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458th out of 3,368 books
—
7,793 voters
Never Look Away: A Thriller
"Where has Linwood Barclay been all my life? His is the best thriller I've read in five years. Once I was 30 pages in, I literally couldn't put it down. The writing is crisp; the twists are jolting and completely unexpected. Think 'Rebecca' and you'll be in the right neighborhood." - Stephen King
In this tense, mesmerizing thriller by Linwood Barclay, critically acclaimed a...more
In this tense, mesmerizing thriller by Linwood Barclay, critically acclaimed a...more
Paperback, 421 pages
Published
March 9th 2010
by Delacorte Press
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Reporter David Harwood’s wife Jan disappears during an excursion to an amusement park near their home in Promise Falls, New York, leaving David and his young son, Ethan behind. The police think David murdered Jan, and all the evidence points to murder. But what about the birth certificate in another woman’s name that David finds hidden in Jan’s stash inside their home? Would his wife walk away from their young son? Or is she indeed dead? Added to David’s burden is the push-back he is getting fro...more
Wat een dijk van een boek! Ontzettend goed geschreven, in elk nieuw hoofdstuk komt er wel iets nieuw aan het licht waardoor je gewoon wilt blijven verder lezen, gewoon spannend van begin tot eind. Een boek dat je direct wilt kunnen uitlezen!
I bought this book because Stephen King said it had unexpected twists and was similar to REBECCA. He was right about the twists, but NEVER LOOK AWAY is nothing like REBECCA.
Despite that disappointment, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of a small-town reporter whose wife disappears. It begins with an average family -- husband, wife, four-year-old son -- but soon turns into something else. The wife appears depressed, the husband is working to expose corruption in local politicians, the son is anxiou...more
Despite that disappointment, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of a small-town reporter whose wife disappears. It begins with an average family -- husband, wife, four-year-old son -- but soon turns into something else. The wife appears depressed, the husband is working to expose corruption in local politicians, the son is anxiou...more
I chose this book because it seems like a thriller and I wanted to read something different. This story is about a small-town news reporter named David Harwood who has a four year old son and a seemingly depressed wife. He instigates a story about a local prison which stressed them all. They decide to buy tickets online to a nearby amusement park where things take a turn for the worst. His wife, Jan goes to the car to get a backpack and they wait in the park. After she arrives their son goes mis...more
The book I chose for my independent reading project was Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay. I enjoyed the book, but wouldn't say it was my favorite because at times it was hard to follow. It [the book] is about a David and Jan Harwood and their four year old son. David is a reporter for his town newspaper, Promise Falls Standard, and in need of a break. His newspaper is struggling to survive. To get away from David’s hectic work life he takes a family trip to an amusement park where thing take a...more
David and Jan Harwood are just a normal couple living in a small town with their son. David is a reporter who is onto a hot story about the new for-profit jail that might be built in town and payoffs that are being made to high-ranking officials. He's being told to back off from many sides at the same time that his wife is starting to crack up - thinking that her family would be better off without her.
A family trip to an amusement park turns scary when first David's son, Ethan, goes missing and...more
A family trip to an amusement park turns scary when first David's son, Ethan, goes missing and...more
Never Look Away ranks amongst the best thrillers released this year. While not so deep as to be ever considered literary, the characters of this novel have a realness that is both heart-breaking and frightening.
The story is told by David, a small-time reporter who gets himself mixed up in controversy surrounding the construction of a privately run prison in his home-town of Paradise Falls. After making a few barbed comments to a local politician, the CEO of Star-Spangled Corrections and his hire...more
The story is told by David, a small-time reporter who gets himself mixed up in controversy surrounding the construction of a privately run prison in his home-town of Paradise Falls. After making a few barbed comments to a local politician, the CEO of Star-Spangled Corrections and his hire...more
Do you really know the ones you love?, February 13, 2010
I have read all of Linwood Barclay's back-list and I must say that this one is better than the last two and I'm relieved that he's pulled back a little with the unbelievable endings and returned to writing a taut mystery thriller that is both fast paced and suspenseful. I found both Fear the Worst: A Thriller and Too Close to Home: A Thriller to be just way too over the top and am glad that Barclay has returned to a style similar to the o...more
I have read all of Linwood Barclay's back-list and I must say that this one is better than the last two and I'm relieved that he's pulled back a little with the unbelievable endings and returned to writing a taut mystery thriller that is both fast paced and suspenseful. I found both Fear the Worst: A Thriller and Too Close to Home: A Thriller to be just way too over the top and am glad that Barclay has returned to a style similar to the o...more
In Never Look Away, David Harwood, a reporter with the Promise Falls Standard, is working on a big story. His editor keeps shutting it down, but David can't figure out why. All of a sudden, though, David has bigger priorities. During a family outing, there's a mysterious and troubling disappearance. After the police uncover evidence pointing to David as a suspect in the disappearance, David mounts his own investigation to clear his name and restore his family.
This is the first book I've read of...more
This is the first book I've read of...more
May 01, 2010
Kathleen Hagen
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010-audio-books,
2010-mysteries
Never Look Away, by Linwood Barclay, A-minus, narrated by Jeffrey Cummings, produced by Brilliance Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
David Harwood is a small-town newspaper reporter with a wife and child. His life seems happy, and he is on the brink of breaking a news story about corruption in city hall which is leading toward a development that would ruin the area. He and his wife and son go to an amusement park. First, his wife, who is supposed to be watching their son while he gets ice cream...more
David Harwood is a small-town newspaper reporter with a wife and child. His life seems happy, and he is on the brink of breaking a news story about corruption in city hall which is leading toward a development that would ruin the area. He and his wife and son go to an amusement park. First, his wife, who is supposed to be watching their son while he gets ice cream...more
Reason for Reading: I always read Barclay's newest novels.
Summary: Jan and David Harwood are going to spend their day with 4-year old Ethan at the new Five Mountains theme park. After a few typical miss-starts when you plan anything involving the kids they finally all get inside and David gets in line to buy ice cream cones. As he heads back Jan is running toward him, Ethan is gone, the stroller is gone, she was just tying her shoelace and then it was gone. Panic set in. David sends Jan to the g...more
Summary: Jan and David Harwood are going to spend their day with 4-year old Ethan at the new Five Mountains theme park. After a few typical miss-starts when you plan anything involving the kids they finally all get inside and David gets in line to buy ice cream cones. As he heads back Jan is running toward him, Ethan is gone, the stroller is gone, she was just tying her shoelace and then it was gone. Panic set in. David sends Jan to the g...more
Feb 11, 2010
Melinda Schmidbauer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Thrillers
Recommended to Melinda by:
LibraryThing Early Release Program
The book starts off with what seems like an innocent trip to the amusement park -- although why anyone would want to take a four-year-old to an amusement park is beyond my comprehension. When Jan and David Harwood's son goes missing at the park, it is the beginning of a chain of events that has David confused about his family, his job and his sanity.
The book sucked me right in, from the first chapter. I received this Friday afternoon, and finished it in less than 24 hours. There are several thin...more
The book sucked me right in, from the first chapter. I received this Friday afternoon, and finished it in less than 24 hours. There are several thin...more
I was so excited to get a book from the giveaway list. But, then I started to worry. "What if I don't like it?". My worries were unfounded. I really, really enjoyed the book. It is a great read for lovers of suspense. In a busy week, I made sure I found time to read more.
The plot involves a journalist David, his wife Jan and their son Ethan. Jan goes missing one day during a trip to the amusement park. Then the mystery begins. Does it have anything to do with the story about corruption and th...more
The plot involves a journalist David, his wife Jan and their son Ethan. Jan goes missing one day during a trip to the amusement park. Then the mystery begins. Does it have anything to do with the story about corruption and th...more
First Linwood Barclay novel for me. Not bad at all. Another small town reporter novel who is from upstate New York. David Harwood a local reporter for the Standard has a somewhat idyllic life. Beautiful wife and a charming four year old son. As a local reporter who still has his job with the local paper he is currently working on a piece involving a private jail conglomerate that wants to put a new jail in their town. When he takes his wife upstate to meet with a source things start to go haywir...more
I was attracted by the blurb written in this book jacket. And since I've been watching Inception for the x-th time this week. I had this weird idea that probably David Harwood was just imagining things and all. Like in many sci-fi thriller novels where turned out that everything is just a dream or part of virtual or surrealistic reality or such.
But I was wrong.
Jan Harwood has missing for real. She set up a perfect plan (for her) to escape her mundane life as a small town housewife. She acted dep...more
But I was wrong.
Jan Harwood has missing for real. She set up a perfect plan (for her) to escape her mundane life as a small town housewife. She acted dep...more
Mar 10, 2010
Sheila Beaumont
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
mysteries-suspense-thrillers,
adult-fiction
David Harwood, a reporter on a struggling small-town newspaper in New York, is following a lead on a potentially scandalous story involving possible corruption in the proposed building of a privately owned local prison. He takes his wife, Jan, and 4-year-old son, Ethan, on an outing to an amusement park, where one of the family vanishes. Is this connected with the story David is working on? Who is framing David for the disappearance, and why?
I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just say t...more
I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just say t...more
I picked this book up for two reasons:
1- It was recommended as a book to read after you read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
2- There was an author review on the back of the book that said, "If you like Harlan Coben, you'll love Lindwood Barclay." -Peter Robinson
I agree with both of these statements!! All you have to do is read the prologue and you will be hooked!
David Harwood is spending a Saturday afternoon with his family at an amusement park. But what begins as a pleasant family outing turns into...more
1- It was recommended as a book to read after you read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
2- There was an author review on the back of the book that said, "If you like Harlan Coben, you'll love Lindwood Barclay." -Peter Robinson
I agree with both of these statements!! All you have to do is read the prologue and you will be hooked!
David Harwood is spending a Saturday afternoon with his family at an amusement park. But what begins as a pleasant family outing turns into...more
I was very happy to win this in the Goodreads drawing. I have read several of Mr. Barclay's books and knew I was in for a treat. This book is a real roller coaster ride! You start with a newspaper reporter working on a privatization of prisons story, add in his cute preschool son and a depressed wife. Promise the son a trip to the amusement park to cheer the wife up and have some family fun. The adventure starts there with a story full of intricate details and complex characters. The author (as...more
This book was good enough, but it did not blow me away like some of the more recent books by this author. I think part of the problem was that the story is told from more than one viewpoint, in addition to the main character's, David Harwood, revealing the mysteries surrounding him. A lot of the book was spent waiting for David to learn what the reader already knew since the first third of the book. The book also followed more of a formula for this genre than I have come to expect from this auth...more
After my intitial disappointment over what I thought was a deception in advertising of this book (author promo and book cover), I found that I really liked this novel. First of all, to say that it takes place at an amusement park is very misleading. The amusement park scenario is only about a paragraph in the whole book and it is not at all what the inside cover alludes to. I thought perhaps a child would be at the amusement park....that the major setting, or at least 20 pages would occur at the...more
Never Look Away is one of those books that have you on your edge of your seat almost from the first word. If you have read enough suspense/thriller type of books, then you sort of know how it goes. But in the first few pages Linwood Barclay takes the expected and turns it upside down. And that is about all I can say without giving major spoilers.
I will say that there was a minor section of the book that was a bit predictable. But other than that, the entire book kept me guessing . And I LOVE it...more
I will say that there was a minor section of the book that was a bit predictable. But other than that, the entire book kept me guessing . And I LOVE it...more
I ordered this book because the author had joined an agreement against bad authors who use sock puppets and other unfair means to get good and less than honest reviews for their product.
So, the impulse to buy was to reward integrity, at first. But then I was incredibly and pleasantly thrilled to find a wonderful taut thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I lost a lot of sleep staying up late because I couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened next. This is a very organized and...more
So, the impulse to buy was to reward integrity, at first. But then I was incredibly and pleasantly thrilled to find a wonderful taut thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I lost a lot of sleep staying up late because I couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened next. This is a very organized and...more
‘There’s nothing to be scared about.’
David Harwood is a small town journalist, looking forward to a day at an amusement park with his wife Jan and their four year old son Ethan. But this is not going to be the enjoyable visit David was planning for. First Ethan goes missing briefly, and then Jan disappears. David reports Jan’s disappearance but there is no verifiable evidence that she was ever at the park. Is David attempting to cover up a murder? The more David searches, the less he realises he...more
David Harwood is a small town journalist, looking forward to a day at an amusement park with his wife Jan and their four year old son Ethan. But this is not going to be the enjoyable visit David was planning for. First Ethan goes missing briefly, and then Jan disappears. David reports Jan’s disappearance but there is no verifiable evidence that she was ever at the park. Is David attempting to cover up a murder? The more David searches, the less he realises he...more
I won this book off Goodreads, I couldn't believe it, I never win anything! So even though I never have time to review my books, I feel an obligation to give a blurp on this one.
In the beginning, I was distracted with the amount of detail Barclay used, but the reason for that became evident in the last quarter of the story.
The plot was well laid out, although I could see the path the story was taking fairly early on, he still managed to pull some twists I did not anticipate. I like when an auth...more
In the beginning, I was distracted with the amount of detail Barclay used, but the reason for that became evident in the last quarter of the story.
The plot was well laid out, although I could see the path the story was taking fairly early on, he still managed to pull some twists I did not anticipate. I like when an auth...more
Jun 10, 2012
Kelly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-thriller-and-mystery
I try to avoid novels which see the lead character accused of a crime and fighting to clear their name, largely because they make my blood pressure rise in annoyance at the 'coincidences' which are oh so obivous and yet other characters cannot see them. This attitude made me dislike this book before I had even started, but I was proven wrong. The interweaving of the past and present lives of Jan Harwood connected many of the plot points nicely throughout the novel leaving for some shock twists a...more
I randomly ran across this Linwood Barclay book but I will be seeking out his thrillers now. This book grabbed me from the beginning at the amusement park, and had me holding on for the wild ride throughout the book. David, a reporter for a dwindling newspaper gets a lead that could save not only the newspaper, but his career, and even his town, but there are dangers in the works. And his home life is beginning to see uncertainty and vulnerability also, as his wife begins to raise concerns about...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and almost gave it five stars. The reason I did not is that a lot of action takes place in a three day span and escalates in the last few hours.
David Harwood is a reporter for the struggling Promise Falls (New York) Standard. David is given a lead on a involving city officials and the development of a privately operated prison on the edge of town. He takes a welcome break to spend the day at a theme park with his wife, Jan and his four-year-old son, Ethan. First E...more
David Harwood is a reporter for the struggling Promise Falls (New York) Standard. David is given a lead on a involving city officials and the development of a privately operated prison on the edge of town. He takes a welcome break to spend the day at a theme park with his wife, Jan and his four-year-old son, Ethan. First E...more
Lots of twists and turns in this wonderful book. It certainly is a book you won't want to put down. Keeps you guessing and on edge throughout. In this book, journalist David Harwood takes his wife and baby son out for the day to a New York amusement park, but while he is buying ice cream, his wife runs to him in a panic and tells him that their child, Ethan, has disappeared. The distressed couple separates to look for their son. When Harwood gives chase to a man with a pushchair, he finds his so...more
Loved this. It’s one of those books that keeps you guessing and I LOVE THAT.
It’s a thriller and I’m the type of person that watches Law & Order: SVU cause I love to guess who the guilty person is! And this book is kinda like that. Some of the things I knew were coming, but then other things happened in this and I was just like WHAT IS GOING ON. It’s insane, and it has tons of twists and turns, and I’d literally stay up til 4 in the morning just reading this. It’s definitely a fun read.
The st...more
It’s a thriller and I’m the type of person that watches Law & Order: SVU cause I love to guess who the guilty person is! And this book is kinda like that. Some of the things I knew were coming, but then other things happened in this and I was just like WHAT IS GOING ON. It’s insane, and it has tons of twists and turns, and I’d literally stay up til 4 in the morning just reading this. It’s definitely a fun read.
The st...more
Opening with a scene ripped from most parents' worst nightmares, Linwood Barclay's "Never Look Away" morphs into something more chilling, disturbing and unexpected. Local reporter David Harwood and his wife Jan have taken their four-year-old son for a day at the local theme park. David and Jan's marriage has been up and down the past few months and David is secretly relieved when Jan suggests a family outing. But the day out becomes a nightmare when the stroller with their son vanishes. David fi...more
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After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Linwood Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, be...more
More about Linwood Barclay...
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, be...more
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Oct 26, 2010 12:02pm