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woody1881's review
5.0
A unique voice and characters that you have to meet. This is the second in the series. Excellent twisting story. The thing is, on several occasions in the book you will laugh out loud at the way Zack, the center of it all, views the world and reacts to the stuff he gets himself into.
mschrock8's review against another edition
The second book in this series.
I can relate to worrying about a college daughter.
I can relate to worrying about a college daughter.
annebrooke's review against another edition
4.0
A great follow up to the first in this series, and a much better book. On the whole, a good mix of thriller and comedy, but I do think the bad guys were actually a little too over-the-top and the scene with the kidnap of the daughter could usefully have been shortened. Still, a great twist at the end, and I'm already starting the third book.
meganspiers100's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
voraciousreader10's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Stalking, Suicide, and Kidnapping
kspag206's review
Misogynistic comments and joking about rape. This book did not age well
calypsoscreams's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lmt01's review
4.0
Although it is a bit slow - which is noticeable since we have already been introduced to Zack Walker and his family - BAD GUYS is still a pretty good sequel that delivers thrills and laughs constantly.
Now, since I'm reading Barclay's novels in chronological order so that I can judge the development of his quality (and for other reasons, which I mentioned in my review of BAD MOVE), I should probably point out something that I noticed while reading this book:
The identity of the main antagonist was not, in this book or its predecessor, a big twist.
Don't get me wrong: the bad guys are usually characters you've met before, but when it is revealed that they are, indeed, the bad guys (normally halfway through the book), it isn't really a large surprise. In the first four Barclay novels I read, however, the identity of the main antagonist was always a shocking twist that took me by surprise. It's not necessarily a bad thing that this is what happens - it kind of serves the story - but I just thought that it was worth pointing out.
Now, since I'm reading Barclay's novels in chronological order so that I can judge the development of his quality (and for other reasons, which I mentioned in my review of BAD MOVE), I should probably point out something that I noticed while reading this book:
The identity of the main antagonist was not, in this book or its predecessor, a big twist.
Don't get me wrong: the bad guys are usually characters you've met before, but when it is revealed that they are, indeed, the bad guys (normally halfway through the book), it isn't really a large surprise. In the first four Barclay novels I read, however, the identity of the main antagonist was always a shocking twist that took me by surprise. It's not necessarily a bad thing that this is what happens - it kind of serves the story - but I just thought that it was worth pointing out.