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The Identity Man
An Otto Penzler Book
John Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for a murder he didn’t commit, he knows the cops are closing in on him and that he’s facing life in prison—or death by lethal injection. Then, as if out of nowhere, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start a new face, a new home, a new beginning.
Soon, to his amazement, Shannon finds himself living a life he never dreamed possible. In a ruined city that is trying to rebuild, he finds work as a carpenter and a wood carver. He meets the beautiful Teresa Grey and for the first time falls in love with the sort of woman who could make him a better man.
It seems too good to be true—and it is. Just as Shannon feels within sight of redemption, all hell breaks loose. It turns out this ruined city is crawling with corruption. There are crooked politicians, gangsters, dirty cops everywhere—and, for some reason he doesn’t understand, all of them seem to want Shannon dead.
John Shannon has run out of second chances, and now he’s running out of time. Moving through the darkness in the burnt-out shambles of a dirty town, he’s got to ferret out the secret of his new life—and fast—if he wants to be left with any life at all.
John Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for a murder he didn’t commit, he knows the cops are closing in on him and that he’s facing life in prison—or death by lethal injection. Then, as if out of nowhere, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start a new face, a new home, a new beginning.
Soon, to his amazement, Shannon finds himself living a life he never dreamed possible. In a ruined city that is trying to rebuild, he finds work as a carpenter and a wood carver. He meets the beautiful Teresa Grey and for the first time falls in love with the sort of woman who could make him a better man.
It seems too good to be true—and it is. Just as Shannon feels within sight of redemption, all hell breaks loose. It turns out this ruined city is crawling with corruption. There are crooked politicians, gangsters, dirty cops everywhere—and, for some reason he doesn’t understand, all of them seem to want Shannon dead.
John Shannon has run out of second chances, and now he’s running out of time. Moving through the darkness in the burnt-out shambles of a dirty town, he’s got to ferret out the secret of his new life—and fast—if he wants to be left with any life at all.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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369 people want to read
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Andrew Klavan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
March 22, 2014
I could, if I allowed myself, get very involved about peripheral subjects that circulate around this book. I will try to avoid "most" of that. I will say that if (among other things) you're the kind of person who has an "Emperor's New Clothes" feeling whenever you watch the news coverage of governmental matters, you might appreciate this book.
This is a fairly well written book. It revolves around a couple of stories that intersect. The book opens with (and these aren't spoilers as you can get all this from the synopsis) the murder of a whistle blower. He's killed by the henchman of a crooked politician who needs the man silenced before he can "spill". So in the midst of a huge storm and of the ensuing flood the whistle blower is killed, all evidence of who killed him and how washes away. The city (run by the aforementioned crooked politico) is an unnamed hell where the police are as bad as or worse than the bangers and criminals...the police ARE the criminal element. And the assassin of our whistle blower is a cop.
In an apparent parallel story a "chronic" criminal...a "break in" man who can't seem to keep his nose clean runs afoul of the law...again...and it will be his third strike. He'll go away for what will amount to life. He's ruined his life and looking at not only a charge for what he's done but a frame for an even worse crime. He's in hiding, knowing it's just a matter of time till he's caught. Then seemingly out of nowhere an unexplained chance appears in the person of the "Identity Man". A man who changes everything and gives him a clean new start.
The two stories and the people involved will of course inevitably intersect...if they didn't after all we wouldn't have a novel.
The city in this book and the world we get a look at will be familiar. It will give us a look at what "we" are turning our country into. It's a look at a world where people who believe in things like responsibility, honesty, honor, virtue and indeed morality (and as soon as you say that word someone will whine, "who's morality? You can't force your morality on ME.") are sneered at looked down on and even distrusted (after all if a person is a liar and a thief they assume everyone else lies and steals). The very words (responsibility, honesty, honor, virtue, morality etc.) are disparaged. We get a look at the world being created and handed to us by the political, media, and educational elite of today. Or maybe, just maybe what it could be if we don't head it off. My bet however is that most who read this review and the thoughts in this book have already closed their minds and buried their heads in the sand. Most who find these ideas uncomfortable have probably already stopped reading.
Some may read this book and find they consider some parts of it a bit simplistic. They (or you) may say "that/this" wouldn't happen.... Mostly I'd say that while this part of the story is or may be a bit simplified it's a way to handle a complex subject in a limited space. I don't/didn't find it a problem. Each reader will have to decide for him/herself.
One more caveat, this is in places a "crude" book. I don't mean crudely written. I mean it shows the crudity of life, crude language, crude actions, crude situations. We get a glimpse of the dark, nasty, corrupt, festering, degenerate, perverse areas of the human soul.
So I like it and recommend it, if you can (and are willing to) think.
This is a fairly well written book. It revolves around a couple of stories that intersect. The book opens with (and these aren't spoilers as you can get all this from the synopsis) the murder of a whistle blower. He's killed by the henchman of a crooked politician who needs the man silenced before he can "spill". So in the midst of a huge storm and of the ensuing flood the whistle blower is killed, all evidence of who killed him and how washes away. The city (run by the aforementioned crooked politico) is an unnamed hell where the police are as bad as or worse than the bangers and criminals...the police ARE the criminal element. And the assassin of our whistle blower is a cop.
In an apparent parallel story a "chronic" criminal...a "break in" man who can't seem to keep his nose clean runs afoul of the law...again...and it will be his third strike. He'll go away for what will amount to life. He's ruined his life and looking at not only a charge for what he's done but a frame for an even worse crime. He's in hiding, knowing it's just a matter of time till he's caught. Then seemingly out of nowhere an unexplained chance appears in the person of the "Identity Man". A man who changes everything and gives him a clean new start.
The two stories and the people involved will of course inevitably intersect...if they didn't after all we wouldn't have a novel.
The city in this book and the world we get a look at will be familiar. It will give us a look at what "we" are turning our country into. It's a look at a world where people who believe in things like responsibility, honesty, honor, virtue and indeed morality (and as soon as you say that word someone will whine, "who's morality? You can't force your morality on ME.") are sneered at looked down on and even distrusted (after all if a person is a liar and a thief they assume everyone else lies and steals). The very words (responsibility, honesty, honor, virtue, morality etc.) are disparaged. We get a look at the world being created and handed to us by the political, media, and educational elite of today. Or maybe, just maybe what it could be if we don't head it off. My bet however is that most who read this review and the thoughts in this book have already closed their minds and buried their heads in the sand. Most who find these ideas uncomfortable have probably already stopped reading.
Some may read this book and find they consider some parts of it a bit simplistic. They (or you) may say "that/this" wouldn't happen.... Mostly I'd say that while this part of the story is or may be a bit simplified it's a way to handle a complex subject in a limited space. I don't/didn't find it a problem. Each reader will have to decide for him/herself.
One more caveat, this is in places a "crude" book. I don't mean crudely written. I mean it shows the crudity of life, crude language, crude actions, crude situations. We get a glimpse of the dark, nasty, corrupt, festering, degenerate, perverse areas of the human soul.
So I like it and recommend it, if you can (and are willing to) think.
April 26, 2014
Explosive thriller, combines brutal violence, scorching social commentary, and a villain whose downfall is almost as inevitable and terrifying as a Greek tragedy!
One thing to bear in mind about Andrew Klavan is that he's really two people at once. There's the adrenalin junkie who loves violence and writes the meanest, tightest thrillers this side of James "LA Confidential" Ellroy, and the best gunfights this side of Stephen "Dirty White Boys" Hunter.
Then there's the really annoying Andrew Klavan. The conservative fear monger who hates Muslims, liberals, women, ethnics, and just about everyone else. The guy who's angry all the time like Ann Coulter, but not nearly as pretty and with no sense of humor. When this guy takes over a Klavan novel, watch out.
Case in point: when Shannon, the hero of this novel, is on the run, and fighting street style, smashing in knee caps, kicking in doors, running for his life, this is the best thriller ever. But once he disappears into the "White Room" for his strange new identity, watch out.
This is where Klavan starts lecturing the reader on how America just isn't what it used to be. But what you get is A CLOCKWORK ORANGE in reverse, because you have a kindly, well-meaning career criminal who's forced to viddy films, my brothers. And as he viddies, O my brothers, he starts thinking that America "used" to be a great country. Because the films that he viddies are all real starry black and white films, like CASABLANCA, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. And this Klavan veck really wants you to believe that America was once a land where women were all chaste and lovely, like Ingrid Bergman and Katherine Hepburn and Donna Reed, and men were all gentlemen who knew the meaning of honor, like Humphrey Bogart (!) and Cary Grant.
What makes this so uproariously funny and so deeply offensive at the same time, is that Klavan is so deeply dishonest, not only about American History, but about Hollywood history. Why doesn't Shannon get to screen some REAL classics in the white room? I mean like, say, THE MALTESE FALCON, THE PUBLIC ENEMY, or even THE GRAPES OF WRATH?
I'll tell you why. One shot of Cagney shoving the grapefruit into a helpless moll's face would forever destroy Klavan's tired, dishonest Promise-Keeper manifesto about how women used to be respected back before they got the vote and began talking back. And one scene of Grandpa Joad being shoved off his land by an army of tractors would severely compromise Klavan's crude, self-serving vision the joys of free-market capitalism and the terrors of the welfare state.
One of the ironies of this book is that Klavan's hero Shannon daydreams of living like George Bailey in a simpler time and place, yet Klavan's understanding of American society (freeloaders are ruining everything, why can't we kill them all) is much closer to Old Man Potter's!
All the same, when Shannon is on the run, and when Brick Ramsey is orchestrating savage beat-downs with his minions this really is a savage, pulse-pounding thriller.
Just like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
One thing to bear in mind about Andrew Klavan is that he's really two people at once. There's the adrenalin junkie who loves violence and writes the meanest, tightest thrillers this side of James "LA Confidential" Ellroy, and the best gunfights this side of Stephen "Dirty White Boys" Hunter.
Then there's the really annoying Andrew Klavan. The conservative fear monger who hates Muslims, liberals, women, ethnics, and just about everyone else. The guy who's angry all the time like Ann Coulter, but not nearly as pretty and with no sense of humor. When this guy takes over a Klavan novel, watch out.
Case in point: when Shannon, the hero of this novel, is on the run, and fighting street style, smashing in knee caps, kicking in doors, running for his life, this is the best thriller ever. But once he disappears into the "White Room" for his strange new identity, watch out.
This is where Klavan starts lecturing the reader on how America just isn't what it used to be. But what you get is A CLOCKWORK ORANGE in reverse, because you have a kindly, well-meaning career criminal who's forced to viddy films, my brothers. And as he viddies, O my brothers, he starts thinking that America "used" to be a great country. Because the films that he viddies are all real starry black and white films, like CASABLANCA, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. And this Klavan veck really wants you to believe that America was once a land where women were all chaste and lovely, like Ingrid Bergman and Katherine Hepburn and Donna Reed, and men were all gentlemen who knew the meaning of honor, like Humphrey Bogart (!) and Cary Grant.
What makes this so uproariously funny and so deeply offensive at the same time, is that Klavan is so deeply dishonest, not only about American History, but about Hollywood history. Why doesn't Shannon get to screen some REAL classics in the white room? I mean like, say, THE MALTESE FALCON, THE PUBLIC ENEMY, or even THE GRAPES OF WRATH?
I'll tell you why. One shot of Cagney shoving the grapefruit into a helpless moll's face would forever destroy Klavan's tired, dishonest Promise-Keeper manifesto about how women used to be respected back before they got the vote and began talking back. And one scene of Grandpa Joad being shoved off his land by an army of tractors would severely compromise Klavan's crude, self-serving vision the joys of free-market capitalism and the terrors of the welfare state.
One of the ironies of this book is that Klavan's hero Shannon daydreams of living like George Bailey in a simpler time and place, yet Klavan's understanding of American society (freeloaders are ruining everything, why can't we kill them all) is much closer to Old Man Potter's!
All the same, when Shannon is on the run, and when Brick Ramsey is orchestrating savage beat-downs with his minions this really is a savage, pulse-pounding thriller.
Just like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
July 6, 2019
THE IDENTITY MAN
Petty criminal John Shannon finds himself mixed up in big city politics, murder, and police corruption. Although a terrific thriller, The Identity Man also has a very tender and thoughtful theme woven throughout. The contrast of this gentleness in the midst of a violent, flood ravaged decaying urban area makes the suspense all the more intense.
It is a novel, a fantasy. A very enjoyable one.
Petty criminal John Shannon finds himself mixed up in big city politics, murder, and police corruption. Although a terrific thriller, The Identity Man also has a very tender and thoughtful theme woven throughout. The contrast of this gentleness in the midst of a violent, flood ravaged decaying urban area makes the suspense all the more intense.
It is a novel, a fantasy. A very enjoyable one.
January 9, 2017
Full disclosure: I am a big fan of Andrew Klavan's show. That said, I stopped reading Werewolf Cop because I got bored.
This book started a little slow, but when it built up the characters and you got into the head of Ramsey, oh boy. It became awesome. The protagonist is a tad vanilla, which is a plot device for him to "absorb" a new identity through culture (I won't give too much away) but he is largely believable as a male character.
I don't think Klavan writes women well. They're not nearly as multifaceted as the men. That gets a little trying too. But all in all, great thriller. The final few chapters were very exciting.
This book started a little slow, but when it built up the characters and you got into the head of Ramsey, oh boy. It became awesome. The protagonist is a tad vanilla, which is a plot device for him to "absorb" a new identity through culture (I won't give too much away) but he is largely believable as a male character.
I don't think Klavan writes women well. They're not nearly as multifaceted as the men. That gets a little trying too. But all in all, great thriller. The final few chapters were very exciting.
August 7, 2020
Wasn’t sure at first but it came together nicely. A slick thriller, both high concept and generic at the same time.
June 2, 2011
From ISawLightningFall.com
THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS
Unspoken rules guide so much of life, and one such guideline is that polite people don't discuss politics or religion. Now, while I might disagree with that rule when it comes to dinner parties (where so much of the conversation is deadly dull), I have to admit that it generally holds true in narrative fiction. Most authors lack the panache or subtlety to address either subject without turning their stories into screeds. So when both show up in the first six pages of Andrew Klavan's new thriller The Identity Man, I imagine many readers' blood pressures will tick up a notch in nervous anticipation.
The man who calls himself John Shannon would be the first to admit he isn't a good person. A B&E specialist, he's stolen from more homes and businesses than he'd care to remember. But Shannon would also be quick to state that he's never done anything sick, never hurt or raped anyone. If only the police believed that. See, after a botched job, a wrathful associate fingered Shannon for the Hernandez killings, crimes so brutal they became fixtures on the evening news, crimes that Shannon had no hand in. On the run and out of options, Shannon gets contacted by a mysterious benefactor who offers him a new face and new papers -- an entirely new identity. He goes under the knife and emerges from an anesthetic fog in a different city, one ravaged by crime and a horrific flood and the disingenuous promises of a silver-tonged politico. As he tries to build a new life, joining a construction crew and falling for the daughter of a client, Shannon gradually realizes something has gone terribly wrong. A mysterious man seems to shadow his every move, and then one day, without warning, the police show up ...
At first, I thought The Identity Man was shaping up to be a mediocre thriller, one with a thematic chip on its shoulder. It felt uneven and occasionally didactic with odd, almost childlike asides on spiritual renewal and media corruption. As Shannon mulled over the lawlessness of his new urban home (an amalgamation of several U.S. cities) and the pace slowed around the midway point, I began to wonder whether I was reading a thriller at all. Then it hit me: It wasn't. The simple diction, the odd leaps in plotting, the periodic lessons on political integrity and the role of personal faith -- Klavan had written a fable. A crime fable, yes, but a fable all the same. That understanding spiked my enjoyment immensely. You might fault a mystery for an implausible denouement or an adventure when its veers into lesson mode. But not a fable, where theme is king. With The Identity Man, one must strip away the crime-fiction façade to reveal the real genre hiding beneath.
THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS
Unspoken rules guide so much of life, and one such guideline is that polite people don't discuss politics or religion. Now, while I might disagree with that rule when it comes to dinner parties (where so much of the conversation is deadly dull), I have to admit that it generally holds true in narrative fiction. Most authors lack the panache or subtlety to address either subject without turning their stories into screeds. So when both show up in the first six pages of Andrew Klavan's new thriller The Identity Man, I imagine many readers' blood pressures will tick up a notch in nervous anticipation.
The man who calls himself John Shannon would be the first to admit he isn't a good person. A B&E specialist, he's stolen from more homes and businesses than he'd care to remember. But Shannon would also be quick to state that he's never done anything sick, never hurt or raped anyone. If only the police believed that. See, after a botched job, a wrathful associate fingered Shannon for the Hernandez killings, crimes so brutal they became fixtures on the evening news, crimes that Shannon had no hand in. On the run and out of options, Shannon gets contacted by a mysterious benefactor who offers him a new face and new papers -- an entirely new identity. He goes under the knife and emerges from an anesthetic fog in a different city, one ravaged by crime and a horrific flood and the disingenuous promises of a silver-tonged politico. As he tries to build a new life, joining a construction crew and falling for the daughter of a client, Shannon gradually realizes something has gone terribly wrong. A mysterious man seems to shadow his every move, and then one day, without warning, the police show up ...
At first, I thought The Identity Man was shaping up to be a mediocre thriller, one with a thematic chip on its shoulder. It felt uneven and occasionally didactic with odd, almost childlike asides on spiritual renewal and media corruption. As Shannon mulled over the lawlessness of his new urban home (an amalgamation of several U.S. cities) and the pace slowed around the midway point, I began to wonder whether I was reading a thriller at all. Then it hit me: It wasn't. The simple diction, the odd leaps in plotting, the periodic lessons on political integrity and the role of personal faith -- Klavan had written a fable. A crime fable, yes, but a fable all the same. That understanding spiked my enjoyment immensely. You might fault a mystery for an implausible denouement or an adventure when its veers into lesson mode. But not a fable, where theme is king. With The Identity Man, one must strip away the crime-fiction façade to reveal the real genre hiding beneath.
January 19, 2012
This book took me ages to get into. It wasn't the plot (which was pretty adequate verging on interesting towards the end) and the writing is fine - it was easy to see how other people can like it and how it got all the nice reviews on the front cover. The characters, whilst nothing original (petty thief who is really a good guy, corrupt cops/politicians, FBI agents on an illegal mission, shady foreigner, teenage gangstas; a good, virtuous woman in a bad neighbourhood) were all OK: I can't really complain about them but I will not be singing their praises either.
This book was just not my cup of tea. I was over halfway through before I started to get quite interested in what was going on. There was just something about the novel that felt odd, stilted and unable to gel together.
This book was just not my cup of tea. I was over halfway through before I started to get quite interested in what was going on. There was just something about the novel that felt odd, stilted and unable to gel together.
September 28, 2021
So much Klavany goodness here. The intricate plot, told from the viewpoint of two different characters, just worked for me - I was buying it. I could smell and hear the decay of a great city, catch the furtive motions of the criminal underclass in the shadows, feel the desperation of a corrupt cop - worm-eaten on the inside, smooth as hell on the outside, understand the cowardly motives and developing masculine strength of the protagonist, fall a little in love myself with the family - and woman - who might just save his soul, and cringe and cheer and wince and laugh and cry at all the right places.
Are our manmade, fallen identities like stains on our souls? Can a man change - truly change - inside, or will the old man always out him? What makes any man to seek the good or cleave toward evil? These are some of the questions Klavan asks through his characters in The Identity Man.
I cannot believe how quickly Andrew Klavan has become one of my favorite novelists. I listened to the author read this book via Audible, and I loved it so much and plan on re-reading it so surely - and wanted to jot down some of the quotes so achingly - that I bought a paper copy as well.
Are our manmade, fallen identities like stains on our souls? Can a man change - truly change - inside, or will the old man always out him? What makes any man to seek the good or cleave toward evil? These are some of the questions Klavan asks through his characters in The Identity Man.
I cannot believe how quickly Andrew Klavan has become one of my favorite novelists. I listened to the author read this book via Audible, and I loved it so much and plan on re-reading it so surely - and wanted to jot down some of the quotes so achingly - that I bought a paper copy as well.
March 9, 2017
Pretty Elmore Leonard-ish story of a petty crook getting deeply involved with forces WAaaay beyond his control & offered a way out by change of ID...used by federal law enforcement to uncover political corruption our poor schmuck rises to the occasion & brings down the evil powers-that-be...love Klavan's politics as well as his tales!
January 22, 2011
Actually there is nothing new under the sun. Most books are just a variation of the same themes and plot points. Andrew Klaven’s latest offering, THE IDENTITY MAN is no exception to this premise. The theme here is “wanted man (John Shannon) gets a new face and a new identity, is relocated to a new city (New Orleans……or its doppelganger) to begin life anew and meets the woman of his dreams”. Sound familiar so far?
What is different and compelling about Klaven’s approach to this subject matter is that he presents us with a mystery within a mystery as well as some political and cultural questions that confront us on a daily basis.
As for the mystery….it poses numerous questions. For example:”Who is our protagonist’s benefactor?” “What is his/her motive for providing Shannon with a second chance?” “Why has this particular city been chosen for Shannon’s new beginning”? Additionally, each character in this tale not your run of the mill good guy/bad guy. These are complex personalities motivated by their individual needs and aspirations. From the foreign sounding plastic surgeon, to the retired teacher, and from the questionably motivated law enforcement officers and local politicos to the street gangs that wreak havoc on the damaged city, Klaven has presented us with not only well develop characters who, like most of us, are plagued by those pesky inner conversations each of us engages in from time to time. In doing so he has obliquely encouraged his readers to examine the direction that we are taking not only as individuals, but as a society. Be aware that there are few moral grey areas in this book, which probably suits our polarized world. He seems to ask if we have all become as skeptical and pessimistic as one of Shannon’s acquaintances who took the words of Dr. Martin Luther King - “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice” and perverted that hopeful comment to “The arc of the moral universe is long boy, but it bends toward you getting screwed”.
Not the best, but definitely better than most in this genre. 3 ½ stars
What is different and compelling about Klaven’s approach to this subject matter is that he presents us with a mystery within a mystery as well as some political and cultural questions that confront us on a daily basis.
As for the mystery….it poses numerous questions. For example:”Who is our protagonist’s benefactor?” “What is his/her motive for providing Shannon with a second chance?” “Why has this particular city been chosen for Shannon’s new beginning”? Additionally, each character in this tale not your run of the mill good guy/bad guy. These are complex personalities motivated by their individual needs and aspirations. From the foreign sounding plastic surgeon, to the retired teacher, and from the questionably motivated law enforcement officers and local politicos to the street gangs that wreak havoc on the damaged city, Klaven has presented us with not only well develop characters who, like most of us, are plagued by those pesky inner conversations each of us engages in from time to time. In doing so he has obliquely encouraged his readers to examine the direction that we are taking not only as individuals, but as a society. Be aware that there are few moral grey areas in this book, which probably suits our polarized world. He seems to ask if we have all become as skeptical and pessimistic as one of Shannon’s acquaintances who took the words of Dr. Martin Luther King - “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice” and perverted that hopeful comment to “The arc of the moral universe is long boy, but it bends toward you getting screwed”.
Not the best, but definitely better than most in this genre. 3 ½ stars
January 7, 2014
The Identity Man isn't set up to be the kind of book I'd normally like, but I enjoyed it anyway. Quite a bit.
I love dialogue. If you've read a lot of my reviews, you've probably caught that somewhere. The first line of dialogue here isn't until you've read eight percent of this book. That's a long way for narrative to have the entire spotlight. I'm glad I didn't know that going in. Even after, dialogue isn't heavy in The Identity Man. There's a lot of inner monologue here, but strangely, it works even for someone who isn't inclined to like that style.
Secondly, that inner monologue is from the point-of-view of a third person omniscient disembodied narrator. That's also a style, in general, I feel keeps me further from the characters, especially in those instances where a different POV could've been used with little change to the story. Again, not my typical cup of tea, but Klavan did this well also. He relayed the tension, motivations, and conflict very well with less dialogue and a disembodied omniscient narrator. Thumbs up.
Most importantly, the thoughtfulness of The Identity Man is applaudable and why it's such a good story. Whether or not you agree with the subtext of its politics, the characters are battling strong issues and emotions and it all plays out compellingly on the page.
The Identity Man plays out in an unnamed town where its characters are hiding behind levels of false identities and motivations, but it's a clear story with sharp emotion. It's easy to see why Klavan has won the Edgar twice. This is a good enough story and he's more than a good enough writer to allow me to enjoy a story that, formatically, isn't one I'm programmed to like.
Recommended for thriller fans, especially those who love to contemplate greater questions.
I love dialogue. If you've read a lot of my reviews, you've probably caught that somewhere. The first line of dialogue here isn't until you've read eight percent of this book. That's a long way for narrative to have the entire spotlight. I'm glad I didn't know that going in. Even after, dialogue isn't heavy in The Identity Man. There's a lot of inner monologue here, but strangely, it works even for someone who isn't inclined to like that style.
Secondly, that inner monologue is from the point-of-view of a third person omniscient disembodied narrator. That's also a style, in general, I feel keeps me further from the characters, especially in those instances where a different POV could've been used with little change to the story. Again, not my typical cup of tea, but Klavan did this well also. He relayed the tension, motivations, and conflict very well with less dialogue and a disembodied omniscient narrator. Thumbs up.
Most importantly, the thoughtfulness of The Identity Man is applaudable and why it's such a good story. Whether or not you agree with the subtext of its politics, the characters are battling strong issues and emotions and it all plays out compellingly on the page.
The Identity Man plays out in an unnamed town where its characters are hiding behind levels of false identities and motivations, but it's a clear story with sharp emotion. It's easy to see why Klavan has won the Edgar twice. This is a good enough story and he's more than a good enough writer to allow me to enjoy a story that, formatically, isn't one I'm programmed to like.
Recommended for thriller fans, especially those who love to contemplate greater questions.
August 16, 2012
With all the brass and crass, shocking, etc. of style of reading, this was depravity that was truthful. Shannon the main character a two bit theif, who never thought of life being better is accused of murder when a robbery goes wrong. The story takes an unusal turn when he gets a text that someone is on is side. His life is changed or at least he hopes it is. I like the progression of this plot has it unfolds. He is looking for redemption but for what price. It seems in real life and a good story, redemption is costly. There is some quotes I want to add to this review, I am not sure if this was a political stance but it was interesting to say the least.
A telling quote from the book...
No No No Reverend Skyles, we don't take nothing from the white man. We got the black man in power now. We got Augie Lanchaster in power. He give us that money. He gives us them abortions. He give us some pro-grams! We do love us some pro-grams. Rev. Skyles, they set us right up. But I tell you truly. I tell you: Augie Lancaster is the white man. ..has made himself the tool of the white man's shame. He understands the agony of their sin. He goes right to Washington, he says. If you don't want me to call you racist, you better give me some of that money you take from people who earn their livings. You don't want that shame, you gotta give me some more jobs, some more pro-grams. That's how he buys his homes, etc....that's how he buys you.
A telling quote from the book...
No No No Reverend Skyles, we don't take nothing from the white man. We got the black man in power now. We got Augie Lanchaster in power. He give us that money. He gives us them abortions. He give us some pro-grams! We do love us some pro-grams. Rev. Skyles, they set us right up. But I tell you truly. I tell you: Augie Lancaster is the white man. ..has made himself the tool of the white man's shame. He understands the agony of their sin. He goes right to Washington, he says. If you don't want me to call you racist, you better give me some of that money you take from people who earn their livings. You don't want that shame, you gotta give me some more jobs, some more pro-grams. That's how he buys his homes, etc....that's how he buys you.
April 22, 2018
Andrew Klavan's "The Identity Man" is a great mystery crime thriller. John Shannon, the main character, is a thief on the run away from the cops and the streets. He's a burglar that's been framed of murder, one he definitely didn't commit. He's facing life in prison if he gets caught. When all seems lost, he gets a message that changes his life forever. A foreigner who calls himself the identity man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start all over again: a new face and a new home. In a destroyed city trying to rebuild, he gets work as a carpenter and falls in love. He knows its too good to be true, and he's right. The city is crawling with power hungry politicians, cops, and gangsters, all of whom seem to want Shannon dead. Shannon must figure out his new life in this new city very fast, because people are gunning for him. The beginning of this book is pretty confusing, but once it gets going its a great book. I loved the twists and turns in the plot, as they constantly kept me interested, especially towards the end of the book. I wasn't expecting the main character to become such a good person, and it was kind of fulfilling to watch Shannon change throughout the book. I would recommend this book to readers interested in crime or mystery novels.
books-i-have
August 5, 2016A nationwide manhunt is underway for John Shannon, a petty criminal framed for murder. But he's convinced he won't get caught. He's hiding in the ruins of a city destroyed by a terrible flood, and, thanks to a mysterious foreigner calling himself the Identity Man, he has a new face, new papers, and a new life. But the city is crawling with corruption. Crooked politicians, gangsters and dirty cops are everywhere, and for some reason Shannon doesn't understand, all of them want him dead. John Shannon has run out of second chances, and now he's running out of time. Moving through the darkness in the burnt-out shambles of a dirty town, he must ferret out the secret of his new life, before he is left with no life at all.
January 31, 2016
Can a man change his stars? Possibly, but not easily. John Shannon's odyssey begins with the concept of Identity as an indelible stain, corrupting any attempt to set out on a different course. In a hastily realized ending, he discovers that it is more like a block of wood that we shape throughout our lives. This is a realistic, but potentially daunting vision of Identity since it requires, not passive acquisition, but determined work and foresight. So how do we create a society that allows and encourages this sort of craftsmanship? That seems like a difficult question to answer in a novel, but kudos to Klavan for crafting a book that is entertaining and thought-provoking.
May 27, 2022
Not what you might expect but better
Andrew Klavans gritty, evocative style never disappoints...you see things through every character's perspective in both a clinical and a passionate way... He has come to be one of my favorite writers... If you have not read him yet...you should!
Andrew Klavans gritty, evocative style never disappoints...you see things through every character's perspective in both a clinical and a passionate way... He has come to be one of my favorite writers... If you have not read him yet...you should!
November 26, 2017
What a great read. Even though some of the action was a bit stretched at times at no time did the main character seem like a superhero. A lot of the scenarios could have actually happened especially in this modern day and age. Seemed to be to me a well thought out plot. A good rollicking read.
December 19, 2012
Interesingly written, grew to like the characters. One man's fall from grace and another man's search for redemption.
May 7, 2011
I should have been warned off by the blurb from Glenn Beck!
May 29, 2017
Good fast read. Klavan's opinions are evident. He engineered a happy ending to a story that could have been tragic. I like that!
September 14, 2018
Excellent characterizations.
March 10, 2019
Lisa, writing in 2015 here at Goodreads, states the following passage in The Identity Man needs editing....
"The last movie Shannon watched in the white room--the last DVD in the tomato can carton--was kind of stupid but kind of good, too. If anyone had been around while he was watching it, he would have said it was kind of stupid. But since it was just him sitting there, he had to admit, secretly he thought it was pretty good."(79)
Does it need editing ?
By reflecting an inept use of language and limited vocabulary, the quoted passage highlights the character's level of education, and his developmental age, while showing the difference between his hidden self and his social behavior.
The character is the protagonist, Shannon. The passage is fine the way it is only if what it illustrates about him makes sense in light of what we learn about him prior to page 79. So what do we learn ? Let's take a look....
(1) Like a Neanderthal in a hunger haunted trance, drawing pictures of herds of antelope on the wall of a cave, Shannon expresses his inchoate longing to be loved and to love through an art that requires no words. He does woodcarving. It calms him down. (pg. 17 to 18)
(2) Shannon (around age thirty two) isn't sure how old he is. (pg.18)
(3) Shannon spent his intellectually formative years in juvenile detention and prison. (pg.19)
(4) The people with whom Shannon most often interacts are not especially articulate. (pg.19 to 26)
(5) Although Shannon has a "bad feeling" about the "job", due to rumors he heard after agreeing to do it, Shannon climbs into the passenger seat of a car, driven by "crazy" and "juiced out of his mind" Benny, to rob a building they are assuming is empty of people, because "He felt he couldn't pull out."(pg.20 to 22)
(6) "It was just one of those things you didn't know you would feel so much until you were in the situation." (pg.26) So thinks Shannon, like an ADHD fifteen-year-old, upon seeing Benny assaulting a woman they discover in the building. Shannon---who, prior to getting in the car, didn't think to ask himself what drugged-up Benny might do, should "the situation" turn out to be that someone was in the building---stops the attack and sets the woman free, out of compassion and while being fully aware that doing so will cost him. (pg.26 to 27)
(7) While hiding from the police, Shannon ponders the possible source of a text message offering him help and directing him to a meeting place. He finally chooses to check out what he wants to believe: someone---maybe a relative of the nice lady for whom he shattered Benny's kneecap, maybe someone else---knows he's not all bad and wants to save him. Shannon goes to the meeting place. (pg. 42 to 44)
(8) The cosmetic surgeon, in the process of giving Shannon a new identity, removes from his records and arm evidence of past betrayal, terror and pain: scars of cigarette burns inflicted on him in childhood. (pg. 67 to 68)
The quoted passage seems to me consistent with what we've already learned about Shannon by page 79; and Shannon is believable. Prisons and juvenile detention centers are full of thrill-seeking cases of arrested development, people stunted by trauma or by lack of social connectedness; people who got there by getting in the car with Benny, so to speak.
Shannon's epiphany and resumed growth during the course of the story are also very believable, by the way. He's so likeable a character that I couldn't have handled any ending to this novel but a happy one.
"The last movie Shannon watched in the white room--the last DVD in the tomato can carton--was kind of stupid but kind of good, too. If anyone had been around while he was watching it, he would have said it was kind of stupid. But since it was just him sitting there, he had to admit, secretly he thought it was pretty good."(79)
Does it need editing ?
By reflecting an inept use of language and limited vocabulary, the quoted passage highlights the character's level of education, and his developmental age, while showing the difference between his hidden self and his social behavior.
The character is the protagonist, Shannon. The passage is fine the way it is only if what it illustrates about him makes sense in light of what we learn about him prior to page 79. So what do we learn ? Let's take a look....
(1) Like a Neanderthal in a hunger haunted trance, drawing pictures of herds of antelope on the wall of a cave, Shannon expresses his inchoate longing to be loved and to love through an art that requires no words. He does woodcarving. It calms him down. (pg. 17 to 18)
(2) Shannon (around age thirty two) isn't sure how old he is. (pg.18)
(3) Shannon spent his intellectually formative years in juvenile detention and prison. (pg.19)
(4) The people with whom Shannon most often interacts are not especially articulate. (pg.19 to 26)
(5) Although Shannon has a "bad feeling" about the "job", due to rumors he heard after agreeing to do it, Shannon climbs into the passenger seat of a car, driven by "crazy" and "juiced out of his mind" Benny, to rob a building they are assuming is empty of people, because "He felt he couldn't pull out."(pg.20 to 22)
(6) "It was just one of those things you didn't know you would feel so much until you were in the situation." (pg.26) So thinks Shannon, like an ADHD fifteen-year-old, upon seeing Benny assaulting a woman they discover in the building. Shannon---who, prior to getting in the car, didn't think to ask himself what drugged-up Benny might do, should "the situation" turn out to be that someone was in the building---stops the attack and sets the woman free, out of compassion and while being fully aware that doing so will cost him. (pg.26 to 27)
(7) While hiding from the police, Shannon ponders the possible source of a text message offering him help and directing him to a meeting place. He finally chooses to check out what he wants to believe: someone---maybe a relative of the nice lady for whom he shattered Benny's kneecap, maybe someone else---knows he's not all bad and wants to save him. Shannon goes to the meeting place. (pg. 42 to 44)
(8) The cosmetic surgeon, in the process of giving Shannon a new identity, removes from his records and arm evidence of past betrayal, terror and pain: scars of cigarette burns inflicted on him in childhood. (pg. 67 to 68)
The quoted passage seems to me consistent with what we've already learned about Shannon by page 79; and Shannon is believable. Prisons and juvenile detention centers are full of thrill-seeking cases of arrested development, people stunted by trauma or by lack of social connectedness; people who got there by getting in the car with Benny, so to speak.
Shannon's epiphany and resumed growth during the course of the story are also very believable, by the way. He's so likeable a character that I couldn't have handled any ending to this novel but a happy one.
April 21, 2024
excessively coarse
First, I must say that I cannot recommend this book, as the crudeness of the language and imagery was extreme.
That given, yes, Andrew Klavan is an excellent writer.. clever, and good with a turn of phrase:
The development of the main character was pretty good.
Lastly, regarding the vulgar language:
1. Given the characters he was portraying I understand why he did it.
2. I've read two other Andrew Klavan books, both of which were much cleaner: True Crime and Another Kingdom. My sister has read two additional ones and tells me they were relatively clean as well: When Christmas Comes and A Strange Habit of Mind. So this may be an anomaly for Klavan.
First, I must say that I cannot recommend this book, as the crudeness of the language and imagery was extreme.
That given, yes, Andrew Klavan is an excellent writer.. clever, and good with a turn of phrase:
"He did not think or pray. He was all prayer and all pain.."
This next quote edges toward being a bit of a spoiler..
The development of the main character was pretty good.
Lastly, regarding the vulgar language:
1. Given the characters he was portraying I understand why he did it.
2. I've read two other Andrew Klavan books, both of which were much cleaner: True Crime and Another Kingdom. My sister has read two additional ones and tells me they were relatively clean as well: When Christmas Comes and A Strange Habit of Mind. So this may be an anomaly for Klavan.
April 11, 2019
“The Identity Man” fits under the thriller genre although there are some minor dystopian themes with end-of-the-world like flooding, rioting, and fires destroying a big part of some unnamed American city. The dystopian aspect gives the book a darker edge with scenes involving brutal gang violence, murder, and attempted rape. As such, these elements may be more than some readers want to take in. The author has some knowledge of the Bible, as there were some interesting side elements at play in regards to sin, shame, and God. There was also some biting commentary on race relations where whites were looking for ways to work or pay off their shame from their past ties to slavery. Mix all these elements together with political corruption, and you have an interesting story. I did find myself suspend reality at times, and there were some cliched, including a bad cop named Brick Ramsey. Despite these things, I found this was quick, enjoyable read.
February 11, 2025
I would give this 2.5 stars. It's not as bad as 2.0 stars, but it's also not as good as so many 3 star books that I've read/listened to over the years. For me, a 3 star book is one that I enjoyed throughout, but one that never grabbed me, and instead was just pleasant. At 2.5 the book was ok, but it had some warts.
I thought a lot of novel was lacking, and needed more explanation or description at least. I also thought it was quite a stretch - many parts were either difficult to believe or absurd. It tries very hard to be a noir, but it never gets there.
I thought a lot of novel was lacking, and needed more explanation or description at least. I also thought it was quite a stretch - many parts were either difficult to believe or absurd. It tries very hard to be a noir, but it never gets there.
March 4, 2023
One of his best
I have been reading quite a few Klavan novels over the last couple of years. Generally his most recent material (e.g. the Winter series) is his best stuff, but this one is outstanding. His action sequences are masterfully written, as usual. Good suspense. A story of redemption and transformation, both outside and inside. The kind of hero I like--one of strong character (at least by the end). A great read.
I have been reading quite a few Klavan novels over the last couple of years. Generally his most recent material (e.g. the Winter series) is his best stuff, but this one is outstanding. His action sequences are masterfully written, as usual. Good suspense. A story of redemption and transformation, both outside and inside. The kind of hero I like--one of strong character (at least by the end). A great read.
August 29, 2023
Oh. THANK YOU Mr Klavan.
OK. I’ll admit. It was very much like a Michael Connelly story (no shame in that) while still retaining the Klavan-esque penchant for good inner-monologues.
Frankly, I needed a 1940’s silver screen story and that’s what I got (well, silver screen with a little more grit, sleaze and a few F-bombs) …
…and after nearly taking a break from Klavan after The Animal Hour, I’m glad I didn’t.
Next stop, one more Klavan (I promise! *ahem*) before I switch it up.
OK. I’ll admit. It was very much like a Michael Connelly story (no shame in that) while still retaining the Klavan-esque penchant for good inner-monologues.
Frankly, I needed a 1940’s silver screen story and that’s what I got (well, silver screen with a little more grit, sleaze and a few F-bombs) …
…and after nearly taking a break from Klavan after The Animal Hour, I’m glad I didn’t.
Next stop, one more Klavan (I promise! *ahem*) before I switch it up.
June 19, 2019
Klaven writes good action (but blah description). This one is about a cop who lost his way serving a corrupt politician. My gripe is the conclusion that all cops are corrupt and government is evil. I'm not buying it. Is Klavan an anarchist in the classic sense? I've read several of his now, and while the action is great for passing the time on a long flight, I'm tired of the politics.
May 28, 2024
Finally, A well written book
After downloading approximately one hundred Kindle Unlimited books, I have finally found an author worthy of unlimited reading. The plot, the dialogue, the cadence of each line, each word is mesmerizing. This work should be required reading in every English 101 class.
After downloading approximately one hundred Kindle Unlimited books, I have finally found an author worthy of unlimited reading. The plot, the dialogue, the cadence of each line, each word is mesmerizing. This work should be required reading in every English 101 class.
February 26, 2024
3.5 stars. I feel really bad any time I give a book less than four stars. I just didn’t really ever get that into it. The plot was interesting and the ending was decent, but it was kind of a drag for me.
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