I am almost positive I’ve read Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver before. I love his books and do tend to read them all. But recently I picked it up again when looking for short stories for my creative writing class to dissect this year. It was fun to reread and enjoy the twist.
Basic Summary (Courtesy of Amazon):
New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver delivers an electrifying collection of sixteen award-winning stories that will widen your eyes and stretch your imagination. Diverse and provocative, Twisted showcases Deaver’s amazing range and signature plot twists: a beautiful woman goes to extremes to rid herself of her stalker; a contemporary of William Shakespeare vows to avenge his family’s ruin; and Deaver’s most beloved character, brilliant criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, is back to solve a chilling Christmastime disappearance.
My thoughts:
I love the introduction to this book where Deaver talks about how when you write a novel, you can’t simply twist it at the end or your reader, feeling cheated, will hate you forever. But in a short story, the investment is much less, you can play with the reader without irritating them.
I don’t want to give away any of the endings. But there are one or two that are simply spectacular. In my favorite, the twist is so artfully woven in, I immediately went back to reread it as soon as I finished it. Not a clue. Not a one. Out of nowhere, slam.
And he’s right, if I had invested 8 hours reading 400 plus pages, I would have been pissed. But 20 minutes of thinking, oh yeah I get whats going on here, only to find out I was sooo wrong, that was amusing.
T.A. Henry 