronunciations of first names, above all 'Seamus' and 'Jorge'. I flinched every time. But that's a pet peeve of mine and doesn't have to vex anyone but me.
All in all, a really solid thriller.
For my reviews in German, go to: http://www.buchstapelweise.wordpress.com
The plot was plausible, the religious science involved interesting, and snakes as a murder weapon unusual and interesting. Snake fans will cry out at the demonization of these fascinating animals, though. And those balking at sexual content might want to walk the other way. Neither was a problem for me.
The story is told as a 1st person narrative through the eyes of Detective Sergeant Seamus Moynihan, giving TOXIC a grounded, no-fuss, recognizably male voice. No literary flourish in this one,and it isn't needed.
Some of the characters are a little clichéd, but there is enough depth in the main cast to raise TOXIC above superficiality.
The German narrator, Wolfram Koch, drove me crazy with his mispronunciations of first names, above all 'Seamus' and 'Jorge'. I flinched every time. But that's a pet peeve of mine and doesn't have to vex anyone but me.
All in all, a really solid thriller.
For my reviews in German, go to: http://www.buchstapelweise.wordpress.com
August 5, 2021
Seamus “Shay” Moynihan ist die Hauptfigur in dem Thriller “Toxic” von Mark Sullivan, der zum ersten Mal 2012 in Deutschland veröffentlicht wurde. Seines Zeichens Ermittler bei der Polizei von San Diego führt er selbstverständlich kein normales Polizisten-Leben, sondern darf auf ein für Thriller und Krimis fast schon obligatorisches schwieriges Privatleben schauen.
Er ist nicht nur geschieden und kämpft um ein besseres Verhältnis zu seinem Sohn (was natürlich nicht klappt), sondern er bietet noch eine traumatische Vergangenheit und hat zudem einen Chef, der ihn gern provoziert. Wem sich jetzt schon die Fußnägel kräuseln, der sollte Abstand von diesem Thriller nehmen, denn das Leben des Ermittlers ist nicht der einzige Handlungsstrang, der ein wenig übertrieben konstruiert wirkt.
Leser, die derartige Stilmittel nicht abschreckt, dürfen sich auf einen spannenden Thriller freuen, denn Sullivan schafft es durchaus, eine enorme Spannung zu erzeugen. Unter anderem wechselt er gerne die Erzählperspektiven, so dass der Leser nicht nur nahe beim Ermittler ist, sondern auch die Qualen der Mordopfer miterleben kann (und muss). Dabei bedient er sich einer sehr umgangssprachlichen Ausdrucksweise, wodurch das Buch sehr kurzweilig wird. Ein Thriller, den der geneigte Leser gut an einem Wochenende durchgelesen hat.
Fazit
Wen es nicht stört, dass Story und Figuren in diesem Thriller ein wenig konstruiert und wie an Haaren herbeigezogen wirken, der erhält einen sehr rasanten und actionreichen Thriller mit wenig Anspruch an Logik und Authentizität. Es hat aber durchaus seinen Reiz, auch solche Thriller zu lesen, denn Sullivan versteht sein Handwerk und weiß den Leser dennoch an sein Werk zu binden. Für Genrefans sicherlich eine Empfehlung wert.
Er ist nicht nur geschieden und kämpft um ein besseres Verhältnis zu seinem Sohn (was natürlich nicht klappt), sondern er bietet noch eine traumatische Vergangenheit und hat zudem einen Chef, der ihn gern provoziert. Wem sich jetzt schon die Fußnägel kräuseln, der sollte Abstand von diesem Thriller nehmen, denn das Leben des Ermittlers ist nicht der einzige Handlungsstrang, der ein wenig übertrieben konstruiert wirkt.
Leser, die derartige Stilmittel nicht abschreckt, dürfen sich auf einen spannenden Thriller freuen, denn Sullivan schafft es durchaus, eine enorme Spannung zu erzeugen. Unter anderem wechselt er gerne die Erzählperspektiven, so dass der Leser nicht nur nahe beim Ermittler ist, sondern auch die Qualen der Mordopfer miterleben kann (und muss). Dabei bedient er sich einer sehr umgangssprachlichen Ausdrucksweise, wodurch das Buch sehr kurzweilig wird. Ein Thriller, den der geneigte Leser gut an einem Wochenende durchgelesen hat.
Fazit
Wen es nicht stört, dass Story und Figuren in diesem Thriller ein wenig konstruiert und wie an Haaren herbeigezogen wirken, der erhält einen sehr rasanten und actionreichen Thriller mit wenig Anspruch an Logik und Authentizität. Es hat aber durchaus seinen Reiz, auch solche Thriller zu lesen, denn Sullivan versteht sein Handwerk und weiß den Leser dennoch an sein Werk zu binden. Für Genrefans sicherlich eine Empfehlung wert.
May 26, 2025
Ganz fürchterlicher Schreibstil in der ersten Person aus Sicht des Kriminalermittlers. Insofern klingt das Buch wie wörtliche Rede im flapsigen Polizeichargon. Sein Chef ist z.B. „der Arsch mit Ohren“ und zwar durchgängig bis zum Ende. Das soll wohl alles locker-amerikanisch klingen, aber so ist es für mich Schund der schlechtesten Art. Und natürlich ist es brutal und sexistisch in übelster Form.
Um den perversen Sexritualmörder eine Falle zu stellen, meldet sich das komplette Ermittlerteam beiderlei Geschlechts auf Gruppensexseiten im Internet an und bieten unter vermeintlich witzigen Usernames ihre Dienste an. Das finden natürlich alle besonders spaßig mit einem Haufen kindischen Frotzeleien. Das ist wirklich zum Augenrollen klischeehaft.
Teils hab ich nur noch quergelesen, um die Auflösung mitzubekommen.
Um den perversen Sexritualmörder eine Falle zu stellen, meldet sich das komplette Ermittlerteam beiderlei Geschlechts auf Gruppensexseiten im Internet an und bieten unter vermeintlich witzigen Usernames ihre Dienste an. Das finden natürlich alle besonders spaßig mit einem Haufen kindischen Frotzeleien. Das ist wirklich zum Augenrollen klischeehaft.
Teils hab ich nur noch quergelesen, um die Auflösung mitzubekommen.
February 8, 2021
Ein Buch, das einen von der 1. bis zur letzten Seite nicht ruhen lässt!
Den Ermittlungen von Shay Moynihan zu folgen und auch die Aspekte seines Privatlebens mitzuerleben, ist als würde man einem Film beiwohnen.
Dieser Autor verdient Aufmerksamkeit und ich hoffe seine weiteren Werke mit Seargent Moynihan werden auf Deutsch übersetzt!!!
Den Ermittlungen von Shay Moynihan zu folgen und auch die Aspekte seines Privatlebens mitzuerleben, ist als würde man einem Film beiwohnen.
Dieser Autor verdient Aufmerksamkeit und ich hoffe seine weiteren Werke mit Seargent Moynihan werden auf Deutsch übersetzt!!!
November 2, 2025
Got the audiobook for free at the library and needed sonething to sew along.
After CD1 it was super obvious who the murderer is and the only description of women in it was objectifying and the main character was super boring and bland.
The only surprising thing was the motive of the murderer for me.
After CD1 it was super obvious who the murderer is and the only description of women in it was objectifying and the main character was super boring and bland.
The only surprising thing was the motive of the murderer for me.
April 23, 2020
Very very catching. I couldn't stop reading. Very interesting and I loved it!
January 2, 2024
Intriguing.
October 4, 2025
Spannend bis zum Schluss
December 23, 2023
Durchschnittlich, eher langweilig, gutes Ende 🙂
January 4, 2015
RATING: 3.25
Seamus "Shay" Moynihan is a second-generation cop working for the police department in San Diego, California. During the course of his career, he's viewed many dead bodies. Generally, the motivations of the killers fall into predictable categories—financial, emotional and so forth. But his latest case has him baffled on several counts. The first victim is found tied to a bed and at first, the signs look like he may have died from the Ebola virus. However, as it turns out, the real cause of death is that he was bitten by a snake, not once but three times, each bite occurring over the period of a few hours and in different areas of the body. In addition, a green apple is left in the mouth of the victim. What at first appears to be the act of a sexual deviant takes on a new light when a message is discovered on the bathroom mirror: Joy unspeakable to be holding death in your hands. A week later, there is another victim, then another, all dying from snake bites and each scene containing a new message, the latter two with quotes from the Bible.
What Shay appears to be dealing with is a perpetrator who is able to handle deadly snakes with ease, who is able to attract the victims to a sexual rendezvous and who may be acting as the result of some religious conviction. These murders seem archetypically evil, with the purpose being to induce abject terror into the victim as the snake venom courses through their systems. Shay follows a lot of dead ends and finally calls on a herpetologist (snake expert) and a Biblical scholar to help make sense of the case. The trail leads him to a fundamentalist sect located in rural Alabama. What he sees there is a chilling confirmation of the conclusions he has drawn about the killer and leads to a devastating showdown.
This book was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I had a hard time dealing with the old cliché of the cop who was so busy professionally that he did not have time to spend with his son, who was living with his ex-wife. However, Shay seemed to have plenty of time to devote to the female love interest. Another cliché had to do with his father's terrible death in his youth, which he is still struggling to accept. I also found that my credulity was stretched as to the snake bites, who survived them and who didn't, and a plot line having to do with the scent of a particular cologne. The resolution provided a few eye-rolling moments for me as well.
On the other hand, I found the premise to be unique and the revelations behind the religious aspects of the murders to be very interesting, particularly as to what role the snakes played. Sullivan excelled at building suspense, immersing the reader into the setting and ratcheting up the danger meter. His depiction of the Alabama setting was perfectly rendered—I felt as though I were there.
Seamus "Shay" Moynihan is a second-generation cop working for the police department in San Diego, California. During the course of his career, he's viewed many dead bodies. Generally, the motivations of the killers fall into predictable categories—financial, emotional and so forth. But his latest case has him baffled on several counts. The first victim is found tied to a bed and at first, the signs look like he may have died from the Ebola virus. However, as it turns out, the real cause of death is that he was bitten by a snake, not once but three times, each bite occurring over the period of a few hours and in different areas of the body. In addition, a green apple is left in the mouth of the victim. What at first appears to be the act of a sexual deviant takes on a new light when a message is discovered on the bathroom mirror: Joy unspeakable to be holding death in your hands. A week later, there is another victim, then another, all dying from snake bites and each scene containing a new message, the latter two with quotes from the Bible.
What Shay appears to be dealing with is a perpetrator who is able to handle deadly snakes with ease, who is able to attract the victims to a sexual rendezvous and who may be acting as the result of some religious conviction. These murders seem archetypically evil, with the purpose being to induce abject terror into the victim as the snake venom courses through their systems. Shay follows a lot of dead ends and finally calls on a herpetologist (snake expert) and a Biblical scholar to help make sense of the case. The trail leads him to a fundamentalist sect located in rural Alabama. What he sees there is a chilling confirmation of the conclusions he has drawn about the killer and leads to a devastating showdown.
This book was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I had a hard time dealing with the old cliché of the cop who was so busy professionally that he did not have time to spend with his son, who was living with his ex-wife. However, Shay seemed to have plenty of time to devote to the female love interest. Another cliché had to do with his father's terrible death in his youth, which he is still struggling to accept. I also found that my credulity was stretched as to the snake bites, who survived them and who didn't, and a plot line having to do with the scent of a particular cologne. The resolution provided a few eye-rolling moments for me as well.
On the other hand, I found the premise to be unique and the revelations behind the religious aspects of the murders to be very interesting, particularly as to what role the snakes played. Sullivan excelled at building suspense, immersing the reader into the setting and ratcheting up the danger meter. His depiction of the Alabama setting was perfectly rendered—I felt as though I were there.
August 2, 2012
Overall, I found this book to be just too much. Too much description, too much violence, too much over-the-top behaviour by almost all the characters, too much drama. Just too much. It was overwhelming to the point of exhaustion.
When San Diego homicide detective Seamus Moynihan is called to investigate a murder victim who appears to have been killed by repeatedly being bitten by a poisonous snake, he and his entire team aren't sure what to make of it.
As the case develops, Seamus's own personal problems - a contentious relationship with his ex-wife and son, a dislike for his superior at work which is mutual, and a chip on his shoulder about all of it - begin to compete with his attention on investigating and solving the murders.
It soon becomes apparent that there is a seriously deranged killer, possibly killers doing some seriously weird stuff, and Seamus and his team can't seem to figure it all out.
If I hadn't known the author was a man, I could have guessed it from the way the book is written. There is a focus on the most violent, gritty and aggressive ways to describe everything in this book, which I found excessive, even taking into consideration the nature of the plot. I'm willing to accept that this just may not have been the book for my sensibilities, although I've read lots of different types of murder mysteries and think I'm pretty open to different approaches. But this one just felt tiring and heavy-handed. I finished it, and it was certainly a very creative story, as well as well told, but I can't say I enjoyed it.
When San Diego homicide detective Seamus Moynihan is called to investigate a murder victim who appears to have been killed by repeatedly being bitten by a poisonous snake, he and his entire team aren't sure what to make of it.
As the case develops, Seamus's own personal problems - a contentious relationship with his ex-wife and son, a dislike for his superior at work which is mutual, and a chip on his shoulder about all of it - begin to compete with his attention on investigating and solving the murders.
It soon becomes apparent that there is a seriously deranged killer, possibly killers doing some seriously weird stuff, and Seamus and his team can't seem to figure it all out.
If I hadn't known the author was a man, I could have guessed it from the way the book is written. There is a focus on the most violent, gritty and aggressive ways to describe everything in this book, which I found excessive, even taking into consideration the nature of the plot. I'm willing to accept that this just may not have been the book for my sensibilities, although I've read lots of different types of murder mysteries and think I'm pretty open to different approaches. But this one just felt tiring and heavy-handed. I finished it, and it was certainly a very creative story, as well as well told, but I can't say I enjoyed it.
April 24, 2011
I'm rating it one star because if I don't rate it, it'll look like I forgot. I DID NOT like this book! The horrible writing had me rolling my eyes in several spots, it was predictable and we yet again have to follow a tortured boring and horny male cop who is the 'hero' of the novel. The alliteration and metaphors killed me. One of the most disappointing books I've read. I'll give the author another shot if there is any other book that doesn't feature Seamus Moynihan only because I found the biblical reference to Lilith slightly interesting.
February 13, 2012
It's been a while since I've read this book, so the details aren't fresh on my mind- but I did want to leave a comment.
The story-telling was really well done, and the twists of the story were very memorable. I also enjoyed how Sullivan presents the biblical Lilith mythology and especially how he uses it to define and add depth to the antagonist.
The protagonist is a bit cliched but that's easily ignored once you're in the thick of the mystery. All in all it was super entertaining, and completely engrossing. I had a hard time putting it down.
The story-telling was really well done, and the twists of the story were very memorable. I also enjoyed how Sullivan presents the biblical Lilith mythology and especially how he uses it to define and add depth to the antagonist.
The protagonist is a bit cliched but that's easily ignored once you're in the thick of the mystery. All in all it was super entertaining, and completely engrossing. I had a hard time putting it down.
April 25, 2015
So, nun ist es gelesen und was soll ich sagen...
Es ist ein recht verstörender Psycho-Thriller der recht schwer beginnt, aber dann rasant Fahrt aufnimmt.
Im Bereich der Theologie gibt es einige schwammige Aussagen, dies könnte aber auch an der Übersetzung liegen...
Das Ende ist jedoch UNBEFRIEDIGEND und unrealistisch, entweder ihre Persönlichkeit IST durch den Schlaganfall ausgelöscht (und so wurde es beschrieben) oder nicht (und SO gut schauspielern kann noch nicht mal Chuck Norris :P )
Es ist ein recht verstörender Psycho-Thriller der recht schwer beginnt, aber dann rasant Fahrt aufnimmt.
Im Bereich der Theologie gibt es einige schwammige Aussagen, dies könnte aber auch an der Übersetzung liegen...
Das Ende ist jedoch UNBEFRIEDIGEND und unrealistisch, entweder ihre Persönlichkeit IST durch den Schlaganfall ausgelöscht (und so wurde es beschrieben) oder nicht (und SO gut schauspielern kann noch nicht mal Chuck Norris :P )
March 8, 2013
Hat sich gut weglesen lassen, war recht spannend - vor allem das Ende - und einige der Ideen fand ich auch ganz interessant (vor allem die Schlangenaspekte). Insgesamt hab ich das Buch aber als recht typischen Krimi/Thriller empfunden und denke, dass es mir längerfristig nicht besonders in Erinnerung bleiben wird.
2,5 Sterne, würde ich sagen.
2,5 Sterne, würde ich sagen.
July 4, 2016
Gripping enough, but with factual errors (I know it's pedantic, but that cleaning lady on page 10 or so - who never turned up again - that supposedly worked as a nurse during an ebola outbreat in Nairobi...? The Nairobi in Kenia, that has never had a case of ebola? Yeah, sorry, small stuff like that can be offputting to me), and what the heck was that ending?
August 19, 2008
really awesome, it makes you think, and consider "history" differently.
Want to read
March 19, 2009Arcane mystery/thriller
August 20, 2009
wow it was really messed up
June 10, 2012
Surprisingly good and apparently unknown murder mystery.
December 26, 2013
Read it within two days! I just couldn't stop!
January 31, 2015
This was a really good read--interesting characterizations, good plot, a denouement that was not at all obvious. All in all, it was very entertaining. But don't read it if snakes freak you out.
May 8, 2016
Sehr guter Thriller . War schwer aus der Hand zu legen.
August 12, 2016
Not a bad book. The intrigue is good, but it gets everywhere and nowhere at some moments. You'll probably appreciate this book if you like detective novels.
sorted-out
February 20, 2017Es ist mal wieder an der Zeit, einige Bücher auszusortieren, die ich doch nicht lesen möchte - dieses gehört dazu.
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