Chaos Theory: A Novel

I generally don't care much for or about thrillers, but I knew this author from his short story work, so I gave it a try. And I have to say, it hooked me from beginning to end, keeping me awake for most of two nights. The book follows the conventions of the thriller genre, but what makes it (for me) are the characterizations. This is the story of a dozen or so real and believable people, undergoing real and believable turmoil... Read Full Review

(Originally submitted 02/10/00) What if 2 good and normal 17-year-old boys found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and saw something they weren't supposed to see, which actually wasn't what they thought they saw at all? This is what happens to Jason Rourke and Dennis Monroe in the beginning of this superbly plotted novel. From that point on, they become fugitives, suspects in a D.C. cop killing. They... Read Full Review

Gary Krist's second book is a compelling thriller about people in jeopardy who are forced to desperate means to fight their way out. It moves swiftly and forcefully, with plenty of hairpin turns. The ultimate message -- that the corruption that's been tolerated for years here in Washington has had a frightening real-life impact on our lives -- is delivered in a subtle, memorable way through the actions of the characters,... Read Full Review

I read Gary Krist's Chaos Theory in a single day. I picked it up after hearing a great review on NPR's Fresh Air, and it was even better than advertised. The suspense never lets up, and there are some really interesting, well drawn characters, but what really made it interesting for me was the picture it gave of Washington D.C, the city the locals know. I lived there in 1995-7 and the District really was on the verge... Read Full Review

If you read the first 5 pages of this book, you won't stop until the end. But Chaos Theory is more than a superb thriller. It is an engrossing look at Washington, DC (the town I live in) in the mid-1990s, amid rampant corruption and civic decay. And it is peopled by sharply drawn characters that drive home the real human stakes of good--and bad--government. Krist has an amazing ability to put himself inside the head of... Read Full Review