JEFFERY DEAVER
created the acclaimed blockbusters The Devil's Teardrop and The Coffin Dancer. Here he showcases his superb talent for "ticking-bomb suspense" (People) in this Edgar Award-nominated novel
SHALLOW GRAVES
Location scouting is to the film business what Switzerland is to war. John Pellam had been in the trenches of filmmaking, with a promising Hollywood career -- until a tragedy sidetracked him. Now he's a location scout, who travels the country in search of shooting sites for films. When he rides down Main Street, locals usually clamor for their chance at fifteen minutes of fame. But in a small town in upstate New York, Pellam experiences a very different reception -- his illusionary world is shattered by a savage murder, and Pellam is suddenly center stage in an unfolding drama of violence, lust, and conspiracy, which have a stranglehold on this less-than-picture-perfect locale.
The pretense of the book has possibilites but the dedicated Deaver fan will be left a little gloomy from the shallow plot of SHALLOW GRAVES. The roller coaster thrill ride that usually marks a good Deaver novel is nowhere to be found. The character development is almost non existant and the subjects remain....shallow. There is one sudden flip at the end of the book that gives you a glimpse of the master suspense writer that Deaver was destined to become.
Sadly the book is average. It wont bore you to tears but it doesnt keep you on the edge of your seat either. A worthwhile read for a true Deaver fan but others should stear clear.
