I listened to this book on CD's and just finished. It is a strange story, sort of like a modern day Crime and Punishment. I continue to admire Jesse Kellerman's writing even if I didn't enjoy this book as I did the last one of his I read, The Genius. Kirby Heybourne does a great reading. His voice and inflections are perfect for the ramblings of the main character as he slowly descends to madness. I woke up and discovered that Jonathan Kellerman's son Jesse writes mystery/thriller/suspense novels after finding his name next to his father's (and mother's and now his kid sister's) at the library. What a wonderful writer! The novel tracks Joseph Geist, a Harvard grad philosophy student from a wrong-side-of-the-tracks background whose life is unraveling (no more teaching job, can't finish his dissertation, booted out by his girlfriend and Harvard). Desperate for cash, he becomes a conversationalist to a refined, brilliant and lovely woman in her seventies. At some point she invites him to move in, and all kinds of harrowing complications ensue. The characters feel 3D, the writing has wit and depth, and the pacing is perfect. And I don't even care for suspense novels. A few complaints. I would've appreciated a little more philosophical repartee, something the reader could've bit her teeth into. Also, more significantly, there were serious plausibility issues toward the end, which I shouldn't point out for spoiler alert reasons. It felt as though the author had lost control of his book. But even still, it was a memorable and gripping read, and now I'm checking out Jesse's other books, too.
What do You think about The Executor (2010)?
Painful to read. Main character was far too unlikable to appreciate the story.
—davina
