Everyone's looking for the perfect match, a life-long partner, and Lewis and Lindsay Thorpe have found theirs, thanks to hi-tech matchmaker Eden In...
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reviews
Jan 19, 2007
John
rated it: 
I generally pass on novels with multiple authors. However, the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child partnership is a mystery to me. Together, their trashy airport thrillers are actually not bad at all for the genre. Yet on their own, these guys deserve a special section in the Dan Brown wing of the Museum of God-Awful American Writing. I assumed after Douglas Preston's word-poop "The Codex" (listened to this driving up to Yosemite) that Lincoln Child was the decent author in the Preston/C
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Mar 24, 2011
Silvia
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To my surprise, I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. It takes a different perspective on the notion of the "ideal relationship", pushing the myth of the "perfect match" to an extreme through the use of computers and artificial intelligence. It was a pretty good read for geeky social work academic wanting some light reading, in how it addressed the intersection of technology and relationships, even though neither the writing nor the mystery plot were anything
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Dec 30, 2010
Patrick
rated it: 
The last of Child’s solo efforts for me to read, "Death Match" is first-rate brain candy when it's compared to other plot driven thrillers that seem much more screenplay than novel - James Patterson's and Iris Johansen's recent factory driven voluminous output comes to mind. But by comparison to the rather high standards that have been self-imposed by his own previous work - the Pendergast canon in conjunction with his partner, Douglas Preston, and his first, “Utopia” - "Death Mat
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Oct 28, 2010
Chibineko
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One thing is absolutely certain- Child & Preston both do their best work when they are writing together. That's not to say that their individual works are terrible, but it's pretty clear that they seem to complement each other & make up for the other's shortcomings. That factor is slightly apparent in this novel, even though it's one of my favorites by Lincoln Child as an individual writer.
Death Match is about a matchmaking company named Eden. Eden's not just any type of matchmaker c More...
Death Match is about a matchmaking company named Eden. Eden's not just any type of matchmaker c More...
Aug 23, 2010
Paul
rated it: 
For someone who devours Preston & Child's (basically Pendergast-exclusive) novels, I've been surprisingly picky about their solo work. I picked up Death Match on a whim from the library because I needed something breezy along the lines of Christopher Pike's Falling to go along with the end of summer while I trudge through Crime and Punishment on DailyLit.
Death Match is the story of Christopher Lash, an ex-FBI profiler who has moved into private practice following a life-shattering en More...
Death Match is the story of Christopher Lash, an ex-FBI profiler who has moved into private practice following a life-shattering en More...
Oct 22, 2009
Chili_666
rated it:
Well... read it the seccond time around - and still think it is an OK read. Not the best book out there, not the worst. It might even be a really decent book for a nice sunny, lazy day on the beach, if you are into that kind of fiction.
Granted, there is heaps of psychological mumbojumbo, one dimensional characters that react purely to their environs without any motivation/instincts for themselves and loads of weird computer-science-we-have-to-explain-something-or-make-an-escape-poss More...
Granted, there is heaps of psychological mumbojumbo, one dimensional characters that react purely to their environs without any motivation/instincts for themselves and loads of weird computer-science-we-have-to-explain-something-or-make-an-escape-poss More...
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Jan 13, 2012
Kris (Reading on Planet Caddick)
rated it:
This was a long listen for me. The story was good, the characters were fleshed out well, I think in this case it may have been the narrator that I had trouble with. He didn't pull me in as much as I would have liked. Or as much as a lot of audiobook narrators do. Which is why I gave it three stars insted of four. If I had read this as hard copy book it would have received more stars.
This is my first Lincoln Child book that is not a collaboration with Douglas Preston. I will choose more More...
This is my first Lincoln Child book that is not a collaboration with Douglas Preston. I will choose more More...
Aug 02, 2011
Mattias
rated it:
First of all I must say that I enjoy Child on his own more than his collaborations with Preston even though their books are enjoyable as well. This book is not on the grander scale that their books usually are, its more of a play with some homicide and technology thrown in the mix. The story is interesting even though its not especially original but Child writes the characters well and the tension is there through out the book. As other has mentioned its not hard to figure out who the culprit
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Mar 03, 2009
Rossrn
rated it:
I hadn't read any work or co-written work by Child, so this was my first experience with his writing.
The story was about a reclusive computer genius Richard Silver who founds a matchmaking service, Eden, which has incredibly successful outcomes.
People matched using the service find unimaginable long-lasting happiness. There are even six people who are perfectly matched - the supercouples.
When the first super-couple commits double suicide, the company calls on More...
The story was about a reclusive computer genius Richard Silver who founds a matchmaking service, Eden, which has incredibly successful outcomes.
People matched using the service find unimaginable long-lasting happiness. There are even six people who are perfectly matched - the supercouples.
When the first super-couple commits double suicide, the company calls on More...
Feb 21, 2010
Glenda
rated it: 
A Heavenly Highlight! Lincoln Child
E-Harmony is an amateur compared to Eden Inc. At least that seems to be the case in Death Match by Lincoln Child. Only thing is, those that found the perfect mate are now committing suicide.
At least that is what their deaths look like...
Christopher Lash, a forensic psychologist, is hired to find out what's happening...I thought it was great that he failed to qualify for a match!
I figured this mystery out, More...
Feb 22, 2010
Jason
rated it:
I've come to really appreciate Child's writing. His stories are not only clever but typically possess the type of Indiana Jones-esque adventure that I crave. This story was a bit different than his usual, but was very intriguing nonetheless.
The science behind this story didn't feel like a far stretch from what we already see in our modern age, including sites eHarmony, Match, and the like. The characters were likable and the plot had the right balance of pace to it that I found mysel More...
The science behind this story didn't feel like a far stretch from what we already see in our modern age, including sites eHarmony, Match, and the like. The characters were likable and the plot had the right balance of pace to it that I found mysel More...
Aug 01, 2011
Ellie
rated it:
Mystery, science and the perfect relationship possibilities are all mixed in together to form a great story. This is the type of book that requires a lot of attention to keep the facts and characters straight since the story it's like a maze with lots of dead ends before you get to the right path.
The only thing I'm lukewarm about (spoiler alert.......) is the "female" computer going all psycho...I mean, really? Out of all the possibilities that have to do with money and pow More...
The only thing I'm lukewarm about (spoiler alert.......) is the "female" computer going all psycho...I mean, really? Out of all the possibilities that have to do with money and pow More...
Jan 09, 2012
Mhd
rated it:
I generally love all Lincoln Child's books (solo or co-written), but I just haven't gotten around to adding them to my shelves here. This one is probably very good and could have gotten 4 stars. However, I guess I gave it 3 when compared to the rest of his books.
This has a very interesting mix of different themes/subjects: pschology, match-making services, murder, technology, building security, identity theft, etc. The way the heroes manipulate the real villain is very similar to se More...
This has a very interesting mix of different themes/subjects: pschology, match-making services, murder, technology, building security, identity theft, etc. The way the heroes manipulate the real villain is very similar to se More...
Apr 19, 2009
Nicole
rated it:
This was an intriguing thriller about artificial intelligence and what can happen when one person has too much power. I was guessing for a large portion of the book. Although I did figure it out before the end, that didn't detract from how much I enjoyed the book. I liked the flashbacks that made the main investigator very human. This book was a quick interesting read. The pharmaceutical aspect seemed fairly accurate. I'm not sure if all the computer information was accurate or possible,
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May 15, 2011
gwen
rated it:
Part of the ongoing quest to read more mysteries. I was curious about the premise of this book, which involves a matchmaking super-company run by a reclusive genius that puts together perfectly happy couples for a steep fee.
The plot was certainly... plot-tastic. Many things happen! Then more things happen, and they happen and happen some more, and some of them are clever and surprising. Some of them are kind of dumb. But the writing was just terrible, and the characters were like pa More...
The plot was certainly... plot-tastic. Many things happen! Then more things happen, and they happen and happen some more, and some of them are clever and surprising. Some of them are kind of dumb. But the writing was just terrible, and the characters were like pa More...
Sep 18, 2011
Adam
rated it:
Death Match by Lincoln Child is a very fast read, or at least it was for me. The story of trying to find a perfect romantic match is intriguing to me, and when Child starts telling us about a new match-making program called Eden Incorporated and how successful they are, the feeling of unease begins to settle in. The company is incredibly secritive and Christopher Lash, our protagonist, finds this out when he begins to investigate the double-suicide of Eden’s first 100% matched couple. The Thorpe
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Jul 11, 2009
Cowgirl4christ16
rated it:
I enjoyed the author's style of writing, and the book was suspenseful, especially towards the end. But he included way to many technical computer terminology and codes and the like, making parts of it hard to read and understand, and most of the time, it really had nothing to do with the story(not enough to add in anyways, so I just skipped it and kept reading). The storyline was good, far fetched in some aspects but very creative and enjoyable to read. I do have to add though that the ending wa
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Feb 27, 2008
April
rated it:
I usually don't like science fiction because it is so out there. However, inventing artificial intelligence isn't really out there anymore and this book was very plausible. I didn't see the end coming but it was very compelling and realistic. The age of computers can have it's scary side, especially if you know how to manipulate data and track people through their interactions with computers everyday. The story was about a super computer that could match compatible couples with 95% accuracy.
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Mar 23, 2008
Ian
rated it:
Pleasantly surprised!
Having recently felt the urge to read thriller novels that would keep me awake all night, I tried a few novels by some authors I had not read before. Most of these books I did not even finish, since they bored me so much that I felt I would rather sit and watch the grass grow. I must add that they were real insomnia-busters (I'm not going to name them, though!).
Then I picked up Death Match. I have actually delayed reading the book, since the cover on More...
Having recently felt the urge to read thriller novels that would keep me awake all night, I tried a few novels by some authors I had not read before. Most of these books I did not even finish, since they bored me so much that I felt I would rather sit and watch the grass grow. I must add that they were real insomnia-busters (I'm not going to name them, though!).
Then I picked up Death Match. I have actually delayed reading the book, since the cover on More...
Feb 28, 2010
Rusty
rated it:
Ordinarily I'd give a higher rating to something by Lincoln Child, with or without Douglas Preston, but this book was all about computers and artificial intelligence, and I'm a programmer and system administrator so the computer stuff was obviously written by someone who doesn't understand the technology for what he was describing and was stringing together a lot of techno jargon. The sentence about the 'finger' command made me laugh out loud; he's got the jargon down at least.
Jan 08, 2012
Diana
rated it:
Para mim enquanto licenciada em Psicologia e interessada na vertente criminal/legal/forense ler um livro em que um ex-psicólogo forense é uma das personagens e tem de investigar caso de duplo suicídio de um casal aparentemente perfeito só podia despertar a minha atenção.
Gostei muito da história. Na minha opinião está bem escrita e com personagens bem desenvolvidas.
E tal como The Washington Post afirmou é "uma história hábil e sofisticada. Que também é um grito de al More...
Gostei muito da história. Na minha opinião está bem escrita e com personagens bem desenvolvidas.
E tal como The Washington Post afirmou é "uma história hábil e sofisticada. Que também é um grito de al More...
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Sep 09, 2009
Audrey
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 21, 2009
james
rated it:
It was a good read for a while but it became too weird for me at the conclusion. It was about a large corporation which promises to introduce its subscribers to the ideal mate for only $25,000 (cheap.) The company finds success and all its customers seem totally satisfied. But then one day one of the couples commits suicide. A few days later, another couple does the same.
The book could have been better.
The book could have been better.
Mar 02, 2009
Michelle
rated it:
I thought this was your trypics police/FBI murder mystery but with the unique twist of being set within a computer matching dating ststem company. I do have to say that I liked this book but towards the end it became more and more infused with the concept of AI (artificial intelligence) which I'm not too into.
Over all, interesting twists and kept me changing my answer to "who done it" several times. More...
Over all, interesting twists and kept me changing my answer to "who done it" several times. More...
Mar 10, 2009
Katie
rated it:
I read this book solely because it was in my bookshelf. English language books find their way there, whether or not I choose them. This one was left behind by a visiting professor. The writing style was poor, the deep glimpse into Lash´s past unconvincing, and the plot thin and predictable. I now feel like I need to read something literary just to redevelop the intellect lost in reading this book.
May 11, 2010
Andrea
rated it:
I have read other books by this author, but I thought this one was boring and unfulfiling. The story was about a super computer that does match making. The firm that employes the computer is quite sucessful - except lately, there have been un explained suicides between its "super" couples.
There is much technical language and an improbable ending.
There is much technical language and an improbable ending.
Dec 06, 2010
Sheila
rated it:
I loved this fascinating techno-thriller/mystery. It's very well-written and features vivid, well-drawn characters, many twists and turns, plenty of action, and a resolution I never could have foreseen. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a blend of psychological suspense, whodunit, and a plot involving the complexities of artificial intelligence.
Mar 04, 2008
Mike
rated it:
I really liked this book. It's kinda weird, but very fun actually.
It's a mystery novel and yet it's not. It's a thriller and yet it's not. It's very good though, at least if you kind of turn off your brain for a bit. There are some jumps of faith(not leaps, actual jumps) that are a bit much, and I wonder about the facts stated in the novel, how true they are and all, but overall I really enjoyed it.
Basically there's a computer dating service which matches people based off this long e More...
It's a mystery novel and yet it's not. It's a thriller and yet it's not. It's very good though, at least if you kind of turn off your brain for a bit. There are some jumps of faith(not leaps, actual jumps) that are a bit much, and I wonder about the facts stated in the novel, how true they are and all, but overall I really enjoyed it.
Basically there's a computer dating service which matches people based off this long e More...
Nov 04, 2010
OK
rated it:
Picked this up at the airport for the flight to Hawaii. Ended up not cracking it open until a few days after our return. LC in his early days. The geek-speak was fun and scenario interesting, but from an old married guy like me (12 years and counting), all this book made me think was how happy I am in my marriage.
Nov 04, 2010
Zare
rated it:
One can describe this book as a blend of "War Games" and Asimov's books (Robot series in particular). If AI created by men starts behaving like men do - is that OK or not? How can something we have created be [or better yet expected to be] better than the template (us) used to create it?[return][return]Recommended.
