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Searching... | 30000010108069 | PS3556.O398 E94 2004 | Open Access Book | Creative Book | Searching... |
Searching... | 30000010108070 | PS3556.O398 E94 2004 | Open Access Book | Creative Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Raymond Thorne is wanted for murder - in Mexico, in Chicago and, most of all, in Los Angeles. He's got the elite 5-2 Squad of the LAPD on his tail, but still eludes them, until John Barron collars him. Then he escapes again - by dying. Barron, injured himself and off the case, is obsessed by the true identity of the man, by the tantalising clues to his motives - the keys to an anonymous safety deposit box, two London addresses in a notebook alongside a date marked 'in Moscow'. But Barron is carving a new life for himself and his sister in Europe and he pushes the enigma to the back of his mind, until one of Thorne's contacts in LA is found murdered in Paris, and only one man could have killed him - Thorne. Is it possible he pulled off the greatest escape? How? Why? Determined to learn the truth, Barron sets on a dangerous trail which will lead him across Europe to the icy streets of St Petersburg where Thorne's true persona and devastating political ambition threatens the world order.
Author Notes
Allan Folsom was born on December 9, 1941 in Orlando, Florida. He received a BS from Boston University in 1963. He moved to California, where he worked as a delivery driver, a film editor, and a camera operator. He wrote scripts for the television series Untamed World, Hart to Hart, and Sable, and the screenplay for the television film Desperate Intruder.
His first novel, The Day after Tomorrow, published in 1994. He was paid approximately two million dollars for the book. His other works included Day of Confession, The Exile, The Machiavelli Covenant, and The Hadrian Memorandum. He died from metastatic melanoma on May 16, 2014 at the age of 72.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews 3
Publisher's Weekly Review
Folsom (The Day After Tomorrow) begins his epic-sized new thriller smashingly, as cops from an elite LAPD squad stake out a train to arrest a killer and find themselves up against the mysterious Raymond, who leads them a murderous dance through the streets of the city, massacres several of them and is then apparently killed himself in a climactic shootout. For its first 200 pages, this is high-octane thriller writing with an almost visceral impact. But already there are dark hints of plot troubles to come. Young up-and-coming cop John Barron, Raymond's nemesis, is found to have a beautiful sister mentally paralyzed by the shock of their parents' long-ago murder, and Raymond begins to receive mysterious phone calls from a sinister baroness talking about his destiny. These kitschy elements dominate the story as it moves over to Europe, Barron builds himself a new life in England with a sexy aristocrat, sister Rebecca emerges from her cocoon as a Princess Di-like figure and the murderous Raymond, now with a new identity, has a key role involving a major upheaval in world politics. Folsom still brings off some entertaining scenes, but the plot becomes so lumbering and improbable (wait till you find out who Rebecca's suave Latin lover is) that even a final burst of action at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg cannot bring back the excitement that launched the book. As for the utterly unprepared-for ending, it breaks at least a dozen popular fiction rules at once. Agent, Robert Gottlieb. (Aug. 17) Forecast: If only Folsom could've maintained the pace and drama of the book's first third, this would be a winner; as it is, word of mouth about the remainder of the overlong novel is likely to dampen reader enthusiasm. $250,000 marketing campaign. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Folsom, the author of the thrilling Day after Tomorrow (1994), which has no connection to the recent movie, and the decidedly less thrilling Day of Confession (1998), returns mostly to form in this fast-paced, exciting adventure. John Barron, a young LAPD detective, assists in the capture of a vicious killer, who dies during surgery following a gunfight. But some of his fellow cops are also killed in the process, and Barron is forced to leave the department, and the country, to avoid retribution from his former colleagues and friends. He assumes a new identity, moves to Europe, meets a nice lady--and then is confronted with the terrifying prospect that the villain who supposedly died in L.A. is not dead after all and is moving forward with his original plan. Written in short chapters, with a sturdy hero and a despicably clever villain, the novel grabs readers from the opening scenes and rarely lets them loose. Although it seems as though the author has written the book with an eye toward a future movie adaptation--short chapters, plenty of physical action, a constant reminder of the date and time, some scenes even written from an audience's point of view (The viewer realized that somewhere out there was Raymond )--it isn't an outline posing as a novel. Sure, it's slick and a bit superficial, but it does what it sets out to do: deliver breathless excitement. --David Pitt Copyright 2004 Booklist
Library Journal Review
After a five-year hiatus, Folsom (Day of Confession) returns with another winner. Los Angeles police officer John Barron is the newest member of the elite 5-2 squad. On an undercover assignment to nab a notorious killer, he and his squad end up on a train heading for Los Angeles with the target clearly in sight. The events that unfold will force Barron to question his values and every other aspect of his life. To tell more would be a crime, but it's guaranteed that no savvy reader will be able to figure out the ending from reading just the beginning. Unexpected twists and catastrophe on a global scale make the story seem a little far-fetched at times, but that doesn't distract from the compelling narrative. Folsom should have another best seller on his hands. For all fiction collections.--Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.