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Mortal Fear (Mississippi #1)
by
Greg Iles
By day, Harper Cole works as a commodities trader and at night he leads quite a different life, serving as a systems operator for an exclusive erotic online service that caters to the rich and famous. But a stranger has now penetrated the network's state-of-the-art security, brutally murdering six celebrated female clients. Falsely accused of these horrible crimes, Harper ...more
Mass Market Paperbound
Published
by Signet Book
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Let me preface my review with this: I LOVE this guy's work. His books are engrossing and full of suspense. That said, this book literally drove me nuts. I couldn't put it down. The suspense was unreal. I'm not the best with words, so I'm sure this review sounds lame. All I can say is you will not be disappointed if you read this book.
Wow. This is the best suspense novel I have read in ages. I've got to thank Dave, who visited my site and recommended Greg Iles to me! If you like psychological suspense and you're familiar with the Internet (of course you are; you're here, aren't you??) you will devour this novel!
Harper Cole runs EROS, an online sex chatroom service, and begins to suspect foul play when women customers begin to disappear from the service but haven't canceled their expensive subscriptions. He discove...more
Harper Cole runs EROS, an online sex chatroom service, and begins to suspect foul play when women customers begin to disappear from the service but haven't canceled their expensive subscriptions. He discove...more
I am almost finished with this book and it is my least favorite of Iles' books. It is technologically outdated, and in 1997 it may have seemed pretty interesting, but not so much in 2009.
That aside, it is too long, and needs more vigorous editing. I skipped over pages of extraneous information. I think it would have been a much better read if it had been cleaned up.
The plot is not believable and the some of the characters do stupid things which irritated me. Of course, ...more
That aside, it is too long, and needs more vigorous editing. I skipped over pages of extraneous information. I think it would have been a much better read if it had been cleaned up.
The plot is not believable and the some of the characters do stupid things which irritated me. Of course, ...more
TOO MANY DETAILS AND A POOR DEFINITION
This is an average quality very long thriller, too long for my taste indeed, but written out of an original idea, it encompasses internet technology, deep psychological suspense and a great job of a character of Mr Harper Cole, the internet stock trader who is also the system operator of an internet sex network called Eros.
Harper has detected that a man has illegally penetrated Eros, engaged in chat with some women and then killed them. Harper...more
This is an average quality very long thriller, too long for my taste indeed, but written out of an original idea, it encompasses internet technology, deep psychological suspense and a great job of a character of Mr Harper Cole, the internet stock trader who is also the system operator of an internet sex network called Eros.
Harper has detected that a man has illegally penetrated Eros, engaged in chat with some women and then killed them. Harper...more
Jennifer
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommended to Jennifer by:
jennsicurella@verizon.net
Shelves:
mystery
With a little medical mystery, a little computer espionage and a lot of cybersex and murder, Mortal Fear is the ultimate thriller. A serial killer infiltrates Eros. Known by many usernames, he toys with women while trying to achieve a higher purpose. The main character, Harper, is a hero, a villain and a victim, being placed into every possible category during this constant race against time trying to save victim after victim. Harper's personal life, his job and his dalliances on Eros (the sex s...more
Even though the technological aspect of this book is totally outdated (frequent references to AOL and Compuserve - it is kindof comical) as I write this review in 2010, it is a total page turner. The dated computer references are minute in comparison to the storyline, however. This author has the most intense character creation and he is a top-notch writer as well. The most incredible character is the villain--a completely deranged psychopath that is part genius and part erotic mess (when you l...more
Having read several of Greg Iles' books, I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. His style was good, not up to his usual. I really felt the book was too long and drawn out, but I admit the plot never really caught my interest. Something about another search for eternal youth and using cybersex to find victims just did not appeal to me and I found the whole thing rather tedious and unbelievable. Not that a story has to be believable to be good.....but I at least want...more
Sometimes I find Greg Iles highly irritating, and this was one of those times. The hero in this book was a jerk, and even the excitement of the ending (showdown with a serial killer) couldn't make up for that fact. The hero, Harper Cole, sleeps with his wife's sister, and impregnates her. He spends the first 2/3 of the book trying to rationalize/justify and hide this fact. Then, once the truth is out, he bemoans the fact that he made the "mistake" of telling her the truth, and ruined h...more
I have always said for years that this is my ALL time favorite book. You'll loose sleep over this one cuz you can't stop turning the pages. You think you have it figured out and the most unexpected happens. This book climaxes like three times but you see you have several pages to go, maybe not quite half done and you know there has to be another turn. It's been awhile but I remember a couple parts, I really should read it again. A real page turner !!!!! The first chapter is quite sexually e...more
i finished mortal fear at the end of last week. it was good. but LOOOOOOOOONG. the problem i have with the book, and most stephen king and dean koontz books, are that the story was good enough, but the prose was just way too verbose. a scene that could have taken 2 pages took 10 because of all this tangental information that's interesting enough but not totally essentail to the forward movement of the plot. the premise was intriguing. the story was intriguing. it was fun to read. it's more of a ...more
Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors and with this book he does not disappoint. Iles is truly a gifted storyteller - his ability to create characters and scenes that come to life never ceases to impress me. The story takes a while to build up to intensity, and the way certain scenes were written (specifically something that the wife does at the end) both had a hand in keeping this away from a 5-star review. But those were fairly trivial matters when the entire piece of work is taken into cont...more
I so want to give this book a solid 2.5 and wish I could..It could have been a three star book if it was just a little shorter, got rid of all the boring chase sequences with the FBI and focused more on the actual killings (forgive me I know I am crazy:) But seriously all you really learn of the killer is in ambiguous notes and then a tell all at the end...this back of the book and review promise a truly sick killer and dammit I dont feel like I met him, only read and then it was kinda glossed o...more
this is a really exciting thriller, taking place in missippi, where most of greg isles books are based. this time we have a brilliant serial killer, an internet website that offers vicarious sexual liasons, and a man with a secret that he's terrified will come into the open. it's very exciting, there are some sexual things, even if they're only on screen, that can give you the heebie jeebies. be forwarned! but it's written with his usual talent, and keeps you up way past your bedtime.
This was the first book I read by Greg Iles and it will be the last.
This book was so filthy with graphic sexual details which added nothing to the story. The characters were not only difficult to like, but were written as stereotypes: the good sister, the bad sister, the mad doctor. The writing was tedious in places, boring in others, and too much psychological tension. If this man can write a book and get published, anyone can.
This book was so filthy with graphic sexual details which added nothing to the story. The characters were not only difficult to like, but were written as stereotypes: the good sister, the bad sister, the mad doctor. The writing was tedious in places, boring in others, and too much psychological tension. If this man can write a book and get published, anyone can.
Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors and with this book he does not disappoint. Iles is truly a gifted storyteller - his ability to create characters and scenes that come to life never ceases to impress me. The story takes a while to build up to intensity, and the way certain scenes were written (specifically something that the wife does at the end) both had a hand in keeping this away from a 5-star review. But those were fairly trivial matters when the entire piece of work is taken into cont...more
This author was recommended to me, and I'm not sure why I chose this particular book. Despite being set in a long-ago computer era (when sending a j-peg to someone in an e-mail was a HUGE deal), I enjoyed it. It's too long and has a final chapter so over the top that it looks like something from a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. But still enjoyable. He's a good writer and I might read another novel by him.
From the same author that brought us Trapped (made into a movie with Charlize Theron and Kevin Bacon) comes a really riviting tale. I don't know what I was expecting from this book. I wasn't too impressed after reading Trapped, but when I saw it for $1 at Half Price Books, I couldn't resist.
And thank goodness! Perhaps one of the most fun aspects of this book is the setting--more specifically, the time. This book takes place when the internet was just starting...and just getting b...more
And thank goodness! Perhaps one of the most fun aspects of this book is the setting--more specifically, the time. This book takes place when the internet was just starting...and just getting b...more
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It has the intensity and the gripping factor of a good novel but sometimes it gets too erotic that almost makes it a porn novel. Though maybe the author needs that additional factor to make the story "hot" I don't really think it is necessary. Greg Isles could just keep the story straight without the additional flavor. I did enjoy the story, the relationships between the characters, the depiction of the dilemma and torn between lies and truths.
Bill MacDonald, a regular reader of this book list, sent me e-mail a couple of weeks ago and told me to read this book right away. Do I ever owe him a big thanks! This may well be the best book I've read in several years. Really, seriously. I don't really have the vocabulary to adequately describe why. It's a gripping, compelling plot, expertly told without a flaw anywhere and so full of memorable characters and scenes that I feel like I've seen the best movie ever. Harper Cole is a commodities ...more
I loved this book. This plot was very unique. The tech. aspect might seem a little dated, but you must remember that this book was written back in the late 90's.
The greatest part of this book is that the main character was based on Greg himself. This gives the reader a main character that is imperfect and easy to relate to.
The greatest part of this book is that the main character was based on Greg himself. This gives the reader a main character that is imperfect and easy to relate to.
Greg Iles writes more elegantly than Patterson, but he tells equally complex stories of hard-edged Suspense. Plot twists, contemporary settings (although he has also written suspenseful Thrillers set in World War II), alternating points of view, and graphic violence feature prominently.
Hannibal Lector has nothing on this villian. This has and excellent plot with many twists. I found myself feeling sorry for the cheating husband and it would definetly take a good writer to do this. Greg Iles is quickly becoming one of authors.
This was a definite page-turner! Iles really knows how to weave a story without making it look like he is drawing out the book. The ending was a bit disappointing and didn't ring true for me, but the book kept me going right up until the end.
sorry no stars, no finish either. while i like greg iles this one just did not appeal......grisly murders due to some psychopath with some higher calling. was too turned off by the premise to even get to why the killer killed.......
I really enjoy this author and have read most of his books, but I started with this one and was hooked. They are definitely on the dark side, fast paced thrillers, so if looking for an uplifting book/author, this isn't the one.
I really enjoyed this book! Yes it was long, but I found myself unable to put it down. As the cover says...it's a thriller..."an intricate plot,infused with perfectly pitched erotic suspense and terror." That says it all!
It picks up in the end, but I had a hard time getting over how dated it was. It dealt primarily with chat rooms and computer technology in the 90's. Compelling story, but not as good as his other work.
Excellent novel, yet a little dated and definitely for a mature audience. It's dated because the book was written in the 90s and uses their contemporary technological and computer programmer/internet technology and "sysops." Definitely a mature book and not for children.
Good book though a bit on the grim side. It was interesting being in the killers head but I don't think I needed to be that much in his head. I liked the characters. The book is well written.
A rather typical serial murder story. It has some interesting twists
but gets bogged down with introspective self analysis and is much
too long. My least favorite Iles work to date.
but gets bogged down with introspective self analysis and is much
too long. My least favorite Iles work to date.
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Greg Iles was born in Germany in 1960. He grew up in Natchez, Mississippi, and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983. He was active in a band called "Frankly Scarlet", but quit after realizing that the touring lifestyle was not conducive with his family life. Once no longer busy with the band, he turned his attention to writing.
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