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Comparing Scars
Jake and Louise feel compelled to confess their darkest secrets to each other before they can commit to a life together, comparing the scars life has made on their personalities and souls, knowing that their confessions will either strengthen or destroy their relationship.
Interwoven into this is the police hunt for a criminal responsible for explosions occurring around the city, Jake's obsession with a decade-old undetected murder, his own recent Near-Death-Experience and Jack a friend he has not seen for 16 years, believed to be dead by some, while others believe he is a fugitive suspected of several killings, still alive and living in hiding.
Interwoven into this is the police hunt for a criminal responsible for explosions occurring around the city, Jake's obsession with a decade-old undetected murder, his own recent Near-Death-Experience and Jack a friend he has not seen for 16 years, believed to be dead by some, while others believe he is a fugitive suspected of several killings, still alive and living in hiding.
458 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 13, 2011
Comparing Scars is the second book in the “Dark Retribution” quartet by John Walker, and once again I found myself not only immersed in the book but feeling like I was woven into the story as an invisible character that walked along with Jake and Louise.
Jake returns in this book as the main character and you see into his mind the moments of his life that made him what he is today. While Louise and Jake bare their soul to one another, you find yourself watching him through his minds eyes as his past comes to life. The relationship that he once had with Jack Parrish in book one is now seen through his eyes instead of Jacks and you are able to understand how important Jack was to him as a role model.
The storyline of this book jumps from present to past quite often, filling in pieces of life’s information that certain events and places trigger. As with “Wrath and Remembrance”, the first book in the quartet, the author, John Walker gives you all the words you need to paint the perfect picture in your mind of the scene you are seeing, the emotions that are felt and the people who are involved.
Mr. Walker’s ability to give such detail in clarity makes reading his book even more refreshing. You have the ability to sit back and watch the lives and the story unfold in front of you without having to try come up with a picture of the scene. He gives all of it to you in great detail.
This book was very well written and the plot line of the book was deep with an intensity that filled you completely at times. I look forward to reading the next book in the series “Hitting Back”.
Jake returns in this book as the main character and you see into his mind the moments of his life that made him what he is today. While Louise and Jake bare their soul to one another, you find yourself watching him through his minds eyes as his past comes to life. The relationship that he once had with Jack Parrish in book one is now seen through his eyes instead of Jacks and you are able to understand how important Jack was to him as a role model.
The storyline of this book jumps from present to past quite often, filling in pieces of life’s information that certain events and places trigger. As with “Wrath and Remembrance”, the first book in the quartet, the author, John Walker gives you all the words you need to paint the perfect picture in your mind of the scene you are seeing, the emotions that are felt and the people who are involved.
Mr. Walker’s ability to give such detail in clarity makes reading his book even more refreshing. You have the ability to sit back and watch the lives and the story unfold in front of you without having to try come up with a picture of the scene. He gives all of it to you in great detail.
This book was very well written and the plot line of the book was deep with an intensity that filled you completely at times. I look forward to reading the next book in the series “Hitting Back”.
August 5, 2009
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this second book in the “Dark Retribution” quartet by John Walker, but I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I’m a big fan of books that either fires you out of a cannon or asks a difficult question from the first page. In this case, “What’s the worst thing that you’ve ever done in your life” and “What’s your darkest secret”? is what is posed to the reader to ponder.
Comparing Scars revolves around a couple, Jake and Louise, who are compelled to confess their darkest secrets to one another in order to further their love and relationship. It will either strengthen their relationship or leave them to walk away from one another forever. This is an interesting concept that I thoroughly enjoyed, while at the same time it helps to fuel the escalating suspense of the series.
Jake’s childhood friend, Jack Parrish, hasn’t been seen in sixteen years, and he is believed to be dead or a fugitive from justice for committing several murders. There is an interconnected element of criminal activities that rounds out this well-developed story.
John Walker has crafted an engaging and entertaining story. He is one writer that has the gift of creating real characters that we want to care about and a storyline that is gripping to read from the first page.
I highly recommend this book to thriller readers. I’m now halfway through the quartet series and I can’t wait to begin the next book.
Comparing Scars revolves around a couple, Jake and Louise, who are compelled to confess their darkest secrets to one another in order to further their love and relationship. It will either strengthen their relationship or leave them to walk away from one another forever. This is an interesting concept that I thoroughly enjoyed, while at the same time it helps to fuel the escalating suspense of the series.
Jake’s childhood friend, Jack Parrish, hasn’t been seen in sixteen years, and he is believed to be dead or a fugitive from justice for committing several murders. There is an interconnected element of criminal activities that rounds out this well-developed story.
John Walker has crafted an engaging and entertaining story. He is one writer that has the gift of creating real characters that we want to care about and a storyline that is gripping to read from the first page.
I highly recommend this book to thriller readers. I’m now halfway through the quartet series and I can’t wait to begin the next book.
December 2, 2011
Comparing Scars is the second book of the Dark Retribution Quartet. If the first book, Wrath and Remembrance, hadn’t been as good as it was, I would say that author John Walker hit his stride in book 2. The writing is even more lucid and fluid. Again the narrative is in the first person and told by a protagonist. Again we hear the authentic voice of a working class Geordie of Newcastle in Northeast England and we see the culture in which he develops. However, Jake Callan, like Jack Parrish in book 1, also has an artistic temperament, reads widely, writes stories, loves movies and music and develops a rare insight into the psyches of himself and others.
Callan is six or seven years younger than Parrish, but the two have three significant interactions in the course of book 2. Nevertheless, this is Callan’s book. Like Parrish, Callan knows love, loss and suffering and like Parrish he finds a sort of redemption. Again this is religious fiction, but it is created with a deft hand. While it is key to the action, it doesn’t overwhelm the story. Walker is weaving a rich tapestry. I look forward to seeing how what new threads he adds in books 3 and 4 and how they come together. It is clear that they will.
Callan is six or seven years younger than Parrish, but the two have three significant interactions in the course of book 2. Nevertheless, this is Callan’s book. Like Parrish, Callan knows love, loss and suffering and like Parrish he finds a sort of redemption. Again this is religious fiction, but it is created with a deft hand. While it is key to the action, it doesn’t overwhelm the story. Walker is weaving a rich tapestry. I look forward to seeing how what new threads he adds in books 3 and 4 and how they come together. It is clear that they will.
January 19, 2011
The narrative in this one switches to another character Jack Parrish knew in the first book. This time Jake Callan tells us his own story, including how he came to know Jack. I didn’t know what to expect from this book so the love story aspect was a pleasant surprise amid the violence and urban hell the characters live in. I really felt for Jake and Louise. Like the first one, the reader is taken on the journey the characters move along in their own lives. Brilliant writing and an ending that made me want to pick up part 3 straight away.
May 13, 2009
This is the second book in a series of four. We pick up with Jake (from book one) but now older, and we hope wiser!
This book is about two people comparing their lives, and the majority of it takes place in one day, but the memories span years, and they're not all pleasant.
There's not as much action in this book as the first, so I probably enjoyed the first book a the teensiest bit more, but I've been assured we get to see these two again in book four, and we get to see them in action.
This book is about two people comparing their lives, and the majority of it takes place in one day, but the memories span years, and they're not all pleasant.
There's not as much action in this book as the first, so I probably enjoyed the first book a the teensiest bit more, but I've been assured we get to see these two again in book four, and we get to see them in action.
October 18, 2009
WOW oh WOW,
This one sucked me in as fast and hard as the 1st book Wrath and Rememberance.
Brilliant to see an old friend back in this book.
I love the way that John writes.
A friend is waiting to read this and even asked his wife to see if she could find it at the Library!!!.
You will love this if you liked the 1st bok in the series..
Off to read "Hitting Back" book 3!!!! Phew
B
This one sucked me in as fast and hard as the 1st book Wrath and Rememberance.
Brilliant to see an old friend back in this book.
I love the way that John writes.
A friend is waiting to read this and even asked his wife to see if she could find it at the Library!!!.
You will love this if you liked the 1st bok in the series..
Off to read "Hitting Back" book 3!!!! Phew
B
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews