Liquid Fear

May 06, 2011 David Burton rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story follows a cast of characters that are part of an experiment gone horribly wrong (or right if you take this from the perspective of the master mind behind it). As the book progresses you begin to see how their fates are intertwined and the nature of the experiment in which they are immersed. It's easy to empathize with each of their plights as they are manipulated at every turn to finally end up at their intended destination, The Monkey House.

It's a brilliant thriller that I cannot rec...more

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May 27, 2012 Kathleen McFall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Capitalism on Steroids

Liquid Fear is an example of a growing trend in thriller fiction: analyses and critiques of capitalism serving as the anchor of the plot, in particular, the human impact of blind wealth accumulation.

The subject of wealth inequity is not new for literary fiction – An American Tragedy, The Great Gatsby and others jump quickly to mind – but plots revolving around, or rather, revealing the gritty and painful side of capitalism (rather than celebrating it’s winners or losers) a...more Capitalism on Steroids

Liquid Fear is an example of a growing trend in thriller fiction: analyses and critiques of capitalism serving as the anchor of the plot, in particular, the human impact of blind wealth accumulation.

The subject of wealth inequity is not new for literary fiction – An American Tragedy, The Great Gatsby and others jump quickly to mind – but plots revolving around, or rather, revealing the gritty and painful side of capitalism (rather than celebrating it’s winners or losers) are appearing with greater frequency in what is typically considered genre fiction.

I love this trend. This is a natural subject for genre fiction. Genre fiction lets us tell truths and reveal secrets behind the mask of a fantastical tall tale. Indeed, a willingness to tackle sensitive topics is what makes some genre fiction writers transcend time and others fade into oblivion.

Liquid Fear falls squarely into this newly pulsating genre category (cap-fic? financial-fic? fiscal-lit?) with a big dose of scientific/big pharma illuminati imperialism thrown in to boot. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s grounded in a few seed truths, building out those facts with exaggerations that make it entertaining, if not entirely accurate (especially about clinical research). But who cares about accuracy when you are decapitating capitalism? Frankenstein was not particularly accurate either but it still taught us eternal truths about what it means to be human.

Liquid Fear is about a group of young people duped into participating in a bait-and-switch clinical trial, which is testing both the cure for a condition (post traumatic stress disorder) along with a companion drug that creates the condition. The clinical trial moves into the real world, as the participants are followed for a decade to see how long the effects of the drugs endure. The plot includes evil lobbyists, ambitious politicians, aging porn stars, lusty artists, a mad scientist and a fixer. It ranges from Washington, DC, to North Carolina's Research Triangle and gives a nod to the military-industrial complex and religious fundamentalists.

With such an illustrious cast of characters and themes, it can be a bit of a challenge to follow. I read it on vacation, when I could devote a few uninterrupted hours to it. Once I figured out who everyone was and how the story fit together, I did not put it down until it was done; I had to know who was going to win in this seething saga of capitalism on steroids.

Liquid Fear is a good thriller with believable revelatory moments when characters must choose between capitalism run amuck and love/loyalty. Our choices in life are rarely so stark, but that's what cap-fic genre thrillers (or whatever we end up calling the category) can do for us: show us what our choices are really about by fictionally exaggerating their consequences. I recommend this book, although don’t be dissuaded from participating in biomedical research by the storyline. There aren’t really mad scientists like that, not many at least. I know from experience in my own monkey house.(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I simply couldn’t put this book down until I had devoured every sentence up to the very last chapter. Full of almost-unbearable suspense, the story had me riveted in my seat for hours.

From politicians vying to become president and striving for world domination; an over ambitious scientist and professional thugs, as well as the victims of the drug tests - the characters in this book are tremendously realistic and believable. The scientist is not your stereo-typical lunatic, but rather a cautious...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Jaidis Shaw rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Liquid Fear by Scott Nicholson is a page-turning story that dives head first into the bizarre and unknown. The reader will immediately become immersed in the world that Nicholson has created and have no option but to continue reading until the end.

Wendy, Roland, Alexis and Anita are all brought together again when they start remembering a dark past that happened while they were test subjects to a new product Dr. Briggs was working on. Originally thought to be a medicine to help one conquer their...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Heather (HeadshotHeather) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Take 1 every 4 hrs...or else. Or else what? That is just ONE of the many questions Roland Doyle has when he awakens in an unfamiliar hotel room. Another might be who is this dead woman in the room with him?

Rewind ten years, a pharmaceutical experiment, led by Dr Sebastian Briggs, involving six test subjects goes awry and leaves one of the subjects dead. Now

the experiment studying fear response and post-traumatic stress syndrome is being continued. Financed by a US Senator and a major pharmaceuti...more Take 1 every 4 hrs...or else. Or else what? That is just ONE of the many questions Roland Doyle has when he awakens in an unfamiliar hotel room. Another might be who is this dead woman in the room with him?

Rewind ten years, a pharmaceutical experiment, led by Dr Sebastian Briggs, involving six test subjects goes awry and leaves one of the subjects dead. Now

the experiment studying fear response and post-traumatic stress syndrome is being continued. Financed by a US Senator and a major pharmaceutical company, Dr Briggs not only has to please his financial backers, but he needs to keep his “patients” and others from finding out the truth of what really happened ten years ago.

Back to present day, still taking the drug given to them...the five remaining test subjects begin to realize that they are still a part of a experiment that supposedly ended a decade ago. The mysterious pill they are continuing to consume can assist in holding back the impulses, phobias and mania that creeps into the minds of the original test subjects, but, as with all drugs, there is a side effect...the survivors of this “mad scientist’s” experimentation's begin to remember the horrible things they did in the past. Lured back to Dr Briggs’ remote facility, the Monkey House, Roland Doyle and the other four survivors are now trapped and have only one pill left. Once that pill is gone all they have left is....or else.

Liquid Fear by Scott Nicolson is a thrilling fast paced roller coaster of raw human emotion. It deals with the chemical suppression of memories, of our natural impulses, urges and feelings and what can happen to us as a result. As Dr Briggs does in the story, Liquid Fear take you on a mind trip. You are led into some very dark and disturbing places before being shown the tiny light at the end that just might lead to your survival.

One of the things that makes Liquid Fear even more chilling is that the premise behind it is one that could happen in the world we live in today. Medication constantly being given to aid in suppressing various feelings, ideations, urges and a variety of other imbalances in the human body. Used properly and in the correct dosages all is well, but in the wrong hands, whether it be the prescribing doctor with an agenda or by the patient themselves just looking to “forget”, who knows what could happen.
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Apr 25, 2011 Chryse Wymer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Others here have commented on the storytelling so I won't get into those aspects of what it was about. I'll just say that for me, it wasn't a romance or a mystery, although a thriller is one apt description. I would say it was more of a psychological thriller slightly edging on sci-fi bits. Being an avid reader, what I found interesting about this book was the William S. Burroughs/Kurt Vonnegut vibe. I think it was Dr. Briggs, for me. It made me think Dr. Benway from The Naked Lunch. It reminded...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Jeff Bennington rated it 5 of 5 stars

Never mind the plot details. After reading all these reviews and the synopsis you should know if this book is for you by now. But in case you're still sitting on the fence, maybe this review will help you decide. If you like well-written prose that isn't candy coated, Liquid Fear is for you. It's smart, gritty, realistic and frightening at times, but never predictable. If you like twisted plot lines that keep you guessing until the very end, Liquid Fear will fit snuggly in your book collection....more

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May 08, 2011 Suzi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So far this book is just weird. Starts off like you are coming into the middle of a story with several story lines in progress. Then to top it off, since it takes place mostly in Chapel Hill NC and the RTP....it would be more interesting if the author had truly spent time investigating the actual locales. He's added in places that don't exist (and wouldn't exist....a waffle house structure in downtown?), completely fouls up directions when quoting roads between the airport/RTP and Chapel Hill, a...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Ed Kurtz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scott Nicholson’s latest thriller, Liquid Fear, may very well be his best to date. It comes out the starting gate at full speed and never stops for a breath as it weaves through an ensemble of victims and victimizers who play musical chairs to the vacillating detriment of everyone involved. His characters are rich (featuring a hitman who resembles Westlake’s Parker with even less conscience!), the prose is tight and engrossing, and the story leaves the reader desperately turning the page until t...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Ed Kurtz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scott Nicholson’s latest thriller, Liquid Fear, may very well be his best to date. It comes out the starting gate at full speed and never stops for a breath as it weaves through an ensemble of victims and victimizers who play musical chairs to the vacillating detriment of everyone involved. His characters are rich (featuring a hitman who resembles Westlake’s Parker with even less conscience!), the prose is tight and engrossing, and the story leaves the reader desperately turning the page until t...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is yet another side of Nicholson that I haven't seen before. Not a ghost story, not a story of hauntings and satanic cults. This is a straight out mystery thriller that fires on all cylinders.

The plot has been described in the editorial blurbs as well as by previous reviewers on amazon so I won't get into that. But I will say that this book is a genuine page turner.

He delves into both political and psychological mayhem and intrigue in this one and as ever, his characters are top notch. Nich...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Bookworm rated it 2 of 5 stars

What can I say about Liquid Fear? It's a funky, gritty, strange book about test subjects who are used as puppets in a sadistic fear inducing experiment.

Dr. Sebastian Briggs ran a test on six willing participants ten years ago. The drug he was testing was supposed to induce fear in people so he could in turn gauge fear responses. He administered two drugs, one to induce fear and one to keep it at bay. So he basically messed with these peoples heads by making them feel intense fear then he got the...more What can I say about Liquid Fear? It's a funky, gritty, strange book about test subjects who are used as puppets in a sadistic fear inducing experiment.

Dr. Sebastian Briggs ran a test on six willing participants ten years ago. The drug he was testing was supposed to induce fear in people so he could in turn gauge fear responses. He administered two drugs, one to induce fear and one to keep it at bay. So he basically messed with these peoples heads by making them feel intense fear then he got them addicted to the meds that keep the fear and memories at bay.
While experiencing this primal fear, these people did some nasty things. The side effects of these drugs are memory loss, hallucinations, sexual impulses and addiction.

These participants are now left emotionally scarred yet living somewhat normal lives as they continue to take the drug that keeps the memories hidden. Now, a decade later, Dr. Briggs wants all the test subjects to meet at the lab that he calls the 'Monkey House'. There's a mysterious man called Kleingarten who works for Briggs and who is responsible for bringing the test subjects back to the lab.

The first few chapters alternately introduce all five surviving participants as well as the evil Dr. Briggs. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at some of the impulses these people were having, especially the sexual ones.

There's mystery in the story, mainly surrounding the who's and whys about the drug testing. The participants are all experiencing side effects. Roland Doyle, being one of the six, wakes up in a hotel room with a dead woman in the bathroom with no recollection of how he got there. There's a vial of pills with a note saying 'every 4 hrs or else'. The 'or else' meaning he and the rest of the participants will go crazy with horrible memories if they don't take the pills. The memories of the original testing and of some heinous acts the participants committed while on the fear inducing drugs will come back.

There's a big cast of characters and the story is pretty fast paced in this plot driven novel. I didn't connect with any of the characters, there just wasn't enough character development and I found myself confused at times as to who was who. It all culminates in a showdown at the Monkey House with the evil Briggs at the helm while the participants try to kill each other.

This wasn't the book for me, but others might enjoy it. There is actually a second book called Chronic Fear that picks up where Liquid Fear left off.
Although I didn't care for the book much, I finished it mostly out of curiosity as to what would happen to these people.

"My drug chemically alters pathways in the brain until the subject reverts to the dominant core impulse, filtering out reasoning and mitigating stimuli until the subject is obsessed and consumed by that basic impulse. You might say they become more like themselves , the people they would be without all the socialization, inhibitions, and morals that our so-called 'evolved' intelligence has imprisoned us with."
p. 123, Liquid Fear

read my full review here
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/201...(less)

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Oct 13, 2012 Andrea rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-wish-i-d-given-up-on

Okay, so I'm going to be brutally honest in my review of Liquid Fear. I can usually find a few redeeming qualities within a novel, and perhaps this novel's only one is the premise itself. This could have been a horrifying, suspenseful novel with plenty of gasps, gore and gratuitousness.

What I actually found was a plate of poorly written prose with side orders of yawn and snore.

The narrative lacks in essential description. That is not to say it lacks in description itself - it's descriptive: to a...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Richard Diver rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great fast-paced read. I finished it over a weekend and wished it had been a little longer. This has everything you could ask for in a thriller; dead bodies, jump-cutting from scene to scene, a really twisted antagonist, terror and great pacing. My only regret is that the wind-up at the end left me wanting a little more resolution. I won't tell how so I don't spoil it. Read this, it's worth the time.

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Mar 31, 2011 Bewitched Bookworms rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: show-me-the-free, review-posted

Liquid Fear is a fast paced, action packed thriller that I couldn't put down. The pieces of the story emerge throughout the novel and once all of the pieces a slammed together, all hell breaks loose. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Read the full review here.

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Jan 10, 2013 k.wing rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With this book, I teach myself the hard lesson that even though I might've read the book fast, it doesn't mean it was a good book.

Liquid Fear makes you turn the pages quickly, gobbling up the story and wanting the mystery to start to unravel. On that positive side, there has to be something said when someone can write like that. But having to get to the heart of the mystery through unnecessary, crude sex scenes and illusions to sex (that's most of the time not consensual aka: rape), I'm really a...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Randy Cashner rated it 2 of 5 stars

In an attempt to develop a drug that would allow patients to forget tragic events a far greater and more damaging drug is developed. As usual it then becomes a clash between government, drug companies and crusading individuals to see who does or doesn't get access to the new drugs

There isn't much that separates this story from others that try and deal with the murky world of pharmaceutical development and governmental involvement. In many ways this is a rehashing of The Island of Dr Moreau.....m...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Charlene rated it 1 of 5 stars

I can't put this book at the top of my list but it was a good value. I thought the author did a good job of building the suspense and the pace was good until the end. I felt the ending left a lot to be desired and the descriptive violence seemed unnecessary. Maybe I am just not the target audience for this author.

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Jun 26, 2011 kent rated it 4 of 5 stars

for fans of the movie "Momento" you'll love the opening of this book. the author does a wonderful job of writing with rich detail and multiple narrators. he gets inside the head of each of the main characters. the complexity of the plot makes tying it all together tough but the author does an admirable job.

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Aug 27, 2011 Nanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

WOW. Nicholson has released yet another winner! What an intriguing cast of characters and storyline... I could not put this one down. A crazy scientist, his terrified victims... cover-up...chills and thrills. Scott Nicholson remains my favorite writer. Would love to spend a day in his warped mind! *smiling*

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Jun 01, 2011 The_helen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011

Really struggled to get through this. And I felt cheated at the end-like I was missing two more chapters that would've rounded the story off. The storyline was good but meandered too much and didn't give me any kind of closure at the end.

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Jun 24, 2012 TC rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-thrillers

When Roland wakes up in a motel with two identities (according to the contents of his wallet) and a dead woman in the bathroom, he wracks his brain to remember what has happened. The vial of pills labelled "Take one every 4 hours or else" clouds the picture further. Porn actress Anita has the same tablets and an encounter of her own that gets the heart racing. When they are reunited with the other survivors of an unauthorised drug trial the battle is on. They all want to take control of the pill...more When Roland wakes up in a motel with two identities (according to the contents of his wallet) and a dead woman in the bathroom, he wracks his brain to remember what has happened. The vial of pills labelled "Take one every 4 hours or else" clouds the picture further. Porn actress Anita has the same tablets and an encounter of her own that gets the heart racing. When they are reunited with the other survivors of an unauthorised drug trial the battle is on. They all want to take control of the pills that are helping keep them sane and stop them remembering what happened ten years earlier.

I have read other books by the author in the past and enjoyed them so was looking forward to getting into this. The premise sounded interesting, a botched drug trial that had left a group of people on the edge and despite this the interest of certain parties in developing the drug for military application. It sounded feasible enough to be scary, particularly in the hands of Mr Nicholson.

However I finished it feeling a bit apathetic about the whole thing. The point of view kept switching between a number of characters and I didn't feel like I knew much about any of them. The female characters felt slightly more fleshed out but only because there were chunks devoted to their sexual pasts.

I also had a lot of questions that could have easily been answered in the course of the book. For example the group are all described as sociopaths but it's never made clear whether that is a result of the drugs or if they were chosen for the trial for a personality trait common to sociopaths in the first place. As it is mentioned a few times it would have been nice to know.

With a lack of interest in the fate of the characters the tension that was being built fell flat, and I felt some threads were under-developed with scope for much more about the political forces supporting the mad scientist's research and its potential applications.

I was a bit disappointed in this book after having read Scott's other work, so it's just an "okay" from me.(less)

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Apr 10, 2011 Vicki Tyley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie

A compulsive, one-sitting read and my favorite Scott Nicholson novel so far. Disintegration is dark and brilliant, but Liquid Fear is more entertaining – more in the genre I prefer to read.

Highly recommended.

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Apr 11, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was a little confused at the start but once I got my bearings this was a great entertaining read!

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Mar 24, 2012 Outerspace Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-thrillers

“Liquid Fear” is a medical thriller about an experimental fear drug that was tested on 6 volunteers 10 years prior. None of the volunteers are aware of what they are truly agreeing to and ten years later have no memory of what happened during those original drug trials. They also have no idea that the drug trials are not yet officially over, and the 5 remaining volunteers have more data to provide whether they want to or not. This was not one of my favorites by Scott Nicholson. The idea was orig...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Denise rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this one..."or else"

I am a fan of medical suspense thrillers. I can't help myself, I try to read everything that's written. I wish I had skipped this one and now dread having to read and review the sequel,Chronic Fear, for amazon vine.

The premise: a crazed scientist has developed two drugs and is in cahoots with a pharmaceutical company, the CIA, a US senator, and other various nefarious organizations and people who are determined to use the illegally tested drugs for po...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Louann Carroll rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked Liquid Fear.

Always taking into consideration this was an uncorrected proof, I found the book to be quite fascinating! The first chapter was a bit confusing. I had a difficult time getting into the novel, but once I got there, I was hooked.

A ten year-old pharaceutical experiment has gone terribly wrong--more by design than by accident. A Dr. Briggs, whom I found chilling, has decided to help humanity by creating two new designer drugs, Halcyon and Seethe. Seethe unleashes the darkest de...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, owned-and-still-own, finished

Scott Nicholson, Liquid Fear (Thomas and Mercer, 2011)

Full disclosure: this book was provided to me free of charge by Amazon Vine.

I want to start off this review by trumpeting, SCOTT NICHOLSON IS BACK! The only problem with that is that Scott Nicholson never actually went much of anywhere; he just flew under the radar for a while, rocking his own mic by way of Haunted Computer Books, his self-publishing venture. Well, he's poked his head up aboveground again as one of the “new” kids on the block...more Scott Nicholson, Liquid Fear (Thomas and Mercer, 2011)

Full disclosure: this book was provided to me free of charge by Amazon Vine.

I want to start off this review by trumpeting, SCOTT NICHOLSON IS BACK! The only problem with that is that Scott Nicholson never actually went much of anywhere; he just flew under the radar for a while, rocking his own mic by way of Haunted Computer Books, his self-publishing venture. Well, he's poked his head up aboveground again as one of the “new” kids on the block at Thomas and Mercer, Amazon's own mystery/thriller imprint, and if you're familiar with Nicholson, you should be rejoicing as much as I am that the guy has another shot at getting his books into stores across the nation.

If you're not familiar with Scott Nicholson, before telling you to take the plunge into Liquid Fear, the first in a projected series, I will tell you to go back to the beginning and check out a scary-ass little novel called The Red Church (viz. review 2Aug2004), originally publiched by Pinnacle in 2002 (currently in reprint via CreateSpace and available cheap-cheap in ebook form). That's a lotta novel, that is, and it is well worth reading. After that, Nicholson and Pinnacle parted ways, and while I'm sure there's all sorts of rational(-ized) explanations for that on both sides, it's pretty obvious one of the reasons is “they ain't gonna publish as fast as I'm gonna write.” Nicholson and Haunted Computer pretty much exploded in the decade since; the Scott Nicholson Library, in ebook form, is now up to vol. 4, plus a few other anthology-type releases. Scott Nicholson writes books like Merzbow makes noise—a lot of it, in a very short time span. Which brings us back to late 2011, Thomas and Mercer, and Liquid Fear. As I write this, book two, Chronic Fear, has also hit the streets, and if you want to know what the rest of this review will tell you in a nutshell, I'm planning on picking it up pretty quick.

Liquid Fear is genre thriller the way The Red Church is genre horror, and I do not mean that in any sort of pejorative sense. To the contrary, Nicholson understands very well what to do with the trappings of genre fiction in order to maximize value. This is a thriller that has two speeds, “full speed” and “lookout, Erma, we're gonna blow that turn!”, a sufficiently creepy villain, protagonists who are far too clueless for their own good (and a reasonable enough explanation for their cluelessness so we're not sitting here yelling “no, don't open the door, you idiot!” at the book every five minutes), a hitman with ambition, shady government and religious officials, you name it, all of which lives in service to a tight plot that neither asks too much of the reader nor asks too much to strain the reader's credibility. This can be a fine line to walk, at least jusging by some of my recent forays into the genre, but Nicholson treads it like a Wallenda on crystal meth. Comparatively, the book's problems are minor, and also fall within the usual trappings of genre (some purple prose, some characters who aren't quite as developed as would be nice, etc.). The upside to this is that if you're looking for a genre thriller, you will likely be expecting them all, and so they won't detract too much from the experience. This one's a lot of fun, and worth your time if you're a thriller fan. *** ½
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Feb 07, 2012 Lisa Eskra rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that has a great back cover flap and an awesome first chapter, but when you get to the middle of the book, you end up asking yourself, "What the heck happened?" From the catchy blurb, I expected a fresh thriller with a solid storyline. Instead, I got a forgettable B-rate thriller that's formulaic and all-around boring.

The novel begins, "The rain fell like bullets." Which is an apt description of how this book starts. The first chapter is a phenomenal hook. Nicholson us...more This is one of those books that has a great back cover flap and an awesome first chapter, but when you get to the middle of the book, you end up asking yourself, "What the heck happened?" From the catchy blurb, I expected a fresh thriller with a solid storyline. Instead, I got a forgettable B-rate thriller that's formulaic and all-around boring.

The novel begins, "The rain fell like bullets." Which is an apt description of how this book starts. The first chapter is a phenomenal hook. Nicholson uses a lot of visceral metaphors which set the scene and mood wonderfully right from the very start. He knows how to set a mood and grab the reader, that much is obvious. I haven't read that great an opening chapter in a long time. So amazing. Loved it and couldn't wait to read more.

But after the first few chapters, the novel loses its steam. Some elements are pretty far-fetched, implausible, and inconsistent. He plays fast and loose with the effects of the drugs to railroad the story, which would've been fine if the story was tight and the dialogue was sharp, but it isn't. The premise involving Halcyon and Seethe is interesting, but the story surrounding it just wasn't done well enough.

Two major things stood out to me about "Liquid Fear": first, how interesting it wasn't and second, the sheer amount of misogyny shown to the female characters.

David Underwood. Dr. Briggs. Roland Doyle. Wendy Leng. Martin Kleingarten. Alexis Morgan. Mark Morgan. Wallace Forsyth. Nicholson uses eight different point-of-view characters. It should go without saying -- that's way too many. I barely knew any of them, most of their background info and characterization is told not shown, and the plot isn't wide enough in scope to justify having so many. After finishing the book, I can't tell who the protagonist was. That's a huge problem.

The bad guys are little more than one dimensional tropes. They do bad things so are therefore bad -- no motivation, no exploration. And I love how only the bad guys are misogynists, like so many cliched characters nowadays.

Halfway through the book I realized I just didn't care what happened. I don't care about any of the characters, the plot isn't tight, and the tension is either forced or uninspired. That's three strikes against this thriller, three things that need to be done well for a decent read. The political shenanigans really detracted from the thriller aspect of the story because it was so unoriginal and boring; it slowed the pacing way down.

The "real show" described in the back cover blurb doesn't happen until the last 50 pages. Tension gets better as the book nears its climax, but the struggles of the major players feel so random. Because as the reader, I'm not really pulling for anyone. Briggs' ultimate reason for getting them back together is pretty weak too. So a a disappointing climax. Given the build-up, I expected more tension and higher stakes, but instead it was really kind of dull and predictable.

To put a real cherry on top, there's a lot of misogyny in this book, which is reflected in the fact that not one of the female characters is fleshed out as much more than being sex objects for the men. All of them are victims of unwanted male advances, both in the present and the past. Let me say that again -- the women are merely variations on the same victim theme. Take Anita, the bisexual porn star, whom the sociopath turns down for being too slutty. Or Wendy, the sexy artist that every male character is hard up for. Dr. Alexis Morgan is by far the most realistic, but even she's introduced in a sex scene. As "the brains of the bunch," she comes off as insipid, wooden, and catty. So while sex might be a weakness of the men, it's not a defining feature the way it is for the women. A big disappointment there.

In my opinion, this book is a few revisions away from being done. It's like an amazing short story that was dragged out into a tangentially related book. I was a little appalled to see JA Konrath's glowing sound bite, given that this thriller isn't even close to being same league (or even the same zip code). I guess it might've been good...if I was drunk for the whole six hours it took me to read the thing. On second thought, I rather doubt it.

Can I recommend this? Not really. If you're stuck in a room with only "Liquid Fear" and "Twilight," pick "Liquid Fear." Otherwise, pick anything else.(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 wally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nicholson

this will be the 1st from nicholson for me...saw it here somewhere, possibly on trivia.

1st sentence + :

the rain fell like bullets.
david underwood blinked against the drops. darkness pressed against both sides of his eyelids and the air smelled of burnt motor oil. the salvo of rain swept over the expanse of a lighted billboard.

heh! so he's looking at a billboard, right, outside, some lawyer advertising for work...one of those where am i moments? i wonder if circumcision is involved (see previou...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10890431-liquid-fear?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327928131l/10890431.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10890431-liquid-fear?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Liquid Fear by Scott Nicholson[/url]

Liquid Fear (Fear #1)

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