A search turned up a few mentions, but no specific threads. Not sure how much we can discuss this w/o excessive spoilers, but I’m willing to try.
By first 50 page spoilers, I think it would be fine to discuss the characters and setup that occurs over the first 50 pages or so. But all of his books so far take at least a couple of turns later on, and I’d prefer it if we avoided open discussion of those plot twists and resolutions. If you wanna do that, maybe use spoiler boxes?
My BIL and I both enjoy thrillers, and he turned me on to CB. I’m not going to say this guy is a timeless author or anything, but DAMN, am I finding his work enjoyable! So many other thriller authors’ work gets formulaic, but so far, I’ve read books about an alcoholic flight attendant in Dubai, an abused wife in 17th century Boston, a teen in NH after a nuclear meltdown, a NY suburban husband and an Armenian sex slave after a bachelor party goes wrong, and the intersection between biological warfare and a bike tour in Viet Nam.
What I really like is the way he has flawed - yet believable - characters making decisions and taking actions that I can accept. Nothing takes me out of a book more than a character that is not believable, or a character who takes action I don’t believe that character taking. Doesn’t happen in these books. Instead, he takes characters who might be strange, but whose minds work in ways I can accept human minds working. Or he takes really normal people - and tosses them into bizarre situations.
And he avoids the thriller formula of slam bang ending tying everything up over the last 20 pages. (Tho I’ve seen a couple of references to people no appreciating the endings in a couple of his books.)
I’m surprised at how many of his protagonists are female. Whaddya say, women? Does this guy write women believably?
Perhaps what I like best is that this guy is so darned prolific! Not sure how I missed him before, but I’ve got plenty of enjoyable reading ahead of me.
So - any other fans out there? Which of his books do you like best? Least?