The Architect

By: Keith Ablow

Narrated by: Denis O'Hare

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

West Crosse is a stunningly brilliant, strikingly handsome architect with a love of ideal beauty and a commitment to achieving it at any cost. But the rich, powerful families who engage him to design their homes don't know his dark side: Crosse can't stop at designing their dwellings. He needs to make their lives more perfect too, even if it means a gut rehab of the family, even if the final design takes years to achieve: murdering an abusive spouse, a toxic lover, a predatory business partner, or an unwanted child. As Crosse is about to embark on the master work of his creative life, the FBI puts Frank Clevenger on the case, and the ultimate cat and mouse game begins.

©2005 Keith Ablow (P)2005 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic Reviews

"Keith Ablow's The Architect is original, well written, and very suspenseful. West Crosse is a complex, unforgettable bad guy." (James Patterson)

The Architect

I found myself not being able to turn off the IPOD with this one! Keith Ablow has a wonderful way of telling a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. The Architect takes us into a world of wealth and power through the mind of a psychopath. The main character Wes Cross is not happy with anything less than perfect. In his irradication of individuals that seem to be causing their families, his clients, pain he thinks he is making lives better. The best part is with the ending of the book you are left wondering if he is solely the responsible party or if the families themselves played a part in the psychological demise of their troubled family members. As always a wonderful book from a wonderful author.

Great!

I loved ths book - it IS a bit gruesome in places but oh so chilling! The narrator is terrific!

Fantastic Narration, Well-Crafted Characters

Any additional comments?

This tale had one of the most fascinating antagonists I've come across in recent years. I would read a prelude or sequel based on that character's development alone.

Good but too much psychoanalysis

I enjoyed the story and all that is connected to archotecture (personally I like Frank Gehry's buildings...). I even googled some constructions (like in the Millenium Park).
The idea of a crazy architect that creates perfect buildings for perfect families and what a pity if a family isn't perfect...- is very catchy.
However, all these psychological father-son and Frank-Whitney problems are a bit too much. Cannot help thinking that less self pity and self analysis would do a lot
of good there...The reading is a little too dramatic.