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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Francine Mathews's BLOWN.
ABamaBecky@aol.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
I have not, but it seems to me that this book is part of a series and I would love to read the other books in that series.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
Patricia Cornwell and James Patterson.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I loved it!! It was one of those rare finds....a book that you don't want to put down. The characters were believable and the plot was riveting and full of twists and turns.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Most definitely. In fact, I would like a list of her books that are currently in print.
ameliarand@yahoo.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
This is the first book I have read by Francine Mathews.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
Patterson, Cohen and Dan Brown are some of my favorite mystery writers.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I really enjoyed BLOWN. Ms. Mathews story grabbed me immediately. The way she went back and forth among the settings kept the story interesting and exciting.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
I would read any new book Ms. Mathews writes. I plan to read CUTOUT.
Colleendj8@aol.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No, I have never before read a book by this author.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I read a lot of books, but some of the most recent suspense/thriller authors I have read are Kathy Reichs, Linda Fairstein and Nevada Barr.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I thought the book had a lot of fast-paced action. It wasn't predictable in the outcome. Also, it seemed believable.
However, I do think there could have been more character development. I finished the book feeling like I really didn't know the characters very well. Also, scenes and subjects shifted a few times in a very abrupt way, leaving me confused.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
I would consider reading a future book by this author.
DHotetz@artelinc.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
James Patterson, Lee Child, Michael Crichton, John Sandford, Daniel Silva, Lisa Scottoline and Kathy Reichs.
What did you think of BLOWN?
It was a very good book, although a bit confusing at times. The scenes shift rapidly without any logical segues. I found myself going back a few pages to make she I did not miss something. I also thought that there were too many characters introduced at the beginning in a very short period of time and because of this, I had trouble trying to keep straight who was who. Once into the book (it took me three sittings to finish), I found I did not want to put down. A very interesting premise to work from. I would have liked to learn more about the inner workings of the intelligence agencies, especially since Ms. Mathews use to work for one of them. Overall, a good read…
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Yes.
ebyerly@epix.net
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No, this is my first time to read anything by Francine Mathews.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I usually read romance/suspense and to my knowledge this is the first time I read a suspense/thriller.
What did you think of BLOWN?
Intense, realistic, well researched and very believable. This story could happen at any time in any city with the same outcome of a bureaucratic cover-up and the deaths of human life. Caroline, is as much as a casualty to the secrets they kept from her as an agent.... Sensational and shocking kept you riveted to the book right to the end.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Yes, definitely. She kept me guessing about the ending, to the final chapter and final page of the book.
Funkarella5@aol.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No, I have not!
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly, Dan Brown, Kathy Reichs, Joseph Finder...whatever catches my eye at the library.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I think I would have enjoyed the book much more if it had been written from the perspective of the husband, Eric, who went undercover and basically left his life behind. I also found the book to be a little like a soap opera -- e.g., the tension between Caroline and Tom Shepherd.
However, it offered a fresh "twist," if you will, on a terrorist attack --- that being at the hands of a domestic terrorist. I did find the character of Daniel intriguing; in fact, I found him to be downright terrifying because there are actual "characters" living and breathing among us with the same mindset!
Also, I liked the addition of Jozsef to the list of characters.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Probably.
george.privat@hpmatty.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
My favorites are Randy Wayne White, Lee Child, Nicci French, Harlan Coben and Dan Brown.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were interesting and it moved well from an action standpoint.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Yes.
lta3@cox.net
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
This is the first book I have ever read by Francine Mathews.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I read Mary Higgins Clark, Mary Jane Clark, Edna Buchanan, William Bernhardt, Michael Connelly, Patricia Cornwell, Lisa Gardner, Alex Kava, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Patricia MacDonald, Phillip Margolin, James Patterson, Perri O'Shaughnessy, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, John Sandford, John Saul, Carlene Thompson, plus many others too numerous to mention.
What did you think of BLOWN?
It was a great book from start to finish. It caught my attention right away and was hard to put down. Lots of twists and turns, which makes a good mystery.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Yes, I would read more books by Francine Mathews. I plan on going to pick up ones she has already written.
kitty_fan@yahoo.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No I haven't
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I read Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Iris Johansen and Karin Slaughter, to name a few.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I enjoyed it, and wished that I had read the previous books involving these characters, although Ms. Mathews did a good job of "catching up" for the readers who hadn't read the previous books. I enjoyed the fact that even with so many characters to keep track of, most of them were interesting and distinctive, making it easier to read and keep track of them all. The storyline was well-plotted out and easy to follow and maintained my interest throughout.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Yes, I think that I would.
Lavenderdew12472@aol.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No, this is my first book by her, but it won't be the last.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I have just begun to read this type of book. I like Laura Lippman.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I really, really liked it!!
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Absolutely!!
MJW51@aol.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
Grisham/Meltzer/Patterson/Burke.
What did you think of BLOWN?
Fast paced. Well-drawn characters. Well worth the time invested.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
Absolutely.
Paul1G@aol.com
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
Never before have I read a Francine Mathews book.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I read a lot of suspense thrillers: Dan Brown, James Siegel, Joseph Finder, Colin Harrison and Michael Crichton.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I really enjoyed BLOWN!!!!! For me, it started a little slow, but then picked up considerably. Loved the sense of verisimilitude. Good main character.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
I would definitely read a future novel.
Erin.Rednour@epa.state.il.us
Have you previously read a book by Francine Mathews?
No, I have never heard of her before.
What other suspense/thriller writers do you read?
I looked up the top bestselling suspense/thriller authors on Google and BarnesandNoble.com and from the lists I saw, I have read things by Dan Brown, Harlan Coben and John Grisham.
What did you think of BLOWN?
I did find many typos, punctuation and grammatical errors in this advance copy. I think this really affected my enjoyment and opinion of the book. I thought the story of the book was a good one. A nice, intricately woven story with all kinds of good ingredients --- espionage, cult leaders and fanatical followers, the CIA, and ruthless government bureaucrats. But I don't think the book was well-written. It seemed to me that some of the minor characters in the book were better developed than the main characters. I don't think it was well done. I think it needs work. As if it was too hastily put together and the time needed to polish it and smooth out the rough spots wasn't spent.
Would you ever read a future book by Francine Mathews?
I looked up Francine Mathews' other books and I saw that she also writes mysteries. I think I would like to read one of her mysteries, maybe her first in the Merry Folgers series. But I don't think I would ever read another of her thriller/suspense books.
Julie.Palyswiat@verizon.net
What did you think of BLOWN?
I am sorry to say that I was unable to bring myself to read the book in it's entirety. By 2/3rds of the way through I was tired of being introduced to new characters. I felt that the storyline was good, but there was just not enough of the story to hold my interest.
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