Horror Book Reviews

Compare at: $24.95 (New)
Buy Now: $18.96 (New)

You Save: $5.99 (24%)

Add to Cart

Title: Painkiller: A Novel
Score:
Author: Will Staeger
Rating: Not available
Hits: 108

Review of Painkiller: A Novel

[ Back to Homepage | Back to Horror Book Reviews Index ]

HellHorror.com not responsible for reviews/comments and they may be removed at any time.

Comments for Painkiller: A Novel

• Posted on 2009-02-15
  Staeger Superb
  
  I find it hard to believe this author has only written two novels. He's as good a writer as I've ever read; and I am an inveterate reader. His research into the clandestine and military worlds was to me, amazing. If he writes another book, I will be first in line to buy it.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2007-02-15
  Intelligently Written, but a Little Slow
  
  I read a lot of thrillers, and I though PAINKILLER was a decent first effort. But for all the talk about how fast-paced this book is, I found it relatively slow going for much of the first half. This book takes a while to get started, and is filled with tons of description and exposition, and not as much dialogue as I would have liked. But I did enjoy Staeger's descriptions of life in the Virgin Islands, which were quite fascinating. Staeger is clearly an intelligent writer and has done a lot of research into world affairs.
  
  The plot of PAINKILLER is initially interesting, but kind of spins out of control as it goes along, becoming less and less believable. This book starts out as an intriguing murder mystery, then quickly devolves into a "save the world" story a la James Bond. In the end, I thought this story became kind of silly, and I thought many of the characters were borderline cartoonish.
  
  This novel is also filled with a dark humor that you're either going to like or not like, depending on your personal tastes. This is much more of a comic novel than the cover would lead you to believe. If you like the idea of an espionage thriller with a lot of silly humor, this may be the book for you.
  
  In short, this novel is okay, but I hope that Staeger's next effort is a lot more fast paced than what I found here. There are two books total in this series, but I'm not sure whether a third one is in the works or not.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2006-12-29
  5-Star Start, 3-Star Ending
  
  Will Staeger's debut novel sets off as if it's going to be one of those rare fast-paced intelligent thrillers with non-stereotypical characters in non-stereotypical situations. The first 300 pages of the book are dead-on target as the characters are introduced, situations set up, and motivations and histories established. The details and events up to this point were top-notch, and all the characters richly developed.
  
  Unfortunately, as the book finally found its way to the conclusion, Staeger's story didn't pick up the pace like a thriller should, and remained a richly-deep piece of work with stellar writing. I spent the last 75 pages skimming along to get to the action and resolution of the plot. Staeger is a good writer, but the book's pacing definitely lagged when it should have been getting quicker.
  
  Worth a read.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2006-08-01
  A Cross between Remington Steele & James Bond
  
  Mr Staeger has a talent in building a fast-paced, non-stop, slam-bang action thriller. But what makes this thriller worth-reading to the end is the inter-exchange chemistry between the two main protagonists: D. Cooper and Julie Laramie.
  
  While Cooper leads his daily life with "live slow, mon" attitude, Julie Laramie seems to have a stressful career life, eager to prove her ability. When the two meet, their exchanging dialogues have been hilariously painkiller. The best odd couple since Remington Steele & Laura Holt.
  
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2006-06-07
  A highly entertaining debut novel
  
  Mr. Staeger has given us a fast paced thriller with almost non stop action. It is an exceptionally good debut novel that is hard to put down. W. Cooper, an irascible, semi-retired CIA agent gets himself into a mess of international proportions and ends up working with Ms. Laramie, a suspended CIA analyst. The action is quick paced and exciting. The plot is a bit out there sometimes, but this is the stuff thrillers are made of. I hope to see this pair together in future novels. Highly recommended.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10