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On Borrowed Time
What if it were possible that your most cherished memories were lies… and that finding out the truth could cost you your life?
Richard Kilmer is head over heels in love with Jennifer Ryan, who takes him home to meet her parents, where she accepts his marriage proposal. While visiting, they set out on a nostalgic drive up to Kendrick Falls. On their way there, a freak storm rolls in, Richard loses control of his car, and it rolls. When the storm clears in a matter of seconds, Jen is gone. Richard can’t find her, and neither can the police who respond to the scene. More horrifying is that no one in Richard's life will even confirm Jen’s existence, and all traces of her have disappeared.
Where could she be? Has Richard lost his mind, or has something far worse happened?
David Rosenfelt’s On Borrowed Time is a stunning new thriller about an ordinary man who is trapped in a nightmare where he can’t be certain of anything—not even his own memories.
Richard Kilmer is head over heels in love with Jennifer Ryan, who takes him home to meet her parents, where she accepts his marriage proposal. While visiting, they set out on a nostalgic drive up to Kendrick Falls. On their way there, a freak storm rolls in, Richard loses control of his car, and it rolls. When the storm clears in a matter of seconds, Jen is gone. Richard can’t find her, and neither can the police who respond to the scene. More horrifying is that no one in Richard's life will even confirm Jen’s existence, and all traces of her have disappeared.
Where could she be? Has Richard lost his mind, or has something far worse happened?
David Rosenfelt’s On Borrowed Time is a stunning new thriller about an ordinary man who is trapped in a nightmare where he can’t be certain of anything—not even his own memories.
291 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2011
78 people are currently reading
814 people want to read
About the author
David Rosenfelt
74 books2,893 followersI am a novelist with 27 dogs.
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, "Ozzie and Harriet's" clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every "Rambo", "The Natural" and "Rocky", there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It's safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It's total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidr...
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, "Ozzie and Harriet's" clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every "Rambo", "The Natural" and "Rocky", there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It's safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It's total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidr...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
July 23, 2021
Richard Kilmer was on cloud nine after the months of courtship with Jennifer Ryan. They were going to her parent’s place just prior to Christmas, where Richard would meet them for the first time. And it was while they were there, happy, enjoying themselves and the family, that Richard proposed to Jennifer. When she said yes, both Richard and her parents were ecstatic. The day following the proposal, Richard and Jen took a drive to nearby falls and it was during the drive that a wild storm came up, Richard’s car went out of control over a verge and when he came to, Jen was gone. All the searching by him, people who pulled over and the police couldn’t find her. It was like she hadn’t existed.
Richard tried everything to locate Jen and discover what had happened, but no one remembered her. No one knew her – even the situation with her parents was strange. What was he going to do? Had he finally lost his marbles? Richard decided to write an article for his magazine about what had happened; after all he had nothing to lose! It was while he and a couple of friends who believed in him were searching that slowly, things started to unravel…
On Borrowed Time by David Rosenfelt is a breathtaking, fast paced thriller which had me wondering what was going on. At first I thought it was headed toward fantasy, but with some ‘background’ and lots of advanced technology, plus Richard’s confusion, I flew through to the ending. Recommended.
Richard tried everything to locate Jen and discover what had happened, but no one remembered her. No one knew her – even the situation with her parents was strange. What was he going to do? Had he finally lost his marbles? Richard decided to write an article for his magazine about what had happened; after all he had nothing to lose! It was while he and a couple of friends who believed in him were searching that slowly, things started to unravel…
On Borrowed Time by David Rosenfelt is a breathtaking, fast paced thriller which had me wondering what was going on. At first I thought it was headed toward fantasy, but with some ‘background’ and lots of advanced technology, plus Richard’s confusion, I flew through to the ending. Recommended.
October 22, 2014
This is the best book I've listened to by Rosenfelt so far & I've listened to over a dozen. The reader was good, not as good as Grover Gardner, but close. The point of view switched around a bit, especially toward the end, but that didn't harm the story, IMO. He kept the secret of who was doing what to whom until it became obvious.
The story started out quickly, but was rather far fetched & illogical. By the 1/3 mark, I was getting a bit disgusted, but then I realized what was going on & it became quite intriguing. I was a bit slow because I didn't remember or hadn't read the book description. The first line of that is a spoiler or possibly the reason to read it. The device is a bit SF. Told in the present day, I certainly hope we can't do this yet & the conspiracy is obvious, although exactly who the participants are & what their motivations are aren't fully understood until the end.
One reason I liked this so much is that Rosenfelt explores emotions & memory through the story & device. It poses some very interesting questions on why & how we think & feel. He doesn't beat these into the ground. Someone who just reads mysteries or thrillers probably wouldn't be quite as intrigued by it as I was, but I cut my teeth on science & other speculative fiction & have read a few different tech articles on this over the past few years. For instance, one doctor mentions the work being done on erasing bad memories. Wired magazine did a write up on the 'Forgetting Pill' a couple of years ago. You can read it here:
http://www.wired.com/2012/02/ff_forge...
Our memories are strange, nothing like what most of us believe they are. We often see what we want or expect to see & there has been a lot written about how poor eyewitness testimony is. We don't actually remember reoccurring events, but often store one & a few differences that can blur with time, even reassociate with similar events & become completely false. Not surprising since our brain is a mass of chemicals & electricity running rampant through chaotic connections that evolved in times quite dissimilar to our current civilization.
Despite our intellectual knowledge of the disparity, our ego refuses to believe it on an emotional level. We're just not built that way. So what happens when an investigative writer is put in this position? Read this to find out.
One of the best things about Rosenfelt's mysteries are his heroes. They're very much 'every man'. No super heroics or specialized commando training, just fairly smart people looking for answers in tough situations.
Again, the 'hero' has been urged to get a pistol for self protection. It's a really stupid idea & Rosenfelt treats it as such for the most part. Someone with no training or inclination has no business with one. They're not a magic wand, they're a power tool. If a person needed some trees cut down, no one would tell them just to buy a chainsaw & start using it. Although some do, but they usually wind up causing disasters & visiting the ER.
Anyway, fun book.
The story started out quickly, but was rather far fetched & illogical. By the 1/3 mark, I was getting a bit disgusted, but then I realized what was going on & it became quite intriguing. I was a bit slow because I didn't remember or hadn't read the book description. The first line of that is a spoiler or possibly the reason to read it. The device is a bit SF. Told in the present day, I certainly hope we can't do this yet & the conspiracy is obvious, although exactly who the participants are & what their motivations are aren't fully understood until the end.
One reason I liked this so much is that Rosenfelt explores emotions & memory through the story & device. It poses some very interesting questions on why & how we think & feel. He doesn't beat these into the ground. Someone who just reads mysteries or thrillers probably wouldn't be quite as intrigued by it as I was, but I cut my teeth on science & other speculative fiction & have read a few different tech articles on this over the past few years. For instance, one doctor mentions the work being done on erasing bad memories. Wired magazine did a write up on the 'Forgetting Pill' a couple of years ago. You can read it here:
http://www.wired.com/2012/02/ff_forge...
Our memories are strange, nothing like what most of us believe they are. We often see what we want or expect to see & there has been a lot written about how poor eyewitness testimony is. We don't actually remember reoccurring events, but often store one & a few differences that can blur with time, even reassociate with similar events & become completely false. Not surprising since our brain is a mass of chemicals & electricity running rampant through chaotic connections that evolved in times quite dissimilar to our current civilization.
Despite our intellectual knowledge of the disparity, our ego refuses to believe it on an emotional level. We're just not built that way. So what happens when an investigative writer is put in this position? Read this to find out.
One of the best things about Rosenfelt's mysteries are his heroes. They're very much 'every man'. No super heroics or specialized commando training, just fairly smart people looking for answers in tough situations.
Again, the 'hero' has been urged to get a pistol for self protection. It's a really stupid idea & Rosenfelt treats it as such for the most part. Someone with no training or inclination has no business with one. They're not a magic wand, they're a power tool. If a person needed some trees cut down, no one would tell them just to buy a chainsaw & start using it. Although some do, but they usually wind up causing disasters & visiting the ER.
Anyway, fun book.
May 3, 2011
Pretty disappointing effort from Rosenfelt, whose Andy Carpenter series usually keeps me quite entertained. This is so convoluted and illogical, and there are plot holes big enough through which to drive a truck. It's also written in a very simplistic manner, almost as though it was written by a high school student. I got through it and at least I didn't feel as though I had wasted 4 hours of my life I'd never get back. It's a quick enough read, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader somewhat involved, but there are so many better books out there that deserve to be read before this one.
December 8, 2020
Journalist Richard Kilmer is on top of the world. He has just travelled to upstate New York to meet his fiancee Jennifer's parents and announce their wedding plans. Then, Richard and Jennifer are involved in an accident on the way home, and when Richard wakes up, he learns that not only is Jennifer missing, it's like she never even existed.
Another winner from Rosenfelt. You won't be able to put it down. Very similar feel to Linwood Barclay or Joseph Finder's books.
Another winner from Rosenfelt. You won't be able to put it down. Very similar feel to Linwood Barclay or Joseph Finder's books.
September 29, 2021
I'm on the fence about this book. I've read all of David Rosenfelt "Andy Carpenter" books which I really enjoyed. I love the humor in those books and I love the way Andy gets along with Lori and Ricky. Andy also has a good relationship with Pete, a police captain, and Vince, the editor of the local newspaper.
On Borrowed Time was a little to strange for my taste. It's well written meaning that it's easy to read. All of David Rosenfelt's books are well written and easy to ready. On Borrowed Time is borderline fantasy / science fiction. I wouldn't go so far as to classify it as either fantasy or science fiction, but it's on the edge. If you like that kind of book then you'll like this one. I'll put this book with the other David Rosenfelt books that I have, but it's not something that I would read again.
On Borrowed Time was a little to strange for my taste. It's well written meaning that it's easy to read. All of David Rosenfelt's books are well written and easy to ready. On Borrowed Time is borderline fantasy / science fiction. I wouldn't go so far as to classify it as either fantasy or science fiction, but it's on the edge. If you like that kind of book then you'll like this one. I'll put this book with the other David Rosenfelt books that I have, but it's not something that I would read again.
July 7, 2015
(Audio) Good book, but some loose threads. How did the plumber fit into the whole thing? Why was he killed? Why did his wife fear the phone call? Why did the main character call a hardware store in Maine? I thought the main character left his car in the town where he crashed, but later he has it back with no mention of retrieving it. (spoiler) How would the private investigator have the money to develop the product? It costs a lot to set up brain surgery, product development, computer programmers etc.....
Read
May 13, 2017OK, On Borrowed Time is Alfred Hitchcock meets "The Manchurian Candidate". This is a non-stop page turner. Very quick read, with more ups and downs than a Missouri back road. Excellent "who done it" which leaves me wondering about what the bio-tech industry, science and the US government aren't telling us. Again, good strong women. I liked it.
March 4, 2012
"On Borrowed Time" by David Rosenfelt.
Nothing is as it should be...
This book was amazing!The story sucked me in from the start.I read this book in one sitting.I like a novel that is unpredictable.
Richard Kilmer, a 29 year old journalist, has recently arrived in Manhattan. He's met a few friends playing basketball at the Y. They hang out and watch games at the local sportsbar. After he has lived there for 3 months he meets Jen. It seems their relationship moves a bit fast. They meet, she passes the friend test, and 4 months later they have already moved in together. She is fun, witty, intelligent and easy to get along with. And although she is suspiciously perfect, she isn't too perfect. She doesn't like the same team as Richard, she is for the death penalty while he is opposed to it and she packs 4 suitcases for a week long trip to her parents.
Together they drive to Ardmore, two hours from their home in Manhattan, so Richard can meet Jen's parents. Janice and Ben's house is well kept and the food is awesome. They are happy, friendly and living comfortably.
Richard and Jen decide to take a drive in their convertible with the top down, and in a freak storm Jen just seems to disappear out of nowhere. Then suddenly it is as though she never existed. Richard questions everyone he knows who has met Jen. No one seems to have any memory of her. How could everyone be in on a conspiracy? Richard is understandably torn apart with confusion and grief. Jen is like his dream girl and they just got engaged. Its easy to see why Richard would be so concerned about finding her, other than to prove he isn't crazy. By this point my mind was reeling with all the possible explanations.
The premise while interesting, is a very complicated one to pull off. Richard was living a nightmare..and if you want to know the ending, you will have to buy the book and read it.
Nothing is as it should be...
This book was amazing!The story sucked me in from the start.I read this book in one sitting.I like a novel that is unpredictable.
Richard Kilmer, a 29 year old journalist, has recently arrived in Manhattan. He's met a few friends playing basketball at the Y. They hang out and watch games at the local sportsbar. After he has lived there for 3 months he meets Jen. It seems their relationship moves a bit fast. They meet, she passes the friend test, and 4 months later they have already moved in together. She is fun, witty, intelligent and easy to get along with. And although she is suspiciously perfect, she isn't too perfect. She doesn't like the same team as Richard, she is for the death penalty while he is opposed to it and she packs 4 suitcases for a week long trip to her parents.
Together they drive to Ardmore, two hours from their home in Manhattan, so Richard can meet Jen's parents. Janice and Ben's house is well kept and the food is awesome. They are happy, friendly and living comfortably.
Richard and Jen decide to take a drive in their convertible with the top down, and in a freak storm Jen just seems to disappear out of nowhere. Then suddenly it is as though she never existed. Richard questions everyone he knows who has met Jen. No one seems to have any memory of her. How could everyone be in on a conspiracy? Richard is understandably torn apart with confusion and grief. Jen is like his dream girl and they just got engaged. Its easy to see why Richard would be so concerned about finding her, other than to prove he isn't crazy. By this point my mind was reeling with all the possible explanations.
The premise while interesting, is a very complicated one to pull off. Richard was living a nightmare..and if you want to know the ending, you will have to buy the book and read it.
October 8, 2011
I'm a Jersey girl and I was more than looking forward to going to visit Patterson and Andy Carpenter and his dog. But when I started reading I was in Manhattan. What was going on? Where was Andy. Since I like Rosenfelt I kept on reading.
Richard Kilmer was madly in love with Jennifer Ryan. He was going to go meet her parents and he planned to propose to her. A freak storm takes place and the car they were traveling in crashes. Richard has the police and rescue workers combing the area for Jennifer. Where did her body go? Even more devestating than his loss, however, is the fact that even his best friends claim that they have no idea who Jennifer is and tell Richard that they have never met her. At first, I felt that this was going to be more along the line of fantasy than I am comfortable with but I decided to read a little further. Much to my surprise I found that the story completely pulled me in and kept me there turning the pages.
Another job well done, Rosenfelt and you managed to include a bit of your typical humor which your readers look for. You didn't let us down!
Better yet, when I went to volunteer at the library today I found the other Rosenfelt book that I hadn't read One Dog Night. Too bad I also had another to read before this one since it will be due first.
Richard Kilmer was madly in love with Jennifer Ryan. He was going to go meet her parents and he planned to propose to her. A freak storm takes place and the car they were traveling in crashes. Richard has the police and rescue workers combing the area for Jennifer. Where did her body go? Even more devestating than his loss, however, is the fact that even his best friends claim that they have no idea who Jennifer is and tell Richard that they have never met her. At first, I felt that this was going to be more along the line of fantasy than I am comfortable with but I decided to read a little further. Much to my surprise I found that the story completely pulled me in and kept me there turning the pages.
Another job well done, Rosenfelt and you managed to include a bit of your typical humor which your readers look for. You didn't let us down!
Better yet, when I went to volunteer at the library today I found the other Rosenfelt book that I hadn't read One Dog Night. Too bad I also had another to read before this one since it will be due first.
April 18, 2011
This one was different than his other books. Richard is visiting his girlfriend's parents in Upstate New York and a storm comes up while they are driving down the road in his covertible. Suddenly she is gone and no one seems to have ever heard of her. Is Richard going crazy or is something else going on? I have to admit I didn't see how this was going to turn out. Lots of twists. A good book but I think I prefer when he sticks to Andy.
March 12, 2011
A mysterious disappearance, a confused protagonist, and lots of technology make for a fast-paced thriller that I read in one sitting. Most fiction requires a suspension of disbelief, and the book perhaps more than most, but it's a pretty good yarn nonetheless, even if the real bad guys were fairly easy to spot.
Lightweight, quick, and fun.
Lightweight, quick, and fun.
February 27, 2011
Rosenfelt writes better with dogs.
August 31, 2020
The premise of this book is amazing, but the execution is not so good. So confusing and so many plot holes that make it not very believable.
July 9, 2021
Richard is a freelance journalist. He meets Jennifer at a rally and they fall in love and move in together. When they visit her parents, he proposes and she accepts. One day before they head home they go for a drive and a sudden storm comes up. They get in an accident and Jennifer ends up missing. Richard heads back to her parents' house to see if she went there but her mother has no idea who Richard is, Jennifer's father has been dead for 20 years and Jennifer apparently passed away when she was a young child. When Richard goes home, none of his friends who he and Jennifer had spent time with have any recollection of Jennifer. Huh?
Richard isn't sure what's going on but is determined to figure it out. After he writes about his experience, he gets a call from Allie, whose identical twin, Julie, is missing and Richard and Allie somehow assume that Julie is Jennifer. Together they start investigating to see what happened to Julie and/or Jennifer.
I've read many books by this author, mostly his Andy Carpenter series, and this is a stand alone. I like the writing style and it is written in first person perspective in Richard's voice and third person perspective when the focus is on others. As a head's up, there is swearing.
I really like the Andy Carpenter series and thought this storyline was intriguing. I found the ending a bit convoluted and confusing, though.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/07...
Richard isn't sure what's going on but is determined to figure it out. After he writes about his experience, he gets a call from Allie, whose identical twin, Julie, is missing and Richard and Allie somehow assume that Julie is Jennifer. Together they start investigating to see what happened to Julie and/or Jennifer.
I've read many books by this author, mostly his Andy Carpenter series, and this is a stand alone. I like the writing style and it is written in first person perspective in Richard's voice and third person perspective when the focus is on others. As a head's up, there is swearing.
I really like the Andy Carpenter series and thought this storyline was intriguing. I found the ending a bit convoluted and confusing, though.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/07...
November 24, 2019
I don't usually read this genre and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It wasn't a groundbreaking suspense, but it was interesting and entertaining.
December 8, 2020
Interesting read .. hard to know what was going on .. real vs. “chip” memory.
A cure for Alzheimer’s ?
Very much a thriller, pot boiler.
A cure for Alzheimer’s ?
Very much a thriller, pot boiler.
Read
January 17, 2025Must read.
If you like twisty books, this is a must read.
If you like twisty books, this is a must read.
November 15, 2025
Ugh. Convoluted and boring.
May 22, 2016
The woman of your dreams has fallen for you. Soon you’re engaged. The day after your proposal, she takes you to Kendrick Falls, where boys go and do not come back the same. On the trip there, a freak storm comes. One moment you’re driving, another moment your fiance has vanished without a trace. It appears as if she never existed because no one remembers her, not even the friends you were introduced to by your love, Jen. Would you go on a freak investigation to find out what happend to her, where she is, and even if your love really existed? Richard, a 29 year old who was swept off his feet by Jen, did. The mesmerizing plot and mass amount of red herrings of On Borrowed Time makes the reader not want to put the book down.
First, the basis of the background of the book. The book is called On Borrowed Time by David Rosenfelt. It is a overall mystery, but with romance and thriller tied into it. It was published in February of 2011. It is told first person by Richard Kilmer, a journalist. The book takes place in a present time, (2011,) in New York City.
Second, the book is very suspenseful. Some points in the book I gasped at how everything tied in. One moment the reader thinks one thing, then there is a clue that changes the scenario completely. Because the book made me feel that I had to learn more, I ended up reading a lot, unable to focus on anything else. There are moments where the author purposely made it that the reader needed to stop and think about what was going on and how it could lead to what was going to happen next.
Third, the characters were also very easy to cling to. Right from where it started, I thought Jen and Richard would be together forever. When Jen disappears, it almost made it as if you’re in search for a character that is almost as dearest to you as Richard. It makes you want to find Jen and get answers to all the same questions that Richard wants. When a non too important person, that I am not going to say, died, you feel the same gap in the plot as the main characters do in the book.
Another reason I liked the book is because it is for everyone. I am definitely not the whole romantic book kind of person in the slightest, but if anyone is like me, you can focus on the mystery not too much on the bonding going on between characters. The author balances it out pretty well which is really good.
Many, many, many plot twists which I find like the cherry on the ice cream sundae of a story. For example, Richard has made many articles on Jen’s disappearance to see if anyone else, besides him, remembers her. One person claims to be her identical twin, though her twin’s name is Julie. Richard meets with Allie, the person who emailed Richard, and he thinks it is Jen. But it’s not. This is pretty mind boggling for him. Allie claims that her sister has vanished too. Connected? To find out you must read the book.
Finally, the book had pretty decent vocabulary and an okay setup. Most of the vocabulary was pretty good and and it was well organized mostly. The vocabulary was pretty high school leveled but not too advanced. Some of the vocabulary was really advanced which made it that extra step to a well written plot. Also, it had an okay setup too. Probably every two chapters it would switch to the antagonist side. This was pretty confusing at first, but once you noticed it and all the antagonist characters, it became easy to follow on the plot. There were multiple antagonists used at these clips in the story, so it was a little hard to keep all the characters straight and who they were and how they contributed to what they were doing.
In conclusion, this book was very well written. The book is one of the few books that anyone can read it because it includes all genres besides nonfiction in it. It is also a book that is hypnotizing. A few pages in is all it needs to not be able to put the book down until it is done. Will Richard ever find out if Jen existed or where she is and if she is okay? The only way to figure it out is to read it. Because of all the incredible features the book has, this book should no doubt be on the summer reading list.
First, the basis of the background of the book. The book is called On Borrowed Time by David Rosenfelt. It is a overall mystery, but with romance and thriller tied into it. It was published in February of 2011. It is told first person by Richard Kilmer, a journalist. The book takes place in a present time, (2011,) in New York City.
Second, the book is very suspenseful. Some points in the book I gasped at how everything tied in. One moment the reader thinks one thing, then there is a clue that changes the scenario completely. Because the book made me feel that I had to learn more, I ended up reading a lot, unable to focus on anything else. There are moments where the author purposely made it that the reader needed to stop and think about what was going on and how it could lead to what was going to happen next.
Third, the characters were also very easy to cling to. Right from where it started, I thought Jen and Richard would be together forever. When Jen disappears, it almost made it as if you’re in search for a character that is almost as dearest to you as Richard. It makes you want to find Jen and get answers to all the same questions that Richard wants. When a non too important person, that I am not going to say, died, you feel the same gap in the plot as the main characters do in the book.
Another reason I liked the book is because it is for everyone. I am definitely not the whole romantic book kind of person in the slightest, but if anyone is like me, you can focus on the mystery not too much on the bonding going on between characters. The author balances it out pretty well which is really good.
Many, many, many plot twists which I find like the cherry on the ice cream sundae of a story. For example, Richard has made many articles on Jen’s disappearance to see if anyone else, besides him, remembers her. One person claims to be her identical twin, though her twin’s name is Julie. Richard meets with Allie, the person who emailed Richard, and he thinks it is Jen. But it’s not. This is pretty mind boggling for him. Allie claims that her sister has vanished too. Connected? To find out you must read the book.
Finally, the book had pretty decent vocabulary and an okay setup. Most of the vocabulary was pretty good and and it was well organized mostly. The vocabulary was pretty high school leveled but not too advanced. Some of the vocabulary was really advanced which made it that extra step to a well written plot. Also, it had an okay setup too. Probably every two chapters it would switch to the antagonist side. This was pretty confusing at first, but once you noticed it and all the antagonist characters, it became easy to follow on the plot. There were multiple antagonists used at these clips in the story, so it was a little hard to keep all the characters straight and who they were and how they contributed to what they were doing.
In conclusion, this book was very well written. The book is one of the few books that anyone can read it because it includes all genres besides nonfiction in it. It is also a book that is hypnotizing. A few pages in is all it needs to not be able to put the book down until it is done. Will Richard ever find out if Jen existed or where she is and if she is okay? The only way to figure it out is to read it. Because of all the incredible features the book has, this book should no doubt be on the summer reading list.
May 17, 2012
This was an interesting plot, but I found the whole thing generally awkward. The writing didn't really flow for me, in large part because the lack of contractions in both narrative and dialogue made it oddly formal. For example, rather than saying, "I don't know why you'd do that," a character would say, "I do not know why you would do that." When repeated over the course of an entire book... Awkward. This may have been exacerbated by the fact that I was listening to the book and that I didn't love the reader to begin with.
I also found the plot a bit rushed at the end. I was riveted by the book at the beginning - By the middle, though, I began to lose steam, and by the end I was having a tricky time keeping the characters straight. In addition, the book was told throughout from the point of view of the main character AND the "bad guy." But then the main character wraps the novel up by saying that "this book" is his way of getting his own story out. Awkward.
I also found the plot a bit rushed at the end. I was riveted by the book at the beginning - By the middle, though, I began to lose steam, and by the end I was having a tricky time keeping the characters straight. In addition, the book was told throughout from the point of view of the main character AND the "bad guy." But then the main character wraps the novel up by saying that "this book" is his way of getting his own story out. Awkward.
April 11, 2011
I wasn't disappointed. This book kept me reading until I was done....late last night. One of the things that wove its way through was the humor that Rosenfelt puts into his book. In his Andy Carpenter series the books are serious but light hearted. The author kept some of that in this book. It made the character of Richard very human, because the majority of people could not be intensely serious 24 hours a day. There has to be times when people doubt themselves and the situation and think a lot of “what ifs” causing you to think things that if someone read your mind would think are funny. Of course Richard did smart mouth some people who were about to do harm. This book is definitely a must read for those who like David Rosenfelt’s previously books, conspiracy theories, and mysteries.
April 11, 2015
The Andy Carpenter series by Rosenfelt was recommended by my local used bookstore. The first book in the series wasn't available at my local library, but this one caught my eye. At first I thought the story was going to be stupid but it soon intrigued me and ended going somewhere I hadn't expected. The main character, Richard Kilmer, gets into a car accident with his fiancee and she disappears. Richard searches for her and finds that there is no evidence that she ever existed. Is he crazy? Is this some huge conspiracy that has turned all of his friends and acquaintances against him? Was his fiancee really a ghost the whole time he knew her?
December 18, 2019
I just love Rosenfelt's books! He writes such a fast-paced and witty story! I think that this is definitely one of his better standalone thrillers (though Andy Carpenter fans will be happy that the main character here also includes an obsessive love sports). The plot here is pretty unpredictable - and oddly it reminded me a bit of some another one of my favorite mystery authors, Linwood Barclay. But, this novel is certainly an exciting and dramatic one. The pacing is quick and I had a fun time reading it! I can't wait to see what he will release next!
May 24, 2018
I almost stopped reading On Borrowed Time soon after the accident and mysterious disappearance of the main character, Richard's fiancee, Jennifer. It just seemed like such a trope. But, I really like David Rosenfelt and he has never let me down yet so I continued. The story had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and I liked the added angle of the newspaper investigation - mixing the personal with the professional points of view. Though it was not my favorite of his books, I would still recommend On Borrowed Time - or any other book by David Rosenfelt.
October 5, 2012
This is my first Rosenfelt book and I am glad it is a standalone. It does make me want to read his other books. This was a fast, one sitting read. It is a unique story and I loved the twists and turns. Many characters took me completely by surprise. The protagonist Richard, is an ordinary journalist who has what it takes when the going gets tough. It has all the components I like in a book, characters you can like, a mystery with a surprise, good dialogue, and an exciting plot.
May 9, 2011
I know I can count on Rosenfelt for a quick, entertaining read. The topic is ominous, but the story is not dark. I got pulled right into the story line and just wanted to snag some time to finish it. This novel did not have his usual sense of wit, but that most likely was because Andy Carpenter was not in it, and this main character is a haunted victim.
June 14, 2012
What is real and what is not - that is what consumes you for the better part of this story. His fiancee disappears after an automobile accident on a country road. There is no trace of her and no one seems to remember her. As he searches for her, things become even more complicated. I really enjoyed the read. After awhile I wasn't sure either who I could trust.
September 4, 2018
Hmm. Another one of those books where the reader needs to put their common sense on a shelf while reading it. I love the Andy Carpenter series but On Borrowed Time didn't do it for me. There were parts I definitely enjoyed reading. I just never really fell in love with the characters, or the plot.
June 25, 2011
An action filled thriller filled with twists and turns. I really liked it. This was my first one of Rosenfelt's books but it probably won't be my last.
March 2, 2014
This book had me hooled right from the start.
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