Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Not his best, but not his worst, either! May 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you're in the mood to read something that will really seize you and transport you - move on to something else. Dead Time is good, but not great.
It's a bit difficult at first to sort out what is going on in italics and then bouncing back to real time - and, on top of that, we start another bounce back and forth between "His Ex" and "Her Ex" - his is Merideth and hers is Alan. So, gimmicks aside, there is a good story here - perhaps drawn out and convoluted at times. Those of us who have spent time with Alan Gregory understand his thoughts, fears, temptations, etc. - so we're okay to hang around while he gets everything into perspective.
Dead Time is not a relaxing read. I found myself always having to go through a mental checklist of "okay, she's the one that..." - and "Oh, she was the friend of.." before I could let the action and circumstances flow. There were several times that Alan had to remind himself who some of these characters were, so, thankfully, I was not the only one confused!
The story has a quick wrap-up - everything falls into place and the mystery is explained. But, in most mysteries, the author plants clues all along the way so that we can start to put two and two together. Then, when the "aha" happens, we can reflect and say, "Yup, that's the way it happened." Not the case here, so I felt I was being handed the answers whether I was ready for them or not. This was not the usual tying up of loose ends. This was handing me the rope with the knot in it. I wish I could explain how disappointing the feeling is.
Of course, Alan and Lauren are left with almost everything unresolved, which means that we will be treated to a great coming together in the next book. I always look forward to White's next book - he's written some real dillies that live in my memory. Unfortunatly, this one will not!
 Dead Time May 9, 2008
This was an excellent read. A great book. Probably the best Stephen White has written, and I have read all of his previous books.
Very, very good! April 28, 2008
As always, Stephen White is on his game with "Dead Time"! Excellent read! "Dead Time" kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book! Lots of suspense and fun twists. If you have enjoyed other Alan Gregory books, this will not disappoint.
My only nitpicky complaint, is the "His Ex", "Her Ex" term when switching narrators for the story. For some reason, that really annoyed me. Perhaps it seemed to trite or conventional for an author as creative as Stephen White.
Buy it, read it, enjoy it, and recommend to others!
 Dead Time April 18, 2008
This was a labored read for me, and I read a few dozen books a year. The ending was weak and the bulk of the novel repetitious. The author seemed almost afraid to move the story to the next event, and repetitious and not needed verbiage prevailed.
 Average Effort April 4, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
A follow-up to Dry Ice finds psychologist Alan Gregory struggling to adapt to a shaky marriage and new fatherhood, a situation that is complicated by his ex-wife's entreaty to help her find her pregnant surrogate. BT.
This was both an engaging and well written novel. Though not his best, it's still good. It's probably best if you've read previous Alan Gregory novels before this one because Alan's past is like a soap opera.
From inside: Confessions, I knew from years of listening to them in psycho-therapy, often come in bunches. The first is only the initial splash that springs from a siphon as the vacuum gets sealed. From then on, new admissions of guilt tend to keep cascading until the source vessel is empty.
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