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Half-Past Dawn
Between life and death, between the deepest dark of night and the first rays of dawn, in that moment where we begin to drift from sleep to wakefulness, is where anything is possible . . .
Jack Keeler wakes up one bright June morning to the shock of his life. He gazes in the mirror and sees a half-healed gash over his right eye and a hastily stitched-together wound in his shoulder that looks suspiciously like the result of a bullet. He also notices an intricately designed tattoo—words written in a foreign script—covering the length of his forearm. He’s alone, his house eerily silent without the delightful chatter of his wife and two daughters. He has absolutely no memory of how, when, or why he ended up in such gruesome physical condition.
Jack gropes his way down to the kitchen to call his wife, Mia—an FBI agent—and to find some answers. But before he can pick up the phone, his eyes are drawn to the front page of that morning’s paper. He takes in a large photo of a bridge, the guard rail missing, a skein of tire marks on the roadway. Above the photo, in large black type, a headline that simply reads NEW YORK CITY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JACK KEELER DEAD.
From this mind-shattering opening scene, Richard Doetsch takes readers on a twisting, turning adventure as Jack struggles to find out not only what happened to him, but to his missing wife. As fragments of his memory return, and with the help of a loyal friend, he reconstructs the events of the previous night, which culminated in his being shot and Mia’s abduction. He has only until dawn of the following day to uncover an ancient mystery hidden in the depths of one of the country’s most heavily guarded prisons. Just when Jack thinks he has put all the pieces together and has saved Mia’s life, a final twist occurs that changes everything.
A thriller spanning time, an Asian people out of legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, and a diary whose contents foretell the future, Half-Past Dawn is a race through the borders of life and death, insanity and reason, and dreams and reality. In the dim light of half-past dawn, nothing is as it appears to be.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2011
14 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Richard Doetsch
14 books301 followersA Mesmerizing Thriller Told in Reverse
(Yep, you start at the last chapter and go backwards)
Richard Doetsch returns with a stand-alone sequel to his international bestseller, The 13th Hour, published in twenty-two countries.
“At long last, Richard Doetsch returns to the clock-spinning world of THE 13TH HOUR. Its ingenious sequel, THE 13TH HOUR: CHAOS, is a jigsaw puzzle in book form—but that’s not all. It’s a love story, a political potboiler, and a thriller that upends expectations with every turn of the page. It carried me from heartbreaking opening to the razor edge of its ending in one sitting. My foot is already tapping as I wait impatiently for a third installment!”
James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Last Odyssey
“I haven’t read a race against time this intense… The 13th Hour: Chaos is a time-bending adventure of epic proportions and scary consequences." Best Thriller Books
“Times flies—only backward—in this riveting new thriller! And the pages fly by, too! The story starts with a bang and hurtles in reverse toward a climax as clever as it is shocking.”
Robert Masello, author of The Haunting of H.G. Wells
“A clever story, cleverly told, by a master storyteller.”
Steve Berrry, New York Times Bestselling Author
A surprising and utterly original thriller, The 13th Hour: Chaos delivers pure, page-turning suspense—full of double-crosses, shocking turnabouts, and the inexorable power of love.
"The Thieves of Legend stole my breath with the sheer audacity of its storytelling, proving yet again that this series gets better with every installment. Bold, richly told, and rollicking with adventure, here is a thriller that demands to be read in one tension-wrought sitting. Count me a fan for life!"
James Rollins, New York Times Bestselling author of Bloodline
"The tension leaps off the pages in this classic, ticking-clock thriller. Watch out. You'll grip the pages so tight your knuckles will turn white."
Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
"Doetsch continues to demonstrate why he's one of the best thriller writers in the business." Booklist - Starred Review
Half-Past Dawn,
"One of the best thrillers of the year," -- ABC News
"A shocking thriller," -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Gut wrenching" -- The Huffington Post
"Half-Past Dawn is a superb character driven suspense tale." SDSR
"As hard as it is to believe, Half-Past Dawn is even better than The 13th Hour." The Journal Review
Jack Keeler has 24 hour to stop fate before it catches up with him... and the rest of the world.
From the international bestselling author of The 13th Hour and The Thieves of Darkness(both soon to be be major motion pictures) comes a "pulse pounding, mind-bending thriller that rewrites the genre"
Awakening to the mistaken headline that he and his wife, Mia, have been killed, District Attorney, Jack Keeler has only until dawn tomorrow to uncover an ancient mystery hidden in the depths of one of the country's most heavily guarded prisons.
A thriller spanning time, an Asian people out of legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, and a diary who's contents foretells the future, Half-Past Dawn is a race through the boarders of life and death, insanity and reason, and dreams and reality.
Everything else aside, it's a really fun read that will make you think even after the last page.
The Thieves of Darkness,
A bestseller around the world seems a bit strange for someone like me; I barely speak English, yet I’m published in 34 languages.
The 13th Hour (Atria Books;)—described as a cross between “The Bourne Identity” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife”—was acquired by New Line Cinema with Michael De Luca as producer and Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted” / “3:10 to Yuma”) as screenwrite
(Yep, you start at the last chapter and go backwards)
Richard Doetsch returns with a stand-alone sequel to his international bestseller, The 13th Hour, published in twenty-two countries.
“At long last, Richard Doetsch returns to the clock-spinning world of THE 13TH HOUR. Its ingenious sequel, THE 13TH HOUR: CHAOS, is a jigsaw puzzle in book form—but that’s not all. It’s a love story, a political potboiler, and a thriller that upends expectations with every turn of the page. It carried me from heartbreaking opening to the razor edge of its ending in one sitting. My foot is already tapping as I wait impatiently for a third installment!”
James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Last Odyssey
“I haven’t read a race against time this intense… The 13th Hour: Chaos is a time-bending adventure of epic proportions and scary consequences." Best Thriller Books
“Times flies—only backward—in this riveting new thriller! And the pages fly by, too! The story starts with a bang and hurtles in reverse toward a climax as clever as it is shocking.”
Robert Masello, author of The Haunting of H.G. Wells
“A clever story, cleverly told, by a master storyteller.”
Steve Berrry, New York Times Bestselling Author
A surprising and utterly original thriller, The 13th Hour: Chaos delivers pure, page-turning suspense—full of double-crosses, shocking turnabouts, and the inexorable power of love.
"The Thieves of Legend stole my breath with the sheer audacity of its storytelling, proving yet again that this series gets better with every installment. Bold, richly told, and rollicking with adventure, here is a thriller that demands to be read in one tension-wrought sitting. Count me a fan for life!"
James Rollins, New York Times Bestselling author of Bloodline
"The tension leaps off the pages in this classic, ticking-clock thriller. Watch out. You'll grip the pages so tight your knuckles will turn white."
Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
"Doetsch continues to demonstrate why he's one of the best thriller writers in the business." Booklist - Starred Review
Half-Past Dawn,
"One of the best thrillers of the year," -- ABC News
"A shocking thriller," -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Gut wrenching" -- The Huffington Post
"Half-Past Dawn is a superb character driven suspense tale." SDSR
"As hard as it is to believe, Half-Past Dawn is even better than The 13th Hour." The Journal Review
Jack Keeler has 24 hour to stop fate before it catches up with him... and the rest of the world.
From the international bestselling author of The 13th Hour and The Thieves of Darkness(both soon to be be major motion pictures) comes a "pulse pounding, mind-bending thriller that rewrites the genre"
Awakening to the mistaken headline that he and his wife, Mia, have been killed, District Attorney, Jack Keeler has only until dawn tomorrow to uncover an ancient mystery hidden in the depths of one of the country's most heavily guarded prisons.
A thriller spanning time, an Asian people out of legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, and a diary who's contents foretells the future, Half-Past Dawn is a race through the boarders of life and death, insanity and reason, and dreams and reality.
Everything else aside, it's a really fun read that will make you think even after the last page.
The Thieves of Darkness,
A bestseller around the world seems a bit strange for someone like me; I barely speak English, yet I’m published in 34 languages.
The 13th Hour (Atria Books;)—described as a cross between “The Bourne Identity” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife”—was acquired by New Line Cinema with Michael De Luca as producer and Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted” / “3:10 to Yuma”) as screenwrite
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
November 23, 2011
You know, I was almost burnt out on the thrillers until reading this book. I’ve just read so many that, eventually, they all begin to fit into a certain mold and I have no trouble figuring out what’s going to happen next – that’s no fun. Fortunately, this was not the case with Half-Past Dawn. Doetsch definitely pulled one (or ten) over on me and renewed my faith in the genre. He didn’t try to beef up the suspense with a million plot twists that are either too predictable or make no logical sense within the context of the story; the author obviously put some thought into it and created an awesome story that will keep the reader entertained.
Aside from that, the characters are well-developed and I was truly interested in them (crazy, huh?). I should mention, though, that the characters are very typical of the genre and are not unique in and of themselves. They have the jobs you might expect, the family, and the friends. That doesn’t take away from the story though. As I said, it’s the situation these characters are thrown into that will keep you guessing. I really enjoyed this book and I’m actually tempted to read it again, just so I can internalize how stupid I am for not picking up on certain clues – self-deprecation, now that’s a testament to a book’s quality! If you pick up Half-Past Dawn, plan on devoting the next 12 hours to finishing it because you won’t be able to put it down.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
Aside from that, the characters are well-developed and I was truly interested in them (crazy, huh?). I should mention, though, that the characters are very typical of the genre and are not unique in and of themselves. They have the jobs you might expect, the family, and the friends. That doesn’t take away from the story though. As I said, it’s the situation these characters are thrown into that will keep you guessing. I really enjoyed this book and I’m actually tempted to read it again, just so I can internalize how stupid I am for not picking up on certain clues – self-deprecation, now that’s a testament to a book’s quality! If you pick up Half-Past Dawn, plan on devoting the next 12 hours to finishing it because you won’t be able to put it down.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
November 16, 2011
The book was fantastic up until the very end. Extremely disappointing, as if the Author was just too ambitous with his storyline and just gave up at the end since he could not effectively tie all the pieces together. The whole story was thrilling and easy to read but the ending was confusing, frustrating and down right irritating. I felt like I had to question whether or not I was stupid because I didn't understand the ending at all. This is not how I wanted to be left feeling after completing a book that I was initially excited about.
November 17, 2011
The story opens as a man gets his morning paper and is startled at the headline claiming that he and his wife are dead.
With use of a flashback, we see the man, DA Jack Keeler and his wife, FBI agent Mia, head home after attending an event in honor of her father, former FBI director, Sam Norris.
They are stopped on a bridge and ordered out of their car. When Jack resists, he's shot in the shoulder and placed back in the car which is then pushed over the bridge into the water below. His wife is kidnapped.
Jack survives but when officials see his car at the bottom of the water, they assume he and Mia are dead.
With his old partner from homicide days on the police dept. they are at Jack's home trying to think things out. A man attempts to sneak into the home but they surprise him. Before being able to question the man, he escapes.
The author keeps the reader in total suspense as the story is played out. Who arranged for Mia's kidnapping? What is it all about? How did they pull it off so successfully?
Jack also had a tattoo on his arm with words in a language he didn't understand. He has it translated and then reveals something that changes the course of the novel.
The pacing of the story is well done, as if a new challange comes up with every few heartbeats. Things take twists and turns and it is quite a ride beofe the reader can figure out what is going on.
I enjoyed the fast paced story and the characters.
With use of a flashback, we see the man, DA Jack Keeler and his wife, FBI agent Mia, head home after attending an event in honor of her father, former FBI director, Sam Norris.
They are stopped on a bridge and ordered out of their car. When Jack resists, he's shot in the shoulder and placed back in the car which is then pushed over the bridge into the water below. His wife is kidnapped.
Jack survives but when officials see his car at the bottom of the water, they assume he and Mia are dead.
With his old partner from homicide days on the police dept. they are at Jack's home trying to think things out. A man attempts to sneak into the home but they surprise him. Before being able to question the man, he escapes.
The author keeps the reader in total suspense as the story is played out. Who arranged for Mia's kidnapping? What is it all about? How did they pull it off so successfully?
Jack also had a tattoo on his arm with words in a language he didn't understand. He has it translated and then reveals something that changes the course of the novel.
The pacing of the story is well done, as if a new challange comes up with every few heartbeats. Things take twists and turns and it is quite a ride beofe the reader can figure out what is going on.
I enjoyed the fast paced story and the characters.
November 27, 2011
Richard Doetsch has turned his career as a real estate executive on its ear as his ‘hobby’ --- writing terrific historical-based thrillers --- has now propelled him to the upper echelons of this genre. With two of his prior novels already being optioned for major motion pictures, his latest release --- HALF-PAST DAWN --- is a stand-alone thriller that pulls out all stops and continues his successful streak of addictive novels.
Jack Keeler’s world slowly comes to life at half-past dawn one morning and he finds himself placed within a situation that he cannot explain. He gazes in the mirror to find a seriously wounded face, a poorly stitched up shoulder wound and an intricately designed tattoo of indecipherable script covering his forearm.
He also does not find his wife, Mia, where she should be in bed beside him. Mia is an FBI agent and as he limps towards his phone to call her he is met with the shock of his life. The daily paper features a front-page story exclaiming that New York City District Attorney Jack Keeler is dead. The article is accompanied by a photo of a mangled guard-rail, highway covered in skid marks and the bridge that Jack and Mia’s car supposedly tumbled off of.
When Jack’s friend and mentor, Frank Archer, stops by he is met by a frantic Jack who shows him the newspaper story. Together, Jack and Frank attempt to jog Jack’s memory of the prior evening and piece together the short-term amnesia filled moments that are just out of Keeler’s reach. With Mia being a CIA agent and Jack a prominent D.A., the list of those who might want to harm them is endless. Where to begin?
Jack and Frank begin their own private investigation under the radar of authorities and taking full advantage of the fact that everyone thinks Jack is dead. As more and more memories become clear to him, Jack starts filling in the missing pieces of the previous night and at one point confronts the man whose actions caused their near-fatal car crash.
The only problem is that, once Jack kills this mysterious villain, he rifles through his jacket to find an ID along with a badge claiming the stranger to be one Steven Gallagher, FBI agent. What have Jack and Mia gotten themselves into?
Jack’s world is further turned upside down when he receives a phone call from Mia’s alleged kidnappers. The frightening thing is that the voice on the other end of the phone belongs to Nowaji Cristos --- a convicted terrorist that Jack prosecuted. Unfortunately for Jack, knowing the identity of his enemy does not help him in this case as he watched as Cristos was executed via lethal injection the previous year. Cristos at one point says to Jack: ‘Nothing is as it seems. Remember this, death is not always final, not always permanent; death is never the end.’
I advise all readers of this twisting Pandora’s Box of a novel to keep that quote in mind as a very real quandary is laid out. Is Jack dealing with a villain who can indeed cheat death or is he himself suffering from a mass delusion brought on by a brain tumor he has been battling? Once this realization is proposed --- nothing is truly as it seems and HALF-PAST DAWN will take you into situations you will not see coming. A fine job by Richard Doetsch as he once again has written a fast-paced thriller sprinkled with international intrigue and historical mysteries that keep things hopping until the very last page.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Rebecca Reads
Jack Keeler’s world slowly comes to life at half-past dawn one morning and he finds himself placed within a situation that he cannot explain. He gazes in the mirror to find a seriously wounded face, a poorly stitched up shoulder wound and an intricately designed tattoo of indecipherable script covering his forearm.
He also does not find his wife, Mia, where she should be in bed beside him. Mia is an FBI agent and as he limps towards his phone to call her he is met with the shock of his life. The daily paper features a front-page story exclaiming that New York City District Attorney Jack Keeler is dead. The article is accompanied by a photo of a mangled guard-rail, highway covered in skid marks and the bridge that Jack and Mia’s car supposedly tumbled off of.
When Jack’s friend and mentor, Frank Archer, stops by he is met by a frantic Jack who shows him the newspaper story. Together, Jack and Frank attempt to jog Jack’s memory of the prior evening and piece together the short-term amnesia filled moments that are just out of Keeler’s reach. With Mia being a CIA agent and Jack a prominent D.A., the list of those who might want to harm them is endless. Where to begin?
Jack and Frank begin their own private investigation under the radar of authorities and taking full advantage of the fact that everyone thinks Jack is dead. As more and more memories become clear to him, Jack starts filling in the missing pieces of the previous night and at one point confronts the man whose actions caused their near-fatal car crash.
The only problem is that, once Jack kills this mysterious villain, he rifles through his jacket to find an ID along with a badge claiming the stranger to be one Steven Gallagher, FBI agent. What have Jack and Mia gotten themselves into?
Jack’s world is further turned upside down when he receives a phone call from Mia’s alleged kidnappers. The frightening thing is that the voice on the other end of the phone belongs to Nowaji Cristos --- a convicted terrorist that Jack prosecuted. Unfortunately for Jack, knowing the identity of his enemy does not help him in this case as he watched as Cristos was executed via lethal injection the previous year. Cristos at one point says to Jack: ‘Nothing is as it seems. Remember this, death is not always final, not always permanent; death is never the end.’
I advise all readers of this twisting Pandora’s Box of a novel to keep that quote in mind as a very real quandary is laid out. Is Jack dealing with a villain who can indeed cheat death or is he himself suffering from a mass delusion brought on by a brain tumor he has been battling? Once this realization is proposed --- nothing is truly as it seems and HALF-PAST DAWN will take you into situations you will not see coming. A fine job by Richard Doetsch as he once again has written a fast-paced thriller sprinkled with international intrigue and historical mysteries that keep things hopping until the very last page.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Rebecca Reads
November 25, 2011
Past paced thriller with a little bit of a disappointment at the end. Jack Keeler, New York DA is married to Mia Keeler , an FBI agent and both attempt to keep their cases separate from their personal lives. Until one fateful night when their truck is attacked on a bridge. They fight back but Jack still in the truck is catapulted over the railing and into the river. Mia totally disappears and with the truck in the river, it is assumed that both perished. However , they didn't ! Jack is desperate to find out if Mia survived but the headlines proclaim both dead! Jack senses that Mia has been kidnapped and somehow he knows it has to do with a case she was working on. Mia asked Jack to hide a federal evidence box in the Tombs where NYC evidence is kept. She refuses to divulge the contents of the box because she doesn't want Jack involved in the federal case.
And now the hunt is on, with the mysterious assassin, Christos Nowaji trying desperately trying to reclaim the box and it's contents. Jack figures that it is better for him if he appears to have died in the crash while he attempts to figure out why Mia was captured and why this case is so dangerous.
There are a fair amount of bodies thrown around but the pace is hectic and it certainly makes for an exciting read. There is also some mysticism involved with Christos and his origins in a small, ancient colony of monks living in the tiny country of Cotis , high in the mountains near India. Plus there is the strange belief that certain of us can see the future and maybe? alter the path that fate will have you follow .
And now the hunt is on, with the mysterious assassin, Christos Nowaji trying desperately trying to reclaim the box and it's contents. Jack figures that it is better for him if he appears to have died in the crash while he attempts to figure out why Mia was captured and why this case is so dangerous.
There are a fair amount of bodies thrown around but the pace is hectic and it certainly makes for an exciting read. There is also some mysticism involved with Christos and his origins in a small, ancient colony of monks living in the tiny country of Cotis , high in the mountains near India. Plus there is the strange belief that certain of us can see the future and maybe? alter the path that fate will have you follow .
April 5, 2024
This was a unique experience for me as I bought this book at the thrift store for 25 cents, because of this I read the book without knowing the summary or seeing the cover; A blind date with a book I suppose. The book was fantastic! It had me in its grasp from the first chapter. Not knowing what to expect made the ending of the first chapter especially shocking. Though the book was plot-driven, the characters were extremely likable even the antagonists were villains you love to hate. I especially enjoyed how all the backstories of the characters are revealed throughout the book. Though the events of the book only took place within one day the book manages to be fast-paced with a lot of action and mystery. The ending of the book was confusing and irritating at first, some may even want to throw the book against the wall. But if you can look past the initial emotions it evokes, it does fit into the themes of the book and with the epilogue raises more questions about what's going on. Although some loose ends made no sense and could be up for interpretation. The most important thing to remember is that reality is all a matter of perspective.
January 4, 2018
A kind of strange book. i had to wait till the end to decide if i like it or not. A hard boiled pulp fiction kind of book with a twist of romance
September 3, 2011
Received as an ARC from the publisher.
I really enjoyed Doetsch's book The 13th Hour, and I expected to like this one too. I did enjoy it--fast paced, interesting characters, lots of twists and turns, and that's where I had a problem. I'd like to sit down with Mr. Doetsch to discuss the ending, to make sure I understood it correctly. I had to read the last few pages twice, and I'm still not sure I got it right. Maybe when it's released to the public other readers will comment, and we can all discuss it. The ending will certainly have me thinking about it for a while.
I really enjoyed Doetsch's book The 13th Hour, and I expected to like this one too. I did enjoy it--fast paced, interesting characters, lots of twists and turns, and that's where I had a problem. I'd like to sit down with Mr. Doetsch to discuss the ending, to make sure I understood it correctly. I had to read the last few pages twice, and I'm still not sure I got it right. Maybe when it's released to the public other readers will comment, and we can all discuss it. The ending will certainly have me thinking about it for a while.
October 17, 2011
I was disappointed with this book. The fly leaf made it sound like a really good thriller, however it was a muddled action book seemingly written without a clear plot outline. The characters were all unnecessarily wealthy, upper-crust action figures. The plot twists were sudden and bizarre. The ending was just silly. The only reason I kept reading was that I am on vacation and I only brought a few books.
October 23, 2011
I feel like I was scammed.
I got caught up in all the excitement in the little couple of paragraphs about what this book was gonna be about. Then it quickly started feeling like a body going down with a cement boot.
Ughhhhhhh... I really, really, really hate when this happens.
This is not all that it's cracked up to be. :(
I got caught up in all the excitement in the little couple of paragraphs about what this book was gonna be about. Then it quickly started feeling like a body going down with a cement boot.
Ughhhhhhh... I really, really, really hate when this happens.
This is not all that it's cracked up to be. :(
January 12, 2013
Starts with a bang, but the writing is so dreadful I stopped after 50 pages. "...her lithe legs gliding along the floor as she walked..." Surely it was her feet that were gliding? "Servants scampered around, carrying trays..." I would fire any servant who scampered. Enough.
April 30, 2015
I discovered Richard Doetsch because he started following me on Twitter. Curious, I checked out his books and loved them. This is the 6th book by him I've read and not one has disappointed me.
November 8, 2018
This is the worst book I've read all year. It's the only book I've given a "1" to, and I'm not sure it even deserves that.
This book is just a confusing mess. It's impossible to follow, mostly because the rules keep changing. If you're going to set up an alternative reality, you at least need to be consistent so the reader can follow along. Instead the rules changed constantly, and even at the end absolutely nothing was clear.
Adding to the confusion was the fact that the author kept the reader completely in the dark. Every chapter ended with, "He opened the box, and he couldn't believe what he saw!" The reader had no idea what was going on throughout this book.
Don't bother with this mess.
This book is just a confusing mess. It's impossible to follow, mostly because the rules keep changing. If you're going to set up an alternative reality, you at least need to be consistent so the reader can follow along. Instead the rules changed constantly, and even at the end absolutely nothing was clear.
Adding to the confusion was the fact that the author kept the reader completely in the dark. Every chapter ended with, "He opened the box, and he couldn't believe what he saw!" The reader had no idea what was going on throughout this book.
Don't bother with this mess.
June 14, 2024
3/5. "Reality is all a matter of perspective." This fast-paced thriller takes you on a roller coaster ride as the New York City DA wakes up to find a strange tattoo on his arm and his daily newspaper declaring him and his wife dead. Lots of action, pursuits, gun fights, stabbings and subterfuge from the first chapter. Twisty, twisty bizarre plot that draws you in. I would have rated it higher if not for the simplistic prose and rather superficial personal interactions. Good beach reading, though.
January 12, 2018
I loved it until the end! Fast paced with lots of interesting characters and plot twists. But the ending was so confusing! I'm still not exactly what happened.
August 29, 2022
Did not get engaged with this one, skimmed thru, big plot twist at the end. Maybe I’ll run across it again sometime with better results.
February 29, 2024
Wow. The twists and turns of this book were fantastic. As I thought I have figured it out the plot would turn a different direction. Loved the whole book. It caught me from the first page.
February 21, 2014
This is my 2nd read of Richard Doetsch and all I can say is I am a big fan! What twists and turns in his novels that you just can't put down!
Jack Keeler is the New York District Attorney and his wife, Mia is an FBI agent. After attending a dinner party, the next morning Jack wakes up, looks in the mirror and see cuts on his face and a bullet wound on his shoulder. Not only that, but he has a tattoo that covers the length of his arm with foreign writing! If that is bad enough - the paper is reporting the death of him and his wife!
Now Jack has to put together what has happened - where is his wife? His two children?
As fragments of his memory come back, Jack starts to piece together the puzzle. Will he find Mia? Is she dead? Why is everyone out to kill him?
I won't say too much about the ending - you will just have to come to your own conclusions..All I can say is how much I enjoy his books!
Jack Keeler is the New York District Attorney and his wife, Mia is an FBI agent. After attending a dinner party, the next morning Jack wakes up, looks in the mirror and see cuts on his face and a bullet wound on his shoulder. Not only that, but he has a tattoo that covers the length of his arm with foreign writing! If that is bad enough - the paper is reporting the death of him and his wife!
Now Jack has to put together what has happened - where is his wife? His two children?
As fragments of his memory come back, Jack starts to piece together the puzzle. Will he find Mia? Is she dead? Why is everyone out to kill him?
I won't say too much about the ending - you will just have to come to your own conclusions..All I can say is how much I enjoy his books!
February 7, 2012
I stopped reading half way through. I seldom do it so I'll try to explain. First I try to avoid books where the FBI (or CIA, or...) is involved, everybody is 6'4", very righteous, and the (very) bad guy is an almost invincible terrorist. The delivery was annoying: 1) The protagonist regained memories of previous days piecemeal and just in time to forward the plot. 2) Every new character introduced prompted for several pages of flashbacks to flesh his story up. (And yes, I decided to stop when he introduced a new character exactly half way through the book and started ranting about his infancy, etc. That did it for me!) 3) I realized that I couldn't care less about the protagonists.
I really enjoyed "The 13th Hour" but I was not able to stand this one. I'll still give him a chance with the next novel.
I really enjoyed "The 13th Hour" but I was not able to stand this one. I'll still give him a chance with the next novel.
July 17, 2015
What would you do if you woke up one day battered and bruised with no recollection of what happened?
Your wife and kids are not in the house and the paper's headlines state that you and your wife died the night before in an auto accident..this is just the beginning of the story.
Twists and turns and suspense. You have very little time to reconstruct what happened....with an assassin on your tail, no idea of where your wife an kids are and no idea of who to trust, what could go wrong!?
Fragments of memory start to come back, the car skidding off the embankment, falling far below into the river, how is it possible you survived? If you like thrillers with a touch of supernatural and lots of action, this might be the book for you.
I couldn't put it down. Whew! Hope you will enjoy it as well.
Your wife and kids are not in the house and the paper's headlines state that you and your wife died the night before in an auto accident..this is just the beginning of the story.
Twists and turns and suspense. You have very little time to reconstruct what happened....with an assassin on your tail, no idea of where your wife an kids are and no idea of who to trust, what could go wrong!?
Fragments of memory start to come back, the car skidding off the embankment, falling far below into the river, how is it possible you survived? If you like thrillers with a touch of supernatural and lots of action, this might be the book for you.
I couldn't put it down. Whew! Hope you will enjoy it as well.
August 22, 2012
This book is very thought provoking. It keeps me reading the next page / chapter every time the last page tells that at the next page, I will discover some more. My eyes almost giving up reading this, but my mind keeps me in pace. I'm not done reading this book yet, as I go further and further, the climax and thrill of this book rises.
August 19, 2012. I'd finished reading this book. My mind is trembling at the ending ... My mind is so confused, the ending seems like the writer wanted the user to reverse the story from the night when Mia and Jack accident. Till now, I can't figure out what's real to not. Great book! Though the ending is not yet completely clear to me, the thrill, twists and turns; and the changes of scenes in this book is very well created.
August 19, 2012. I'd finished reading this book. My mind is trembling at the ending ... My mind is so confused, the ending seems like the writer wanted the user to reverse the story from the night when Mia and Jack accident. Till now, I can't figure out what's real to not. Great book! Though the ending is not yet completely clear to me, the thrill, twists and turns; and the changes of scenes in this book is very well created.
November 21, 2011
This is another reality-bending thriller from Richard Doetsch. I read this book because I enjoyed Doetsch's breakneck thriller, "The 13th Hour". "Half Past Dawn" is similar, in that, the protagonist is similarly gripped to meet a rapidly approaching deadline, which makes the reader conjure up the familiar audio and video of the ticking "60 Minutes" stopwatch. Although the book has a compelling and action-packed plot, it reads a bit like a slightly twisted screenplay of the "Mission Impossible" film series starrring Tom Cruise. One weakness of the book is the author's inability to provide any plausible measure of depth to the father-son pair of Cotis priests.
April 28, 2014
There are occasionally books you read that when finished you think, "Wow! This would make a great film!" For me, Half-Past Dawn" by Richard Doetsch is such a book. This book is filled with twists and turns, instances of sanity vs insanity, questions about what is true and what is imagined, and most importantly, who and what can be believed. It's a story of a man fighting for his family, for his life, for his mind, and he's got 24 hours to resolve it.
I first read Mr. Doetsch a few years ago when I bought a copy of "The Thirteenth Hour." He is a master of the thriller, and I look forward to reading more of this work.
I first read Mr. Doetsch a few years ago when I bought a copy of "The Thirteenth Hour." He is a master of the thriller, and I look forward to reading more of this work.
April 9, 2015
D.A. Jack Keeler wakes up one morning, has a soda, then notices he's been shot. The newspaper says he and his wife are dead, but Jack knows she has merely been kidnapped by a mysterious madman. Jack has twenty-four hours to rescue her, solve the enigma of the missing evidence case, decipher his new tattoo, and figure out all the other mysteries that get flung at him over the course of this frenetic book. Stunning revelations every couple of chapters keep shifting the paradigm, until the nature of reality itself is called into doubt. Poor copy-editing and a silly ending mar this twisted thriller.
September 22, 2015
A mystery, murder, ghosts, secrets Aisan spirituality & betrayal. A story that keeps your attention and in suspense. A story that you think you understand but with a big piece missing. A piece that holds the book & the suspense together. You are never sure the story have the usual positive ending of a mystery. Whom does the hero trust, it appears no one. The one he is chasing is a ghost along with the ghost he is racing to save his wife (is she alive or dead). So many questions with a twist at the end. What will the final ending be?
June 30, 2013
As with The Thirteen hour, Richard Doetsch writes another tour-de-force with this novel. Twists abound in this story and most of them made me stop reading and go "Whoa". I can't say anything more than, the story is about Jack Keeler, a D.A. Who is trying to save his wife Mia, an FBI agent, from getting killed by Cristos, an assassin for the American government. To say more would spoil the enjoyment one gets from the many twists and reveal, the author has woven into his plot. I think this is the highest compliment I can give this suspense thriller
July 5, 2012
This thriller by Richard Doetsch is fast-paced and action-packed, with ever-evolving twists and turns throughout. Jack, DA of New York, wakes up in the morning to find himself having been shot, his clothes from the night before wet and muddy, and with a strange tattoo on his arm. Add that to the headlines that declare he and his wife, FBI agent Mia,were killed the night before. This is truly a "things are not always as they seem" novel, much on the line of "Shutter Island" fame.
August 16, 2023
The only reason that I don't give this book five stars is that I am not sure that I totally understood everything that happened. That is on me, though. The writing was superb and the action was non-stop and very vivid.
Mr. Doetsch gives his usual twists to the story and keeps you guessing. Would love to have a conversation with him about this book. Guess my book club will have to do on that score.
If you want different, then you get it with this book...and then some.
Mr. Doetsch gives his usual twists to the story and keeps you guessing. Would love to have a conversation with him about this book. Guess my book club will have to do on that score.
If you want different, then you get it with this book...and then some.
August 26, 2014
I was going to give this book two stars but settled on three because I enjoyed *most* of it. It started off quickly and continued at such a pace (even though the flashbacks were borderline confusing and unnecessary). What did it in for me was the very end of the book. Without ruining anything, it was one of the most confusing books I've ever read. I had to question my comprehension of the entire book and there are still quite a few things that are murky for me, at best.
August 6, 2014
I wish Goodreads had a way to make note of why you put a book on your to read list. I don't remember how this one ended up on my list, but it was just ok. Lots of suspense, lots of twists and turns... in fact, so many that I really don't know what did happen in the end. There was also a much higher body count than I usually like in my lit.
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