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Delusion: A Novel of Suspense
A woman's world is turned upside down when new evidence frees a man she put in prison with her testimony years ago in this latest ingenious thriller from the author Publishers Weekly calls "one of the best contemporary thriller writers around."
Twenty years ago Nell Jarreau witnessed the murder of her boyfriend. Her testimony put a man behind bars--and led her to her husban...more
Twenty years ago Nell Jarreau witnessed the murder of her boyfriend. Her testimony put a man behind bars--and led her to her husban...more
Hardcover, 297 pages
Published
April 8th 2008
by William Morrow & Company
(first published April 1st 2008)
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Peter Abrahams has written at least 20 novels and is cited by Stephen King as his favorite American suspense novelist, but this, so far as I recall, is the first thing I have ever read by him. I found it a remarkably complex novel for so simple a basic plot, made more intense by having the point of view oscillate back and forth between the protagonist, a young woman who 20 years ago served as the eyewitness accuser of her lover’s murderer, and the antagonist, the low-life who was put in prison a...more
This novel of suspense takes place when events that happened twenty years ago are called into question. Back then, Nell and her boyfriend Johnny Blanton were surprised one evening by an attacker who killed Johnny. Nell was the only witness and a culprit was soon identified, convicted and sent to jail. Later, Nell married the policeman who handled the case, Clay Jarreau, and he adopted her child by Johnny, Norah.
Now a video has come to the surface that gives an alibi to the convicted man. Nell is...more
Now a video has come to the surface that gives an alibi to the convicted man. Nell is...more
Post listen review: This book was ok. It wasn't great. It's a case of mistaken identity that turns out to be more elaborate than that. The plot was essentially predictable but some of the characters were kind of interesting. I did get a bit annoyed at the main protaganist constantly saying, "I don't understand" when it was pretty obvious to all of us what was going on.
There were a couple of twists and turns but nothing amazing. I kept thinking it was about to go in a really bad and dumb directi...more
There were a couple of twists and turns but nothing amazing. I kept thinking it was about to go in a really bad and dumb directi...more
I liked the characters.
The results of the hypnosis didn't seem to add to the story. That was weird.
Halfway through the story, maybe even earlier, I figured out what had happened. However, I felt obligated to finish reading to the end. Liked the ending. Didn't like the epilouge type of second ending.
The results of the hypnosis didn't seem to add to the story. That was weird.
Halfway through the story, maybe even earlier, I figured out what had happened. However, I felt obligated to finish reading to the end. Liked the ending. Didn't like the epilouge type of second ending.
I'm all for an escapist read, but some standards need to be maintained. I mean really...
At one point, a woman recalls having spoken to the police just after her boyfriend's murder, and she reflects that she babbled about inane things and probably would've even told them she was pregnant, except that she hadn't yet learned she was pregnant. Mere pages later, she says her boyfriend was delighted when she told him she was pregnant, and he probably died stepping in front of her to protect the child....more
At one point, a woman recalls having spoken to the police just after her boyfriend's murder, and she reflects that she babbled about inane things and probably would've even told them she was pregnant, except that she hadn't yet learned she was pregnant. Mere pages later, she says her boyfriend was delighted when she told him she was pregnant, and he probably died stepping in front of her to protect the child....more
I too often find the same problem with most crime novels. I enjoy the character development in the beginning, as the plot begins to unfold, slowly. But, about half way through I pretty much know that Professor Plum did it, in the library, with the candlestick. And let me be clear here, I can be kind of ditsy when it comes to figuring it all out..which means watching cheesy crime drama shows and cliche suspense thriller movies are still entertaining to me. I guess I just want a little more origin...more
Many years ago, Nell witnessed the murder of her fiance, and her testimony put a man in prison for life. Now new evidence proves he couldn't have been at the murder scene at the time it was taking place, so he is released from prison. Could she really have been wrong about who did it, or did they just release a murderer back into society?
This book is told through multiple points of view, and the author does a fantastic job of making those voices different and distinct from each other while keepi...more
This book is told through multiple points of view, and the author does a fantastic job of making those voices different and distinct from each other while keepi...more
Another fine read from Abrahams who is quickly rising up on my list of favorite authors (I can say with confidence that he is clearly in my top 500 at the very least!).
This was IMHO not as good as pressure drop or crying wolf but still managed to warrant 5 stars from me....4 would be as low as I would go (I wish we had a 10 point rating system...I would likely go 9).
Again the characters and plot were very enjoyable and well developed. Their was plenty of action and suspense making wait to see wh...more
This was IMHO not as good as pressure drop or crying wolf but still managed to warrant 5 stars from me....4 would be as low as I would go (I wish we had a 10 point rating system...I would likely go 9).
Again the characters and plot were very enjoyable and well developed. Their was plenty of action and suspense making wait to see wh...more
Nell Jarreau witnessed the murder of her boyfriend. Her testimony sent the killer to jail. Twenty years later, he is sent free when proof of his alibi mysteriously resurfaces.
Nell's world is turned upside down, but she is determined to find answers. Regardless of which direction she turns, more questions arise as to what she really saw and what really happened that night.
Good story although it felt a bit rushed. Underdeveloped secondary characters became distractiing especially Nell's daughter,...more
Nell's world is turned upside down, but she is determined to find answers. Regardless of which direction she turns, more questions arise as to what she really saw and what really happened that night.
Good story although it felt a bit rushed. Underdeveloped secondary characters became distractiing especially Nell's daughter,...more
Overall an entertaining Abrahams yarn, but not his best. What the novel lacks, I think, is a competent protagonist. The central character, Nell, wants to figure out what happened 20 years ago when her fiance was stabbed (and when she identified the wrong man as the killer) but Nell is ... naive and obtuse. I think her confusion and ineptitude are realistically drawn, but it makes narrative progress, especially in the final pages, haphazard. The only character who is intelligently, doggedly tryin...more
Jul 04, 2011
Doug
added it
After 20 years in prision Alvin DuPree was freed after being wrongly accused of murdering Nell Jarreau's boyfriend on the strength of Nell's testimony. Nell is determined to find out why when something was so crystal clear she made an error in identifying the killer. Good story but the most interesting part was Dupree's time in prison reading the book of Job in the Bible. While he identified with Job his interpretation probably was no theologically correct which in the end may have caused his de...more
I listened to the audio version of this novel and was underwhelmed. The main character, Nell, didn't seem strong enough to carry the weight of the story. I found her neither likeable or unlikeable. You might say that I didn't care if she lived or died. A secondary character, Pirate, didn't show what he was capable of until the last chapter, which came as a surpise to me. Lastly, the crime--something about the core of engineers and a bridge--didn't seem severe enough to warrant deaths.
I Liked this one better than Oblivion but still not really that great. I'm still wondering what the fuss is about Abraham's writing. I find that there are to many things in his books (at least the two that I have read) that rely heavily on coincidence. It's a big city story, but the way everyone happens to someone know everyone else, suggests that they all live in a place like Dog River.
One more try with "The Tudor" and if it's not any better than I'm giving up on Peter.
One more try with "The Tudor" and if it's not any better than I'm giving up on Peter.
Peter Abrahams' books are "good reads." But I always come away feeling as if there are missing pieces, undeveloped characters, conflicting pieces of information. Things seldom seem to fall together properly. This doesn't mean that I don't intend to read more of his books, because I enjoy his writing, but it does mean I don't feel comfortable giving this book four stars. I wish I did.
Abrahams is one of my favorite suspense novelists. I appreciate not knowing what's coming - maybe suspecting - but not knowing. Abrahams doesn't write "down" to his readers - he assumes we're smart and I like that. The premise of this book is that life can turn around in a heartbeat - what we think we know, what we believe to be true can fall apart like a house of cards. I definitely recommend this author and this book!
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This was my first book by this offer. Though I may not be in a rush to go out and read another one I will certainly give him another shot. Not an all too original plot and some inconsistencies as noted by a previous reviewer. However it was an easy book to read by the pool.
20 years ago Nell Jarreau witnessed the murder of her boyfriend. Justice for whites in LA was swift and her identification of Alvin DuPree, a black, sent him to a maximum security prison for life. But new evidence popped up proving DuPree's innocence. Now he's back and Nell realizes that she has identified the wrong man. Her reality is becoming more and more of a delusion. This was a "really liked it" until the contrived ending.
The resolution of the book left me feeling flat. I found it difficult to be sympathetic with several of the characters. The plot was OK, but didn't leave me enthralled. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ken Marks. Narration was good.
Overall a good book. I thought the characters were a bit weak but I wanted to know how it ended. I think it shows that jails make people worse. They somehow need a prison where cons can't deal with others. That isn't solitary confinement.
An eyewitness to a murder is found to be wrong twenty years later when new evidence proves that the convicted man had an airtight alabi after all.
Another compulsively readable thriller by Peter Abrahams. A quick read and a real page turner.
I didn't find much suspense in this book. The characters seemed one-dimensional & the plot was way too predictable.
Quick read, good thriller. I liked Nerve Damage better.
Fans of Peter Abrahams will not be disappointed with his new offering. Delusion tells the story of Nell Jarreau whose testimony 20 years ago sent a man to jail for life. But a legal defense fund takes on his case and gets him released
thanks to a tape that washes up after a hurricane. This is a book in complex shades of gray--good guys, bad guys, justice and love all have a multidimensionality in this book that makes it hard to put down. The many twists and turns of the plot keep it engrossing to...more
thanks to a tape that washes up after a hurricane. This is a book in complex shades of gray--good guys, bad guys, justice and love all have a multidimensionality in this book that makes it hard to put down. The many twists and turns of the plot keep it engrossing to...more
In thought this book was a great one. It was an easy and fast-paced read. Although I knew "who done it" pretty early in the book, I still enjoyed it.
NEW AUTHOR TO ME. EXCELLENT READING.
Don't remember, didn't keep it.
Good strong read. I enjoyed his writing style.
Good characters and interesting plot.
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Peter Abrahams is the author of numerous novels, including End of Story, Oblivion, and Lights Out, which was nominated for an Edgar best novel award. He also writes the best-selling Echo Falls series for younger readers. He lives on Cape Cod.
Peter Abrahams is also writing under the pseudonym Spencer Quinn (Chet...more
More about Peter Abrahams...
Peter Abrahams is the author of numerous novels, including End of Story, Oblivion, and Lights Out, which was nominated for an Edgar best novel award. He also writes the best-selling Echo Falls series for younger readers. He lives on Cape Cod.
Peter Abrahams is also writing under the pseudonym Spencer Quinn (Chet...more
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