SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
Helpful Score: 8
This book was so much fun to read! I couldn't put it down, it was like a great roller coaster ride-a laugh-out-loud adrenaline rush! I like Linwood Barclay's thrillers that I have read very much, but this was so different from those and I was very pleasantly surprised! It reminded me of my favorite Hitchcock movie "North By Northwest" just because he (Zack Walker) was his own worst enemy and just kept digging a deeper hole than I could possibly imagine he could get out of. The plot kept thickening so much it amazed me and it wrapped up nicely. This book is now on my Top 10 of all time (and I have read alot of books). I will definitely be reading the rest of the Zack Walker books. I highly recommend this book!
Helpful Score: 2
This was a great read... humorous, with a clever plot and a creative cast of characters. I really enjoyed this book!
Helpful Score: 2
Zack decides to move his family from the big "un-named" city when he decides to move to the "safe" the boring suburbs. He is a little OCD when it comes to his family's safety--leaving keys in front doors, leaving cars unlocked, and he is alway after his wife for leaving her purse unattended. He has an interesting assortment of neighbors, who are not who or what they appear to be.
Then he decides to teach his wife a lesson about leaving her purse unattended in the grocery cart. Well, his lesson backfires bigtime.
Lots of humor in Barclays debut book in this series.
Cute story.
Then he decides to teach his wife a lesson about leaving her purse unattended in the grocery cart. Well, his lesson backfires bigtime.
Lots of humor in Barclays debut book in this series.
Cute story.
Helpful Score: 2
Wow!! What a FANTASTIC book! I loved it! This is definitely the best book of Barclay's that I have read so far (and this is the start of a four-book series, which is very exciting!). The plot held many unpredictable twists and turns; the characters were not only fully-fleshed out, they were likable and unique. And best (if not most surprising) of all, the book was HILARIOUS! I can't remember the last time a novel had me laughing out loud so much! It was such a fun read! I absolutely adored it!
Helpful Score: 2
This is a new author for me, and I loved this book. Mystery, suspense, funny! I have all of the rest of his books on my wish list! This is his first book, and I can't wait to read the next one.
I highly recommend it.
I highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 2
Over-protective dad, Zack Walker, decides that city living is too dangerous for his family so he decides to move to the peaceful suburbs. The tranquillity doesn't last long as Zack stumbles upon a dead body and then things really start to get interesting.
This was a great read and had some laugh out loud moments. I really look forward to his next one. Highly recommend!
This was a great read and had some laugh out loud moments. I really look forward to his next one. Highly recommend!
What a great read. I laughed out loud over and over again.
An interesting book, not at all what I was expecting. I think I liked it, and it was definitely different, but it took awhile to get into the flow.
I liked the pace of this story -- kept me guessing all the way through. A real page-turner.
Zack Walker is paranoid about his familys safety. He moves from a nice place in the city to a shoddy tract house in the suburbs to avoid crime. He nags incessantly about his kids leaving their backpacks on the stairs - someone could fall and break their neck. He's not above trying to teach people lessons, like moving his wife's car so she'll think its stolen after she left the keys hanging in the front door. And he knows he's a jerk, but he can't stop himself. Unfortunately, one of these little tricks leads to a problem that spirals way out of control, landing him with a dead body, counterfeit cash, and some really incriminating film. This is a really funny book. Zack's paranoia coupled with his obliviousness in other areas is great, I could identify with the whole developer plot, and while it was almost slapstick it was also almost believable. The only problem for me came in the very last pages when Zach does something totally avoidable. Nonetheless, a really good book.
How good is Bad Move? I took it out to the pool and didn't stop reading-- and laughing-- until I'd finished it. Zack Walker may be a self-professed jerk, but he's an endearing one. All he wants to do is keep his family safe. He thinks the exact same things I think-- when I see a woman walk off leaving her open purse in her shopping cart at the grocery store for example-- but he has the bravery (or perhaps stupidity) to follow through on those thoughts. Naturally every well-intentioned thing he does gets him in so much hot water he may as well rent space in the local hospital's burn unit.
Every character in the cast is a gem-- from his long-suffering (and loving) wife and kids to Housecoat Woman who constantly hoses down her driveway. Part of the charm of this book is watching Zack learn that the location of his new home is every bit as strange as the city-- even if you can't get good Chinese takeout in the burbs.
Sometimes a book is ruined when you read it and know what's going to happen every time. Although I did know what was going to happen in many instances, what kept me thoroughly engaged was seeing how Zack would react to each situation. Second guessing him wasn't always a sure thing.
If you're in the mood for something light and hilarious, by all means get your hands on a copy of Bad Move. I've already ordered Bad Guys, the second book in this series because I've fallen head over heels for Zack the lovable jerk.
Every character in the cast is a gem-- from his long-suffering (and loving) wife and kids to Housecoat Woman who constantly hoses down her driveway. Part of the charm of this book is watching Zack learn that the location of his new home is every bit as strange as the city-- even if you can't get good Chinese takeout in the burbs.
Sometimes a book is ruined when you read it and know what's going to happen every time. Although I did know what was going to happen in many instances, what kept me thoroughly engaged was seeing how Zack would react to each situation. Second guessing him wasn't always a sure thing.
If you're in the mood for something light and hilarious, by all means get your hands on a copy of Bad Move. I've already ordered Bad Guys, the second book in this series because I've fallen head over heels for Zack the lovable jerk.
I started this book and thought oh hum another just OK story but as I read it kept getting funnier and the characters more interesting and I started to really like the story. The lead character gets into those same kind of goofy places we all find ourselves once in a while when we try to hard to interfere in other peoples lives. Good story just have patience.
I liked other books by Linwood Barclay more than I liked this one. Slow start, good ending.
Was unsure if I would like this book as I started out reading Linwood Barclay's murder/mystery thrillers first.....which he wrote AFTER this Zack Walker series......but to my surprise I really did enjoy how funny ZACK (the father in this book) was .... yes it has murders in the book so it really was the best of both worlds......laughter & suspense too !
Parts of this suburban thriller are laugh out loud funny! The main character is a hapless scifi writer who tries to keep his family safe but ends up making them all very unsafe.
n the too-quiet town of Oakwood, only the lucky die of boredomand new homeowner Zack Walker isnt feeling lucky.
Zack wouldnt blame you for thinking hes safety-obsessed. True, he masterminded a plot to trade his familys exciting city lifestyle for one of suburban tranquility
When Zack realizes their two-faced developer sent a petty thief to fix their leaky shower, he starts fighting hard to ignore the fact that Oakwood isnt the crime-free paradise he was hoping for. But his brief state of denial comes to an abrupt end when, during a walk by the creek, he stumbles across a dead body. Even more shocking, Zack actually knows who the victim isand who might want him dead.
Zack decides theres only one thing he can do. To protect his familyand avoid being busted for a crime he didnt commithes going to have to override his safety-first instincts, tap into his delusions of machismo, and track down the killer himself.
Zack wouldnt blame you for thinking hes safety-obsessed. True, he masterminded a plot to trade his familys exciting city lifestyle for one of suburban tranquility
When Zack realizes their two-faced developer sent a petty thief to fix their leaky shower, he starts fighting hard to ignore the fact that Oakwood isnt the crime-free paradise he was hoping for. But his brief state of denial comes to an abrupt end when, during a walk by the creek, he stumbles across a dead body. Even more shocking, Zack actually knows who the victim isand who might want him dead.
Zack decides theres only one thing he can do. To protect his familyand avoid being busted for a crime he didnt commithes going to have to override his safety-first instincts, tap into his delusions of machismo, and track down the killer himself.
This was a new author for me and I have found a winner. This was on my wish list for a while then decided to try the library.
An absolute kick!! I will be reading more of his.
Easy read, funny, great plot, well presented. Perfect!
An absolute kick!! I will be reading more of his.
Easy read, funny, great plot, well presented. Perfect!
