Helpful Score: 11
This is one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read. It grabbed me from the first paragraph and didn't let go. The story revolves around a 14 year old girl who wakes up one day to find her mother, father and older brother gone. No note was left, no sign of a struggle, no blood, nothing indicating what happened to them. The story fast forwards 25 years where the girl is now a married woman with a daughter. She's still trying to find out what happened to her family all those many years ago. This is one book that I will read again and again. The writing is fantastic!
Helpful Score: 6
I had never read him before, this book is awesome! It's suspenseful and I couldn't put it down and I'm sorry but I can't repost it! I keep loaning it to all my friends! It's a great read and I'll be looking for more by him!
Helpful Score: 5
I picked this one up because the description reminded me of Harlan Coben's books, but was disappointed. The first half of the book, in which Barclay set up his story, is more description than action. I found it pretty boring. No great writing here either. So many readers have commented on the mounting suspense in this book. I found none of that. I felt none of the shock or sense of dread that I usually get when I read a mystery/thriller. Two thirds into the book, I didn't care what actually happened to Cynthia's family. Forgettable and not recommended.
Helpful Score: 5
I loved this book-Great read.
Helpful Score: 4
Terry Archer is a high school English teacher enjoying his life with his wide Cynthia and their daughter Grace. Cynthia has a troubled past however which occasionally puts a strain on their marriage: when she was a teenager, her whole family (parents and brother) vanished one night, leaving Cynthia not knowing if they are dead or alive. In an effort to find answers, Cynthia and Terry decide to appear on an unsolved mysteries segment of a Dateline-like television program. As clues come in which could unravel the mystery of Cynthia's past, her marriage starts unraveling as well.
No Time for Goodbye is a fast-paced thriller that will appeal to fans of Harlen Coben: the plot takes some twists and turns and has a surprise ending, but there is not as much violence as in some of the Coben standalones. My only criticism is that the characters were not particularly well developed until the latter part of the book - this story is mostly plot and dialogue driven. That gripe is a minor one, as the pacing of this book makes it perfect for a plane ride or morning train commute.
No Time for Goodbye is a fast-paced thriller that will appeal to fans of Harlen Coben: the plot takes some twists and turns and has a surprise ending, but there is not as much violence as in some of the Coben standalones. My only criticism is that the characters were not particularly well developed until the latter part of the book - this story is mostly plot and dialogue driven. That gripe is a minor one, as the pacing of this book makes it perfect for a plane ride or morning train commute.
Helpful Score: 3
Fantastic. I couldn't put it down.
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this book. If you like a book with lots of surprises, you will enjoy this book. I plan on going back and reading some earlier books by this author. It was a library book, so I can't help those who are wish listing this book. This book is worth the wait.
Helpful Score: 3
....EEEEEE! This is a book that you read and think........"this could really happen...to me!" Great book, lots of surprises! MMMM!
Helpful Score: 3
This was an enjoyable read. I don't understand why readers are saying how suspenseful it was. I figured out the story line early on and because it was so obvious, I thought I might be in for a big surprise at the end. I was not. It was a quick read though
Helpful Score: 2
Great book! A real page turner that keeps you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book to those who love a great mystery that's off the beaten path.
Helpful Score: 2
This story had an intriguing plot once the story got moving, however I think it probably could have been shortened by 100-200 pages - it just lagged a bit in some areas. But if you are able to plow through those parts, you'll enjoy this one. It reminded me a lot of Harlan Coben's books. I picked this one up on a whim after reading the back at the book store - overall, it was worth it.
Helpful Score: 2
This book kept me guessing to the end. Well written - good story. Even when I thought it was done - it gave more details - great!
Helpful Score: 2
This book is so good that I'm already looking for others by Barclay. It is suspenseful, it leads the reader to several conclusions during the reading of the book, and when the book is over, there is one more surprise to be had. When the last page is read, the reader will cry-for-happy, as one long-ago movie was titled. A wonderful, excellent read.
Helpful Score: 2
Typical of Barclay's books - excellent, exciting, great characters and plot. I really enjoyed the family dynamics. Very human reaction to a tragedy 25-years-old that is seemingly impossible to solve and that has impacted on every relationship within the Archer family. Little clues appear throughout the story enabling the reader to work out what is going on in an effort to solve two murders, then three, then four. Where will it end? You won't know until the last chapter. Great book.
Helpful Score: 2
Great thrilling book. The kind that is hard to put down, and you wake up in the middle of the night to keep on reading!!
Helpful Score: 1
No Time for Goodbye had me on the edge of my seat with each page I read. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I looked forward to each new detail of the unfolding story.
Helpful Score: 1
Outlandish, farfetched, totally unrealistic. That said, I stayed up for hours at night to finish it. Couldn't wait to find out what happened but ultimately unsatisfying.
Helpful Score: 1
One of the best suspense thrillers that I've read in awhile. Fourteen year old Cynthia wakes up. Her house is empty. Her family has disappeasred without a trace. There's "No Time For Goodbye".
Helpful Score: 1
By no means a "great read", but it was a fairly decent book. I thought the pace was uneven at times. I would read another book by this author, whose style does resemble Harlan Coben.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a great suspense,murder mystery! I had a hard time putting down! I am off to read more of his!
Helpful Score: 1
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. Quick paced, easy to read and keeps you guessing the whole time. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Helpful Score: 1
Very interesting plot line. Just a little too slow with the action, but it all comes together at the end.
Helpful Score: 1
I couldn't put this book down. Well written mystery by Linwood Barclay. The story line was well developed and the characters brought into play at the appropriate times. I especially liked the sections where we hear the voices of the people who are trying to hurt the main female character. They are off stage so to speak, but they bring menace into the story.
Helpful Score: 1
I came late to the Linwood Barclay party, but I'm enjoying catching up. I enjoyed the "voice," the story, and the pacing of No Time for Goodbye, although I did have a problem or two with the book over all.
This plot is very carefully constructed. Seemingly unimportant objects mentioned casually are mentioned for a reason, and the same holds true for characters. Speaking of characters, my favorite was young Jane Scavullo, a troubled teen with so much potential. I don't know if she shows up in another Barclay novel, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing her again.
Now for the two things that rubbed me the wrong way. Quite frankly, I found main character Cynthia Bigge to be a royal pain in the neck. Everything is about her. No one can voice an opinion if it might be "against" her, and she's in real danger of smothering her young daughter. Yes, it's realistic behavior for someone whose family vanished without explanation, but that doesn't mean I have to like her.
The other thing that bothered me was the explanation for what actually happened to Cynthia's parents and brother, so I can't say much about it without giving it away. I'll just say that Barclay's solution was a bit over-the-top for me, and I had trouble suspending my disbelief enough to accept it all.
But Linwood Barclay can write like a house afire. I love his plots, I love his voice, and just because I didn't like one of his characters doesn't mean I'm going to stop reading his books!
This plot is very carefully constructed. Seemingly unimportant objects mentioned casually are mentioned for a reason, and the same holds true for characters. Speaking of characters, my favorite was young Jane Scavullo, a troubled teen with so much potential. I don't know if she shows up in another Barclay novel, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing her again.
Now for the two things that rubbed me the wrong way. Quite frankly, I found main character Cynthia Bigge to be a royal pain in the neck. Everything is about her. No one can voice an opinion if it might be "against" her, and she's in real danger of smothering her young daughter. Yes, it's realistic behavior for someone whose family vanished without explanation, but that doesn't mean I have to like her.
The other thing that bothered me was the explanation for what actually happened to Cynthia's parents and brother, so I can't say much about it without giving it away. I'll just say that Barclay's solution was a bit over-the-top for me, and I had trouble suspending my disbelief enough to accept it all.
But Linwood Barclay can write like a house afire. I love his plots, I love his voice, and just because I didn't like one of his characters doesn't mean I'm going to stop reading his books!
Helpful Score: 1
Picked this book on a whim due to a blurb I saw. Loved it, I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong! Will be looking for more by this author.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was really good. It has a great storyline and wonderful suspense all the way to the end. I had never read any books by this author but was not disappointed. Wonderful read you won't be able to put down.
Helpful Score: 1
Cynthia Bigge was 14-years-old when the morning after a terrible fight with her parents she woke up and her family was gone and never returned. With no evidence of a crime happened or not Cynthia is left to grow up at her aunt Tessa's house.
25 years later Cynthia's husband has his doubts in the TV show Cynthia decided to do. He is not sure it will really help Cynthia in her quest to find her family and believes it might just worsen the situation. And worsen it did.
It begins with cars Cynthia notices but hasn't she always had some car that looked suspicious to her ? A phone call she received but accidentally deleted from the phones history, the sudden appearance of her fathers old hat on the kitchen table when only she was the one who was in the house.
Terry begins to wonder if his wife might have lost it and probably suppressed the happenings from that night 25 years ago.
But when bodies turn up dead he knows for sure his wife didn't do anything of this.
Someone has come back to get to Cynthia, to finish what was forgotten 25 years ago.
-
No Time for Goodbye kept me reading. Narrated by the very likeable character of Terry it twists and turns and leaves you guessing what really happened just to be surprised in the end because you just didn't think of it being so easy but then, maybe it isn't easy at all.
The reader will suspect people that might know something, or even might have been involved but you just get snippets and hunches you can't really place.
Attention grabbing until the end.
25 years later Cynthia's husband has his doubts in the TV show Cynthia decided to do. He is not sure it will really help Cynthia in her quest to find her family and believes it might just worsen the situation. And worsen it did.
It begins with cars Cynthia notices but hasn't she always had some car that looked suspicious to her ? A phone call she received but accidentally deleted from the phones history, the sudden appearance of her fathers old hat on the kitchen table when only she was the one who was in the house.
Terry begins to wonder if his wife might have lost it and probably suppressed the happenings from that night 25 years ago.
But when bodies turn up dead he knows for sure his wife didn't do anything of this.
Someone has come back to get to Cynthia, to finish what was forgotten 25 years ago.
-
No Time for Goodbye kept me reading. Narrated by the very likeable character of Terry it twists and turns and leaves you guessing what really happened just to be surprised in the end because you just didn't think of it being so easy but then, maybe it isn't easy at all.
The reader will suspect people that might know something, or even might have been involved but you just get snippets and hunches you can't really place.
Attention grabbing until the end.
Quick read, but rather boring, at least to someone who is used to Harlan Coben's frenetic pace. The characters didn't sound authentic to me, and nothing seemed to be a surprise as we went along.
Linwood Barclay's stand alone novels are to die for. This book is highly entertaining. A must-read!
good fast read, unexpected twists.
Another excellent thriller from Linwood Barclay! A bit confusing at times, but if you just go with it, it all becomes clear.
This one's a gem!
This one's a gem!
Great read - a real page-turner!!!
This is a new author for me. I will definitely read others. Great story line.
This is a great book about a teenager who wakes up one morning to find that her whole family is missing. It is a little slow at the start but really picks up and has a great ending. Definitely worth reading.
I considered putting this book down for the first few chapters, then it got interesting. The end was predictable but interesting. A good, light mystery
This is one of Barclay's best. Tons of twists and surprises.
This is an excellent read. Suspense builds throughout the book and you suspect everyone but the bad guy. No hint until late in the book about what was going on which made it even more suspensful and surprising at the end. Highly recommend this author.
Started off with the night in question...but then it got alittle slow. Keep reading. It gets better!! Great book. Loved the characters. Felt like I really knew them.
Well, I must say that I was a little disappointed after finishing this book. I read Barclay's two most recent novels and I was fully prepared to be blown away by this _Home Alone_-like premise and Barclay's signature wit and humour. And while the premise was excellent, its execution was more predictable that I had imagined. It was, in a word, disappointing. His other books had much stronger P.O.V.s and plots. This one really reminded me of a violent book version of the comedy _Eulogy_. I already purchased his Zack Walker series and I sincerely hope that they are more impressive than this one. It is so rare to go backwards in a writer's career and be so disappointed...
This is the first book I've read by Barclay. It was a quick read and it did keep my interest, but I had figured out the main heart of the plot early on. There were some twists, but I had my suspicions about those as well. Overall though the premise is interesting and it kept me entertained enough to want to keep reading to see if I was right! I'll give the author another shot, but if the next book is as transparent I will probably pass the next go round. To compare this author to Harlan Coben, based on this novel, is no where near the mark in my opinion.
Excellent mystery -- the writing is really well paced. The characters truly come to life and you're right in there with them, hoping for a resolution to their problems. Good twists leave you guessing for the outcome, and when it arrives it doesn't feel rushed at all, like some books do.
Very good, will written. Couldn't put it down. A mystery until the very end. Best book I've read in along time.
I enjoyed the book!
Trying to imagine how it would feel at the age of 14 to wake up one morning to find your family gone without a trace is really where the reader needs to go to start to get into this book. Its no wonder that, as an adult now, Cynthia Bigge has some serious issues. The question now is what shes experiencingthe anonymous phone calls, seeing her believed-to-be-dead brotheris she just being paranoid or is it real? Has she finally gone off the deep end? But hiring a private investigator to the detriment of the mortgage and/or marriage? Why in the world is her husband putting up with her nonsense claims? These are questions the reader finds themselves asking while reading this book. But it doesnt take long to realize that someone has come back from 25 years ago to finish what was once started. Plenty of surprises and twists in this novel to keep the reader interested and not wanting to put the book down. I enjoyed reading this on vacation.
Suspenseful. I couldn't put it down!
Liked the book very much, a lot of twists and turns, kept me reading, and not wanting to put it down. Makes me want to read more
This is a really good read! Hard to put down once you start it. It is told in such a way that you're compelled to find out what is going on. Immensely engrossing.
a suspenseful read that keeps you on edge throughout. I do think his use of the F word could easily been substituted by other less objectionable sayings
Book Description
Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge woke one morning to discover that her entire familymother, father,brotherhad vanished. No note, no trace, no return. Ever. Now, twenty-five years later, she'll learn the devastating truth.
Sometimes it's better not to know. . . .
Cynthia is happily married with a young daughter, a new family. But the story of her old family isn't over. A strange car in the neighborhood, untraceable phone calls, ominous "gifts"someone has returned to her hometown to finish what was started twenty-five years ago. And no one's innocence is guaranteed, not even her own. By the time Cynthia discovers her killer's shocking identity, it will again be too late . . . even for goodbye.
My Review
Linwood Barclay has hit another home run! This book grabs you from the start and does not let go. It is a real page-turner and keeps you guessing until the very end. The plot is a highly emotional ride and the characters are very believable. Barclay has a knack for making you care about the characters so much so that you hate to see anything bad happen to them. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, this is one story you don't want to miss.
Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge woke one morning to discover that her entire familymother, father,brotherhad vanished. No note, no trace, no return. Ever. Now, twenty-five years later, she'll learn the devastating truth.
Sometimes it's better not to know. . . .
Cynthia is happily married with a young daughter, a new family. But the story of her old family isn't over. A strange car in the neighborhood, untraceable phone calls, ominous "gifts"someone has returned to her hometown to finish what was started twenty-five years ago. And no one's innocence is guaranteed, not even her own. By the time Cynthia discovers her killer's shocking identity, it will again be too late . . . even for goodbye.
My Review
Linwood Barclay has hit another home run! This book grabs you from the start and does not let go. It is a real page-turner and keeps you guessing until the very end. The plot is a highly emotional ride and the characters are very believable. Barclay has a knack for making you care about the characters so much so that you hate to see anything bad happen to them. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, this is one story you don't want to miss.
I have read all of his books now & this book is EXCELLENT!!! My favorite.....so far.
This book is great! I could not put it down. Again, Linwood Barclay keeps you guessing all the way to the end!
Cynthia Archer had the childhood from hell. Her entire family up and disappeared one night leaving 14 year old Cynthia alone. 25 years later, strange things are happening convincing Cynthia that her family has returned. Her husband Terry and her old boyfriend Vince, hook up and start investigating and unravel the mystery surrounding her missing family and then some.
This is a real slow starter. It doesn't get interesting until page 160 and then it moves nicely delivering necessary clues and misdirection. The conclusion is extremely satisfying and vital to give closure to all involved.
This is a real slow starter. It doesn't get interesting until page 160 and then it moves nicely delivering necessary clues and misdirection. The conclusion is extremely satisfying and vital to give closure to all involved.
This book was just o.k. for me. I figured it out long before the ending and that kind of killed it for me.
This book draws you in immediately and it's hard to put down. I read it in a day and I wasn't disappointed, at all. Enjoy!
Great book
Just okay, much too long should've been condensed down about 100 pages.
I read THE ACCIDENT by Linwood Barclay and really enjoyed it, but I just couldn't get into this story. After reading the prologue, the premise felt pretty gimmicky, and I never really cared what happened to Cynthia's family.
A page-turner. Slightly disappointed, because there was such a build-up, I kept hoping that there was going to be more to it.
I am looking forward to reading more by Barclay -- he has a light touch, isn't afraid of using humor even as the horrors pile up around the characters and, yes, he kept me turning those pages!
I am looking forward to reading more by Barclay -- he has a light touch, isn't afraid of using humor even as the horrors pile up around the characters and, yes, he kept me turning those pages!
good surprise twist toward the end
