Absent Friends
by S.J. Rozan
List Price:
Our Price: $0.70
You Save: $14.30 (95%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: S.J. RozanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-30
ISBN: 0385339232
Number of pages: 365
Publisher: Delta
Book Reviews of Absent Friends
Book Review: Not quite
Summary: 3 Stars
This is one of those books I really hoped to like. I enjoy S.J.Rozan, and firmly agree with the assessment that's been made of her Lydia Chin/Bill Smith books: she's the best-kept secret in mystery fiction today. This book is Rozan's attempt to emulate Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, which transformed him from a series detective writer to a serious, acclaimed novelist sans genre. Unfortunately, Absent Friends isn't quite as good as Mystic River.
The book's built around the 9/11 attacks on New York City, which loom in the background of the story the whole way through. One of the firefighters killed in the collapse of the towers is a famous firefighter, already a hero. In the aftermath of his death, one of the local papers decides to do a story about him, and uncovers the death of a friend, which is surrounded by circumstances that are curious, to say the least. When the reporter investigating the story dies under mysterious circumstances, his lover, also a reporter, takes up the cause of finding out what was going on, and who was involved.
While the book's characters are interesting, and the atmosphere is palpable, there are some things about the story that don't work that well. For one thing, with a book like this character development is crucial, and while it seems strange to say, 367 pages isn't enough room to do what you sense the author wanted to do. This is the sort of plot, and characters, that normally involve a 600 page novel. Another problem is that the ending is rather predictable. A third is that there isn't really a protagonist. While I tend to not mind the different points of view thing, it's a bit much here, with four plot threads twisting across one another.
I enjoyed Rozan's other books, and I gather that she's going to do other non-Chin/Smith books. I hope the next one's more up to her standards.
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature & Fiction Books
Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Scribner; Published: 1986-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Killing Groundby JACK HIGGINS
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD; Published: 2007; Hardcover; Book
Saving Fish from Drowningby Amy Tan
4th Estate; Published: 2005; Paperback; Book
Life Expectancyby Dean Koontz
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Constant Princessby Philippa Gregory
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; Published: 2005; Hardcover; Book
Wolf of the Plains (Conqueror, Book 1)by Conn Iggulden
Harper; Published: 2007; Paperback; Book
Saharaby Clive Cussler
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2005-03-21; Paperback; Book
Perelandra (Cosmic Trilogy)by C. S. Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.76
Price in other shops:
The Lord Of The Rings: Part 2 The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Red Marsby Kim Stanley Robinson
Trafalgar Square; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
No Colder Placeby S. J. Rozan
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1998-10-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.75
Price in other shops:
A Bitter Feast (Bill Smith/ Lydia Chin Novels)by S. J. Rozan
St. Martin's Dead Letter; Published: 1999-07-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.40
Price in other shops:
Reflecting the Sky (Bill Smith/ Lydia Chin Novels)by S. J. Rozan
Minotaur Books; Published: 2002-01-07; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.57
Price in other shops:
In this Rainby S.J. Rozan
Delta; Published: 2007-12-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.50
Price in other shops:
China Tradeby S. J. Rozan
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1995-09-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.01
Price in other shops:
Mandarin Plaid (Lydia Chin, Bill Smith Mystery)by S. J. Rozan
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1997-08-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.74
Price in other shops:
Winter and Nightby S. J. Rozan
Minotaur Books; Published: 2003-04-14; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.70
Price in other shops:
Concourse: A Bill Smith-Lydia Chin Mystery (Lydia Chin, Bill Smith Mystery)by S. J. Rozan
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1996-09-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.07
Price in other shops:
Stone Quarry (Bill Smith/ Lydia Chin Novels)by S. J. Rozan
Minotaur Books; Published: 2001-01-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.39
Price in other shops: