Their Wildest Dreams

by Peter Abrahams

Book Overview

"Peter Abrahams is my favorite American suspense novelist."--Stephen King "Mackie dreaded the mail." From this simple beginning, Peter Abrahams opens the curtains on a mesmerizing world down on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345439392
• ISBN13: 9780345439390
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 291 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Character rich increasingly fast paced novel

Several stories of varied characters converge in a literally explosive climax in this extraordinarily well written novel. On the Mexican US border outside of Tucson, lives Mackie Larkin, a divorced housewife who dreams of owning a dance studio but after a failed real estate deal, desperately needs money just to make ends meet. Her daughter, Lianne falls for an older man who works at the same ranch her father does. Nicholas Loeb is a mystery writer who travels to rural Arizona to get hands on experience in law enforcement. Buck Samsonov is a crime lord who runs a couple of strip joints in the region. All their paths converge in this very clever crime novel. The question is who will be on top in the end. After a slow start the plot becomes increasingly fast paced once we get to know each of the characters and their separate problems. Alternate chapters are used initially to reveal the individual characters. Part of the change in momentum occurs when the characters' lives converge making the separation by chapter no longer necessary. The characters, a major strength of the work, are all original creations. The conclusion is a bit problematic and unrealistic. However, this one is well written and very much worthy of a reader's time.

Their Wildest Dreams

When Stephen King insists that Peter Abrahams is "my favorite American suspense novelist", I take an immediate interest in that author. And I have yet to be disappointed. Page-turners like The Tudor and The Fan set the hook deep in my throat, forcing me to become a huge Abrahams' fan. Then along comes Their Wildest Dreams. Where most successful authors appear to follow a formula, Mr. Abrahams threw this avid reader a curveball that caught me completely by surprise, while distancing himself from his earlier thrillers. But don't be disillusioned. Their Wildest Dreams is a great read with layered characters that you'll really care about. If he ever decides to give up writing--God, I hope not--maybe, just maybe he should look into becoming a magician. How can an author juggle the lives of so many convincing characters without losing the audience? Ask Peter Abrahams. How can an author take an average teenage girl, a divorced mom, loser dad, and a struggling mystery writer, and make a compelling story? Read Their Wildest Dreams. After I read this novel, I found myself looking at my female neighbors with a discriminating eye. Could one of these moms be a stripper in Fort Erie, Canada? Obviously, Mr. Abrahams did his homework on a number of subjects, including his fictional writer, Nick Loeb who learned how to "do women." For those with some dirty thoughts: Give depth to a woman character. Their Wildest Dream is a terrific read worthy of your attention.

get ready for a wild, wild ride

Having read a lot Peter Abrahams' books, this one is definitely the best. I love Abrahams' style. Not for one moment is the reader's interest allowed to wane. His character descriptions are brilliant which shows his great grasp of the human race, the so-called "normal" people and life's oddballs. True, Mackie does sound a little bit too good to be true but I suppose there are people like that. My imagination was also a bit stretched by the fact that Lianne, a wholesome, well-brought up teenager, would suddenly not only think of a crime but would be prepared to participate in it. Other than these two instances, I found the rest very believable indeed. Anyway, buy this book, borrow it from a friend or go to your local library. A treat awaits you. Also, I think it is time that Abrahams' older books were brought back into print. I am sure there are enough other readers like myself who don't only read "new" books. Yes, looking at the date of first publication is interesting, but certainly not an indication of whether the book should be read or not.

memorable suspense thriller

Mackie learned what a louse her husband was after she discovered he was cheating on her and divorced her. The housing development they were creating went into foreclosure and the bank took possession of it leaving her and her daughter Lianne barely able to afford the payments on the model house. When she gets a notice from the IRS saying she owes over $100,000, she finds out Kevin did some financial maneuvering that make her liable for the bill.Her friend gives her the idea of stripping as a way of getting back on her feet financially and the Tucson resident travels to the border town of Aqua Fria where she gets hired on as an exotic dancer at Buckaroo's. The owner of the club Buck Samsanov also owns the local bank. He has a scheme where one of his workers robs the place and he gets the money back plus the insurance. Through a quirky set of circumstances, Mackie winds up with the money, Lianne's boyfriend is dead, and Kevin is kidnapped. A crime writer looking for inspiration winds up in the middle of the whole mess and manages to make matters worse.This suspense thriller is a memorable reading experience due to the cast of characters who are unique and believable. Peter Abrahams has a colorful writing style and his prose is a work of art even with plenty of farcical humor that lowers the tension level when the reader needs a bit of relief from the almost non-stop action. Once again, Mr. Abrahams proves he is one of the grandmasters of suspense.Harriet Klausner