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The Puppet Show
Michael Turner is about to make a big mistake. Having struggled for years to escape the demons of his childhood - an orphan lost in a maze of institutions and foster homes - he is finally happy. Now in his early twenties, he has a loving fiancée and is taking the first steps in a promising legal career. And then he meets Max.
The father figure that Michael has always craved, Max strides into Michael's life, realising all the childhood dreams that have lain dormant for so many years. But dreams come with a price. Despite his supportive exterior, Max is plagued by his own demons and is a violently skilled manipulator when it comes to getting exactly what he wants from everyone around him. As Michael's fears and vulnerabilities begin to push everyone else away, Max sets to work . . .
A taut, sophisticated and engrossing thriller that will have you turning pages furiously into the night.
The father figure that Michael has always craved, Max strides into Michael's life, realising all the childhood dreams that have lain dormant for so many years. But dreams come with a price. Despite his supportive exterior, Max is plagued by his own demons and is a violently skilled manipulator when it comes to getting exactly what he wants from everyone around him. As Michael's fears and vulnerabilities begin to push everyone else away, Max sets to work . . .
A taut, sophisticated and engrossing thriller that will have you turning pages furiously into the night.
470 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
15 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Redmond
26 books96 followersPatrick Redmond is an English author of psychological thrillers; typical themes include insanity, secrets and death. He attended Felsted School, then studied law at Leicester University and British Columbia in Vancouver. Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 11, 2021
I liked some parts but mostly it wasn't really my cup of tea. It was interesting in its own way but wasn't very thrilling nor did I get invested in it.
May 26, 2020
Lei, lui e l’altro. Intendendo, per “l’altro” quella minaccia, inizialmente ignorata, ma che poi si insinua sempre più subdola e pericolosa tra i due, prendendone l’ assoluto controllo su ogni azione e pensiero.
Se ci si pensa, é devastante.
La “lei” e il “lui” di questo romanzo di Redmond sono Rebecca Blake e Mike Turner, una giovane coppia che va a convivere in un appartamento in affitto nella Londra bene. “L’altro”, invece, è Max Somerton, il proprietario del loro stesso appartamento, il quale, da iniziale amico, generoso e affascinante, diventa appunto una presenza ingombrante, minacciosa, che devasterà l’equilibrio del loro rapporto e di chi sta loro attorno, muovendo il loro destino e le loro azioni proprio come un burattinaio muove le fila del suo fantoccio.
Di fatto, il ritmo dato dalla descrizione di azioni non è l’aspetto caratterizzante del romanzo, e, rispetto al più magnetico “L’allievo” anche l’ambientazione e l’atmosfera d’insieme risultano meno elettrizzanti, però fra tutti i romanzi di Redmond, questo prende sicuramente l’oscar per il sottile, continuo, profondo lavorio psicologico che scava in tutti, veramente tutti, i personaggi: sembra di conoscere da sempre il loro animo complesso e inquieto, le loro debolezze e le loro tensioni, le loro mire, i traumi che li hanno portati ad essere ciò che sono e a fare ciò che fanno, come fossero persone in carne e ossa. Si sente continuamente aria di pericolo, anche solo quando parlano semplicemente fra loro, ci si sente perennemente circondati da tensione anche se, di fatto, non accade nulla. In questo stanno la grandezza e la classe di Patrick Redmond: inquietare nel profondo e nel sottile, senza bisogno di smuovere poi tanta terra.
In conclusione, godibilissimo per chiunque. E imperdibile per chi ama i thriller psicologici.
Se ci si pensa, é devastante.
La “lei” e il “lui” di questo romanzo di Redmond sono Rebecca Blake e Mike Turner, una giovane coppia che va a convivere in un appartamento in affitto nella Londra bene. “L’altro”, invece, è Max Somerton, il proprietario del loro stesso appartamento, il quale, da iniziale amico, generoso e affascinante, diventa appunto una presenza ingombrante, minacciosa, che devasterà l’equilibrio del loro rapporto e di chi sta loro attorno, muovendo il loro destino e le loro azioni proprio come un burattinaio muove le fila del suo fantoccio.
Di fatto, il ritmo dato dalla descrizione di azioni non è l’aspetto caratterizzante del romanzo, e, rispetto al più magnetico “L’allievo” anche l’ambientazione e l’atmosfera d’insieme risultano meno elettrizzanti, però fra tutti i romanzi di Redmond, questo prende sicuramente l’oscar per il sottile, continuo, profondo lavorio psicologico che scava in tutti, veramente tutti, i personaggi: sembra di conoscere da sempre il loro animo complesso e inquieto, le loro debolezze e le loro tensioni, le loro mire, i traumi che li hanno portati ad essere ciò che sono e a fare ciò che fanno, come fossero persone in carne e ossa. Si sente continuamente aria di pericolo, anche solo quando parlano semplicemente fra loro, ci si sente perennemente circondati da tensione anche se, di fatto, non accade nulla. In questo stanno la grandezza e la classe di Patrick Redmond: inquietare nel profondo e nel sottile, senza bisogno di smuovere poi tanta terra.
In conclusione, godibilissimo per chiunque. E imperdibile per chi ama i thriller psicologici.
August 18, 2017
Avevano facce grevi, dai lineamenti marcati, e gli occhi esigenti di chi dalla vita ha avuto pochi dispiaceri, tanto che basta la minima contrarietà a mandarlo in bestia.
Uno dei temi portanti di questo romanzo è questo secondo me: la barriera, la non comprensione di questa piccola cosa.
La poca solidarietà, il sonno della ragione.
Che come ben sappiamo, genera mostri.
May 20, 2021
Das Buch ist durchweg spannend, allerdings braucht man anfangs etwas Geduld. Auch wenn lange nichts passiert beginnt das Kopfkino bereits zu arbeiten. Man spürt regelrecht dass bald etwas passieren wird und findet sich mitten in einem grandiosen Psychospiel wieder. Eine unterschwellige Bedrohung zieht sich durch das ganze Buch, das Ende überrascht jedoch total.
Ein etwas anderer Thriller aber definitiv lesenswert****
Ein etwas anderer Thriller aber definitiv lesenswert****
December 29, 2018
Nachdem ich von Redmond "Das Wunschspiel" über die Jahre hinweg gleich mehrfach gerne gelesen habe, war ich auf "Der Schützling" sehr gespannt. Dann leider sehr enttäuscht. Die grundlegende Idee ist die Gleiche wie beim Wunschspiel - ein etwas mysteriöses Charismatiker sucht sich einen schwächeren Charakter, bindet ihn an sich, erleichtert sein Leben, nimmt ihm die Freiheit und duldet die Lösung dieser "Freundschaft" nicht. Schade, daß der Autor sich da nichts Neues einfallen ließ. Allerdings ist "Der Schützling" von den Umständen und Charakteren noch hinreichend anders, daß die mehrfache Verwendung des gleichen Konstrukts nicht unbedingt störend sein muß.
Positiv vermerken kann ich, daß man leicht in das Buch reinkommt, für eine ablenkende Lektüre bei einer Zugfahrt war es gerade richtig. Der Anfang läßt sich auch gar nicht übel an, auch wenn alles etwas plump daherkommt. Der an Geld und Beziehungen reiche Max sucht sehr offensiv die Freundschaft des jüngeren Michael, der privat und beruflich etwas wacklig dasteht. (Die Ablehnung, die die Familie von Michaels Verlobter für ihn empfindet, wird uns mehrfach übertrieben und wiederholend dargestellt - diese Szenen gehörten mit zu den plumpsten des Buches).
Während Michael von Max mit Hilfe und materiellen Wohltaten überschüttet wird, möchte der Leser natürlich gerne erfahren, warum dem so ist und welche dunkle Entwicklung dies nehmen wird. Nun, Max' Motiv wird recht schnell erklärt, so rasch und offen, daß ich sicher war, daß noch etwas kommen müßte. Das war aber nicht der Fall. Das Motiv wird dann auch im Buch immer wieder erwähnt, wie überhaupt vieles mit der mehrfachen Holzhammermethode daherkommt. Die Charaktere präsentieren uns ihre Motive, Ängste, Vorgeschichten uä alle ausführlich auf dem Silbertablett, gerne auch mehrfach. Während "Das Wunschspiel" erfolgreich mit Atmosphäre, Subtilität und sich allmählich entfaltenden Informationen spielte, kommt hier alles platt daher. Das beginnt schon damit, daß die meisten Absätze lieblos mit einer knappen Zeitangabe versehen werden. "Mittwochnachmittag. x tat y." Die Beschreibung der Atmosphäre erschöpft sich bei Lokalen immer wieder in der Bemerkung, daß es "vor Yuppies wimmelte". Max' Reichtum wird bei jeder Gelegenheit erwähnt.
Auch die Dialoge und viele Handlungen sind plump und oft nicht nachvollziehbar. Wenn man beim Lesen ständig denkt "Kein Mensch würde sich so verhalten", ist das Lesevergnügen sehr beeinträchtigt. Die Charaktere sind eindimensional. Max bekam die zwei Leitmotive des Zigarrenrauchens und der charmanten Stimme, die beide im Laufe des Buches überstrapaziert werden.
Auch sonst wimmelt es vor Wiederholungen und irrelevanten Details, zu vielen Nebencharakteren. Es reicht nicht, daß zwei Leute sich etwas zu Essen bestellen, jedes Gericht wird erwähnt. Vier Buchkäufer, völlig irrelevant für die Geschichte, werden über eine halbe Seite hinweg beschrieben. Wenn zwei Telefonmitteilungen auf dem Tisch liegen, von denen eine wichtig ist, werden trotzdem beide genau beschrieben. Jemand schaut bei der Arbeit nicht einfach nur einen Vertrag an, wir erfahren auch genau, was der Vertrag regelt. So kann man 500 Seiten natürlich auch füllen.
Die Geschichte wird allgemein viel zu sehr in die Länge gezogen. Irgendwann hat der Leser Max' Muster und Vorgehensweise durchschaut und die Szenen, in der er seine Charme auf andere spielen läßt, werden langweilig und vorhersehbar. Auch die anderen Szenen wiederholen sich mit kleinen Abweichungen so oft, daß ich irgendwann nur noch enerviert war. Die ständigen Rückblicke mehrerer Charaktere auf ihre Kindheitstraumata, die detaillierten Gedanken darüber, wie sie Liebe sehen, wie sie geliebt werden möchten....alles viel zu viel.
Zum Ende hin gibt es einen kleinen Überraschungseffekt, aber letztlich war die Entwicklung der Geschichte nicht überraschend, hätte wesentlich straffer und besser erzählt werden können.
Positiv vermerken kann ich, daß man leicht in das Buch reinkommt, für eine ablenkende Lektüre bei einer Zugfahrt war es gerade richtig. Der Anfang läßt sich auch gar nicht übel an, auch wenn alles etwas plump daherkommt. Der an Geld und Beziehungen reiche Max sucht sehr offensiv die Freundschaft des jüngeren Michael, der privat und beruflich etwas wacklig dasteht. (Die Ablehnung, die die Familie von Michaels Verlobter für ihn empfindet, wird uns mehrfach übertrieben und wiederholend dargestellt - diese Szenen gehörten mit zu den plumpsten des Buches).
Während Michael von Max mit Hilfe und materiellen Wohltaten überschüttet wird, möchte der Leser natürlich gerne erfahren, warum dem so ist und welche dunkle Entwicklung dies nehmen wird. Nun, Max' Motiv wird recht schnell erklärt, so rasch und offen, daß ich sicher war, daß noch etwas kommen müßte. Das war aber nicht der Fall. Das Motiv wird dann auch im Buch immer wieder erwähnt, wie überhaupt vieles mit der mehrfachen Holzhammermethode daherkommt. Die Charaktere präsentieren uns ihre Motive, Ängste, Vorgeschichten uä alle ausführlich auf dem Silbertablett, gerne auch mehrfach. Während "Das Wunschspiel" erfolgreich mit Atmosphäre, Subtilität und sich allmählich entfaltenden Informationen spielte, kommt hier alles platt daher. Das beginnt schon damit, daß die meisten Absätze lieblos mit einer knappen Zeitangabe versehen werden. "Mittwochnachmittag. x tat y." Die Beschreibung der Atmosphäre erschöpft sich bei Lokalen immer wieder in der Bemerkung, daß es "vor Yuppies wimmelte". Max' Reichtum wird bei jeder Gelegenheit erwähnt.
Auch die Dialoge und viele Handlungen sind plump und oft nicht nachvollziehbar. Wenn man beim Lesen ständig denkt "Kein Mensch würde sich so verhalten", ist das Lesevergnügen sehr beeinträchtigt. Die Charaktere sind eindimensional. Max bekam die zwei Leitmotive des Zigarrenrauchens und der charmanten Stimme, die beide im Laufe des Buches überstrapaziert werden.
Auch sonst wimmelt es vor Wiederholungen und irrelevanten Details, zu vielen Nebencharakteren. Es reicht nicht, daß zwei Leute sich etwas zu Essen bestellen, jedes Gericht wird erwähnt. Vier Buchkäufer, völlig irrelevant für die Geschichte, werden über eine halbe Seite hinweg beschrieben. Wenn zwei Telefonmitteilungen auf dem Tisch liegen, von denen eine wichtig ist, werden trotzdem beide genau beschrieben. Jemand schaut bei der Arbeit nicht einfach nur einen Vertrag an, wir erfahren auch genau, was der Vertrag regelt. So kann man 500 Seiten natürlich auch füllen.
Die Geschichte wird allgemein viel zu sehr in die Länge gezogen. Irgendwann hat der Leser Max' Muster und Vorgehensweise durchschaut und die Szenen, in der er seine Charme auf andere spielen läßt, werden langweilig und vorhersehbar. Auch die anderen Szenen wiederholen sich mit kleinen Abweichungen so oft, daß ich irgendwann nur noch enerviert war. Die ständigen Rückblicke mehrerer Charaktere auf ihre Kindheitstraumata, die detaillierten Gedanken darüber, wie sie Liebe sehen, wie sie geliebt werden möchten....alles viel zu viel.
Zum Ende hin gibt es einen kleinen Überraschungseffekt, aber letztlich war die Entwicklung der Geschichte nicht überraschend, hätte wesentlich straffer und besser erzählt werden können.
May 13, 2021
Vertrauen? Wem? Warum?
Das hier genutzte Cover, es gab über die Jahre ( seit 2001) mehrere- unterschiedliche, zeigt eine düstere Landschaft mit einen kleinem Haus. Zusammen mit dem Titel, ergibt sich eine passende Grundstimmung zu diesem Roman.
Inhalt: Michael ist ein beruflich sehr geforderter Wirtschaftsanwalt. Seine Kindheit war schwer. Früh ohne Eltern, wurde er erst Pflegekind & bald darauf zu einem Heimkind. Sein Selbstbewusstsein konnte er nicht gut entwickeln, was ihm nun schwer zu schaffen macht. Rebecca, die Frau an seiner Seite, hat auch Schwierigkeiten mit ihrer Familie, welche Mike nicht gern in der Familie aufnehmen. Nachdem die Zwei eine tolle Wohnung bekommen haben, lernen sie ihren Vermieter Max auch persönlich kennen. Max entpuppt sich nicht nur als außerordentlich großzügig. Schon nach kurzer Zeit entwickeln sich Verbindungen zwischen den Protagonisten, die keinem der Beteiligten gut tun.
Fazit: Leider ist dieser Roman nicht so spannend & fesselnd, wie nach der Leseprobe angenommen. Der Autor nimmt sich sehr viel Zeit um genaue Hintergründe und Stolpersteine innerhalb einer Wirtschaftskanzlei zu erörtern. Die Einführung der einzelnen Protagonisten sind teilweise langatmig und zu detailliert. Es gelang hier nicht einen Spannungsbogen zwischen den Kapiteln aufzubauen. Das lässt das Tempo sehr abflachen.
Ein wirklich gutes Thema aber leider nicht mitreißend ausgestaltet. Eine Leseempfehlung für eine Leserschaft, die es liebt in Hintergründe einzutauchen & psychologische Beweggründe gern erörtert. Von mir eine gute 3 Sterne Bewertung. Den Roman würde ich eher unter dem Psycho-Drama Gerne einordnen. Die Thriller oder Psycho-Thriller Eingliederung lässt falsche Erwartungen aufkommen.
Das hier genutzte Cover, es gab über die Jahre ( seit 2001) mehrere- unterschiedliche, zeigt eine düstere Landschaft mit einen kleinem Haus. Zusammen mit dem Titel, ergibt sich eine passende Grundstimmung zu diesem Roman.
Inhalt: Michael ist ein beruflich sehr geforderter Wirtschaftsanwalt. Seine Kindheit war schwer. Früh ohne Eltern, wurde er erst Pflegekind & bald darauf zu einem Heimkind. Sein Selbstbewusstsein konnte er nicht gut entwickeln, was ihm nun schwer zu schaffen macht. Rebecca, die Frau an seiner Seite, hat auch Schwierigkeiten mit ihrer Familie, welche Mike nicht gern in der Familie aufnehmen. Nachdem die Zwei eine tolle Wohnung bekommen haben, lernen sie ihren Vermieter Max auch persönlich kennen. Max entpuppt sich nicht nur als außerordentlich großzügig. Schon nach kurzer Zeit entwickeln sich Verbindungen zwischen den Protagonisten, die keinem der Beteiligten gut tun.
Fazit: Leider ist dieser Roman nicht so spannend & fesselnd, wie nach der Leseprobe angenommen. Der Autor nimmt sich sehr viel Zeit um genaue Hintergründe und Stolpersteine innerhalb einer Wirtschaftskanzlei zu erörtern. Die Einführung der einzelnen Protagonisten sind teilweise langatmig und zu detailliert. Es gelang hier nicht einen Spannungsbogen zwischen den Kapiteln aufzubauen. Das lässt das Tempo sehr abflachen.
Ein wirklich gutes Thema aber leider nicht mitreißend ausgestaltet. Eine Leseempfehlung für eine Leserschaft, die es liebt in Hintergründe einzutauchen & psychologische Beweggründe gern erörtert. Von mir eine gute 3 Sterne Bewertung. Den Roman würde ich eher unter dem Psycho-Drama Gerne einordnen. Die Thriller oder Psycho-Thriller Eingliederung lässt falsche Erwartungen aufkommen.
August 19, 2023
A story about human relationships and how they can go wrong.
A young lawyer, Michael Turner, and his fiancée Rebecca move into a flat, which they expect to be a temporary home while they save to buy their own house. They are befriended by the landlord, Max, who, it turns out, grew up in the same children's home that Michael was brought up in, though earlier. Max, who had become rich, comes to see Michael as a kind of surrogate son, and Michael finds his benevolence and generosity oppressive at times, and sometimes reacts angrily, and then feels guilty about it.
Michael soon finds that this affects his other relationships too, with his and Rebecca's family, their friends and acquaintances, and even his work relationships. The cycles of anger and guilt become a vicious circle, with tragic consequences.
In a way this story of personal relationships can be seen as a parable of international relationships too, where aid leads to dependence, and thus control. In novel the themes of autonomy and dependence run right through, and affect almost everyone involved.
A young lawyer, Michael Turner, and his fiancée Rebecca move into a flat, which they expect to be a temporary home while they save to buy their own house. They are befriended by the landlord, Max, who, it turns out, grew up in the same children's home that Michael was brought up in, though earlier. Max, who had become rich, comes to see Michael as a kind of surrogate son, and Michael finds his benevolence and generosity oppressive at times, and sometimes reacts angrily, and then feels guilty about it.
Michael soon finds that this affects his other relationships too, with his and Rebecca's family, their friends and acquaintances, and even his work relationships. The cycles of anger and guilt become a vicious circle, with tragic consequences.
In a way this story of personal relationships can be seen as a parable of international relationships too, where aid leads to dependence, and thus control. In novel the themes of autonomy and dependence run right through, and affect almost everyone involved.
July 6, 2019
The puppet show
Patrick Redmond
Well it's a mixed read.. The book is about power, persuasion and wealth shown in a slightly negative light.
Michael who had been through a lot of foster homes finally finds refuge in Rebecca , his fiancee and has a beautiful, simple life. Till Max arrives.
Max is enigmatic, wealthy and is a power magnet moulding and puppeting people and situations to his liking. A smile here, a smirk there and voila he gets what he wants.. He has Michael under his wing and smoothens out the way for his career and relationships to flourish. But all good things come with a price ....
I did not like the protagonist Michael... So weak in the last few chapters... And how all the characters are so spineless that they give in to Max and his charms...
The character build up is strong.. The pace is breezy.. it's just that I can't relate to being so powerless in front of money and charisma ...
A below average read for me...
Patrick Redmond
Well it's a mixed read.. The book is about power, persuasion and wealth shown in a slightly negative light.
Michael who had been through a lot of foster homes finally finds refuge in Rebecca , his fiancee and has a beautiful, simple life. Till Max arrives.
Max is enigmatic, wealthy and is a power magnet moulding and puppeting people and situations to his liking. A smile here, a smirk there and voila he gets what he wants.. He has Michael under his wing and smoothens out the way for his career and relationships to flourish. But all good things come with a price ....
I did not like the protagonist Michael... So weak in the last few chapters... And how all the characters are so spineless that they give in to Max and his charms...
The character build up is strong.. The pace is breezy.. it's just that I can't relate to being so powerless in front of money and charisma ...
A below average read for me...
August 18, 2022
Young lawyer Michael has a wonderful life ahead of him - a promising career, great friends, and a loving supportive girlfriend Rebecca - a budding artist currently working in a bookshop. Things take a turn when their wealthy older landlord Max becomes their benefactor. At first it seems like their fortunes have taken a turn for the better, thanks to Max, but what price are they paying?
This is a truly *psychological* thriller - delving into the psychology of love, control, trauma, vulnerabilities, resentments. A dysfunctional spiderweb is woven around Michael and Rebecca - by Max, but also by young troubled Emily. The ending is absolutely brilliant and not like your typical thriller at all.
Patrick Redmond is an absolutely brilliant writer - I wish he had become a lot more famous and had written a lot more books. The Wishing Game is my second fave book of all time!
This is a truly *psychological* thriller - delving into the psychology of love, control, trauma, vulnerabilities, resentments. A dysfunctional spiderweb is woven around Michael and Rebecca - by Max, but also by young troubled Emily. The ending is absolutely brilliant and not like your typical thriller at all.
Patrick Redmond is an absolutely brilliant writer - I wish he had become a lot more famous and had written a lot more books. The Wishing Game is my second fave book of all time!
June 14, 2021
Era da un po' che non mi capitava di non riuscire a staccarmi da un libro.
Semplicemente bellissimo.
La trama, lo sviluppo dell'intreccio... la psicologia dei personaggi, i protagonisti. Anzi, il protagonista. Lui. Max. Il burattinaio.
La sua concezione distruttiva dell'amore, il suo profondo bisogno di amore e del controllo sulle persone sulle quali lo riversa. Da brivido. L'ho amato dall'inizio alla fine. Ho sperato che vincesse lui.
Mi è dispiaciuto per Rebecca, illudendomi pensando di poter leggere un altro tipo di finale per tutti e tre, ma... questo finale... è un pugno nello stomaco. Un pugno molto forte. Molto vero.
Semplicemente bellissimo.
La trama, lo sviluppo dell'intreccio... la psicologia dei personaggi, i protagonisti. Anzi, il protagonista. Lui. Max. Il burattinaio.
La sua concezione distruttiva dell'amore, il suo profondo bisogno di amore e del controllo sulle persone sulle quali lo riversa. Da brivido. L'ho amato dall'inizio alla fine. Ho sperato che vincesse lui.
Mi è dispiaciuto per Rebecca, illudendomi pensando di poter leggere un altro tipo di finale per tutti e tre, ma... questo finale... è un pugno nello stomaco. Un pugno molto forte. Molto vero.
August 31, 2019
Die erste Hälfte des Buches plätscherte recht gemächlich vor sich hin. Dann stieg die Spannung so sehr, dass ich das Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen mochte (was mir leider schon lange nicht mehr passiert ist). Das Ende erinnert an Gone Girl, wobei leider die Geschichte insgesamt nicht stark genug war, um wirklich vergleichbar zu sein.
December 9, 2025
sweet sweet manipulation… 😩 my turn next lol
i consumed this in one day, but it kinda has the exact same theme as the wishing game, and you can tell which makes this one arguably worse in comparison
still a great ending, and it's always so fascinating how redmond makes me question my own morale, genuinely didn't know whether to root for or against max throughout this
i consumed this in one day, but it kinda has the exact same theme as the wishing game, and you can tell which makes this one arguably worse in comparison
still a great ending, and it's always so fascinating how redmond makes me question my own morale, genuinely didn't know whether to root for or against max throughout this
January 12, 2019
A great thriller type book from an author I've previously enjoyed. Some lawyer style jargon made parts of it a little dry but overall some truly despicable characters who initially come across as good people...
A very twisty end and a shocking epilogue!
A very twisty end and a shocking epilogue!
April 5, 2020
Even in a time of isolation with plenty of time on my hands I couldn't bring myself to get to the end of this. It's repetitive, slow, the characters have no depth and it's way too long. Don't waste your time.
October 9, 2021
Not the best book I've read recently, but an interesting enough read. I've just thought the characters don't seem to ring true to the time period. I'm sure that's my reason for not enjoying it as much as some others.
September 11, 2017
Found it boring. it never really got off the ground, and the ending was awful. Not worth reading
June 4, 2018
Not much to this and the characters are extremely tedious. I may be in the minority on this but I liked the ending and the epilogue better than the rest of the book.
July 30, 2018
Took me quarter of the book to get fully into it. With a mediocre story line & a less than disappointing ending made me regret starting his book. I am convinced that Max is gay.
September 28, 2019
Brilliant. Shows how one person can affect so many other lives. Really enjoyed it.
February 13, 2020
Gostei mais de Jogos Crueis, no entanto é um bom livro.
April 13, 2020
Great book one of my favourites
July 11, 2020
Found this intriguing, basically a story of relationships, damaged people and control. But I have to say the ending didn't quite work for me unfortunately or I'd have given it 5 stars.
July 24, 2022
More of a character study than anything else, it shows the effect parents both bad and good have on their children.
December 22, 2023
muy bueno
February 27, 2024
Story was okay but i'm totally into those toxic kind of power games.
December 3, 2024
Bis weit über die Hälfte sehr spannend und fesselnd. Aber dann wurde es absurd, unlogisch und konstruiert. Schade.
November 27, 2025
excellent read
December 9, 2012
Ex Bookworm group review
As I mentioned on the list, I read both Patrick Redmond books – his first "The Wishing Game" and Sue's choice "The Puppet Show" – so I think I got a good dose of Redmond's modus operandi. His style was deceptively simple. Lots of his sentences are short and to the point – he did this, she did that, not much character analysis, he leaves you to draw your own conclusions. I wondered whether if I picked up one of the books without reading on the cover (or Sue telling us) that it was "a psychological thriller" it might have been simply boring, but I don't think so. The style itself conveys a sense of foreboding, a build up of suspense, a very ominous atmosphere. You just know something is going to happen. I thought this was well done. The story of "The Puppet Master" was well constructed. There were a lot of strands woven together and Redmond wove them well. A lot of people's stories were intricately linked and it was interesting how everyone was sucked in and how all their paths (wherever they had come from, wherever they thought they were going) converged – all roads lead to ??? I thought that was well done too. The big problem I had with the book was the plausibility of the plot. Are lawyers (and others) really so gullible? Perhaps Helen can tell us. It reminded me of one of John Grisham's (was it The Firm?) where it just seemed incredible that the main character (also a lawyer) was so easily taken in. Perhaps it is a case of "none so blind as those who will not see" but I didn't find it convincing. Max's motivation seemed inadequately explained, I kept expecting him to turn into a raving homosexual (if homosexuals rave) but without that, I found his obsession with Michael unlikely, even as an exercise in power. Some parts of the story rang very true. The 'in laws' thing with Rebecca's family, the fact that some women, like Emmie, have a deep need to be controlled, the fact that money and power are irrestistibly attractive to some. Some of the parts were good, but I felt that the whole was equal to less than the sum of its parts. I just wasn't convinced that I was reading a believable story and that got on my nerves more and more as it unfolded. It made me question everything, no matter how unimportant. For instance, there was a statement that Rebecca hated chicken casserole. Now who the hell hates chicken casserole, which seems to me such a bland dish that it couldn't engender such strong feelings! (I know you are all going to tell me you hate chicken casserole now!) I'm not sorry I read the books as I find everything interesting, but they were both basically unsatisfying. I didn't come away feeling I had read a story worth hearing. I gather Redmond himself studied the law and was a practising solicitor for many years and I felt insulted that he expected us to believe that because someone said "I'm going to tell the police you did it", someone else (and a lawyer, to boot, who wasn't there and no doubt had an alibi ) would say "Oh my God, in that case, I'll do whatever you want for the rest of my life". It would have been a lot more credible if Michael had run Max over or stabbed him! I did not like this book.
As I mentioned on the list, I read both Patrick Redmond books – his first "The Wishing Game" and Sue's choice "The Puppet Show" – so I think I got a good dose of Redmond's modus operandi. His style was deceptively simple. Lots of his sentences are short and to the point – he did this, she did that, not much character analysis, he leaves you to draw your own conclusions. I wondered whether if I picked up one of the books without reading on the cover (or Sue telling us) that it was "a psychological thriller" it might have been simply boring, but I don't think so. The style itself conveys a sense of foreboding, a build up of suspense, a very ominous atmosphere. You just know something is going to happen. I thought this was well done. The story of "The Puppet Master" was well constructed. There were a lot of strands woven together and Redmond wove them well. A lot of people's stories were intricately linked and it was interesting how everyone was sucked in and how all their paths (wherever they had come from, wherever they thought they were going) converged – all roads lead to ??? I thought that was well done too. The big problem I had with the book was the plausibility of the plot. Are lawyers (and others) really so gullible? Perhaps Helen can tell us. It reminded me of one of John Grisham's (was it The Firm?) where it just seemed incredible that the main character (also a lawyer) was so easily taken in. Perhaps it is a case of "none so blind as those who will not see" but I didn't find it convincing. Max's motivation seemed inadequately explained, I kept expecting him to turn into a raving homosexual (if homosexuals rave) but without that, I found his obsession with Michael unlikely, even as an exercise in power. Some parts of the story rang very true. The 'in laws' thing with Rebecca's family, the fact that some women, like Emmie, have a deep need to be controlled, the fact that money and power are irrestistibly attractive to some. Some of the parts were good, but I felt that the whole was equal to less than the sum of its parts. I just wasn't convinced that I was reading a believable story and that got on my nerves more and more as it unfolded. It made me question everything, no matter how unimportant. For instance, there was a statement that Rebecca hated chicken casserole. Now who the hell hates chicken casserole, which seems to me such a bland dish that it couldn't engender such strong feelings! (I know you are all going to tell me you hate chicken casserole now!) I'm not sorry I read the books as I find everything interesting, but they were both basically unsatisfying. I didn't come away feeling I had read a story worth hearing. I gather Redmond himself studied the law and was a practising solicitor for many years and I felt insulted that he expected us to believe that because someone said "I'm going to tell the police you did it", someone else (and a lawyer, to boot, who wasn't there and no doubt had an alibi ) would say "Oh my God, in that case, I'll do whatever you want for the rest of my life". It would have been a lot more credible if Michael had run Max over or stabbed him! I did not like this book.
Read
June 2, 2023AMAZING! This book had me engrossed from the start to the finish. It was a real page turner, a nice easy read. With a twist at the end that I did not see coming.
September 23, 2012
Die Bewertung ist mir gerade ziemlich schwer gefallen, denn zum einen hat das Buch mich oft genug mitgerissen und mitfiebern lassen, aber viele Strecken lang, besonders in der zweiten Hälfte, war es zu plätschernd. Dafür kam das Ende um so rasanter, Schlag auf Schlaf, und ehe man sich versieht ist das Buch plötzlich zuende. Nachdem man sich die anderen 440 Seiten durch einen Dschungel aus Verstrickungen, Andeutungen, Paranoia und anderen Wirrungen durchgeschlagen hat ist das Ende eine Feldmiene, in die man ausversehen getreten ist. (Und der Epilog ist wie ein auskligender schlechter Nachgeschmack dessen, worauf man im Buch die ganze Zeit gewartet hat.)
Die Mindgames, Manipulationen und daraus konsolutierenden Emotionen aus Misstrauen, Paranoia und Verwirrung haben mir sehr gut gefallen, besonders als das Karussel mit dem Ausspielen reihum begann. Einige Charaktere habe ich sehr lieb gewonnen, andere konnte ich nicht früh genug auf den Mond schießen.
Nachdem ich vor einigen Jahren schon "Das Wunschspiel" gelesen und innerhalb eines Tages begeistert verschlungen habe, erscheint mir "Der Schützling" leider sehr enttäuschend daneben, weswegen meine Bewertung nur so bescheiden ausfällt.
Die Mindgames, Manipulationen und daraus konsolutierenden Emotionen aus Misstrauen, Paranoia und Verwirrung haben mir sehr gut gefallen, besonders als das Karussel mit dem Ausspielen reihum begann. Einige Charaktere habe ich sehr lieb gewonnen, andere konnte ich nicht früh genug auf den Mond schießen.
Nachdem ich vor einigen Jahren schon "Das Wunschspiel" gelesen und innerhalb eines Tages begeistert verschlungen habe, erscheint mir "Der Schützling" leider sehr enttäuschend daneben, weswegen meine Bewertung nur so bescheiden ausfällt.
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