Edge

A Novel

By: Jeffery Deaver

Narrated by: Skipp Sudduth

Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Behind the well-known U.S. security organizations - the FBI and CIA among them - lies a heavily guarded, anonymous government agency dedicated to intelligence surveillance and to a highly specialized brand of citizen protection.

Shock waves of alarm ripple through the clandestine agency when Washington, D.C., police detective Ryan Kessler inexplicably becomes the target of Henry Loving, a seasoned, ruthless “lifter” hired to obtain information using whatever means necessary. While Loving is deft at torture, his expertise lies in getting an “edge” on his victim—leverage—usually by kidnapping or threatening family until the “primary” caves under pressure.

The job of keeping the Kessler family alive falls to a man named Corte, a senior federal protection officer known as a “shepherd.” Uncompromising, relentlessly devoted to protecting those in his care and a passionate board game aficionado, he applies brilliant gaming strategy to his work. For Corte, the reappearance of Loving—the man who, six years earlier, had tortured and killed someone close to him—is also an opportunity to avenge his friend’s death. The assignment soon escalates into a fast-paced duel between Corte and Loving, a dangerous volley of wits and calculated risks.

As he shepherds the Kesslers to a concealed safe house, Corte must anticipate Loving’s every step as the lifter moves in on his prey, and with the help of razor-sharp investigator Claire DuBois and his longtime ally, FBI agent Paul Fredericks, pinpoint which of Kessler’s seemingly insignificant cases has triggered Loving’s return. As the team digs deeper, each of the Kesslers comes under close scrutiny, and in captivity their family bonds are stretched to the breaking point—as the lifter draws near, Corte must ultimately choose between protecting his charges and exposing them to a killer in the name of long-awaited revenge.

©2010 Jeffrey Deaver (P)2010 Simon and Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"Deaver unveils some nifty new tricks in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.... Deaver’s first first-person narrator, Corte, is an exciting new weapon in the author’s arsenal of memorable characters." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Fans of Deaver’s fiendishly clever suspensers... won’t be surprised by the nonstop deceptions, reversals, shocks and surprises, but this time they’re even more varied than usual, and, given the characters’ backgrounds, a lot more plausible. The result is his most successful thriller in years." ( Kirkus)

Doesn't put you on "EDGE"

I'm a huge Deaver fan and have read or listened to every one of his books. This book was not what I have come to expect from a Deaver novel. The story was fine and the narrator didn't bother me as it has some reviewers. It's just that at times I thought I was listening to a David Baldacci book or maybe Vince Flynn, both authors I enjoy but not what I expect from a Deaver book. Deaver should leave the secret government operative theme to others and stick to the weird psycho killers and unique investigators who really put us on "edge" that we have come to love.

Exciting, fast paced and worth a credit!

I was a little wary about this one, especially after reading all the comments about the narrator. What a surprise! This was one of the most enjoyable books I've listened to in awhile. The narrator does a fine job. I had no trouble differentiating between characters, in fact it seemed to me that a story written in the first person voice SHOULD be read by a single narrator. And I rather enjoy Mr Deaver's detours from his regular characters!

Engrossing and enjoyable book

Reading the new James Bond novel Carte Blanch by Jefferey Deaver inspired me to read more of his books, Edge being the first of what I now believe will be many! The characters are well-defined, the plot contains many surprises, twists and turns, and the novel has a sort of epilogue that contains an unexpected emotional punch. The narrator of this audiobook has received some criticism for not making his voice characterizations distinct enough. This criticism is somewhat deserved, but I felt that the narrator corrects this and actually improves quite a bit over the course of the reading. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase more books read by him.

Poorness of narrator hasn't been overstated

This book might have gotten four stars if it weren't for the monotonous narration. The story was good, although I'm not sure I liked it as much as the ones involving Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme. I also prefer mystery/thrillers where the reader/listener can deduce some things from clues made known. Seems like every time a new twist was added in this story we found out after the fact that Corte was tipped off by information unearthed by his protege, Claire DuBois. I also thought the games references got old and I was waiting for Henry Loving to walk on water given his ability to be one step ahead of Corte most of the time. On the bright side, I liked the characters and thought they were well developed. It sure would have been nice to listen to this story narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris or Joe Mantegna. I won't listen to a Sudduth narration again.

Great Read!

I loved the story and loved the narrator. The story kept my interest....good twist and turns.

Edge

After reading some negative reviews regarding the narrator, I thought I should wait and check it out at the library. I am glad I went with my gut I bought the book. What a great story, maybe this is the start to a new series. I liked the narrator, I hope he continues to read Jeffery Deaver books.

I don't like rating a performance less than best

because I believe it is the director, not the performer who is "at fault" but this is the only way I know to put the reading to question. I liked what the director/performer seemed to be trying to get at, it was just...stiff at times.
very interesting character and great twists and turns in story.

Better narrator than expected

Bruce, Nebraska:

I had read early reviews criticizing the reader, I was pleasantly surprised. The reader represented the character, a reserved gamer, who outwardly shows little emotion. This is a terrific story and the reader helps you get into the character of "Cort".

What the heck is a "whepon?"

Great, classic, Deaver style side tale straying from his normal recurring characters. I often find these one offs to be some of his most exciting and engaging stories and I wasn't let down from that angle.

The presentation, on the other hand, was hard to stomach to say the least. Constant unemotional emphases not only left me lacking in commitment to the characters but actually hindered the entire experience of the story. Pet peeve of constantly over pronouncing his W's aside, I found myself having to imagine another, better reader enticing me into the imagined universe the way I was constantly craving to be.

Deaver maintains his Edge!

Edge is an engrossing book with well developed characters and a twisting and turning plot. I enjoyed this book very much.