Slow start, but ending was unexpected.

The writing is brilliant, the ‘scare’ factor delivered, detective is well done… just the ending was unpleasant in its delivery. I like a good cat & mouse chase, I like a writer to tease & throw me off the scent, I like being surprised, but…! This felt like the writer wanted a last laugh at our expense, and I didn’t enjoy her joke so, 3.5 stars.

http://verovsky-meninadospoliciais.bl...

Este libro se me hizo un poco pesado a decir verdad, no sólo en el principio, sino que en el transcurso del libro también. Si hubo momentos en el que logró engancharme, y es por eso que no lo abandoné, pero no logré conectarme con el libro y no tanto como me gustaría con los personajes.

I read this book simply because it was sat on my roommate's and I's shared living room shelf. The cover piqued my interest, and the summary was reminiscent of a lot of my grandparent's collection of various thrifted murder mysteries I'd read as a child. While I can't say it was my favorite novel I've read, it captured my interest well enough to read it in one sitting.

My biggest critiques are the characters and the very abrupt fashion in which they were introduced. As someone else had mentioned in the reviews here, my first instinct too, was to write a list of the names and a summary due to the density. You learn of their roles and positions within the medical facility they are employed before learning much else; by then their names and roles are a memory. I found myself flipping back to make sure I was correctly understanding which character was which. Within the critique of characters as well, there are pivotal points of character changes that I found deeply confusing; fundamental changes to a character's attitude happening within the five months in which the book takes place. Some of the dialogue felt very strange as well, and it felt as though stereotypes bled though into the foreign characters. One could argue this is from the point of view of our main narrator Lieutenant Carmine given the time period, but there were a few moments that had me questioning the biases of the author.

The climax was somewhat underwhelming, the final three chapters felt rushed into completing the novel, wrapping it up.  The mystery behind the individual who was released due to a lack of evidence is not solved for the audience until the final handful of pages, and is not very strongly foreshadowed throughout the novel; only enough to be aware something was not quite right with the character in question.  The audience is left with many unsolved questions nonetheless, and the final chapters seem to focus more on the interpersonal relationships that Carmine had made. I can't say I would read this novel again, but it was not an entirely unpleasant experience.

I didn't see most of this coming, and it has teeth. Big, sharp shiny teeth.

I also love the hero because he isn't handsome or brilliantly gifted or especially intuitive. He feels real.

I read this book twice. Not because of the writing, which is standard, but because of the wonderful twist in the end. It still leaves me in awe.

This book was ok. I did want to find out who the killer was. I think there was too much filler however.

Very long and boring. Also, aged very poorly.

Quizá no se merezca las 4 estrellas, pero, pasados 10 años desde su lectura, recuerdo buena parte de la trama y no creo haber leído ninguna otra novela policíaca que se le parezca. Eso no es fácil, así que si sumamos a este hecho el haberme entretenido mucho su lectura, hay que redondear para arriba.

I fell across this series by chance while at the Library one night. I picked up the third in the series Naked Cruelty, not realising that it was part of a series. Yes, you've guessed it I am a little OCD with series and had to reserve this one the first in the series before reading Naked Cruelty.

I am of an age, that the book The Thorn Birds by her was very popular and I can remember reading the book quickly in order to stay in front of the TV series of it that aired in the 80's. I have read other books by her too, but wasn't aware that she wrote crime/thrillers until I saw Naked Cruelty.

On, Off is set in the 60's in America. It tells the story of Carmine Delmonico a detective on the case of a serial killer who mutilates his victims, apparently keeping body parts as souvenirs. A research centre know as the 'Hug' appears to be at the heart of the action at the beginning, but nothing is ever as it seems. All the victims are young and female and physically all have similar characteristics. As each victim disappears, the method of their disappearance is a cause for concern.

I found the first part of the book quite slow going, as there are lots of characters to get your head around and at times it was quite descriptive. I also found that I didn't have too long to devote to reading it, only managing 10 or so pages at a time rather than larger chunks. Once I got into the story though and found more time to read, I was able to read it in larger chunks and I found that it became an easier read. It's odd how some books need to be read in larger chunks like this one and others you can manage to read easily with reading less pages.

I enjoyed the relationship between the investigating team and look forward to reading the next in the series to follow them, Too Many Murders.

There are plenty of red herrings along the way and I have to say that I did guess some of the outcome, but I must admit that I was surprised by a few things and applaud Colleen McCullough for keeping a few things close to her chest until near the end. I found that as I was getting nearer the end of the book that I was rushing to get my hands on it to see where we the reader was taken.

Great first book to what I hope wll turn out to be a promising series. 8/10 from me.

A good detective novel. The story is not very believable. I prefer the historical novels of Colleen McCullough.