Either my taste in books has become more discriminating or Fielding has become a sloppier writer, because I did not like this book at all, even though I have enjoyed Joy Fielding books in the past. Everything in this book was unrealistic from the main premise to the contrived ending. The only thing that kept me reading was that the main characters rang somewhat true. Val's and Jennifer's back stories were interesting and Val and her teen-aged daughter Brianne had a fairly typical relationship. I also liked Val's "side-kicks," the friends James and Melanie who basically served as comic relief. The murderers were completely over the top. I'm kind of done with psychopathic serial killers. I like a little more nuance in the killer's motivations. These two were just out-and-out psychopaths, although there did seem to be some attempt to psychoanalyze the girl.I honestly don't know if I will ever read another Joy Fielding book after this when there are so many other books in the world--and so little time to read them. I knew the book wasn't going to be a literary masterpiece and was just hoping for some fun escapism into a page-turning thriller. Honestly, I only finished it as a means of analyzing why the book didn't work.I found the characters really unlikeable and unbelievable. The main character was wimpy and sort of pathetic and her daughter was this awful stereotype of all teenagers. The girlfriend of the husband was the most interesting (not that it's saying much) but I also found her actions unbelievable. No one in their right mind would make the choices she did. It's like no one's ever heard of a car rental company in this book to solve any of their problems.The killers in the book were silly to me rather than scary. (Really? Ridding the world of old people?)And the thrill never happened. There really wasn't a single moment in the book where I felt any of the characters were in any sort of danger.The one thing I did like was the evolution of the wife and girlfriend in their relationship. It made for a satisfying, but again unbelievable, ending.
What do You think about Das Herz Des Bösen (2012)?
Didt fininsh this book as it was so blah blah like get on with the story.
—Caligiiirl
Good and fast read. Finished it in like three days
—enkhee
Maybe a little predictable but an enjoyable read.
—sharkeye
