|
Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Robert D. Taylor's PARADIGM.
Helen from Tewksbury, MA
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read Dan Brown, Baldacci, Patterson and others. Since I am a retired English teacher now working at my local library, I always have my nose in a book. I also run two book clubs.
What did you think of PARADIGM?
Thank you for sending me this book. It was a terrific journey. I was hooked right away. So much so that as soon as I came home from work, I started reading. Then, I read, read, read. At work, (library clerk) I couldn't stop talking about it. It reminded me a lot of THE DA VINCI CODE. I liked the fact that I became a little more knowledgeable about Wall Street and the stock market. The characters were finely drawn. As I was reading, I could picture them perfectly in my mind. I loved all the twists and turns. Boy, I am usually good at predicting what will happen next, but this book has great surprises for the reader. I also enjoyed learning more about the business world.
Would you ever read a future book by Robert Taylor?
I would read another book by Robert Taylor. In fact, I'm going to check tonight to see if he has any other novels.
Lisa from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Greg Iles, Iris Johansen, James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Dan Brown, David Baldacci, Michael Connelly, Joseph Finder, Tim Green, Brad Meltzer and Linda Fairstein.
What did you think of PARADIGM?
PARADIGM was a spectacular read. It was both thrilling and thought-provoking. I was intrigued from beginning to end. Robert Taylor is a masterful writer and a wonderful storyteller. I highly recommend PARADIGM to all readers of mystery and suspense.
Would you ever read a future book by Robert Taylor?
Absolutely! I look forward to reading future books written by Robert Taylor.
Peggy from Hurst, TX
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read DeMille, Ludlum, Neville, Hoag, Stuart Woods, Baldacci, Dan Brown, James Patterson, Koontz, Steve Berry and Greg Iles (one of my very favorites), etc., as well as many others.
What did you think of PARADIGM?
I am intrigued by PARADIGM not only as an avid reader of suspense fiction, but as an investor as well. As far as the mechanics of the story, I am also pleasantly amazed at the ease of dialogue. I find that in early novels one of the problems that annoy me is stilted dialogue. This is not the case with Taylor and his characters. He uses dialogue effectively to advance the plot and his characters speak to each other so easily that it almost seems that the reader is eavesdropping on private conversations. I also did not find myself mentally editing a lot --- something that I tend to do when I read a novel that needs better editing. There is plenty of everything that I enjoy in a good read --- fast pace, historical connection, well-described sense of place, believable, fascinating characters and foreign intrigue. This is what I call a real page-turner --- with a thought-provoking, underlying layer of "what if" as well.
Would you ever read a future book by Robert Taylor?
I cannot imagine how Taylor will top this one, but if he even maintains the standard for fiction that he has set in PARADIGM I cannot imagine not having him right at the top of my list of "must read" authors.
Thank you so much for introducing me to this author and for the book. Just love your website and Internet publication.
Suzanne from North Grosvenordale, CT
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Greg Iles, John Grisham, Dan Brown, James Patterson and Richard North Patterson, to name a few.
What did you think of PARADIGM?
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book! I loved it!
In the beginning, I was concerned that I would get lost in the science and the stock market, as I am not an expert in either. I found the intrigue that set up the main plot helped me understand what was behind Taylor's premise and just swept me up in the plot. This is clearly a page-turner. Taylor has written a book that capitalizes on the Dan Brown trend with the mixed historical myths that appeal to people today. Clearly, he is unique in that Taylor brings you into the underworld of the movers and shakers behind the world financial markets and how ruthless people can be over money and power. I think the principles behind his theory were very plausible and found myself wishing I had the wealth to try it. The only thing I wondered about what was kind of expertise you would need to pick the right stocks. Most people don't have a spare $25K lying around to play or lose. (Having been the person in my social studies class in high school that lost the most money in the stock market game.)
Taylor's characters are very likable and interesting. They are well-developed and each integral to the plot. I liked the likable and hated the villains. Taylor has a nice writing style that made the plot flow easily. I enjoyed the trips through Europe and I thought that the descriptions of the places they traveled to a nice bonus. The book, while long, kept my interest beginning to end. I have already recommended it to a colleague and expect this book to make the rounds here at work. I checked the regional library databases and found no one in our area owns this book. They should! He clearly should write another book!
Would you ever read a future book by Robert Taylor?
A resounding YES!
Richard from Downingtown, PA
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
My usual mystery/thrillers are more action genre mysteries rather than technical mysteries. Recent authors that I have read include Robert Crais, Philip R. Craig and Tim Dorsey. I am presently reading the Stone Barrington collection from Stuart Woods. I consider these "light" reading in the sense that it does not involve too much time in understanding technical issues. Jonathan Kellerman and Eric Van Lustbader are authors whom I consider to fit the technical mystery genre that I have enjoyed reading occasionally.
What did you think of PARADIGM?
When I first started reading PARADIGM, I had to ask myself if this was the kind of mystery that I wanted to read. The story ventured into what I considered "heavy" technical ground almost from the beginning. After a few chapters, the storyline became a challenge to understand for it really delved into the subject of gravity in a very serious manner and if one was to "feel" this book one would have to get an understanding of gravity, how it responded to positions of the earth, sun and moon to realize the effect on physiological human behavior. It was not going to be a book that required cursory reading only to comprehend the plot that the author was outlining.
Once you proceeded through the technical issues, the story lightened up somewhat and made easier reading. I enjoyed the occasional delving into lighter "technical and historical" issues as we progressed, for it didn't leave you with "how come that happened?" attitude.
Would you ever read a future book by Robert Taylor?
The challenge presented by Robert Taylor in this "mystery" techno-historical novel, if continued in future works, would certainly be worthwhile reading. Therefore, I would continue reading works by Robert Taylor...but not a steady diet.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
