In West Hollywood, journalist Adam Murphy is abruptly fired while chasing a career-making story. A Marine pilot is killed when his helicopter sp... read full description
reviews
Jan 19, 2011
Matt
rated it: 
I like this book by Christopher Rice, but I still think my favorites of his are A Density of Souls and The Snow Garden.
In this novel, the story deals with a gay man who really, really wants to be a "real" journalist, and is fired at this glossy gay rag that specializes in pics of gorgeous gay men modeling underwear. He stumbles on a way to investigate why a series of gay men have been found murdered and wonders if a serial killer in on the loose targeting gay men. He is als More...
In this novel, the story deals with a gay man who really, really wants to be a "real" journalist, and is fired at this glossy gay rag that specializes in pics of gorgeous gay men modeling underwear. He stumbles on a way to investigate why a series of gay men have been found murdered and wonders if a serial killer in on the loose targeting gay men. He is als More...
Nov 18, 2008
Buck
rated it:
In his third novel, Christopher Rice truly begins to bloom as a mystery-thriller novelist. His first two works involved high school and college age teenagers caught in various mysterious circumstances. This work expands his range to a more urban mystery.
His main character, Adam, finds himself struggling as a reporter for "Glitz" magazine, a gay men's rag in Los Angeles. Adam wants to bring "real stories" to the magazine but is thwarted by his editor who continuall More...
His main character, Adam, finds himself struggling as a reporter for "Glitz" magazine, a gay men's rag in Los Angeles. Adam wants to bring "real stories" to the magazine but is thwarted by his editor who continuall More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Punk
rated it: 
Fiction. Yes, Christopher, son of Anne, but don't worry, he doesn't use the word preternatural once, and even gets some great lines in, like: "Around six, I thought about getting some dinner the way some people think about buying a vacation home." Unfortunately, as much as Christopher loves using two or three metaphors a paragraph, his success rate is really only fifty percent. Some aren't very good, some I couldn't even decipher, but he tries hard. This is nominally a mystery. Our mai
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Oct 10, 2011
Toni
rated it: 
This is a bit of an unusual review because it’s going to give little information about the story involved. Light Before Day is written by Christopher Rice, son of Anne Rice of Interview with the Vampire fame. Many will probably say he’s riding on his mother’s famous coat tails, but this novel will prove them wrong.
In an afterword to the book, the author has a dialogue with his mother in which he says he wants to write a novel a la Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. In Light Befo More...
In an afterword to the book, the author has a dialogue with his mother in which he says he wants to write a novel a la Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. In Light Befo More...
Mar 21, 2011
AstrogirlM42
rated it: 
I picked this book up to read as I have been a fan of Anne Rice for many years and I was curious about the writing style of her son. Thrillers are not usually my genre of choice, but this is a really entertaining read and was hard to put down. It was so nice to be able to read something where the ending was not so obvious that you bang your head against a wall due to the unoriginality of the author.
However, since becoming a mum I have to say that I do find certain topics really difficu More...
However, since becoming a mum I have to say that I do find certain topics really difficu More...
Jul 30, 2010
Andi
rated it:
This is the first of Christopher Rice's books I have read, and clearly I need to read more. The plot of the mystery his protagonist set out to solve was convoluted, to say the least, but not incoherent. For all its twists and turns, it proceeded organically and I never felt the author was throwing in red herrings for the hell (or the page count) of it. All of the threads--even the oddly-textured ones that didn't seem to fit--wound together in the end and the protagonist reached the end by din
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Apr 17, 2011
Andres
rated it:
Right away I read this as an 'updated' version of a Raymond Chandler type novel ('The Big Sleep' specifically since I spent a lot of time long ago analyzing both the book and the movie)---and by saying 'updated' I'm showing my lack of experience with more contemporary hard-boiled fiction.
With the various California locations, characters ranging from filthy rich to dirt poor, drug makers, sellers, and users, sexual depravity, mansions in the hills, yachts in the ocean, assassins for More...
With the various California locations, characters ranging from filthy rich to dirt poor, drug makers, sellers, and users, sexual depravity, mansions in the hills, yachts in the ocean, assassins for More...
Sep 14, 2007
Larry
rated it:
This wasnt a book that I expected from Chris. it was a surprise and it caught me off gaurd.I wasnt sure when Ifirst read it that I was ready for Chris to look at such a bleak side of life,that of a meth addict. He did a lot of research and even went out with police when they were investigating. Looking back I think it was a phenomenal book and it made me look at a lifestyle that I wouldnt have otherwise.
I am anxious to see what he does next.
I am anxious to see what he does next.
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May 06, 2009
Fabian
rated it:
If a semi-good whodunnit had a stomach-churning noir feel with all characters gay guys... well, you'd have "Light Before Day."
Christopher Rice exercises his writing muscles more than his mother- but he is not a better writer. He seems intent on writing mysteries with sprawling narratives... he is courageous in that aspect.
I did not appreciate the main character: an alcoholic gay guy with nothing but intuition. Yes-- this thing is what is loveable in characters More...
Christopher Rice exercises his writing muscles more than his mother- but he is not a better writer. He seems intent on writing mysteries with sprawling narratives... he is courageous in that aspect.
I did not appreciate the main character: an alcoholic gay guy with nothing but intuition. Yes-- this thing is what is loveable in characters More...
Oct 29, 2009
Jazz Crave
rated it:
I'll admit that I first picked up this book becaus I'm a huge fan of his mother, but I didn't put the book down because of Christopher Rice.
Christopher knows how to keep the reader interested and peeling away at pages till they relize their nearly halfway through the novel. The novel opens with our protagonist who is struggling to keep his job at a campy gay magazine called "Glitz."
After losing his job Adam begains to work with a mystery writer notorious for ste More...
Christopher knows how to keep the reader interested and peeling away at pages till they relize their nearly halfway through the novel. The novel opens with our protagonist who is struggling to keep his job at a campy gay magazine called "Glitz."
After losing his job Adam begains to work with a mystery writer notorious for ste More...
Jan 04, 2009
Light before Day, by Christopher Rice, narrated by Dallas Roberts, produced by Hyperian Audio, downloaded from audible.com. B.
This book isn’t quite as good as the two I finished last month. Maybe he wrote it earlier. There are a lot of characters, and the plotting is less consistent with more confusion than in the other books. Still, it was a good book.
Publisher’s Note:
Twenty-five-year-old journalist Adam Murphy is chasing a career-making story when he is abrupt More...
This book isn’t quite as good as the two I finished last month. Maybe he wrote it earlier. There are a lot of characters, and the plotting is less consistent with more confusion than in the other books. Still, it was a good book.
Publisher’s Note:
Twenty-five-year-old journalist Adam Murphy is chasing a career-making story when he is abrupt More...
May 03, 2007
Zachariah
rated it:
Christopher's best to date, in my humble opinion, and the one which posits severe potential for recurring characters. More twists than a bread factory.
A poorly reviewed reporter for a cut-rate tabloid finds himself thrust headlong into the strangest murder plot this side of a clown graveyard. Nothing is as it seems as our protagonist navigates the murky waters under the tutelage of veteran Seaman.
A poorly reviewed reporter for a cut-rate tabloid finds himself thrust headlong into the strangest murder plot this side of a clown graveyard. Nothing is as it seems as our protagonist navigates the murky waters under the tutelage of veteran Seaman.
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Aug 03, 2010
Jade
rated it:
What started as a really good and interesting read began to bore me near the end. The action never stopped, the suspense never stopped, but nor did the constant changes to the plot line and the constant conspiracy theories. Just when I'd get into the book, figure out who the bad guys were and cosy up for the hell ride, something dramatic would once again change events and the direction of the novel. I'm all up for a great 'who done it', but not one where all evidence points in one direction (e.g
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Jan 25, 2009
Serena
rated it:
I knew little to nothing about Meth addiction prior to reading this book, nor did I really care to. This book really shows the underbelly of life in California via the mystery a series of related deaths; in particular, of a journalist's gay lover gone missing and his subsequent hunt for the killer and unanswered questions about his former flame. He finds way more than he was looking for as he takes the road less traveled to solve the mystery. It was interesting and exciting for the most part. If
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Feb 18, 2010
Leslie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 11, 2008
Mina
rated it: 
After several weeks of trying to get into this one, I did something I have not done since high school -- I gave up on a book with no intention of going back.
This one was poorly written, choppy, and full of puns that even made *me* cringe (I love a good pun). I think Chris Rice must have been trying to write a mystery in almost a "flim-noir" style. Dark protagonist, beautiful victim (his twist: victim and protagonist are both gay), dangerous mystery, and gag-worthy simil More...
This one was poorly written, choppy, and full of puns that even made *me* cringe (I love a good pun). I think Chris Rice must have been trying to write a mystery in almost a "flim-noir" style. Dark protagonist, beautiful victim (his twist: victim and protagonist are both gay), dangerous mystery, and gag-worthy simil More...
Jan 22, 2009
Mendy
rated it:
I couldn't wait for my sister's copy so I bought myself one! Biggest waste of &6.50 ever. I have liked the two other books I have read by Christopher Rice, I can't say that about this one. I don't even know where to start. There were to many characters, I couldn't keep up with who was who for the majority of the book. The book also had to many twist and turns that were so unbelievable! The other two books have been more charactered based with a plausible plot. This one was to far out there and h
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May 02, 2010
Upstatemamma
rated it:
In the end this book was very good. It was fairly slow getting started though. I had trouble getting into it the first few days. I sort of had to force myself to read it. Once I got about halfway in the story just flew. And the last 75 pages or so I did not want to put the book down at all. I liked the main character pretty much from the beginning - he was the one good thing even when the story was moving too slowly.
Mar 27, 2009
Rufusgermanicus
rated it:
Light Before Day continues in the same vein as the other novels, ie: People are generally screwed up, nobody has had a "normal" homelife, an the heavy drinking in the past two novels is present here. It seems odd to say it, but even though they're not connected in the normal sense, it's best to read Rice's novels in order of publishing, as you can see his changing process and themes.
Jul 24, 2007
Jonathan
rated it:
I am just on a roll with books I don't like - this was by far the least liked. I should have known better - Gay fiction is never my cup of tea, at least I aven't found any yet. But that wasn't what turned me off, even though there were plenty of campy descriptions of West Holywood men - my favorite, I have to share: "His eyes were so blue they needed their own pool boy" It can't get any campier than that. No, What made me dislike this was the complete implausability of the story. It wa
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Jun 11, 2009
Brent
rated it:
If you're a fan of implausible thrillers, Light Before Day may just be the book for you. I'm not however, and this grotesque morose fantasy is so ridiculously convoluted and implausible that I'm officially uninfatuated with Christopher Rice. First of all, the main plot point is child rape. Child molestation is a taboo that taboo-pushing artists have been incorporating into their work more and more. I realize the story is fiction and that it's focused on the reporter following the case and not th
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Jun 04, 2009
Simon
rated it:
A disgraced reporter stumbles on a child pornography ring within LA's gay community. I was reading this book on my lunch breaks from work so the short reading sessions may have been part of the problem, but I lost interest in the charactera and the plot twists with about 150 pages to go - I did manage to push through to the end though. Skip it.
Jan 09, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
There's no doubt that Christopher Rice is a prodigiously talented writer, or that Light Before Day is an ambitious and gritty work of fiction. From this reader's perspective, the novel could have benefited, though, from a slight reigning in of that ambition. I lost count of the number of theories of crimes and criminals the narrative sets up, only to knock them down with new revelations and developments a few chapters or a few pages later. What really makes this novel sing is the nuance with whi
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Aug 31, 2009
Christine
rated it:
This one kept me guessing for awhile...what really DID happen to cause so much turmoil between these characters? When it does finally come to light (after a wee bit too much dragging on...) it'll make you think, "Wow. Twisted." Ir reminded me of how we were all at that crazy mixed- up young age at one time...
Feb 24, 2009
Jack
rated it:
Good. I like his style. He does not write about vampires like his mother but they are more suspense, and he always has a gay character since he is as well. But he just makes it a charateristic of the charater. Excellent storyteller. HAs been a while since he has come out with a new book.
Aug 16, 2010
Jay
rated it:
Just as awesome as the first time I read it. This would have to be my second favorite of all of his books. When he talks about the users, it reminds me of my less than savory lifestyle I had when I was younger. Although some of the examples of users are on the extreme side, they are accurate portrayals. Read this, read all his books!
May 05, 2011
Skip
rated it:
I invested 100 pages into reading this novel, and I gave it up.
Life is too short to read bad books.
The characters are boring.
The plot is convoluted.
And I've run across several devastatingly ridiculous metaphors like: "steaks the size of puppies"; "windows tinted the color or midnight at sea" and "her polite smile dropped from her face like a married father's pants in a rural rest stop."
Now, honestly...
Life is too short to read bad books.
The characters are boring.
The plot is convoluted.
And I've run across several devastatingly ridiculous metaphors like: "steaks the size of puppies"; "windows tinted the color or midnight at sea" and "her polite smile dropped from her face like a married father's pants in a rural rest stop."
Now, honestly...
Jul 27, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
This is more of a mystery thriller than the more gothic books Rice did (A Density of Souls and The Snow Garden). I don't think he accomplished writing in this genre very successfully. The characters were all over the place and it's kind of like a 30 minute fast action show without much to it.
Jul 26, 2009
Melora
rated it:
This was a pretty good mystery, an interesting narrative, and a fast read. It was not anything earthshattering, but I liked it. I enjoy Christopher Rice's style of writing, and I will probably look for other books of his. I would recommend this, unless you're a homophobe, and then the context may make you uncomfortable.
Jul 31, 2011
Katherine
rated it:
Didn't like it as much as 'The Snow Garden', but by the end he seemed to have gotten some of the style back as that book and I ended up enjoying it. I really liked the characters thoughout the story.
