Book Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Careful Writing Pays Off
Some time ago I picked up City of Masks, Hecht's first Cree Black story and was more than pleasantly surprised.In the supernatural genres, it is an unusual author who spends time carefully developing characters and setting, rather than pushing ahead on bare plot.Hecht has done an excellent job with Cree Black in creating a psychic investigator whose initial exposure was a visitation by the ghost of her husband at the moment she died.She is a talented empathy as well as one who can speak for the dead, and her experiences have left deep scars.In company with he co=workers Edgar Mayfield and Joyce she makes up a team that specializes in hauntings and possessions.

In Land of Echoes one of Cree's old mentors brings her into the case of a young boy who attends a boarding school for gifted children that serves the Navajo reservation.Tommy's situation has gotten steadily worse and Julieta McCarty, the school's principal must either resolve the situation or hospitalize the boy.The Navajo believe that ghosts are evil and dangerous and Tommy is not only a threat to himself, but also a danger to the school.It is up to Cree to unravel a tangled web of motivation and history in order to bring the ghost to closure and resolve the present day conflicts that stand in her way.

Hecht relies on solid writing and research to make his stories work.I don't know how familiar he is with Navajo culture, but he captures the conflict between the old and new on the reservation perfectly, without ever overplaying the card.In the same way, the author delves into the psychology of his characters without ever turning this into a psychological thriller.One of the reasons I like this novel is that, as complex as it is, there is no wasted writing.Pacing is excellent as well - Hecht takes the time to make sure that events develop steadily, without the frantic action that is often used to cover up a lack of real plot.

If you haven't run into Daniel Hecht yet, let me recommend him.All of his novels are enjoyable and well written.

Five Stars From the Ghosthunter
This is a wonderful novel. As a Certfied Ghost Hunter and author of "Ghosthunting Illinois" and "Ghosthunting Ohio," I can say that Dan Hecht really knows his stuff. His heroine, Cree Black, and her team of paranormal investigators, use all the principles, theories and equipment employed today by serious paranormal researchers. Reading this novel is very much like being on an actual paranormal investigation. Believe me, I should know.

Hecht doesn't need to resort to cheesy bloodied ghosts and other ridiculous entities to strike fear in the reader's heart. His research into actual cases and investigative methods makes the novel all the more spookier; this could have been real. I am also well acquainted with Native American culture and I was glad to see that Hecht treated the subject with respect and authenticity in this novel. Don't miss this one. It's a great read.

A terrific story and true Southwest experience
If you love the desert and enjoy a good, and scary, mystery, you will LOVE this book.I couldn't put it down.What a great story.I fell in love with the desert setting and really felt like I was there.With it's supernatural aspects, I recommend you don't read it if you are alone, or in the desert..

Fast-paced and involving. Highly recommended.

Parapsychology fans will relish the return of Cree Black, who becomes immersed in a case of spiritual possession which will test all her resources and draw them into a dangerous New Mexican desert confrontation. A talented Navajo student falls ill with violent seizures attributed to the spirit of a dead ancestor, involving Cree in a dangerous world of spreading possession which keeps Land Of Echoes fast-paced and involving. Highly recommended.

Falls short of earlier novels
It's enjoyable. It's an okay read, but it just doesn't have the vision of some of his earlier works i.e Babel Effect.

... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Absolutely Outstanding!
This is the first book (actually audiobook) I've read by Hecht and I must say it's now one of my all-time favorites.Hecht keeps the wheels on the story right through the very end.Most fiction seems to disappoint by either being too long winded, too far-fetched, or by having a preposterous ending, but not here, this is good till the last drop.

Hecht is an extremely gifted writer.Do yourself a favor and ignore the negative reviews posted here and give it a try.Not for the faint-of-heart.

Compelling!
I had to shake my head over the so-called reviewer who hadn't bothered to read the word "prequel" on the cover, and then fussed over the ending of the book. Groan. One should have at least basic reading skills before deigning to criticize a writer of Hecht's enormous skills. Puppets is, like all Hecht's work, addictive. The author has an all but peerless ability to create mood and genuninely creepy tension; this, coupled with great narrative drive, makes for a superior reading experience. Puppets is fascinating on many levels, dealing as it does with the issue of control--something that is central to all our lives--and it delivers the goods. It isn't so important to learn the identity of the villain (and the pathway is strewn with a fair number of adroitly dropped red herrings) as it is to watch Mo Ford and the other main characters take shape before us and act out in entirely believable ways. What I like best about Hecht's work is the believable fallibility of his characters; they remain true to themselves, even when it isn't pretty, even when we, the readers, wince at their ability to embarrass themselves and then scramble for redemption. Puppets is Hecht doing what he does best: making us care about his people to the extent that we're willing to go with them, wherever they have to go. Highly recommended!

Interesting read, but not his best.
Daniel Hecht has two other books I thoroughly enjoyed. I am speaking of the Cree Black thrillers, "City of Masks" and "Land of Echos." He has one other book with Mo Ford in it, "Skull Session." This book really confused me because I recalled that at the end of the book,

SPOILER HERE








Mo Ford was killed off. So how'd he resurrect his for this book?

Anyway, the story is pretty interesting, a serial killer hanging his victims up with string, a la puppets. It really didn't take a great deal of ingenuity to figure out who the killer was, I think Hecht wanted you to know but the chase to catch him is the thrill. Overall, a pretty good read.

pretty good
not as good as some of his other books, but still way better than most

Can't recommend it.
Warning:animals and humans are tortured in this book.But that's not why I rated it "poor."It's because I figured out, almost from the beginning, who was behind it all and after that, I really didn't care.There were red herrings trying to divert suspicion, chapters that took you into the killer's mind, a massive government conspiracy, a romance for the protagonist, and I still didn't care.In fact, I ended up skimming through most of the book.I've enjoyed other books by Hecht, but just can't recommend this one. ... Read more

Product Description
A friend and homicide inspector, Bert Marchetti, asks Cree to help investigate a human skeleton recently unearthed in the foundation of a fine Victorian home—apparently the bones of a victim of the 1906 earthquake. The bones have intrigued the forensic anthropology team at UC Berkeley—they call the skeleton Wolfman. Who was the wolfman? What caused his anatomical deformities, and how did he end up in that grand hilltop home? Cree’s historical research takes her back to the unholy glory days of the Barbary Coast, old San Francisco’s infamous red-light district. Her narrative is illuminated by entries from the 1889 diary of Lydia Schweitzer, a Victorian woman with her own secrets—and her own compelling interest in the person who would come to be known as the wolfman. As the mystery unravels, both women must face human nature’s darkest aspects with courage and compassion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

So much potential but...
I've never picked up a Cree Black book before, so I admit that my review may be a little off since I can't take the whole series into account.

I read the first couple pages of this book and was really intrigued; lots of forensic info, a smattering of history, and a hint at some supernatural. I figured it would be right up my alley! It started out fairly well; half forensics show/CSI, half hard-boiled detective. But I knew I was in trouble when I got to the first chapter with Ray alone. It seemed like a flimsy characterization for me and what OTHERS said about Ray was more interesting than what Ray said himself. It's always great for an author to show rather than tell and it didn't seem to be happening here. I get that Hecht wanted to hold onto a couple things until later in the end, but being too mysterious can be a turnoff for readers.

The diary parts could have been so much stronger. Without a diary, we would never have gotten very far into the character of Lydia--- or would we? I get the impression that Cree is psychic and can look into things when she's in the right setting. Wouldn't it have been so much more interesting if she could have found one object that pulled her into Lydia's mind, rather than a diary that wasn't quite as interesting as I'd hoped? Again, Hecht falls a bit flat with characterization. I felt like he was trying so hard to get into the mind of a woman but he just missed the boat by a bit. The problem is writing for the period, which is again why it would have made much more sense thematically to let Cree channel Lydia somehow, rather than have tell-all chapters where Lydia's "diary" clues us in.

I also never, ever bought Cree's relationship with Ray.Maybe this is a problem that came up since I'm not as familiar with the character, but she was presented as an intuitive, no-nonsense woman who didn't put up with a lot of crap. So why on EARTH would she tolerate Ray's weirdness? Just pity doesn't cut it!

But with all of that aside, I still enjoyed it much more than I normally enjoy books in that genre. It was a fun read and all the little details about San Francisco were great as well. Hecht has a lot of talent and obviously put a lot of work into this book, but I just felt like he squandered a lot of the opportunities he set up for himself by talking so much about Cree's interest in the paranormal.

Almost as good
I really enjoyed the first two Cree Black novels.I think the paranormal aspect lends a great twist to the mystery theme, but this book had no paranormal aspects.
The story and subplots kept my interest anyways and I found myself reading the book into the wee hours, but the end seemed rushed and left too much hanging.
My library does not have this or the 2nd Cree Black novel on audio books, so I read the hardcovers back to back.I think that also kept the momentum going for the Bones of the Barbary Coast.

"Everybody was a werewolf"
Dan Hecht has written two previous books about Cree Black, a psychologist and 'psychic' investigator with a knack for paranormal contact.In these books she and her partners become enmeshed in what are, for the most part mystery stories where past events are a determinant in a present situation.You could describe them as forensic parapsychology and not be wrong.

Bones of the Barbary Coast is a different animal.The story revolves around the discovery of a skeleton of a human being with a weird deformity that makes the victim appear to be part wolf.There is no apparent murder here, the death was caused by the collapse of a house during the San Francisco earthquake.Cree is asked to come to San Francisco to investigate by an old friend of the family.So you are led to expect some psychic event, but one never really materializes.Instead Cree finds herself in a difficult investigation and discovers some remarkable, but not murderous facts.

The other part of the story revolves around Bert Marchetti, who asked her to come to town, and Cameron Raymond, an X-ray specialist who helps with the study of the bones.Marchetti is a cop on the verge of retirement, profoundly unhappy about his accomplishments and desperate for one last, redeeming arrest.Raymond is a man who has remade his life, but who bears a terrible scarred face as the result of a brutal arrest.The brutality in question was from Marchetti, and you can cut the enmity between the two with a knife.

These two men and Cree, who plays this novel solo are all lonely poles in a drama that parallels the slowly emerging story of the wolfman.These are set aside by disease, by loss, and by fear of the isolation each has to deal with in a story where redemption is a rare commodity.Each must face their flaws and either come to terms with them or fail tragically.

As you can see this is far more a novel than a genre mystery or suspense story.If you've followed the series you may experience some initial discomfort as Hecht sets out into uncharted waters.But, as truth would have it, this is a very readable story, with much that is worthwhile if disquieting.For those that have noticed the author's strong writing skills, this will be a worthwhile exercise.

Could have been better
I love the Cree Black series, and I loved this book until the end. It just left so many open ends. Throughout the book, you're waiting for things to move, you hit the climax and then everything grinds to a screeching halt, and you say to yourself, "That's it?". Still a big fan and looking forward to the next book, though!

I COULD NOT FINISH IT
I really looked forward to reading this book because I liked all of the books by Daniel Hecht that I have read. City Masks was very good and I thought Land of Echoes was great. I tried so hard to finish this book but I was fighting boredom and finally gave up. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

A Great read.
I have to admit to a love of ghost stories.I have loved them since childhood.Cree Black, the heroine of Hecht's novel, is a parapsychologist as well as a psychologist.She investigates hauntings, and if possible, loosens the ties that bind the ghosts to the living world.The theories behind hauntings, and her abilities, are sound well thought out and very plausible.The storyline-trying to free a child possessed by a spirit-has echoes of its own.However, Land of Echoes stands proudly apart.It is a fascinating story that I recommend highly.

Brilliant
Hecht is on of the most brilliant young writers to come along in a generation.This book is one which you won't be able to put down- I didn't, and was late for work a number of times.I was severely reprimanded by my employer, and place all the blame directly on Daniel Hecht, the [...]!

Cree Black series is a winner!
I really enjoyed City of Masks, so when I finished that, I searched out to find if the author had written additional books with his character Cree Black. To my joy, he had one other, this book. A new Cree Black book is due in June.

Cree Black is a parapsychologist with an empathic ability to bond with her clients. Cree had been married ten years ago to Mike, who was killed in Los Angeles in a car crash. At the moment ofhis death, Cree was in Philadelphia and saw Mike standing twenty feet away from her in a crowd. He looked like a man with shocking news to tell. Cree went to meet him and found to her confusion that Mike was gone.

In her grief over Mike's death, Cree became a parapsychologist and now tries to help people with their own hauntings. Cree is called in to examine a fifteen year old Navajo boy at a boarding school who is manifesting symptoms of posession by an unknown entity. The story of her attempts to identify the spirit and why it is haunting the boy is the plot of the book.

It gets a little slow in some areas, but I'm glad I perservered. I would start out with the first novel, City of Masks, first, to get a better understanding of the character.
... Read more

Amazon.com
Guitarist Daniel Hecht sold a lot of albums in the 1970s and '80s: hisWillow on theWindham Hill label might be sitting in your closet. But in 1989 a hand ailmentturned Hecht's talents towriting, and the first published result is as dazzling and moving as his music.In this novel, gifted Vermontwoodworker Paul Skoglund has learned to live with and basically control hisTourette's syndrome, thanksto early training from his caring father and daily doses of haloperidol. But thedrug has also burned awaythe once-sharp edge of his creativity, and Paul has been having a hard timeearning a living. So when hiseccentric Aunt Vivien offers him a job restoring her old house in Lewisboro, NewYork, Skoglund is gladto accept--even though it will take him away from his 8-year-old son, Mark, whosuffers from neurologicaltroubles of his own. It turns out that the house has been savaged by vandals whoare apparently linked toseveral local teenagers who have disappeared in recent months. While statepolice investigator MorganFord pursues the mystery in an official way, Paul and his fearless lover Liadiscover that the damage to thehouse is of unnatural--possibly even demonic--origins. Hecht balances thesediverse elements withimpressive artistry, all the while making us care for the fate of hischaracters.Book Description
The great house stands alone at the top of a hill. Outside, all is peaceful - but inside lies destruction of an almost superhuman degree: an incredible violence that seems to be mirrored by a series of disappearaces and deaths that have haunted the surrounding region. In this sophisticated thriller, filled with richly drawn characters and crafted with uncommon intelligence , Daniel Hecht explores with the expert detail of a Patricia Cornwell novel the perplexing, shadowy workings of the human brain.Paul Skoglund, at the mercy of the bizarre effects of his Touretts's syndrome, is desperate for a job. When his wealthy aunt hires him to repair her damaged home, Paul unknowingly enters a world where everything he values is at risk. Joined by Lia, his tough, independent girlfriend, and by Morgan Ford, a sensitive but ruthless police investigator, Paul discovers links between the ravaged house and other brutal crimes. The trio's search for answers takes them from the most ancient, primal human impulses to the cutting edge of biomedical research - and across the ambiguous borderline between thought and reality.As events lead him deeper into his family's past and the mysterious processes of the human brain, Paul must face the darkest aspects of his own nature, and brave the possibility that in saving those he loves, he might well destroy himself. Rich in neurological and psychological detail, this powerful debut novel cresendos to a shocking conclusion in which the solution to the mystery hinges upon essential and terrifying questions about what it means to be human. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Unforgettable
I read this book 7 years ago and have reread it twice since. I was expected a literary ghost story when I bought Skull Session and was rewarded with something even better - a true psychological thriller by a writer gifted in plotting and narrative.

Paul Skoglund is a man with reduce expectations. His marriage ended in divorce, the medication for his Tourette's syndrome leaves him feeling mentally swathed in cotton wool, his son has a little understood neurological illness and his job prospects are limited. So his Aunt Vivien's offer a job restoring her once beautiful now vandalized house seems a godsend, even though it requires revisiting painful family memories like his father's suicide. But just what did happen to and at that house? And is it connected to the strange deaths that policeman Morgan Ford is investigating?

The answers will defy your expectations. Hecht's theme is the mysteries (and power) of our own neurological wiring, what appears to be a "handicap"may be a gift, and a gift may really be a curse.

This isn't a quick read but it is absorbing and highly enjoyable.

Very good!
This book caught me up from page one and held me with rapt attention.I learned a lot about Tourette's, which I found interesting, but be aware the author crosses from the book being a neurological thriller into psychological horror toward the end.There was one scene toward the end I would prefer to have seen done differently, but overall felt this was a very good book with some very interesting characters.I shall definitely read more by Mr. Hecht.

A good first novel from Hecht
This book is a part medical part psychological thriller. The main character Paul Skoglund is an out of work carpenter who suffers from mild Tourettes syndrome. When his reclusive Aunt Vivien offers him work, to fix up her isolated mansion, he readily agrees despite her difficult reputation. When he gets there a mystery is revealed, he realises that the extreme damage to the house was likely caused by a human, yet he can find no explanation how a human could have had such strength. About this time, he decides to stop using his medication. The mystery deepens when he meets his aunt, and her interest and knowledge concerning his neurological condition puzzles him. Then there is the mysterious suicide of his father years before, and revealed is his familial history of neurological disorder. As he works on the house, the plot draws in a detective who is investigating a series of unexplained gruesome murders and dissapearances in the area (The detectives character is very well drawn in places - i really admired the part where he expresses suffering (being a recently divorced bachelor) at having to visit famillies homes and interview the pretty wives), a local thug/cop who wants Paul to leave, and the sociopathic son of Vivien, his cousin Royce. As Paul reads Viviens scattered letters and documents which he finds in the house, he finds that his painful past is becoming ever more revealed. Then there is his vicious ex wife and his son, who inherited his head problems. Finally the tale becomes almost paranormal as the true cause of the disturbances at the mansion are laid bare, and a terrifying confrontation looms.

Up until the last hundred pages, the novel was doing very well indeed. However i think the author hasnt sufficiently exploited the pain of the main character which he probably should have, in order for us to be able to sympathise with him more. Also the character of his girlfriend is badly drawn, she comes across as a pretty air head. The schizophrenic girl was my favourite character, i would have liken to seen more of her. The detective was interesting for a while, but again his character sort of plods along in the middle end part of the book. And what happens to the detective was well, dissapointing in the extreme, here we have a character who gets nearly as much pages as the main one, who ends like that? Yes it is the ending of the book that lets it down the most. Sure the descriptions of the final encounter were thrilling, but also anti-climactic in some way, as though not all loose ends have been sewn up. And the very end of the book, where there is a CIA involvement was very unsatisfactory, a story where the hero ends up nearly a guinea pig! But id recommend it overall for those who enjoy a good medical thriller.

Great story

Daniel Hecht is a very talented guy. Skull session is a very good story with terrific development of characters who a reader will wish he could continue to know when the last page of the book has been turned. It's no wonder that Hecht went on to create the Cree Black series beginning with his "City of Lights" as with so much effort having gone into bringing characters to life, they may as well go on for a few books.

Skull Session is an interesting story with a predictable ending. A great deal of scientific information is offered throughout and with Hecht's occasional slips in presenting this information one can't help but wonder how much of what is offered is erroneous.For example (Daniel), one cannot smell tannins in red wine. Tannins don't have an odor.

But be this as it may, the characters became real, the story was exciting and it's one darned good first novel by my standards. Keep writing man!

Great Read
I picked this book up on a whim & found it to be outstanding! After the first couple of pages I found myself hooked. I too found myself researching the condition to further validate the author's story. Unexpected ending was a great twist! Editing was terrible but looking forward to his next novel! ... Read more

Amazon.com
The Genesis Project, headed by Ryan and Jess McCloud, is researching a fascinating thesis: that violence is a virus, that evil is genetically based, and that neurology can prove what psychology only suggests. A billionaire who heads the world's largest media and technology empire believes the McClouds are onto something with enormous potential value and agrees to underwrite their project, which starts with brain scans of death row inmates and progresses to war zones and killing fields all over the world.

When pregnant Jess is kidnapped by a religious leader, who fears that sciencewill destroy his faith-based empire, the action ratchets up several levels,skipping over some of the hard science that keeps this would-be thriller miredin detail much of the time. Author Daniel Hecht posits as good a raisond'être for the root causes of violence as any other suspense novelist;it's an intriguing idea, well-worked out in the plot. And Jess McCloud, vainlytrying to reconcile her decidedly unscientific faith with scientific empiricism,is an interestingly complex character. Unfortunately, she's missing for much ofthe novel, and her husband, whose efforts to retrace her research in order tofind her, is a much less fascinating hero. But that won't stop fans of Robin Cook, Michael Crichton, et al. for sticking with Hecht to the last page. --Jane AdamsBook Description
With all the imaginative depth and narrative power of Michael Crichton's Timeline or Jurassic Park, The Babel Effect is an electrifying, thinking person's thriller based on cutting-edge neurological and genetic research. From the author of the widely acclaimed Skull Session, The Babel Effect artfully brings the speculative thriller to new literary heights.

Is violence a virus? Can your genes make you a killer? Why are we so willing to hurt each other? In The Babel Effect, the brilliant husband-and-wife research team of Ryan and Jessamine McCloud are charged with answering these urgent questions. Beginning as a neurological study of murderers on death row, their research explodes into an investigation into the biomedical foundations of human history. The quest takes them from prison cells to research labs to war zones throughout the world and forces them to doubt their most  basic assumptions about the human species, about themselves, and about their marriage.

Combining systems theory with modern epidemiology, they soon learn that our propensity for violence resembles a contagious disease. But is the human carnage of the last hundred years an ancient plague or a new nightmare? Can they identify the cause and find a cure? As their discoveries reveal frightening secrets about multinational corporations, clandestine military programs, and millennial religious cults, they realize that finding the answers depends on a still more urgent and terrifying question: Can they survive the search?

When an unknown enemy steals their data and abducts Jessamine, the FBI investigation stalls, and Ryan realizes that it is up to him alone to find his pregnant wife. He soon finds that to learn where she is, he must discover who she is -- and confront the question of whether we can ever really know the one we love.

As real as the astonishing and disquieting news coming out of today's biotechnology revolution and as disturbing as our suspicions of global conspiracy, The Babel Effect provokes us with an astonishing perspective on human nature as it brings us face-to-face with our most unspeakable fears -- and our brightest hopes. Though The Babel Effect is part thriller, part mystery, it is at its core the very human tale of one man who simply seeks to know his wife -- to find her and love her again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Great Idea - Incredibly Poor Execution
I guess my disappointment is so acute because I had such high hopes. After reading the blurb I couldn't wait to start.But oh,what a disaster. A team of scientists investigates whether the cause of modern violence is a "virus" or at least neurological in nature. In a sense it's the old nature vs nurture argument. They interview serial killers and war criminals for research at brain differences. The first half of the book (each chapter about 4 pages) is pure fluff - the author drones on about society, race, culture, troubled marriages, etcBook II concerns the kidnapping of the woman scientist and the search for her.

Let's start with the characters or should I say caricatures? The television preacher is a slick Southerner with a Messiah complex, the businessman is a greedy, scheming CEO, the religious folks are wacky fanatics, the black woman scientist is beautiful and ultra-intelligent, her white husband is intellectual and troubled and their child is adorable, outstanding, etc.You get the picture.There is almost as much discussion about race, gender and culture as there is about violence. (PC Passwords are GHANDI & MANDELA in case we didn't get the point.)It's an interracial marriage, what's the big deal?
But it's the premise that really bombs.The book reads like thetelevangelist it mocks - the world is evil, conspiracies are everywhere, our modern lifestyle has ruined society.Does the author seriously suggest that violence is worst today than, say, in 2000 BC or 50 AD or 1200 AD or even 1900 AD?If so, he is mistaken for while individual violence is flashed across our screens 24/7 thanks to the instantaneous media, the level of cultural violence continues to decline.

More problems:The author's knowledge of the corporate world are straight out of a made-for-TV special or perhaps an NPR editorialrather than the real world.The scientists are hardly treated better since the vast majority deal with the mundane and not international intrigue, murder, kidnapping or discoveries that startle the world. And am I the only one that noticed now answer was given to the "virus" question? Instead we have the usual candidates - government conspiracies, electricity, chemicals, population, religion and evolutionary psychology.So, is/was there a virus? The author assures us the answer to that lies in combining scientific research and religion.Now THAT'S original (LOL).

Ideology Masquerading as Literature
This book is clearly high concept, yet it disappoints on at least three levels: it is basically an ideological tract with a story thrown in; in many ways it is "junk science;" and the story and characters are essentially unbelievable.
Whatever one's own ideological viewpoint, in this case it is helpful to call a spade a spade: the author manages to exploit just about every issue dear to the hearts of a left-of-center world view: fundamentalist religion, uncaring large corporations, evil government intelligence agencies.The book's portrayals of these societal constructs are universally negative and stereotypical:of course the self-appointed evangelical is flawed and either (at best) unable to control the criminal behavior of his followers, or (at worst) the cause of their criminal behavior; of course the large corporation has deep secrets that must involve illegal activity; of course the intelligence agencies are non-accountable, evil and always willing to stamp on individuals' rights.The viewpoint the author would like us to adopt is astonishingly transparent.
At the end of the book, the author assures us that the science is "true."The problem is (again) a certain viewpoint is presented as the only viewpoint; or, if an alternative viewpoint is suggested (i.e., through the character of Jared Constantine) it is presented as flawed and obviously wrong.For example, the message the book presents about games theory is basically that it teaches aggression is never rewarded, and cooperation (non-aggression) is always more efficient.A review of the literature concerning just, say, the Prisoner's Dilemma makes it clear that games theory is not so black and white -- the effectiveness or efficiency of any particular approach depends on the facts and circumstances of the particular situation, non-aggression is not always "bad."But, of course, it is more convenient to present a simplistic, one-sided view, because it supports the author's apparent world view: if we could all just work together, sing "kumbaya" as we travel the road of life, there would be no wars, no violence.That is not what games theory says, or not all that it says.
It is interesting that Amazon's summary points up the inevitable comparison of Michael Crichton with this author.However, in a recent Parade article, Crichton tells us, for example, that fears of negative health effects from EMF have been thoroughly debunked, yet EMF plays a prominent part in this book.Which author should we believe?Crichton's most recent book, "State of Fear" debunks global warming (how did Hecht leave global warming out of Babel Effect?A glaring omission.)
Finally, just a few of the factors that make the book unbelievable: first, someone like Ryan McCloud simply could not possibly exist.Second, the credibility of finding Jessamine at the refugee camp was zero.Third, the episode of Ryan's imprisonment was too obvious of a plot mechanism (how else could Jessamine have been conveniently kidnapped?).Fourth, the ending was just too syrupy.
Two final comments.As yet another example of the author's ideological leanings, if the theory of the book is followed to its logical conclusion (behavior is genetic and biological), then of course no one has to ever worry about taking responsibility for his or her own acts -- it's a disease (i.e., obesity is a disease, has nothing to do with diet or exercise; ditto for osteoporosis).But, the author at the end cannot bring himself to draw the obvious conclusion -- if "bad" behavior is a disease, then a "medicine" could be developed to correct the problem.However, in order to do that, the author would have to turn to pharmaceutical companies for the solution, which certainly have to be on the author's ideological blacklist.So he's painted himself into a corner on that one.Finally, the author makes the following statement on his web site: "Recent advances in neurology, neurochemistry, and cognitive neuroscience are rapidly changing our view of self, family, society, behavior, belief, values, good and evil, and personal responsibility."www.danielhecht.com.This statement, like its author, is wearing blinders.No, these things are not changing our view.They may be helping to form the views of a certain intellectual elite (the "blue states" from the last Presidential election come to mind).But the folks in the "red states" still have their old-fashioned moral and religious values.Mr. Hecht obviously pities these folks for clinging to their primitive beliefs, which, as all policy wonks know, fly in the face of "true" science.The pity is perhaps misplaced.

Good combination of relationship and science
The title book caught my eye on the shelf and I could hardly put it down.The science was interesting, and the relationships were as well.Perhaps for someone in the field it was too simplistic, but for a reasonably intelligent person not in the field, it was a stimulating and gripping read.

the usual scientists..
I must say I'm a bit biased, because I usually don't read this genre of books. It seemed interesting though, as it claimed to be a scientific thriller, and I'm a scientist who likes suspense.

I got immediately put off by the way it is written. So many clichés! And the scientists - sigh. They always have to be extreme geniuses, while nothing in the text shows that they actually are. I was not once impressed with any observation that was made. Then, their 'difficult' backgrounds make the story go a bit more downhill. It's all so easy! I would sooner take up an Agatha Christie I have read many times had I known what the book would be like.

One plus is that he makes science sound interesting. All in all, the science in the book is too simplistic for such a complicated problem, but I understand you have to compromise.

I would not recommend this book. I have read far more interesting scientific novels, of which 'A scientific romance' by Ronald Wright is one.

One comment on the editorial at amazon: much of the book is about who kidnapped Jess, and the editorial writes it down in one sentence as if it is a triviality! Thank you for giving it all away directly!

Gripping page turner
Hecht is an entertaining, intriguing writer.This is his second novel I have read (Skull Session is the first).He delves into interesting topics that create psychological thrillers.This book, in addition to being a book I couldn't put down, focuses on deeply philosophical and even spiritual issues that strike the heart of human behavior and responsibility.

The only shortcoming in this book is the role of a religious-zealot-wacko who plays a prominent part.Although probably a realistic type of character, I just was not able to logically connect his mission and what would motivate him to kidnap a scientist.It seems incongruent that such a zealot would ever consider little knows scientific evidence to actually threaten his empire of mind numb followers.

Otherwise, the characters are interesting and the story creative and intelligent.If you like this, I recommend Skull Session too. ... Read more

Amazon.com
If it's New Orleans and the novel's main characters have been dead foryears but are still walking around terrorizing people, it must be an Anne Riceadventure. But it isn't--it's the first in a new series starring a fascinatingheroine, Seattle parapsychologist Cree Black, whose own murky past and specialgifts make her the perfect choice to investigate a haunted house in the GardenDistrict and the family that's slowly being scared to death. Lila Beauforte hasmoved back into her ancestral home, now inhabited by ghosts who seem bent ondriving her out. Cree, her senses more attuned to the presence of revenants thanflesh-and-blood bad guys, shakes enough closets in Beauforte House to bring theskeletons out, solve mysteries of the past as well as the present, and fall inlove with an equally appealing if more traditional investigator of theunconscious who may be able to help her free herself from her own emotionalprison. She's a smart, vulnerable, and attractive character in an unearthly andunusual thriller that starts off a promising new series with a howl and presagesa long run on the bestseller list. --Jane AdamsBook Description

Customer Reviews (19)

From J. Kaye's Book Blog
Hecht did a bang-up job of researching the world of a paranormal researcher, but this was a double edged sword as it drowned out whatever suspense the story might have had.

A very well written ghost mystery
Hecht has written a story that holds together in an interesting way. The prose is engaging and pulls you through a story that has some awkward flaws.

Primarily, the strength of Cree Black and the Beauforte family lays in the fullness of the characters that slowly come forwards. Another strong point is that of the mystery surrounding the ghosts Cree Black has come to investigate. The entire story revolves around a rape that occurred thirty years ago and the after math that unfolds around it.

Strangely enough, the weakest parts of the story are the ghost aspects. Cree Black, as interesting as she is, undergoes several supernatural experiences that reveal the buried mystery. Instead of deduction and sleuth work, Black uncovers the past through encounters with spirits. I kind of find this as being silly and was unable to believe that all the most important points of enlightenment come through ghosts that guide the story along.

That aside, this was an enjoyable story, though I don't see myself recommending it to anyone. Their are just too many other books out there that are better than this.

Good one by Hecht
This was a very good book.It did tend to drag a bit in spots but as a whole it was very good and the guilty party was a big surprise.The next Cree Black adventure is hopefully just as good.I am looking forward to reading it.Love the spookers.

interesting premise...disappoints
I really started out liking this story.Loved the New Orleans setting and the idea of ghost hunting combined with a possible hoodoo/voodoo connection.But the character of Cree Black got on my nerves so bad that I found myself not caring much about her one way or the other.She is supposed to be a 'brilliant' Ph.D in psychology, but she's an emotional train wreck who can hardly navigate her way through life.Why anyone would pay her thousands to exorcise their ghosts is beyond me.She's ineffectual, totally incapable of intimacy, lies compulsively to her friends and family, and seems stuck in this self-pity time warp over her husband who died 9 years ago!Please!

A terrific New Orleans Experience
If you love New Orleans, like I do, you will also love this book.The author does a wonderful job of capturing the "feel" of New Orleans and tells a darn good story in the process.Couldn't put it down.It is scary so don't read it if you are alone in the house... ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 1549. ... Read more

Product Description
It began when three people were found killed in northern New Jersey, then three in Manhattan, and another in the Bronx in a thirteen-month period. All of them were hung up with strings attached to their limbs, like puppets. The New Jersey State Police had started calling him Howdy Doody, after the famous TV puppet. Several months after he is caught, State Police detective Mo Ford finds another victim killed and arranged in exactly the same way. Is it a copycat crime or did the police catch the wrong man? ... Read more