XO

A Kathryn Dance Novel

By: Jeffery Deaver

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Internationally best-selling author Jeffery Deaver delivers the latest sensational thriller in his wildly popular Kathryn Dance series. Newsweek calls Jeffery Deaver a "suspense superstar", and in his new novel, he lives up to the accolades once again as he sets his heroine Kathryn Dance on a quest to stop an obsessive stalker from destroying a beautiful young country singer.

Kayleigh Towne is gorgeous with a voice that is taking her to the heights of the country pop charts. Her hit single "Your Shadow" puts her happily in the spotlight, until an innocent exchange with one of her fans leads Kayleigh into a dark and terrifying realm. The fan warns, "I'm coming for you," and soon accidents happen and people close to Kayleigh die. Special Agent Kathryn Dance must use her considerable skills at investigation and body language analysis to stop the stalker - but before long she learns that, like many celebrities, Kayleigh has more than just one fan with a mission.

A former folksinger, Deaver has written the actual song "Your Shadow." Listeners will be able to download it from his website, JefferyDeaver.com.

©2012 Jeffery Deaver (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Disappointing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book is far too long and, at many points, felt contrived. There were too many characters and sub-plots for any one of them to be satisfying.

Has XO turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

What about Marin Ireland’s performance did you like?

It felt like a performance, rather than a 'reading' and I enjoy this type of 'read'.

Was XO worth the listening time?

No. I almost gave up but I did enjoy the performance.

Any additional comments?

I will always read anything by Mr. Deaver. Not every book can be a 'stunning read': Mr. Deaver has set the bar very high for himself and I'm a fan who believes that sometime in the near future, he will write another book that takes my breath away.

Excellent!

I love the way Jeffery Deaver intermingled music in throughout this book. It was an important part of the story line. Anyone who has had a song or music speak to their life will enjoy this Dance novel.

Not as good as the Lincoln Rhyme stories

I am a hard core Lincoln Rhyme fan. We meet the Dance character in the Rhyme series. I thought she was an engaging character with an interesting talent. The character comes across very flat and uninteresting. I bought the first three books in her series. I hope the next two are better. The story is well written, the plot is good. I just found the main character boring.

not his style

I was hoping for a book similar to the Lincoln Rhyme series but it seems like it was written by someone else. I enjoyed the book in spite but just not up to the same standard. Of course I m not an author so who am I to judge. I'm just a fan.

Excellent!

What did you love best about XO?

The story was fast paced and had several twists and turns.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think my favorite was the reader.

What about Marin Ireland’s performance did you like?

She was great, making one get right into the character's heads.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the end, so I won't say what it was.

Any additional comments?

At first I thought the heroine was a bit too sweet, but that was just the way she needed to be. I loved the story because it kept me wanting to hear more.

OK, but not great!

I always enjoy Jeffery Deaver’s books and this one was no exception. It was definitely not one of his best books, but was a good read. The book continued with unexpected twists and turns throughout it until the very end. I thought it was going to end long before it did, but Deaver would then twist the plot and add another turn to the story. It did keep my attention, but I felt it was a little under par with his previous books.

Too many plot twists.

Good premise but story was way too long. There were so many plot twists. Sometimes more isn’t better; it’s just more.

Deaver has done much better

What did you like best about XO? What did you like least?

There was some good suspense in the book. But I thought there were too many plot twists. I kept thinking, really, again? I'm willing to suspend reality, but this bordered on the absurd. I felt like at least one of the plot twists was so that the author could express political views. We're bombarded enough with political views and I don't find it entertaining.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

One or two less plot twists. Also, having read Deaver books, the lists of forensic details come across well in print, but tend to really drag on in audiobook. Perhaps find a way not to read the lists multiple times and still remain true to the unabridged story.

Would you be willing to try another one of Marin Ireland’s performances?

I wasn't a fan. No.

Was XO worth the listening time?

I'll give this an unenthusiastic, I guess.

Fun with a Blonde!

Deaver delivers.

Dance is growing on me, even with my long ove affair with Lincoln, and I'm enjoying the different ways of looking at crime solving (as opposed to the strict evidence gathering in NY)

Quirky at times, a bit of humor and unusual twists. If it hadn't been for the time left in the recording, I would have thought it was over an hour before it actually ended.

I'm enjoying Marin Ireland as the official voice of this series. I hope that she stays in the group.

A Good Read/Listen

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. In one scene Kathryn is approaching an accident. A car is on fire and she is looking for a friend. Now even if you are looking for a particular person, if you approaching a car which is on fire and you take the time to leave a voice mail; yea, she is in a 911 situation and she leaves a voicemail, why don't you call 911? If you tell your friend's husband that his wife could be in trouble... why don't you tell him to call 911.
I was screamg at Kathryn to get real.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. From the begining you know that it is a stalker fan. As you read/listen you are just waiting to see the mistake the fan makes. What you thought was a fan with muderous issues becomes a political adgenda and jealousy. It was only because there was still a lot of time left that I knew that there was more to come.

Which character ??? as performed by Marin Ireland ??? was your favorite?

Kayleigh Towne

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, especially if they keep the plot twist.

Any additional comments?

This is the 3rd book in a series. Of course I then wanted to buy the other books. I was surprise that I owned the second book. I still purchase book one and will revist the second one.

You have heard a term used in poker called a "tell" when Kathryn Dance say her "A to B to Z" take notice, she has just found a clue.