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Triangle
In Vietnam a loner meets a strange man with a knack for murder
Mac finds Johnny Griffith nearly comatose with shell shock, on the edge of a massacre. When the Vietnamese fighters attack, he just stands there waiting to die, until Mac tells him to run. Together they survive the war—Mac risking his life time and again for this strange, sweet kid who barely knows his own name. By the time they return stateside, they’re inseparable, joined by a bond that no outsider could understand—and which can only end in tragedy.
When Mac’s gambling habit lands him in debt with the mob, he offers them Johnny, whose obedience makes him a perfect contract assassin. Mac plans the hits, and Johnny pulls the trigger, feeling nothing afterward besides an intense craving for strawberry ice cream. But when Mac loses control of his killing machine, Johnny’s repressed fury will be unleashed on the world.
- GenresNoir
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1982
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43 people want to read
About the author
Teri White
29 books5 followersTeri White is a publisher, artist and prolific zine author.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 2, 2015
This book was offered to me by the publisher in hopes I might write a review. It’s apparently a reissue of a book originally published in 1982. Kudos to Open Road Media for resurrecting some of these titles. I gave it a couple of pages and was hooked. It was excellent. It could be described as part meditation on friendship, part noir novel a la Jim Thomson or James Cain, part police procedural, but all about obsession.
Alexander McCarthy (“Mac”) grew up in an orphanage so when his patrol stumbled across a shell-shocked kid who had been witness to, and perhaps participated in, the massacre at Tan Pret, “Johnny”, it became difficult to abandon the kid who now obviously had latched onto and needed Mac’s company.
Now out of the army, Johnny can’t survive on his own and is very protective of Mac who has a terrible gambling problem and finds himself owing thousands to the mob. Johnny kills two of the them after they beat up Mac.
But the boss knows who did it and Johnny are forced to become hitmen for the mob. One of the men killed happens to be an undercover cop.
In part two, Simon, the dead cop’s partner, vows to find the killer of his friend. (Simon’s euology for his dead friend is amazing.) He becomes obsessed with it to the point where it starts to destroy his marriage and his life. Everything takes a backseat to his obsession at finding the killer.
The third part brings them all together. But it’s not what you think. One thing to remember: “There are no good guys.”
Alexander McCarthy (“Mac”) grew up in an orphanage so when his patrol stumbled across a shell-shocked kid who had been witness to, and perhaps participated in, the massacre at Tan Pret, “Johnny”, it became difficult to abandon the kid who now obviously had latched onto and needed Mac’s company.
Now out of the army, Johnny can’t survive on his own and is very protective of Mac who has a terrible gambling problem and finds himself owing thousands to the mob. Johnny kills two of the them after they beat up Mac.
But the boss knows who did it and Johnny are forced to become hitmen for the mob. One of the men killed happens to be an undercover cop.
In part two, Simon, the dead cop’s partner, vows to find the killer of his friend. (Simon’s euology for his dead friend is amazing.) He becomes obsessed with it to the point where it starts to destroy his marriage and his life. Everything takes a backseat to his obsession at finding the killer.
The third part brings them all together. But it’s not what you think. One thing to remember: “There are no good guys.”
March 17, 2015
2.5 stars
Triangle tells the story of three men whose lives become entwined through a "murder gone wrong". Mac and Johnny are "partners" from back in the war--Mac being the one who makes the decisions, and Johnny following through with the killings. The two have an odd dependence on each other, that is explained somewhat through their shared war experience.
One mission goes too far when Johnny kills a cop in his mission. Enter Simon, the murdered cop's partner, obsessed with revenge at the cost of all else in his life. Simon, Mac, and Johnny make up the "triangle" of this story.
All of these individuals are obsessed or "damaged" in some way. Although the writing was solid, and the symbolic relationship between Mac and Johnny understandable, I had a very difficult time getting into the storyline. The entire novel was bleak and dreary, without any glimpse of hope for any of the characters involved.
*I received an e-version of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Triangle tells the story of three men whose lives become entwined through a "murder gone wrong". Mac and Johnny are "partners" from back in the war--Mac being the one who makes the decisions, and Johnny following through with the killings. The two have an odd dependence on each other, that is explained somewhat through their shared war experience.
One mission goes too far when Johnny kills a cop in his mission. Enter Simon, the murdered cop's partner, obsessed with revenge at the cost of all else in his life. Simon, Mac, and Johnny make up the "triangle" of this story.
All of these individuals are obsessed or "damaged" in some way. Although the writing was solid, and the symbolic relationship between Mac and Johnny understandable, I had a very difficult time getting into the storyline. The entire novel was bleak and dreary, without any glimpse of hope for any of the characters involved.
*I received an e-version of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
February 27, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Open Road Integrated Media via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review - and while a lot of the books I've been reading from there lately have been very hit and miss - this one was overall very enjoyable.
The book sees Mac and Johnny leaning on each other - Mac a helpless gambler and Johnny who needs to be looked after. Through a series of unfortunate events, Mac and Johnny become a team of freelance hitmen - traveling the country, killing people and losing money at poker.
As we enter Book II - we see Simon, a cop with a murdered partner who vows to bring Mac and Johnny to justice, and Book III has our conclusion.
First off - I really enjoyed the story, especially Book I - seeing how Mac and Johnny meet and start to spiral out of control - it had a very 'George & Lenny' feel to it, but was interesting and I was honestly a little disappointed when it switched over to Simon.
I do feel however that after such a long build up of these two central characters, going from their first hit to skipping to several years later seemed a bit weak. I was enjoying the story, and suddenly it skips forward so we can bring Simon into the mix. Even events in Book II refer to hits they performed in the previous years, but its more an in-passing thing.
That being said, Simon was a strong character, and his descent into needing revenge was enjoyable and quite a page turner.
Where it all started to fall apart a bit for me was Book III - it brought Mac, Johnny and Simon together, and just.. rushed bringing the book to what was ultimately a very unsatisfying end. Characters start acting in unusual ways and the whole ending seemed very forced.
Overall though, I finished this book in 3 days because I didn't want to put it down - I enjoyed the character development (especially early on) - and I think that had a little more work gone into the ending, it really could have been a much more satisfying story instead of leaving me feeling a little cheated.
I'd definitely look out for more in the same genre by the author though.
The book sees Mac and Johnny leaning on each other - Mac a helpless gambler and Johnny who needs to be looked after. Through a series of unfortunate events, Mac and Johnny become a team of freelance hitmen - traveling the country, killing people and losing money at poker.
As we enter Book II - we see Simon, a cop with a murdered partner who vows to bring Mac and Johnny to justice, and Book III has our conclusion.
First off - I really enjoyed the story, especially Book I - seeing how Mac and Johnny meet and start to spiral out of control - it had a very 'George & Lenny' feel to it, but was interesting and I was honestly a little disappointed when it switched over to Simon.
I do feel however that after such a long build up of these two central characters, going from their first hit to skipping to several years later seemed a bit weak. I was enjoying the story, and suddenly it skips forward so we can bring Simon into the mix. Even events in Book II refer to hits they performed in the previous years, but its more an in-passing thing.
That being said, Simon was a strong character, and his descent into needing revenge was enjoyable and quite a page turner.
Where it all started to fall apart a bit for me was Book III - it brought Mac, Johnny and Simon together, and just.. rushed bringing the book to what was ultimately a very unsatisfying end. Characters start acting in unusual ways and the whole ending seemed very forced.
Overall though, I finished this book in 3 days because I didn't want to put it down - I enjoyed the character development (especially early on) - and I think that had a little more work gone into the ending, it really could have been a much more satisfying story instead of leaving me feeling a little cheated.
I'd definitely look out for more in the same genre by the author though.
October 23, 2023
Have you ever started a book and immediately thought that the opening salvo could have been written by another favorite author? The Prologue hit me just that way. I knew from page one that this was my kind of book — snappy prose in a plot prequel that begs reading the rest.
Viet Nam did a lot of bad things to the guys who served. Two of them, Alexander "Mac" McCarthy and John Paul "Johnny" Griffith, became co-dependent survivors at the site of a massacre of civilians. Think My Lai. There is an overtone that Johnny did quite a bit of the killing; in the vernacular, he was shell shocked. The stage is set for these two soldiers to become inseparable.
You can't have a triangle without a third leg. In this case, that third side is Jewish police detective Simon Hirsch. When his partner Michael "Wild Mike" Conroy dies in his arms, Hirsch becomes a man obsessed with getting the guy that killed him.
TRIANGLE is the story of three lost souls in search of if not absolution then maybe inner peace. There is no denying the unrequited sexual tension between Mac and Johnny. It is simply a fact that they love each other. In the end, the 'triangle' is completed. All sides meeting in a final showdown.
Although in today's socio-political climate TRIANGLE either is or would be banned, it is a book well worth reading. It behooves us all to make an effort to understand the broken humans in society. In that respect, understanding that Mac, Johnny, and Simon are on a mutual path to destruction makes this a chilling read.
Viet Nam did a lot of bad things to the guys who served. Two of them, Alexander "Mac" McCarthy and John Paul "Johnny" Griffith, became co-dependent survivors at the site of a massacre of civilians. Think My Lai. There is an overtone that Johnny did quite a bit of the killing; in the vernacular, he was shell shocked. The stage is set for these two soldiers to become inseparable.
You can't have a triangle without a third leg. In this case, that third side is Jewish police detective Simon Hirsch. When his partner Michael "Wild Mike" Conroy dies in his arms, Hirsch becomes a man obsessed with getting the guy that killed him.
TRIANGLE is the story of three lost souls in search of if not absolution then maybe inner peace. There is no denying the unrequited sexual tension between Mac and Johnny. It is simply a fact that they love each other. In the end, the 'triangle' is completed. All sides meeting in a final showdown.
Although in today's socio-political climate TRIANGLE either is or would be banned, it is a book well worth reading. It behooves us all to make an effort to understand the broken humans in society. In that respect, understanding that Mac, Johnny, and Simon are on a mutual path to destruction makes this a chilling read.
September 1, 2018
SETTING: San Francisco
RATING: 3.00
WHY: In Viet Nam, Alexander “Mac” McCarthy stumbles across a massacre and takes charge of a shell-shocked man named John “Johnny” Paul Griffith. Johnny never really recovers and is totally dependent on Mac. Mac is a gambling addict and eventually, he owes the Mob and Johnny helps pay them back but doing hit jobs. During one of them, a secondary victim is an undercover cop. His partner, Simon, becomes obsessed with finding the murderer, losing all he values along the way. He has a very strange reaction when he finally finds Johnny. The book is overly long with vast amounts of time spent on routine matters. At various times, I wanted to kick each one of the characters.
RATING: 3.00
WHY: In Viet Nam, Alexander “Mac” McCarthy stumbles across a massacre and takes charge of a shell-shocked man named John “Johnny” Paul Griffith. Johnny never really recovers and is totally dependent on Mac. Mac is a gambling addict and eventually, he owes the Mob and Johnny helps pay them back but doing hit jobs. During one of them, a secondary victim is an undercover cop. His partner, Simon, becomes obsessed with finding the murderer, losing all he values along the way. He has a very strange reaction when he finally finds Johnny. The book is overly long with vast amounts of time spent on routine matters. At various times, I wanted to kick each one of the characters.
Want to read
November 11, 2019Synopsis: three men are drawn together by fear and by need. A gambler, a San Francisco cop, and a killer. Eventually the triangle is complete.
August 16, 2017
This novel has a strong beginning, yet it falters in the middle as the narrative gets bogged down with repetitive and mundane scenes.
June 27, 2021
I received a free copy from NetGalley. Very, very slow moving plot line. It does reflect a lot on how times have changed. The war aspect on their personalities is interesting.
March 15, 2015
Triangle
A novel by Teri White
Two men could not be more different than Alexander “Mac” McCarthy, a hard-drinking, poker playing tough guy and John Paul Griffith, a frightened and cowering “kid.” They meet on a battlefield in Viet Nam, and neither man can explain why, but each of them needs the other. Perhaps it is their limitations, Mac’s bad luck and Johnny’s stunted social skills, that weld them together, but it is an uneasy and sometimes bitter alliance. Leaving the Army behind, they move to New York where Mac’s gambling addiction pushes them into a life of crime and finally into doing murder for hire. Killing is easy for Johnny, he hardly exhibits emotion, outside his love for and desire to please Mac. And Mac will do anything to keep on gambling, easy street is just one card game away, or so he thinks. Their targets are other criminals within the “Organization” who have gone astray. But one day a cop is at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that draws in the law: Inspector Simon Hirsch, the murdered cop‘s partner. And Hirsch will have justice at all costs. . .
In reading the paragraph above did you think that I found “Triangle” to be interesting? I didn’t. The central characters are limited, their actions circular, and all three of them are thoroughly irksome. Why would anyone write 352 pages about three unhappy men? There is no joy here, not for the characters, not for the reader and certainly not for the reviewer. Reading this book is a grind. “Book I” of the novel’s three major divisions, wherein Ms. White delineates Mac and Johnny’s meeting and relationship, is as heavy and dense as depleted uranium! The problem isn’t bad writing. Technically the proper grammar, punctuation, and syntax seem to be there, though I am no expert. Even in outline the book isn’t bad. But the story telling is awful. Things that might have been interesting, like details of the killings, are brushed aside for the routine of their daily lives. And then there is the gay/not gay nature of the relationship between Mac and Johnny. If the author had bravely jumped in and made them lovers that would have been understandable. Instead, the pairing takes a form more in keeping with a master to pet dependency. Weird.
I do not recommend this book.
Professional readers and reviewers; this warning take by me: Look closely at all prerelease publicity. If the “praise” from Kirkus Reviews, etc., does not specifically name the author or novel it is paired with, as was the case with “Triangle,” do not request the book. Some one is throwing you a spitter. I did not notice this anomaly and suffered greatly for my error.
A digital copy of this novel was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for this review.
A novel by Teri White
Two men could not be more different than Alexander “Mac” McCarthy, a hard-drinking, poker playing tough guy and John Paul Griffith, a frightened and cowering “kid.” They meet on a battlefield in Viet Nam, and neither man can explain why, but each of them needs the other. Perhaps it is their limitations, Mac’s bad luck and Johnny’s stunted social skills, that weld them together, but it is an uneasy and sometimes bitter alliance. Leaving the Army behind, they move to New York where Mac’s gambling addiction pushes them into a life of crime and finally into doing murder for hire. Killing is easy for Johnny, he hardly exhibits emotion, outside his love for and desire to please Mac. And Mac will do anything to keep on gambling, easy street is just one card game away, or so he thinks. Their targets are other criminals within the “Organization” who have gone astray. But one day a cop is at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that draws in the law: Inspector Simon Hirsch, the murdered cop‘s partner. And Hirsch will have justice at all costs. . .
In reading the paragraph above did you think that I found “Triangle” to be interesting? I didn’t. The central characters are limited, their actions circular, and all three of them are thoroughly irksome. Why would anyone write 352 pages about three unhappy men? There is no joy here, not for the characters, not for the reader and certainly not for the reviewer. Reading this book is a grind. “Book I” of the novel’s three major divisions, wherein Ms. White delineates Mac and Johnny’s meeting and relationship, is as heavy and dense as depleted uranium! The problem isn’t bad writing. Technically the proper grammar, punctuation, and syntax seem to be there, though I am no expert. Even in outline the book isn’t bad. But the story telling is awful. Things that might have been interesting, like details of the killings, are brushed aside for the routine of their daily lives. And then there is the gay/not gay nature of the relationship between Mac and Johnny. If the author had bravely jumped in and made them lovers that would have been understandable. Instead, the pairing takes a form more in keeping with a master to pet dependency. Weird.
I do not recommend this book.
Professional readers and reviewers; this warning take by me: Look closely at all prerelease publicity. If the “praise” from Kirkus Reviews, etc., does not specifically name the author or novel it is paired with, as was the case with “Triangle,” do not request the book. Some one is throwing you a spitter. I did not notice this anomaly and suffered greatly for my error.
A digital copy of this novel was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for this review.
March 29, 2015
I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.
I have to say this was an interesting story it starts off with part one where two men are in the army. This is how Mac and Johnny meet. Mac is trekking through the jungle and comes across a village this is where he sees Johnny shell shocked. Mac pretty much takes him under his wing and the two were inseparable ever since. Mac is a character who has a bad gambling problem you would think he would learn to stop once he is in the hole but of course not he just keeps on. Johnny is very quiet and stays to himself but he does whatever Mac wants. He is very easy going and I am not sure if that was because of the way he was raised or because of the war. The relationship is kind of weird between the two. With Mac owing a lot of money to the gamblers he ends up with a job offer to become a collector and then eventually a hit man, but Mac is just the talker we learn that Johnny is the hit man. You can tell Johnny isn't comfortable doing it but whatever Mac wants him to do he goes along with it.
As time goes on Johnny and Mac are moving through out the country killing people that they are suppose to. Which leads us to part two in the book.
This is where we are introduced to a cop named Simon. When Simon is doing stake out duty while his partner is in a house undercover he is shot. Simon will stop at nothing to make sure his partner gets the justice he deserves no matter what the cost. We watch as Simon pretty much melts down to nothing he eats, sleeps and works on the case, all the while his family and his job is suffering. I liked how dedicated Simon was to finding the killer and not stopping until he found out who it was. I didn't agree with how obsessed he become in way that he forgot his anniversary and I could see how his wife was worried and upset.
Then we enter into part three of the book and this is where we see Simon right on the trails of Johnny and Mac but them two do not fully get that they are about to be caught.
We see Johnny open up just a bit more while talking to Simon and he almost seems normal if even for a second. Now the ending I didn't see coming and was a bit surprised it turned out the way it did. I was thinking something more dramatic would happen but nope I liked the way it turned out.
The only truly weird thing in the book for me was other guys calling guys babe. It wasn't in a sexual way but two guy friends calling each other babe when talking to them it felt off.
Other than that I truly enjoyed the suspense behind it. The story line was great, the characters were developed enough that they didn't seem flat. They had personalities.
I have to say this was an interesting story it starts off with part one where two men are in the army. This is how Mac and Johnny meet. Mac is trekking through the jungle and comes across a village this is where he sees Johnny shell shocked. Mac pretty much takes him under his wing and the two were inseparable ever since. Mac is a character who has a bad gambling problem you would think he would learn to stop once he is in the hole but of course not he just keeps on. Johnny is very quiet and stays to himself but he does whatever Mac wants. He is very easy going and I am not sure if that was because of the way he was raised or because of the war. The relationship is kind of weird between the two. With Mac owing a lot of money to the gamblers he ends up with a job offer to become a collector and then eventually a hit man, but Mac is just the talker we learn that Johnny is the hit man. You can tell Johnny isn't comfortable doing it but whatever Mac wants him to do he goes along with it.
As time goes on Johnny and Mac are moving through out the country killing people that they are suppose to. Which leads us to part two in the book.
This is where we are introduced to a cop named Simon. When Simon is doing stake out duty while his partner is in a house undercover he is shot. Simon will stop at nothing to make sure his partner gets the justice he deserves no matter what the cost. We watch as Simon pretty much melts down to nothing he eats, sleeps and works on the case, all the while his family and his job is suffering. I liked how dedicated Simon was to finding the killer and not stopping until he found out who it was. I didn't agree with how obsessed he become in way that he forgot his anniversary and I could see how his wife was worried and upset.
Then we enter into part three of the book and this is where we see Simon right on the trails of Johnny and Mac but them two do not fully get that they are about to be caught.
We see Johnny open up just a bit more while talking to Simon and he almost seems normal if even for a second. Now the ending I didn't see coming and was a bit surprised it turned out the way it did. I was thinking something more dramatic would happen but nope I liked the way it turned out.
The only truly weird thing in the book for me was other guys calling guys babe. It wasn't in a sexual way but two guy friends calling each other babe when talking to them it felt off.
Other than that I truly enjoyed the suspense behind it. The story line was great, the characters were developed enough that they didn't seem flat. They had personalities.
March 7, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
No plot. No redemption. No point.
My goodness. Well, I have to say that if you are a hard core grammar nazi, you might really appreciate this book. If there is a single grammatical error, I missed it in my constant attempts to make any sense of this book. I must have started and stopped this story a dozen times waiting for a plot to develop. It never did. The rest of this review might have more spoilers than I would normally include, but I don’t really expect many readers will want this book.
This story begins just after the massacre of an entire village in Vietnam, making it too recent to be historical and too retro to be contemporary. The blurb does a descent job of explaining the plot except for one thing…….
“But when Mac loses control of his killing machine, Johnny’s repressed fury will be unleashed on the world.”
It didn’t happen that way. Mac, the planner, made a mistake. He didn’t find out that a second person would be in the apartment with the target. Johnny did his job like he had always been told…he killed them both, leaving no witnesses. Johnny was never a “killing machine”, he just did whatever Mac asked him to do. But the second person in that apartment was an undercover cop, bringing in the third character in the “triangle”, Simon, the partner of the murdered cop. Simon becomes so obsessed with finding the killer of his partner that he loses everything…his job, his wife and his family.
Mac, Johnny and Simon are the triangle. An alcoholic gambler with no self control who stayed in trouble, turning a PTSD sufferer with no ability to make moral judgements into a willing and compliant killer being hunted by a former cop who is so obsessed that he gave up every single important part of his life for the hunt. Mental illness times three. I like a dark read and knew from the blurb that this one would be very dark. I expect, in those darker stories, to find redemption at some point. Redemption never came, just three lives spiraling out of control in the most depressing way.
No plot. No redemption. No point. I can’t recommend this book to anyone.
No plot. No redemption. No point.
My goodness. Well, I have to say that if you are a hard core grammar nazi, you might really appreciate this book. If there is a single grammatical error, I missed it in my constant attempts to make any sense of this book. I must have started and stopped this story a dozen times waiting for a plot to develop. It never did. The rest of this review might have more spoilers than I would normally include, but I don’t really expect many readers will want this book.
This story begins just after the massacre of an entire village in Vietnam, making it too recent to be historical and too retro to be contemporary. The blurb does a descent job of explaining the plot except for one thing…….
“But when Mac loses control of his killing machine, Johnny’s repressed fury will be unleashed on the world.”
It didn’t happen that way. Mac, the planner, made a mistake. He didn’t find out that a second person would be in the apartment with the target. Johnny did his job like he had always been told…he killed them both, leaving no witnesses. Johnny was never a “killing machine”, he just did whatever Mac asked him to do. But the second person in that apartment was an undercover cop, bringing in the third character in the “triangle”, Simon, the partner of the murdered cop. Simon becomes so obsessed with finding the killer of his partner that he loses everything…his job, his wife and his family.
Mac, Johnny and Simon are the triangle. An alcoholic gambler with no self control who stayed in trouble, turning a PTSD sufferer with no ability to make moral judgements into a willing and compliant killer being hunted by a former cop who is so obsessed that he gave up every single important part of his life for the hunt. Mental illness times three. I like a dark read and knew from the blurb that this one would be very dark. I expect, in those darker stories, to find redemption at some point. Redemption never came, just three lives spiraling out of control in the most depressing way.
No plot. No redemption. No point. I can’t recommend this book to anyone.
February 25, 2015
It’s fairly remarkable how real White makes this whole situation seem. Meek Johnny’s relationship with belligerent Mac seesaws between sweet and abusive. On the one hand, Mac has given Johnny a home and someone to take care of him, make his decisions and protect him from others. On the other hand, Mac has a temper, and Johnny isn’t good at standing up for himself. It’s a beautifully drawn codependent and abusive relationship between two people who really do care about each other–but sometimes caring isn’t enough. Gradually police detective Simon starts to put together the pieces, following Mac and Johnny from state to state, because Johnny killed Simon’s undercover partner.
Simon becomes obsessed with Johnny. Unlike most movies, when he spends all his time trying to track down his partner’s murderer, disobeying his superiors all the way, he doesn’t come out on top. His department, co-workers and family start backing away from Simon’s increasingly erratic behavior. But Simon won’t stop until he finds Johnny.
Unfortunately I can’t discuss some of the neatest material without giving plot points away. So instead I’ll say this: the triangle of relationships between Mac, Johnny, and Simon grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go. Johnny, who should by all rights be the book’s worst of bad guys, is the character that made me tear up–and I wanted to root for him rather than any other character. Triangle is more of a character study than your average thriller novel, and I in no way felt cheated by that. This is one of the better books I’ve read recently.
NOTE: Review book provided by publisher
Longer version including plot synopsis available on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/02/r...
Simon becomes obsessed with Johnny. Unlike most movies, when he spends all his time trying to track down his partner’s murderer, disobeying his superiors all the way, he doesn’t come out on top. His department, co-workers and family start backing away from Simon’s increasingly erratic behavior. But Simon won’t stop until he finds Johnny.
Unfortunately I can’t discuss some of the neatest material without giving plot points away. So instead I’ll say this: the triangle of relationships between Mac, Johnny, and Simon grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go. Johnny, who should by all rights be the book’s worst of bad guys, is the character that made me tear up–and I wanted to root for him rather than any other character. Triangle is more of a character study than your average thriller novel, and I in no way felt cheated by that. This is one of the better books I’ve read recently.
NOTE: Review book provided by publisher
Longer version including plot synopsis available on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/02/r...
March 1, 2015
Deep in the war torn jungles of Vietnam, two American soldiers become joined by the blood, terror, and psychology that neither understands. Neither man, for reasons known and unknown, can break the bond that was forged on one horrible day in a small village in the Vietnam jungle.
Teri takes us on a psychological voyage that shows the impact of war, abuse, and dependency on the human psyche and human relationships. Each character is molded as Teri uses words, feelings and a clear knowledge of human psychology and relationships until the line between them is so vague that one can barely see it.
In addition to the two main characters, a third character is introduced adding a dimension which Teri uses to reinforce the impact of violence and dependency on the human psyche and relationships. The development of this character transcends time and is as true today as it was in the time frame of the story.
I began this book thinking this was just going to be another Vietnam War story. I was not even finished with the prologue when I realized how wrong that assumption was. Triangle is a must read for anyone interested in how forces, both inside and outside that control, affect our journey in life. It is also a must read for understanding the effects of PTSD.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.
Teri takes us on a psychological voyage that shows the impact of war, abuse, and dependency on the human psyche and human relationships. Each character is molded as Teri uses words, feelings and a clear knowledge of human psychology and relationships until the line between them is so vague that one can barely see it.
In addition to the two main characters, a third character is introduced adding a dimension which Teri uses to reinforce the impact of violence and dependency on the human psyche and relationships. The development of this character transcends time and is as true today as it was in the time frame of the story.
I began this book thinking this was just going to be another Vietnam War story. I was not even finished with the prologue when I realized how wrong that assumption was. Triangle is a must read for anyone interested in how forces, both inside and outside that control, affect our journey in life. It is also a must read for understanding the effects of PTSD.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.
March 4, 2015
Given To Me For An Honest Review
Triangle by Teri White is her debut novel. This is a must read. Once you open the book it will hold your attention from the beginning to the end. Those pages will just turn themselves, one after another. This story seemed more of a character study than a suspense or thriller. It also shows us how forces, both inside and outside that control and affect our journey in life. It also helps our understanding the effects of PTSD. Mac and Johnny meet in Vietnam. After they return to the states they are always together. Mac owes the mob a lot of money. To pay them he offers to work for them. He plans assassinations and Johnny carries them out. During this time Johnny ends up killing a police officer. The officer's partner vows to hunt down Johnny to seek revenge. Mac, Johnn, Simon meet. The ending? OMG .... not one .... Sequel? I recommend this book to everyone but I do put up a *** CAUTION*** Not for anyone under 18 due to some language. When I got to the end all I said was, "WOW!" Teri White hit the nail on the head with this book. Fantastic job and I look for more from her.
Triangle by Teri White is her debut novel. This is a must read. Once you open the book it will hold your attention from the beginning to the end. Those pages will just turn themselves, one after another. This story seemed more of a character study than a suspense or thriller. It also shows us how forces, both inside and outside that control and affect our journey in life. It also helps our understanding the effects of PTSD. Mac and Johnny meet in Vietnam. After they return to the states they are always together. Mac owes the mob a lot of money. To pay them he offers to work for them. He plans assassinations and Johnny carries them out. During this time Johnny ends up killing a police officer. The officer's partner vows to hunt down Johnny to seek revenge. Mac, Johnn, Simon meet. The ending? OMG .... not one .... Sequel? I recommend this book to everyone but I do put up a *** CAUTION*** Not for anyone under 18 due to some language. When I got to the end all I said was, "WOW!" Teri White hit the nail on the head with this book. Fantastic job and I look for more from her.
December 1, 2012
Odd work of psychological suspense about a pathologically dependent relationship between Johnny, a shell shocked vet and Max, his sargent. Now discharged, Max and Johnny are rarely separated except when Max is gambling, which of course puts him in debt to the mob. Contract killings give them the migratory lifestyle that they prefer, the isolation that makes their odd relationship private, funds Max's addiction and keeps them in thrall. It's Max who engineers the killings, and Johnny who pulls the trigger, neither of them guilty, both of them righteous for different reasons.
A nice twist in the final third of the work as Simon, a cop, enters the narrative. He's also an obsessive nutcase and I won't give away the ending.
Thanks to Bookwagon bookseller Carl Hilton who gave me the book with recommendations. Carl, this makes me wonder about you....
--Ashland Mystery
A nice twist in the final third of the work as Simon, a cop, enters the narrative. He's also an obsessive nutcase and I won't give away the ending.
Thanks to Bookwagon bookseller Carl Hilton who gave me the book with recommendations. Carl, this makes me wonder about you....
--Ashland Mystery
March 1, 2015
I received an ARC from the publisher, Open Road Media and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I had some trouble getting involved in this story. It wasn't until the author took me into a flashback of how Johnny became what he is and how he met his friend Mac.
This psychological thriller is very slow moving right to the end. As you travel through the memories of Mac, Johnny and Simon you discover how mental illness can affect different individuals. Simon loses his job, his wife and family as well as his home as he searches for the hitman who caused his partner's death. Mac spirals into an ever increasing gambling addiction. While Johnny lets the world believe he is totally clueless but is more knowing and observant than people, even his friend Mac, give him credit for.
There really is no true plot, but is more about the effects of PTSD and the possibilities of mental illness if left untreated.
I had some trouble getting involved in this story. It wasn't until the author took me into a flashback of how Johnny became what he is and how he met his friend Mac.
This psychological thriller is very slow moving right to the end. As you travel through the memories of Mac, Johnny and Simon you discover how mental illness can affect different individuals. Simon loses his job, his wife and family as well as his home as he searches for the hitman who caused his partner's death. Mac spirals into an ever increasing gambling addiction. While Johnny lets the world believe he is totally clueless but is more knowing and observant than people, even his friend Mac, give him credit for.
There really is no true plot, but is more about the effects of PTSD and the possibilities of mental illness if left untreated.
April 3, 2015
A somewhat convoluted story of two Vietnam vets who become attached during their service. One is an inveterate gambler and eventually this leads to he and an the other man becoming contract killers.
Then there's the L>A. policeman who's partner is killed during one of the contract killings. He can't let his partners death go and goes rogue looking for the killer.
The strange ending with the cop now being the kids caretaker makes for the unusual close of the story.
With so many points of view and the slow way the story unwound it was hard to keep my interest.
Then there's the L>A. policeman who's partner is killed during one of the contract killings. He can't let his partners death go and goes rogue looking for the killer.
The strange ending with the cop now being the kids caretaker makes for the unusual close of the story.
With so many points of view and the slow way the story unwound it was hard to keep my interest.
January 29, 2016
The lead character, John, is either a genius or the best actor since time began, or a bit of both. This book had so many surprises I rushed to get to the ending. Sleep deprivation has never been a consideration when a book merits reading to completion and this one ended surprisingly better than my best guess. I will not offer details of the story as anyone can read a “what’s it about” sales preview. I only rate it a five star and conclude this was a very clever author to conceive this.
February 27, 2015
I received this arc from Netgalley.
This was a very good book. It completely held my attention from the beginning to the end. Definitely a page turner. I didn't much care for the ending (Mac), but it takes nothing away from it being a great read. I will be looking for every book this author has written
This was a very good book. It completely held my attention from the beginning to the end. Definitely a page turner. I didn't much care for the ending (Mac), but it takes nothing away from it being a great read. I will be looking for every book this author has written
April 8, 2015
I liked the overall story, I just wanted more.
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