Desert Places: A Novel of Terror Paperback – Import, 3 February 2011

Started goodLost its way in the middleUnrealisticWeak charactersLacks logicOverall complete and total waste of time

Once again a brilliant thriller by Blake Crouch. Of course nothing reaches its Wayward Pines trilogy, but his style is unavoidable.

He has quite a dark side but that makes his books very exciting and real for the reader. I know there are monsters out there but he brings them right to your door. I do think though that he gives his enemies a bit too much credit but it keeps the reader going.

Blake Crouch's Desert Places was gripping. I read this story in an afternoon--the perfect way to spend a few hours during the long holiday break.Crouch wastes no time in plunging the protagonist into a chilling, life-threatening scenario. There's a body on his property, covered in his own blood, and if he doesn't follow instructions, the evidence will be turned over to the Charlotte Police Department.Crouch's plotting is meticulous. I found the details believable, and I was really impressed with how quickly things devolve for Andy Thomas.Thomas is a likable, interesting character. His virtues are apparent. He has a fine-tuned sense of right and wrong, and his love for his mother seems genuine. He's a good guy. But he also has a dark side, and his flaws are abundantly apparent as well. He does some pretty deplorable things to stay alive, and Crouch's handling of a fundamental philosophical question (where is the line between the things we do for self preservation and true evil intent?) will probably shock a lot of readers.Orson Thomas and Luther Kite? Jeez--those guys are sick. After reading this book, it makes me think twice about the true intentions of every interaction I have. I played golf with a stranger yesterday, and I'm glad he didn't drug my Gatorade and hack me to bits in a remote mountain cabin. That was nice. I mean, after reading this book I sure won't drink anything given to me by someone I'm not familiar with, and I see no good reason to stop and help others when their cars break down on the side of those deserted country roads...It's a sprawling, fast-paced story that I enjoyed from start to finish. I'm very glad to have encountered Crouch's fiction, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work in the near future.

This is a sick book. Sick meaning 'good'; and sick meaning...sick. It is a real page turner. It is prurient, and i felt guilty wanting to finish it; but it is exciting, suspenseful, frightening and gripping. The author must be one sick dude if this novel came out of his head. I think you have to have a strong stomach (and a vivid imagination) in order to appreciate this book. The protagonist's descent into the deepest, darkest corners of his soul is frightening; but this can happen to any of us (which is why it is so scary). It is a rollercoaster of a ride and i could not put this book down. I liked the characterisations in the novel, and i enjoyed (and could easily visualise) the scenery and the emotions and the people that the author described. I think the book is very well-written, which ably prevents it descending into cheap thrills. An amazing read.

Compelling story telling. So well written I just couldn't put it down