Delusion - Peter Abrahams

[Derek Haas]

I like Peter Abrahams crime fiction... he's quite good at building tension and at getting inside character's heads and making the reader squirm. I've read four or five of his earlier books: The Fan and A Perfect Crime being two I enjoyed.

I just finished Delusion, and it wasn't Abrahams at his best. The main problem is I got out in front of the characters about halfway through the book and then had to wait for them to catch up. Trust me, it's not that I am particularly clever... it's that there are only a few characters in the book, and simply by nature of their occupations, you can figure out who did what to whom.

Also, the main protagonist, Nell, doesn't do much in the book to make us want to pull for her to get to the bottom of the mystery. As evidence mounts around her, she remains clueless. And some of her decisions make us, like the bad guy, want to strangle her.

Speaking of the bad guy, he's the best part of the book. A one-eyed convict given his freedom, whenever "Pirate" is on the page, Abrahams is at his strongest. The thoughts swirling inside Pirates head are compelling, chilling, and feel authentic.

The ending is rushed (just like this critique.)

[Derek Haas]

I meant "Pirate's head" at the bottom.

[Green Eyes]

I too enjoyed this book, but I must admit,
I still don't see who killed Johnny and why. Obviously Kirk killed Lee Ann, but did he kill Johnny and why?
Clay threw out the video tape as it would have exonerated Pirate, Bobby found the tape and Clay or Kirk killed him, making it appear as an accident, as if he fell through the roof of a house while saving someone.
I think this book would make a good movie, of course I'm still wondering who killed Johnny and why? Surely Clay didn't kill him just to romance Nell?