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Man of Wax (Man of Wax Trilogy #1)
by
Robert Swartwood (Goodreads Author)
Ben Anderson goes to bed Sunday night, lying next to his wife in the comfort and safety of their Pennsylvania family home, to wake up the next day in a rundown motel in California -- alone.
He doesn't know how he got there, he doesn't know where his family is, and written in dried blood on the bathroom door are the words LET THE GAME BEGIN.
Soon Ben is contacted by Simon....more
He doesn't know how he got there, he doesn't know where his family is, and written in dried blood on the bathroom door are the words LET THE GAME BEGIN.
Soon Ben is contacted by Simon....more
Kindle Edition, 296 pages
Published
October 21st 2011
by RMS Press
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I have mixed feelings on this book. I did enjoy the story but thought that taking over 60% to get to the real action and story of this book was its overall downfall. It had the potential to be far more gripping than it really was. The plot itself was brilliant but somewhat lacking in areas and the action could have been far more descriptive and graphic which would have possibly made up for all the drivel at the beginning. I'm not sure many readers want to stick out all the driving here there and...more
Mar 04, 2012
Diane
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of thrillers and/or mysteries
Huh. Not sure what to make of this book; it's not the sort of book I usually read, falling pretty squarely in the "thriller" category, with a touch of "mystery" thrown in, I guess. I did enjoy it, because the premise was good and the writing wasn't bad, but it was predictable at times and at other times, too far-fetched for me to really get behind it 100%. And that might just be because I'm out of touch with the feel of thrillers and so had a hard time suspending disbelief. Based on my own readi...more
This book is currently selling for 99 cents on Amazon.
Ben Anderson wakes up in a motel room 3000 miles from home. He has been abducted, separated from his wife and daughter to become part of a 'reality' game. His director is, Simon, who sets him up with cash, a car and cell phone. Simon calls Ben to constantly tells him where to drive to and what to do once he is there. To get Ben to cooperate Simon threatens the lives of his family and to prove that he has his family close by sends an item to B...more
Ben Anderson wakes up in a motel room 3000 miles from home. He has been abducted, separated from his wife and daughter to become part of a 'reality' game. His director is, Simon, who sets him up with cash, a car and cell phone. Simon calls Ben to constantly tells him where to drive to and what to do once he is there. To get Ben to cooperate Simon threatens the lives of his family and to prove that he has his family close by sends an item to B...more
LOVED IT!!!!! I can't wait until April of 2012 when the second book in the trilogy comes out! Very suspensful at every turn of the page! It had me on my toes, even when I thought I figured out what was going on, another surprise came into the story! This book was a cross of 2 movies: Saw and Hostel...... I loved the story-line and I liked the characters in it. Swartwood really makes the reader guess what is going to happen at the end and if Ben will ever see his wife and daughter again. I also k...more
2 likes · like · see review
This book starts off great and will hook you, but as you get into the book it just falls off. The writing is... well, not that great. It almost feels like the author wrote parts of it in a random order then stuck them all together. One issue I have, is that first the book is in present tense, and then half way into the book it is like the main character is telling you a story in past tense. WTF? And it does this back and forth thing throughout the book at random times. I didn't really find the m...more
I actually liked this book. It felt like a cross between Stephen King's Running Man and a film Michael Douglas was in called The Game. It was disturbing, but not as bad as some horror fiction I've read, or the non-fiction I've been reading about WWII. I thought it was interesting, and it says a lot about popular culture regarding reality TV. How far are the writers/producers/"stars" willing to go? How much are we, the audience, willing to watch? I don't feel that this is any more disturbing than...more
Man of Wax was a solid and engaging thriller despite a few minor drawbacks. The writing was a bit uneven at times and there were some plot holes but nothing to take away too much from the overall story. The plot revolves around Ben Anderson, a normal guy who wakes up one morning to find his wife and daughter are missing. Soon thereafter he is contacted by Simon, who introduces Ben to the rules of the sadistic "game" he must play in order to see his loved ones again. Along the way Ben must make t...more
Nov 05, 2012
Erin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
goodreads-first-read,
thriller
I received this book for free as a Goodreads First Read. And WOW. I had to give myself some time to mull it over, since I finished it in the wee hours of this morning. This is the kind of creepy thriller story that gets under my skin - that one day, for whatever reason (or no reason at all) someone you don't know can just decide that your life doesn't matter. Your decisions, your actions, don't belong to you anymore. There is no supernatural "big bad" that drives this plot, just the seedier side...more
I can't even remember why I downloaded this to my Kindle, but it's been on there a while. I decided to read it yesterday, and read it straight through in a 36 hour period. It's fast paced (I love short chapters!), has good action, interesting characters, and a compelling plot. It's definitely a thrill-ride, but you will likely be cringing most of the time at the atrocious events and devious people in the story. Fair warning; this book has foul language and disturbing acts -- so if you're sensiti...more
Imagine a Reality Show and a Simon Says game from hell. The goal is to survive, but the odds are not in your favor and your loved ones will die, too. Well written, fast paced and unfortunately believable. With this book Robert Swartwood is rapidly becoming one of my “go to” authors for a good read. He also keeps getting me in trouble at work. I will be reading during my lunch or break and he keeps me so enthralled I don’t want to stop. So, you might want to set aside a weekend when you can just...more
This book was a fun read. I agree with the reviews stating that it's fast-paced. It sort of reminded me of the movie "Saw" in that the tasks Simon asked of the players would be something that would go against their morals, conscience, ethics, etc. trying to see how far he could get these people to go in order to get to their families. I don't know if there was supposed to be a challenge in figuring out where the main camera was or in Ben's case, who was behind him being chosen. There were a few...more
This book surprised me with its original story line and, I had a hard time putting it down once I started to read it. Upfront I’ll warn you, it’s not a book for everyone but I do believe there are a lot of readers who will enjoy this story.
Here’s the premise: imagine you’re married with a child. One day you wake up but, instead of being in your own bed, you’re in a seedy hotel in another state and you have no idea how you got there. You try to call your spouse but you have no luck connecting. Th...more
Here’s the premise: imagine you’re married with a child. One day you wake up but, instead of being in your own bed, you’re in a seedy hotel in another state and you have no idea how you got there. You try to call your spouse but you have no luck connecting. Th...more
This is the beginning of a trilogy. It's going to be a tough review to write because I don't want to spoil it for anybody. Let's just say that it is heartfelt, gut-wrenching, suspenseful, and ultra violent. If you're the slightest bit squeamish, this is not the book for you. Swartwood obviously goes out of his way to make you FEEL...sadness, grief, anger, rage, hope, fear, nausea...ANXIETY. You'll feel it all, and you'll probably buy the follow up (The Inner Circle) before you even finish Man of...more
If you enjoy reading thriller's about crazy people who enjoy watching others kill, steal, and other gory stuff, then this book is for you. It was difficult for me to continue to read this book after the first few chapters because it just dragged on about how the main character, Ben Anderson, was confused about what was happening to him. But I forced myself to keep reading on and then it started to get more interesting towards the middle. This was an okay book but I think it could have been bette...more
This is a very fast-paced book with some hardcore violence and strong language (those with a weak stomach or who offend easily, beware).
As some have said, the plot may be a little far-fetched, but with so much action coming at me, I didn't spend a lot of time worrying about it. It's fiction, I don't expect every plot element to fit in with my version of reality. Besides, I like writers with a bit of imagination.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and can't wait for the second book to come out so I can...more
As some have said, the plot may be a little far-fetched, but with so much action coming at me, I didn't spend a lot of time worrying about it. It's fiction, I don't expect every plot element to fit in with my version of reality. Besides, I like writers with a bit of imagination.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and can't wait for the second book to come out so I can...more
I thought this book was AMAZING! I have gotten into a habit of finding an author and then reading everything they've written. Because of that I find myself limiting myself to a handful of authors and becoming 'snobby' and shunning others. I found this book (for free) on my new kindle and decided to give it a shot. I am SO glad I did! Man of Wax was exciting, scary, gripping, and entertaining. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys the murder/mystery/thriller stories.
Excellent read!! Some places were "predictable", I agree. But, predictable is relative. The parts that were predictable to me may not be predictable to you. And, vice versa. Even still, being able to "predict" the outcome of any one event didn't diminish the enjoyment I garnered from the story itself or the scene in question. I think this was a great piece of storytelling and I can't wait for the sequel!
When I started this book i did not know it was a first in a series, so don't start it expecting it to wrap up neatly at the end, because it doesn't.
With that said this was a good read, but with this being a first of a series I was still hoping for a reconciled ending.
With that said this was a good read, but with this being a first of a series I was still hoping for a reconciled ending.
This book was a free download for me on my kindle. Although the story was interesting, it was very predictable. I would prefer to be surprised than have all my predictions be true. It had the elements to be really great, it just came up short in my opinion.
What a fantastic read! A great storyline with fantastic characters, on the edge of your seat suspense and a mind blowing cliffhanger. Robert Swartwood knows how to grab your attention right at the beginning and hold it until the very last page. He also makes you think: Just how far would you go and to what cost to save the ones you love?
This one is a nail biter! It will have you hooked from the beginning, and doesn't let up. I could not put it down. I had to seee what would happen next. I can't wait for the second book to come out.
2 likes · like · see review
Very suspenseful, and intriguing. I would love to read the other books in the series.
I felt myself cry along side of Ben. A very well written book.
I felt myself cry along side of Ben. A very well written book.
Novel du noir. Subjects I'd rather not think about posed in the style I most like to read. I have no idea how a mind lets all this fall onto paper and then strings it into a realistic read that makes me keep shaking my head in 'shades of 1984' wonder. I'll read more of this author's works...just because.
Read this in two days - that pretty much says it all. Full review coming...
Looking forward to the sequel....
Looking forward to the sequel
Good so far! can't wait to see how it turns out!
This was an interesting book about what can happen when private labs get into the Dna business.
Man of Wax, what a thriller. I felt I was a passenger in the car with Benjamin Anderson on his dangerous ride across the states. There a lot of surprises along the way and an unexpected ending. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a good chilling suspense.
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USA TODAY bestselling author of The Serial Killer's Wife, The Calling, Man of Wax, and several other novels. He created the term "hint fiction" and edited Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer.
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I'm 58% through it, and have not been disappointed so far. - Holing steady at 4...more
Mar 03, 2013 07:42pm
Mar 10, 2013 11:47am