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85th out of 88 books
—
225 voters
The Faceless
by
Vanda Symon (Goodreads Author)
Bradley is a middle-aged man trapped in middle-class New Zealand. He is in a job that he hates, working day after day to support his wife and two children. One day when it all gets too much, Bradley picks up a teenage hooker in downtown Auckland. Unfortunately he can't keep it up and then she laughs at him. That was a mistake. He beats her, ties her up and takes her to an...more
Paperback
Published
April 26th 2012
by Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd
(first published January 1st 2012)
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Vanda Symon is the author of the Sam Shephard detective series set in Dunedin, New Zealand. The Faceless is a stand-alone.
Bradley, a middle-class man with a young family, struggles to cope with his job after major restructuring due to the recession, and the pressure of a domineering wife back home. One night after a bad day at the office and emotionally out of control, he cruises the streets of Karangahape Road and picks up a young hooker called Billy.
Max, a homeless man of self-imposed exile, a...more
Bradley, a middle-class man with a young family, struggles to cope with his job after major restructuring due to the recession, and the pressure of a domineering wife back home. One night after a bad day at the office and emotionally out of control, he cruises the streets of Karangahape Road and picks up a young hooker called Billy.
Max, a homeless man of self-imposed exile, a...more
Thrillers aren't my thing as much as detective fiction but Faceless was particularly compelling - I ripped through it, in most places wide-eyed. Bradley is the villain who kidnaps street kid prostitute Billy after he suspects her of laughing at his non performance. He is creepy but mostly because, hey, he could be your neighbour, that normal looking businessman with a good job, nice house, pretty wife and daughters! Billy has the toughest role as a character, but she is helpless only externally,...more
After kick-starting her acclaimed crime writing career with a series of four good to great novels starring stroppy policewoman Sam Shephard, laced with humour, personality and personal life amongst the crime, Symon’s latest effort takes a decidedly darker turn.
Bradley is an over-worked, under-appreciated office worker trudging through a mundane but high-pressure life. A spontaneous tryst with Billy, a young hooker, turns ugly when, embarrassed, he lashes out. Panicked, he takes her to an abandon...more
Bradley is an over-worked, under-appreciated office worker trudging through a mundane but high-pressure life. A spontaneous tryst with Billy, a young hooker, turns ugly when, embarrassed, he lashes out. Panicked, he takes her to an abandon...more
A real change of pace from the previous book I read. No humour, just a portrait of evil and how one simple mistake can lead to truly awful events. Great characters, international appeal too.
Billy is a street kid, who turns the odd trick to get money to survive. Bradley is a family man who makes the mistake of picking Billy up one night. Max is the homeless man who has Billys back, and must at all costs make the police believe she is missing.
Billy is a street kid, who turns the odd trick to get money to survive. Bradley is a family man who makes the mistake of picking Billy up one night. Max is the homeless man who has Billys back, and must at all costs make the police believe she is missing.
Disturbing, very disturbing. I'm not sure what is more concerning, the utter plausibility of someone spiraling down to such a dark insanity, or how comfortable we have all become with ignoring people like Billy & Max (let alone their sagas). I love the book for its real feel and the fact it makes me uncomfortable.
The Faceless is a bit of a departure from the Sam Shephard novels, I miss the witty humor of Sam, but was equally sucked into the race against the clock in Billy/Max and Bradley's worlds. While parts of this book were disturbing, it was one of those rubber necking accident issues where you didn't want to look, but did anyway. I look forward to more of Vanda's books, can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
I'd reeally say this was a 3 1/2 starr book. Very slow to get into it, a bit black for my liking but had a good resolution
Fantastic characters, suspenseful plot, written as 3 part narrative. Psychological thriller
I couldn't put the light out until I'd finished it.
Another strong novel by Vanda!
May 15, 2013
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