No Time For Goodbye

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Kenneth taught math and physics. The close-knit academia community suspected he was ‘playing around’. Mr. Barclay has written a phenomenal storyline filled with a supremely well-developed, dynamic, and authentic cast of characters. While it was wholly compulsive and difficult to put down, A Noise Downstairs doesn't become an action driven plot for the first 30-40% of the novel; we take our time in a slow burning suspense while becoming acquainted with the characters, which is a style of writing I'm quite partial to. Ok, except for that first section, which perfectly hooked my attention. You get a lot of the set up from the synopsis, but initially we find our main narrator Paul caught in an unexpected exchange with co-worker Kenneth. Unfortunately, Paul has decided to follow Ken to inform him that he has a tail light out, things escalate, and Ken attempts to murder Paul. We are then thrust forward 8 months after the incident, where Ken is in prison, Paul is spending time recovering with the help of his therapist Anna and his second wife Charlotte, and things are tense. Paul thinks it will be cathartic to write about his experiences in hopes of working through his PTSD, so Charlotte surprises him with an old Underwood typewriter she found at a yard sale. The thing is, Paul starts hearing the typewriter in the middle of the night, and what unfolds is a tale of "Is he delusional or is someone out to get him?" in the most suspenseful format. This is a fun psychological thriller, very entertaining, with perfectly timed twists, and expert pacing. There are some weak spots, a few highly implausible scenarios and dialogue, but for the most part this story is tightly woven, effective, and very suspenseful. The characters in No Time for Goodbye are incredibly well-developed; I felt like I really got to know them as the story progressed."

To give credit where credit is due the central hook or plot twist which drives this story is fairly ingenious, unfortunately the narrative around it is doled out piecemeal and at times excruciatingly slow, drip by drip as if from an eye-dropper. I also found Terry and Cynthia unrealistic - for instance Cynthia, an understandably over-protective mother, abandons her daughter without a second thought in the middle of a crowded shopping mall to chase a man who looks like her long lost brother. When Terry follows her lead, she blows up at him for leaving their daughter alone in the Food Court. The book is full of such incongruities concerning our protagonists. Because of this I found it difficult to work up any empathy for these two and at times found them downright aggravating. I’m a fan of George Newbern and he delivered his usual fine performance, mastering each character and telling the story in a way that kept me engaged. It’s Paul’s point of view for most of the story and Newbern became him so easily, at least in my ear. Naturally, there was a point where I was just positive I had the puzzle solved, which was a huge let down. I was very disappointed- I mean really upset that yet another veteran author 'phoned in.' But, as it turns out, I wasn't nearly as smart as I thought I was. Maybe I was the one being lazy- Or the very least, guilty of not giving the author a little more credit than that. I do have to confess...I have a beautiful, old-fashioned Royal typewriter sitting on my bookshelf! I kept staring at in between chapters, slowly convincing myself it was not going to start acting up!

Praise

OK, normally I avoid anything the least bit scary...anything with a paranormal vibe to it. But this is Linwood Barclay! I can’t just pass up one of his books! So, turning on all the lights, with my hubby (and brave puppy) by my side to protect me...I dove in!🙈 Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1986 {February 15th} the official music video for Starship's "Sara" was aired on the ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'... One of the principal delights in book reviewing is discovering a gem, a work that pushes the bar just a little higher -- and that is exactly what No Time for Goodbye does. The biggest surprise for this reviewer is that I’d never read any previous works by Canadian author Linwood Barclay, which made finding No Time just that much sweeter. only added to his problems. Either it was possessed, or Paul completely lost his mind, or ‘somebody’ wanted Paul to believe he was losing his mind. Tl;dr - Not a bad book, or a bad thriller. I just think Jeff Abbott's work is better. Or Zoë Sharp's The Blood Whisperer. They specialize in this kind of fast-paced thriller novel. Eric Plume and Robert B. Parker might also be good choices if you want a more "hard-boiled P.I." flavor.

George Newbern is a fantastic narrator and made the story come to life. Loved the mixed humor and it isn't scary, just a hint of the feeling of some dark ominous clouds hanging around. So fourteen year old Cynthia has a huge fight with her dad and goes to bed, the next morning she wakes up to find her father, mother and brother have vanished, no note, no nothing. The cars are gone and so are they. Overall, this veteran author shows us how psychological thrillers should be done, showing up ninety percent of what passes for a premium PT. I’m such a fan of this author, particularly how he takes ordinary people, puts them in trying situations and has them respond atypically. While I deduced what was going on pretty early, it still was a challenge finding clues to support my theories. And, I was treated to a few surprises in the end. I really enjoyed the story, particularly in the audio format as Newbern made this feel like a movie.I loved this title, which sets the tone for the book by conjuring up that hair raising feeling you get when you think you hear a strange noise in your house in the middle of the night. Then Barclay builds on that uneasy mindset without preamble. Michelle With Style from UsaTo "the mutt from Houston"- Do u honestly think that anyone is going to believe you wrote this song...SERIOUSLY? You can't even construct a sentence properly, or so that it makes sense, (i.e.):