Scan barcode
eternlbloom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Rape
mamashark32's review against another edition
4.0
I love reading short stories by authors who know what they are doing. Mr Deaver delivers 9 more thrilling stories with twists and turns to delight the reader.
sloatsj's review against another edition
2.0
Listened to this in the car on a long drive. It was entertaining for that purpose, but I wouldn't have pursued it otherwise.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
3 STARS
"Diverse and provocative, Twisted showcases Deaver's amazing range and signature plot twists: a beautiful woman goes to extremes to rid herself of her stalker; a contemporary of William Shakespeare vows to avenge his family's ruin; and Deaver's most beloved character, brilliant criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, is back to solve a chilling Christmastime disappearance." (From Amazon)
I am not a big fan of mystery/suspense short stories but this collection is okay. I read all but the Lincoln Rhyme story as I have not read the series and don't want any spoilers.
"Diverse and provocative, Twisted showcases Deaver's amazing range and signature plot twists: a beautiful woman goes to extremes to rid herself of her stalker; a contemporary of William Shakespeare vows to avenge his family's ruin; and Deaver's most beloved character, brilliant criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, is back to solve a chilling Christmastime disappearance." (From Amazon)
I am not a big fan of mystery/suspense short stories but this collection is okay. I read all but the Lincoln Rhyme story as I have not read the series and don't want any spoilers.
caffeinatedkiwi's review against another edition
5.0
I'd never thought favourably toward short stories before (they're typically too long for a cookie-bite fiction fix but too short for novel-esque development), but I thoroughly enjoyed these stories by Jeffery Deaver. I like how his style plays on the reader's almost inevitable assumptions and prejudices, so when the twist comes, it's not because he'd been throwing red herrings around until our eyes crossed, but because we would make assumptions about the characters and their motives based on some innocuous detail, and so would simply expect the story to be heading in a different direction. Even when I'd realised this was his style, I would often get caught out.
weaselweader's review against another edition
5.0
Expect the unexpected ... and still be surprised!
In his introduction to Twisted, Deaver acknowledges his personal delight with the experience of writing short stories. He suggests that because readers don't invest the same time or have the same emotional involvement in a short story as they would with a full length novel, the author is free to play an entirely different game - to hit like a sniper's bullet, to make the story fast and shocking, to make good bad or to make bad badder. But, Deaver says the most fun he had was to make really good really bad.
But - make no mistake - Deaver brings to the short story all the sophisticated skills that have been the foundation of his success as a novelist. He has a gift for dialogue, vivid characterization and suspense and his stories show deep insight into the emotions, the motivations, the fears and the love and happiness of his widely varied cast of characters. Despite its fundamentally gritty nature, his writing shows uncommonly refreshing humour and a capacity to convey deep feeling.
Doubtless everyone will come away from reading Twisted with their own personal set of favourites. I was fond of Lesser-Included Offense, a crafty tale of shifty, cut-throat legal maneuvers during the capital trial of an accused murderer; Gone Fishing in which a daughter begs her loving father not to go fishing in an area which has been the site of a series of brutal killings; and, finally, Nocturne which begins with the theft of a priceless Stradivarius violin at gunpoint and ends with a ... well, you're going to have to read it yourself!
The dust jacket reviews liken Deaver's mastery of the short story twist to O. Henry and Edgar Allen Poe. I was reminded of Jeffrey Archer's A Twist in the Tale and Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. For some easy going but compelling, rapid-fire, high quality toilet or beach reading that you can pick up and put down without losing the thread, Twisted will be your cup of tea! Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
In his introduction to Twisted, Deaver acknowledges his personal delight with the experience of writing short stories. He suggests that because readers don't invest the same time or have the same emotional involvement in a short story as they would with a full length novel, the author is free to play an entirely different game - to hit like a sniper's bullet, to make the story fast and shocking, to make good bad or to make bad badder. But, Deaver says the most fun he had was to make really good really bad.
But - make no mistake - Deaver brings to the short story all the sophisticated skills that have been the foundation of his success as a novelist. He has a gift for dialogue, vivid characterization and suspense and his stories show deep insight into the emotions, the motivations, the fears and the love and happiness of his widely varied cast of characters. Despite its fundamentally gritty nature, his writing shows uncommonly refreshing humour and a capacity to convey deep feeling.
Doubtless everyone will come away from reading Twisted with their own personal set of favourites. I was fond of Lesser-Included Offense, a crafty tale of shifty, cut-throat legal maneuvers during the capital trial of an accused murderer; Gone Fishing in which a daughter begs her loving father not to go fishing in an area which has been the site of a series of brutal killings; and, finally, Nocturne which begins with the theft of a priceless Stradivarius violin at gunpoint and ends with a ... well, you're going to have to read it yourself!
The dust jacket reviews liken Deaver's mastery of the short story twist to O. Henry and Edgar Allen Poe. I was reminded of Jeffrey Archer's A Twist in the Tale and Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. For some easy going but compelling, rapid-fire, high quality toilet or beach reading that you can pick up and put down without losing the thread, Twisted will be your cup of tea! Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
ilycianna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
latas's review against another edition
5.0
This is an excellent collection of short stories, each with Deaver's signature twists (as the title suggests). These twists are not unbelievable. (His full length novels tend to get far-fetched when he keeps piling twists on every page). Most of these stories are about stalkers and cheating spouses. My favourites are ' The Fall Guy' and 'The Widow of Pine Creek'.
1.Without Jonathan- Marissa Cooper contemplates her life without her husband Jonathan, when she is finally ready for a date. Is this a romantic date, or ..?
2. the weekender- Robbery at a drugstore ends up in a hostage situation. How does the hostage get himself out?
3. For services rendered- A psychiatrist tells the story of one of his patients and how he gets personally involved.
4. Beautiful- A super model takes the extreme step to get rid of a stalker.
5. The Fall guy- When Carolyn is saved from an attempted kidnapping, she sees a perfect opportunity to do away with her cheating husband. Who ends up as the fall guy for her husband's murder?
6. Eye to eye- Bullies beware ! Your victims may not be as timid as they look!
7. Triangle- This was completely unexpected. You may want to reread the story again to know what you missed.
8. All the world's a stage- A retro story where Shakespeare helps a man to avenge his father's death.
9. Gone Fishing- A loving father goes fishing inspite of warnings from his daughter and wife.
10. Nocturne- A heart warming story of a music-loving cop
11. lesser included offense- A clever courtroom drama.
12. The Blank card- Dennis is driven to madness because he is sure his wife is cheating on him. Are his doubts unfounded?
13. the Cristmas present- Rhyme and Sachs find a missing mother on Christmas eve but that is not the end of it.
14. Together- Manko tells his love story to Frankie boy. Knowing Deaver, we know it is not a simple love story.
15. The Widow of Pine creek- A grieving widow takes help from a stranger to get her husband's business in order. Who is conning whom?
16. The Kneeling Soldier- Another stalker story and nothing is what it seems to be
1.Without Jonathan- Marissa Cooper contemplates her life without her husband Jonathan, when she is finally ready for a date. Is this a romantic date, or ..?
2. the weekender- Robbery at a drugstore ends up in a hostage situation. How does the hostage get himself out?
3. For services rendered- A psychiatrist tells the story of one of his patients and how he gets personally involved.
4. Beautiful- A super model takes the extreme step to get rid of a stalker.
5. The Fall guy- When Carolyn is saved from an attempted kidnapping, she sees a perfect opportunity to do away with her cheating husband. Who ends up as the fall guy for her husband's murder?
6. Eye to eye- Bullies beware ! Your victims may not be as timid as they look!
7. Triangle- This was completely unexpected. You may want to reread the story again to know what you missed.
8. All the world's a stage- A retro story where Shakespeare helps a man to avenge his father's death.
9. Gone Fishing- A loving father goes fishing inspite of warnings from his daughter and wife.
10. Nocturne- A heart warming story of a music-loving cop
11. lesser included offense- A clever courtroom drama.
12. The Blank card- Dennis is driven to madness because he is sure his wife is cheating on him. Are his doubts unfounded?
13. the Cristmas present- Rhyme and Sachs find a missing mother on Christmas eve but that is not the end of it.
14. Together- Manko tells his love story to Frankie boy. Knowing Deaver, we know it is not a simple love story.
15. The Widow of Pine creek- A grieving widow takes help from a stranger to get her husband's business in order. Who is conning whom?
16. The Kneeling Soldier- Another stalker story and nothing is what it seems to be
johnnyb1954's review against another edition
5.0
I might give this 4.5 if goodreads allowed half stars, but this is the best short story collection of this genre I have read. The twists were great and I enjoyed every story.
asphaltmonkey's review against another edition
3.0
A nice collection of dark short stories. The twist(s) at the end are always satisfying. I liked some stories better than others; standouts for me were Without Jonathan, For Services Rendered, Beautiful, The Fall Guy, Triangle, The Christmas Present, and The Kneeling Soldier.