Don't Look Twice

By: Andrew Gross

Narrated by: Christian Hoff

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

In this dramatic new novel following the best-selling The Dark Tide, a drive-by shooting rocks the posh suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, and an innocent bystander is left dead.

Detective Ty Hauck plunges into what seems like a vicious case of retribution and follows the trail to a sinister gambling scheme at an upstate casino. Until Annie Fletcher, a young restaurateur in the midst of rebuilding her life, witnesses something she shouldn't have....and immediately runs to him with what she knows. Suddenly, Hauck is pulled into a rising storm far greater than it first appeared, a storm wide enough to encompass corruption inside Greenwich's circle of wealthy and powerful citizens. And punishing enough to consume Hauck's own family, and tear brothers apart forever////if it doesn't kill them first.

Don't Look Twice is a gripping story of profiteering on an international scale and an emotionally resonant domestic thriller from one of the hottest new talents in suspense fiction.

©2009 Andrew Gross (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Great Book

I love Andrew Gross books and this one didn’t disappoint. The narrator was great, however, my one and only complain is that there was occasional skipping in The narration. At one point, about mid way through, the audio stopped and started over at chapter 1. It did it again towards the end, just skipped right to the ending.

Thoroughly enjoyed

If you could sum up Don't Look Twice in three words, what would they be?

Intrigue, family and suspense

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ty was my favorite. The all around good guy family, friend and cop.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was very good, loved the voice for the story,

Fluffy summer reading.

This kind of thing no doubt sells a lot of paperbacks in airports. It has all the obligatory components of a mainstream "thriller." Conspiracies going up through the highest sources, a senator getting rich off an Iraq contract, our hero who obviously is going to triumph over fantastic odds against him, the requisite but very thin love interest, and on and on. It does have an interesting plot angle involving a Native American casino, and another involving the deeply corrupt lawyer brother of our hero. The whole thing feels thrown together by a publishing house committee, designed to appeal to the widest possible audience of people who instantly forget what they have read, and thus are eager to buy the next product. Mr. Gross can write, and Mr. Huff can narrate, but everything about the book seems programmed to hit the NYT best sellers list ASAP, IMHO. There is absolutely no humor in the entire thing. The characters are one-dimensional. The suspense is artificial. Of course everyone is in on the corruption, even the FBI. One body after another falls to the ground, pandering to our bloodlust. The plot advances without involving the reader, without asking him or her to think or question. You might buy this book at Safeway. You'll forget everything about it next week.

Don't Spend Once

Okay, I am capable of suspending my disbelief and enjoy a mindless thriller. But this one is just so cliched it actually pains me to read any further. If you like a read wherein the hero leaves a wake of dead witnesses behind and he knows it but he just can't stop "because that's the kind of guy I am, I just keep coming - arghh" without regard to reason, then by all means buy this book.

If you get frustrated when the hero is stubborn and incapable of actually catching this completely stacked deck of bad guys because, yeah, well, they are that much smarter than everyone because that's the way they are written and maybe, just maybe, the readers would be better off if the bad guys caught up with our hero, killed him and put us all out of our misery by ending this story sooner rather than later, (taking a breath...) then don't waste your time or money on this book.

Spoiler alert: I'm 2 hours from the end and can't take it anymore. The author just killed off a fellow officer on the police force, some poor throw away character who was sitting at home minding his own business watching "24" with his son. He is sent to meet our hero at our hero's home. Throw away guy arrives there ahead of our hero, lets himself in and is standing inside at the front window when our hero pulls into the driveway. Hero phones throw away guy to let him know he's just arrived and is coming in. I guess this guy is even dumber than our hero and needs the heads up. If you can't guess what happens next you haven't been paying attention. I have, but apparently our hero hasn't, which is why he sent this poor schnook there in the first place. Yeah - a bomb goes off and blows the throw away character up because it was supposed to be our lucky but dumb hero. Shocker.

I'm done. Oh, I will fast forward to the end to see who is left standing but not because I care about our hero. I hope he dies. For my money back (and thankfully I got this on sale so it didn't cost too much), I'd pull the plug on him myself. I just want to see how the author manages to wrap up this fiasco.

Mind numbing and a bit rough

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

You will like this book if you don't want to think too hard and don't mind mysteries where the author keeps stacking the deck against the hero and somehow he wins.

What was most disappointing about Andrew Gross’s story?

The slightly graphic nature of the sex. I'm an adult male with plenty of years but I prefer stories where the author leaves the sex scenes soft. They don't advance the plot at all. Just detail for the author who thinks his story needs more punch.

Which scene was your favorite?

I did not have a favorite scene.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I found this book to be mildly entertaining and irritating at the same time.

Any additional comments?

Pick up Lee Childs or David Baldacci for a better read.

Too much like Patterson

What disappointed you about Don't Look Twice?

This was a formulae book that was enjoyable to listen to but contrived and predictable.

Did Christian Hoff do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Fun and easy to listen to!

Any additional comments?

I liked the first "Hawk" book better!

Filthy

Couldn't get past the first chapter. Too trashy for me. The sample didn't have anything that indicated that this would be so graphic. Wasted my money on this one.