Fidelity

Super suspenseful and great characters. Read it over two days and loved it! My first Thomas Perry novels and will be reading more after this!

I have never missed (or been disappointed by) a book by Thomas Perry. His characters are complete and real; when he writes about a location, you know he's spent time breathing the local air; he does not insult the reader with too much information, and every one of his books is very hard to put down once you get into it. This is no exception. He is one of my 4 favorite authors.

I am an avid reader of Lee Child, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Harlan Cobin, Vince Flynn, and I have run out of titles to read. Stumbled on this book hoping it was that genre. Loved it. I felt as though i was rushing through the day to get back to the book. I see a few other readers say it is not his best book - well, then I can't wait to get a hold of the others. The writing is just spectacular. How he was able to create two malignant narcissist types, make them different, and make at least one of them sympathetic is knocked me out. You know those phrases like "weaves a compelling tale which you must follow?" It is true here. I have not met any of these characters anywhere else and I never knew what each would do next.

I have been a long time fan of Thomas Perry, and Fidelity continues in his unique style. He is a master of character, suspense and clever plot twists. Excellent story telling - I couldn't put it down.

Great read from Perry. This novel grabbed me from the beginning and wouldn't let go. I don't want to give anything away but there was one surprising twist after another. Highly recommended.

Thomas Perry's "Fidelity" deals with loyalty, not only between husbands and wives but also between business associates. This theme extends even to the relationship between a hit man and his wealthy client. When an unknown assailant guns down Phil Kramer, a California-based PI and the owner of Kramer Investigations, his widow, Emily, learns that her husband of twenty-two years had been hiding some important information from her. He had been raiding the firm's as well as his family's bank accounts. In addition, he would often leave the office for hours at a time without telling anyone where he was going or what he was doing. Had he been cheating on his wife? Could he have been working on a case so sensitive that he did not want to share the details with his employees? Even though the agency is practically bankrupt, a depressed and anxious Emily asks the staff to stay on and help her search the files for some clue as to who might have killed Phil. What Emily does not realize is that meddling in her late husband's affairs will make her a target for someone who prefers his secrets to remain hidden. Perry is one of the best in the business when it comes to crafting clear and unadorned prose. No words are wasted and the action never flags. He portrays each character's essential nature with deft strokes and his dialogue is smooth and realistic. For the most part, the author avoids clichés and tired formulas. His hit man, Jerry Hobart, isn't your typical killer for hire. He is self-serving and can be cruel, but he has a softer side and is not completely lacking in scruples. Even Phil, who dies on page two, is fleshed out as the novel progresses. Although he was flawed in many ways, Phil had a conscience, and he may have sacrificed his life trying to correct a terrible injustice. Emily is an intelligent, courageous, and sensitive woman who opens up what turns out to be a Pandora's Box; satisfying her curiosity will prove to be extremely costly. Perry's sole misstep is in his over-the-top depiction of the novel's arch villain. The bad guy is a bit too fiendish to be believed and his reckless behavior does not ring completely true. Still, "Fidelity" is a witty, complex, and suspenseful page-turner that will satisfy fans of this prolific and talented author.