You're Next

My latest book conquest is You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz.  A suspense thriller ideal for those who enjoy a late night nail biter and to be kept guessing until the end.  I had never read any of Hurwitz' books as previous to 'You're Next' I was a Harlan Coben devotee and before that  John Grisham, therefore I have no other books in the collection to compare it to. I did also judge this book from the cover and therefore thought it would be slightly more frightening and spooky than it was but it was gripping none the less.



The story centres around one main character Mike Wingate who with a slightly shady and mysterious past now lives a typical American life, with a nice family home and a loving wife and daughter. With no qualifications and a orphaned background Mike has made a some what success of himself about to pull off the biggest deal of his career to date and recently accepting an award for his latest business venture his life finally seems to be on the brink of financial stability, when things suddenly begin to go catastrophically bad.

After a mysterious attempt on his wife's life and a threat of his daughter's kidnapping, she and Mike go on the run, hiding in hotel rooms and stealing cars in an effort to hide from those who are after him and his family while also trying to discover the truth behind this sudden man hunt. Drafting in the help on an old friend and relying on his inside sources of the police force Mike makes a crucial decision which could possibly change his life forever and takes him back 40 years to face his own  mysterious past head on.

While this book had me gripped during the first half and I was intrigued as the mystery of why Mike and his family are being hunted was unraveled I found the ending a bit long drawn out. I found myself losing interest slightly in Mike's character as he delves deeper into the mystery and appears to become safer the more he knows. The suspense that was so cleverly developed at the start did not sustain through the entire book and therefore reached the end thinking that was good rather than "that was brilliant".

I would recommend this book but perhaps not to those who like a good gritty novel right to the end. It is quite tame in terms of 'the scare factor' and I am a bit of a wimp so if you like a happy ending with a couple of close calls along the way then this one is for you. As a Harlan Coben follower, Hurwitz has not replaced my preferred choice in thriller authors.