Watchlist: A Serial Thriller (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
The idea to have various, excellent writers each pen a chapter seemed like it would produce either a masterpiece or a disaster. It did the latter. I found the book so hopelessly confusing that I put it book before making it through five chapters of the first novela. It was so complicated that the reader, apparently, needs a PhD to follow it.......wait a minute, I have a PhD and I couldn't follow it. 'nuff said. I was intrigued by this book because of how it was written. The book is the collaborative effort of a dozen or more contemporary 'thriller and espionage' writers. The primary author invented the characters and structured the overall plot, and then wrote the first chapter. Each additional author wrote one or more chapters, and then the original author wrapped up the book by writing the final pages of the story.The book is actually comprised of two novellas, 'The Chopin Manuscript' and 'The Copper Bracelet' - the second being a sequel to the first. The first story is worthy of three stars, but I rated the overall book at two stars because of the the presence of far more sensuality and disturbing violence in the second story.The first story is based upon the discovery of previously unknown manuscripts by classic composers that have 'hidden information' encoded in the musical structure of the piece. There's some technical details integral to the plot that would intrigue those with greater musical knowledge than myself.Overall, the composition of the book was a clever idea. The first novella is a fair, recreational read. Not so much with the second.
What do You think about Watchlist: A Serial Thriller (2009)?
Interesting style. I think the second one ended too abruptly, but it was good.
—Allegrac
