review 1: I really liked this novel. It is well-written, fast-paced book. The characters are distinct and believable. The plot has several facets. The seedy side of Atlantic City forms the backdrop for a serial killer of abusive men on Mardi Gras for 18 years. At the end, the killer is revealed. The only aspect that is not addressed is how the killer lured the men to the rural area. Probably the obvious is the answer. How violence affects the different characters is very interesting and insightful. review 2: I didn’t like this book at all. This is the second Harlan Coben I read and it will be the last. It’s preposterous to think that a woman who was forced to work in a low-end strip club would “miss” the misery after reclaiming her life and independence. Apparent... morely Coben suffers from the idiotic male fantasy that women who are forced into striping at dives enjoy what they do. The ridiculous attitude continues with the protagonist’s husband who is a judgmental, chauvinistic pig. His behaviour around his mother (who suffers from Alzheimer’s) is nauseating. On top of the unrealistic characters doing unbelievable things, the police are incompetent morons and the plot lines are absurd. less
