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Title: Mortal Faults
ISBN: 0451412044
Author:
Michael Prescott
Publicate Date: 2006-01-03
Publish: 2006-01-03
List Price: $7.99
Average Customer Rating: 3.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.95
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
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1: Engrossing Read But Weak Characters
I've been a Prescott fan for years now and have read every book. His first few featuring these characters were incredible. This book was attention-grabbing as well, and pulled you through the story quickly but his characters tend to be one-dimensional. The heroines lack any flaws and the antagonist is truly evil, almost over the top. When Abby is suspected of murder in this story, I thought to myself...finally! She's not so perfect; she has a flaw. Imagine my disappointment in the end when it turns out that the true killer was found...and it wasn't Abby. Of course. How could perfect Abby have a flaw? I wish Prescott would let his character have both strengths and weaknesses.
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2: Pretty good, and I think I will read more by him, but...
The story was pretty entertaining but pretty hard to believe. The whole thing seemed pretty incredible and the real mystery behind it all was easy to see coming early in the book. My main complaint with this work was the flip heroine, Abby. Everything seemed to be a joke to her and a chance to make a wisecrack. She also was Supergirl. I almost expected bullets to bounce off her. The villian was vile and despicable. Abby was hard to believe might actually exist in reality. The FBI agent, Tess was some what more believable but still seemed to willing to risk her career on a whim. As in many novels, the investigators who were not the main characters were not only incompetent but down right hinderances to the real investigation. I think I will read more by this author, and I see that he has more books featuring these same two characters, Abby and Tess. I would not hesitate to give them another chance. This was kind of a fun read and it moved right along. I say, suspend reality, enjoy the book and don't think too much about the implausabilities. If you can do that, you will enjoy 'Mortal Faults'. If you can't do this and are looking for great literature, well, move on. This is not one that challenges you to think a lot. More like an episode of the "A=Team" as opposed to maybe "Law and Order." I liked both shows by the way but for different reasons.
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3: Crummy Book
This is one of those thrillers where everything happens within a one-day period and the characters zip from shootout to beating to concocting some bizarre, byzantine plan to trap the bad guy, etc., without sleep, without pain, without second thoughts. To me, this is the sign of a lazy novelist. Masters of the genre such as Connelley, Lescroart, Burke, etc., work very hard at creating credible characters and credible plots and don't rely on cheap tricks or gimmicks. This book is predictible from page one, the characters are one-dimensional, the plot is ludicrous and this is my first and last Michael Prescott book.
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4: Overly embellished professional vigilantism
Michael Prescott's "Mortal Faults" is an over the top tale surrounding the exploits of main character Abby Sinclair. Sinclair considers herself to be a personal security consultant. Using a combination of a psychology degree, martial arts training and street smarts she gets hired to stalk stalkers and get them to cease and desist their aberrant behavior.
Abby was hired by California congressman Jack Reynolds, a middle aged ex-quarterback type who was in the midst of campaigning for re-election. Reynolds had been stalked by a woman he claimed was a disgruntled ex-employee. Little did Abby know that the congressman's fabricated facade covered the fact that he was a manipulative, sadistic, misogynist who had made some perculiar friends when he was D.A. for Santa Ana county.
The woman Abby was assigned to stalk was named Andrea Lowry and was already under surveillance by the FBI. Agent Tess McCallum who had against regulations partnered with Abby, a civilian, in an investigation of a serial murder case was involved in the case. Lowry had changed her name to hide that notoriety that followed her as being the main player in a double homicide, 20 years ago known by the FBI as the MEDEA case. The case had negative ramifications for Congressman Reynolds.
To protect himself, Reynolds mobilized a local biker club, The Scorpions, whom he had used many times to violently cleans up his messes, to kill Andrea Lowry. Abby caught in the crossfire and after learning the truth allied with Lowry to once and for all take down the congressman, without incurring the wrath of Agent McCallum.
What hurts this novel is its total lack of plausibility. Prescott tends to overexaggerate the nuances of his characters. For example he overdoes it when painting Reynolds as the most despicable villian to walk the face of the earth. He also adorns Abby Sinclair with superhuman acumen in her ventures, painting only Agent McCallum as a normal and believable person.
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5: Good way to spend the weekend
I first stumbled across Mr. Prescott at my library when I was looking for a good mystery to read. My first book by him was The Last Victim. Since reading that novel, I've read his other books. Mortal Faults did not disappoint. It was fast-paced full of twists and turns. The bottom line is do you trust your friends? Caution: never turn your back on your enemies. Read it and be prepared to give up your day to finish it.
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