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Or She Dies
Patrick Davis is a man with troubles. First his Hollywood dreams crumble and then his storybook marriage hits a snag. Now, DVDs start being delivered to his house, DVDs which show that someone is watching him and his wife, that the two of them are being stalked and recorded by cameras hidden in their house.
Then the emails start, and someone offers to fix everything, to take the mess his life has become and make it all right. Patrick figures it's the offer of a lifetime. But Patrick couldn't be more wrong. With every step he falls deeper into a web of intrigue that threatens everything he values in this world. Before he knows it, he's in and in deep, and his only escape is to outwit and outplay his unseen opponents at their own game.
Then the emails start, and someone offers to fix everything, to take the mess his life has become and make it all right. Patrick figures it's the offer of a lifetime. But Patrick couldn't be more wrong. With every step he falls deeper into a web of intrigue that threatens everything he values in this world. Before he knows it, he's in and in deep, and his only escape is to outwit and outplay his unseen opponents at their own game.
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
About the author
Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
158 books6,282 followersGregg Hurwitz is the critically acclaimed, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 20 novels, including OUT OF THE DARK (2019). His novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 30 languages.
He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles.
He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews
August 3, 2010
What a contrived mess of a book!
If an international business developing whale confusing sonar wanted to kill a movie star who was also a sort of schizo environmentalist, they would just make him have an accident.
In this book instead of the obvious they spend days (and hundreds of pages) trying to make a script writer look guilty of murder. Sheesh!
Clearly this is designed as a vehicle for Bruce Willis or some Bruce Willis-wannabe. The script writer is tortured in nearly every manner imaginable except crucifiction before he brings the international corporation and it's henchmen to their knees. (By the way... this review is more entertaining than the book was.)
Patrick Davis, the ersatz hero of the book isn't the wanna-be-Hollywood darling. The author of this book, Gregg Hurwitz is.
Don't waste time reading this book. Wait for the made for tv movie.
If an international business developing whale confusing sonar wanted to kill a movie star who was also a sort of schizo environmentalist, they would just make him have an accident.
In this book instead of the obvious they spend days (and hundreds of pages) trying to make a script writer look guilty of murder. Sheesh!
Clearly this is designed as a vehicle for Bruce Willis or some Bruce Willis-wannabe. The script writer is tortured in nearly every manner imaginable except crucifiction before he brings the international corporation and it's henchmen to their knees. (By the way... this review is more entertaining than the book was.)
Patrick Davis, the ersatz hero of the book isn't the wanna-be-Hollywood darling. The author of this book, Gregg Hurwitz is.
Don't waste time reading this book. Wait for the made for tv movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2012
When I first started this book I thought it would be really good. It was different than a lot of mystery/thrillers. For the first several chapters, the main character is trying to figure out who might be messing with him. On top of going through a tough time in his marriage and career it was interesting to see the scenarios he put forth. However, as the book went on, more and more less interesting characters were added and I began to lose interest and get confused with what became a pretty lame conspiracy plot. I was really hoping I had found another great author that I could read several books from but it did not live up to my expectations.
July 24, 2010
Trying not to sound like a book jacket blurb, but I stayed up until almost 3 in the morning just to finish it. A gripping, suspenseful story with twists and turns that will leave you spinning. I'll admit to a bit of homefield advantage, if you live in the L.A. area the author does a great job of evoking well know landmarks all the way down to the back side of the Valley. It's refreshing to have a protaganist who isn't ex-special forces or law enforcement trying to deal with a situation out of their control. If you enjoy suspense stories, this is a well-crafted one with an intersting twist.
February 29, 2016
Hurwitz is quickly becoming a go-to author for me in the thriller genre. This is the second book I've read from him and I was very happy with it. The main character is Patrick Davis, a screenwriter who becomes a failure almost as quickly as he makes it big. He starts receiving DVDs of recordings of himself in his day to day life and has no idea why or who's doing it. Until he gets a phone call with a voice distorted saying, "So......are you ready to get started?". I was hooked for the entire ride. I don't want to give anything away with the plot so I'll just say that I could really see this as a movie........with Ryan Reynolds as the lead.......I'm jus' sayin'. :)
July 13, 2014
It has always puzzled me how an author can write one excellent book only to have another of their books be a complete bomb. This has happened often in my reading lately and has happened with the books that I've just read of Gregg Hurwitz. His YOU'RE NEXT was a wonderful read and THEY'RE WATCHING, which I'm reviewing here, was "OMG, when will it ever end?!" OR, how the first half of the book can be readable/somewhat interesting and the second half reads like the instructions for a root canal.
The biggest flaw throughout the book was its TOTAL unbelievability.
1st half = a struggling novelist/screenwriter Patrick Davis whose book is in movie production has a physical altercation w/ the lead actor, causing Patrick to be fired w/ a lawsuit pending. Thereafter, w/ things not going well between him and his wife, he starts receiving electronic secret messages that ORDER him to do certain preposterous things for which he feels a sense of responsibility but that make NO sense e.g. he is ordered to pick up a duffel bag containing $27,000+ and take it to this house (fake), to this woman ( a fake actor) for her to use for her sick granddaughter's (there is none)operation and w/out this money she will die. "They" have completely rigged his home w/ state-of-the-art surveillance equipment and have tracking devices in his shoes, on his car = all designed to control and keep him on edge and in-line but.... WHY would he even play their game in the first place? They obviously aren't going to harm him because IF they wanted him dead, he would be so by now, so doing all these strange things he feels he must do stretches one's credulity, big-time. Then the actor is found dead, beaten to death by Patrick's golf club, so now he's wanted for murder, and so that he continues to follow orders, they show him a picture of his wife who "looks" dead, but he has no proof of a body, just a photo, YET Patrick continues to believe, while I'm shaking my head in disbelief.
The second half of the book is the root canal part: it seems that the lead actor was making a documentary about the harmful effects of high sonar decibels on whales and a Senate vote to stop this is imminent. Two huge corporations involved in sonar research, development, marketing want the documentary stopped and decide that only by killing the actor would movie production shut down. All well and good? NOT!! I believe that billion dollar corporations would/could just contract to have someone killed and have the mess covered up, OR put money into lobbyists' hands or into Senators' elections funds to halt this vote. But EVERYTHING that they did, day after day after day, to pin the wrap onto Patrick was just ludicrous; I can't believe it would happen that way.
At first, all the hoops they put Patrick through aroused my curiosity, but it just went on and on, becoming more bizarre. Everything hinged on damaging information contained on this one disc that had been hidden in a Fed Ex package, which was miraculously found, Patrick was free, reunited w/ his wife, and at the end we find him working in a nice teaching position, happily ever after, with the mess over and done with. Egads! I couldn't delete from my Kindle fast enough !
The biggest flaw throughout the book was its TOTAL unbelievability.
1st half = a struggling novelist/screenwriter Patrick Davis whose book is in movie production has a physical altercation w/ the lead actor, causing Patrick to be fired w/ a lawsuit pending. Thereafter, w/ things not going well between him and his wife, he starts receiving electronic secret messages that ORDER him to do certain preposterous things for which he feels a sense of responsibility but that make NO sense e.g. he is ordered to pick up a duffel bag containing $27,000+ and take it to this house (fake), to this woman ( a fake actor) for her to use for her sick granddaughter's (there is none)operation and w/out this money she will die. "They" have completely rigged his home w/ state-of-the-art surveillance equipment and have tracking devices in his shoes, on his car = all designed to control and keep him on edge and in-line but.... WHY would he even play their game in the first place? They obviously aren't going to harm him because IF they wanted him dead, he would be so by now, so doing all these strange things he feels he must do stretches one's credulity, big-time. Then the actor is found dead, beaten to death by Patrick's golf club, so now he's wanted for murder, and so that he continues to follow orders, they show him a picture of his wife who "looks" dead, but he has no proof of a body, just a photo, YET Patrick continues to believe, while I'm shaking my head in disbelief.
The second half of the book is the root canal part: it seems that the lead actor was making a documentary about the harmful effects of high sonar decibels on whales and a Senate vote to stop this is imminent. Two huge corporations involved in sonar research, development, marketing want the documentary stopped and decide that only by killing the actor would movie production shut down. All well and good? NOT!! I believe that billion dollar corporations would/could just contract to have someone killed and have the mess covered up, OR put money into lobbyists' hands or into Senators' elections funds to halt this vote. But EVERYTHING that they did, day after day after day, to pin the wrap onto Patrick was just ludicrous; I can't believe it would happen that way.
At first, all the hoops they put Patrick through aroused my curiosity, but it just went on and on, becoming more bizarre. Everything hinged on damaging information contained on this one disc that had been hidden in a Fed Ex package, which was miraculously found, Patrick was free, reunited w/ his wife, and at the end we find him working in a nice teaching position, happily ever after, with the mess over and done with. Egads! I couldn't delete from my Kindle fast enough !
June 4, 2012
Eh, I am not sure about this book. It is clear other readers really enjoyed it, but I honestly lost my interest about a third of the way through. I was hooked at the beginning of the book, but near the end my patience was waning and I just wanted it to end. I can’t suspend my disbelief long enough to justify or understand the main character’s actions. He had nothing to hide, so why go about following directions from a strange source. Basically it began with “Oh no, you caught me at home peeing and drinking coffee, let me follow everything you say in fear of being exposed.” Maybe I just lack sympathy for moronic characters that cause their own misery.
I am glad I didn't buy this book. I would have been disappointed in spending 25 bucks for this hardcover that just was just so tedious to finish.
I am glad I didn't buy this book. I would have been disappointed in spending 25 bucks for this hardcover that just was just so tedious to finish.
November 24, 2012
I see this book reviews well, so I guess I'm in the minority on this one, but I gotta say..
This book is an implausibility sandwich with a side of cliche.
I completely checked out when
Come ON!!!
This book is an implausibility sandwich with a side of cliche.
I completely checked out when
Come ON!!!
December 24, 2016
Una novela con un argumento solido y bien trabajado pero con una narrativa demasiado aburrida.
"O ella muere" me dejó con un sabor amargo, pero por sobre todas las cosas es una novela que me decepcionó abismalmente. Me llevó cien páginas meterme de lleno en la historia, porque lleva su tiempo entender hacia dónde va apuntando la historia. Sí, sabés que lo están espiando, sabés que hay un clima tenso, pero no sabés bien a dónde quieren llegar.
La historia está narrada desde el punto de vista de Patrick, un personaje chato, plano y poco interesante. Me costó muchísimo encontrar un punto de conexión, de algo que me hiciera mantenerme aferrado a la historia. La historia del conflicto con su esposa es irrelevante a la trama así que pueden salteárselo. El único personaje que me encantó fue el de la detective Sally.
La historia principal tiene giros interesantes que te cambian toda la estructura que se venía construyendo y estaban puestos en los momentos justos, donde menos te los ves venir. Te impulsaban a querer saber cómo diablos se solucionaría todo. El problema es que el resto del tiempo la novela es un bodrio. Patrick no es interesante, su prosa es demasiado aburrida, descriptiva hasta el hartazgo y luchás constantemente con el impulso de abandonarla.
Llegando a la última parte de la historia todo se va al garete, poco dinámico, la resolución a todo el gran dilema es muy meh... terminé la novela salteándome los párrafos y leyendo los diálogos, y a veces ni eso.
En fin. Me gustó y la detesté. Si la hubieran escrito en tercera persona podría haber sido más interesante, o por lo menos más entretenida. Creo que el autor tiene talento a la hora de armar un argumento, así que le daré otras oportunidades en el futuro, además sostengo que pudo tener un poco de culpa la traducción, que hizo que no me terminara conformando del todo.
Aún así, insisto, el argumento está bueno. Por lo menos habría que darle crédito y chance por ese lado.
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Mi blog
"O ella muere" me dejó con un sabor amargo, pero por sobre todas las cosas es una novela que me decepcionó abismalmente. Me llevó cien páginas meterme de lleno en la historia, porque lleva su tiempo entender hacia dónde va apuntando la historia. Sí, sabés que lo están espiando, sabés que hay un clima tenso, pero no sabés bien a dónde quieren llegar.
La historia está narrada desde el punto de vista de Patrick, un personaje chato, plano y poco interesante. Me costó muchísimo encontrar un punto de conexión, de algo que me hiciera mantenerme aferrado a la historia. La historia del conflicto con su esposa es irrelevante a la trama así que pueden salteárselo. El único personaje que me encantó fue el de la detective Sally.
La historia principal tiene giros interesantes que te cambian toda la estructura que se venía construyendo y estaban puestos en los momentos justos, donde menos te los ves venir. Te impulsaban a querer saber cómo diablos se solucionaría todo. El problema es que el resto del tiempo la novela es un bodrio. Patrick no es interesante, su prosa es demasiado aburrida, descriptiva hasta el hartazgo y luchás constantemente con el impulso de abandonarla.
Llegando a la última parte de la historia todo se va al garete, poco dinámico, la resolución a todo el gran dilema es muy meh... terminé la novela salteándome los párrafos y leyendo los diálogos, y a veces ni eso.
En fin. Me gustó y la detesté. Si la hubieran escrito en tercera persona podría haber sido más interesante, o por lo menos más entretenida. Creo que el autor tiene talento a la hora de armar un argumento, así que le daré otras oportunidades en el futuro, además sostengo que pudo tener un poco de culpa la traducción, que hizo que no me terminara conformando del todo.
Aún así, insisto, el argumento está bueno. Por lo menos habría que darle crédito y chance por ese lado.
Mi blog
June 23, 2015
Read by Scott Brick, approximately 14 hours of listening. First, let me definitively state I am a fan of Hurwitz. He is a very prolific, provocative writer, and I’ve enjoyed many of his thrilling books. Not this one, however. In fact, I couldn’t finish. I listened to well over half of this book, and still have no idea why anybody would go to the extremes defined to freak out the main character. No hint whatsoever, no foreshadowing of a possible reason as to why he is so viciously terrorized. Nothing. Just a long diatribe describing hidden cameras, un-nerving events, a dysfunctional relationship, a weak main character. I got burned out by Chapter 20.
The main character is a nobody, a failure at everything including his marriage and career. It might even be worth continuing if the lead was a significant success at something. I decided I didn’t care enough about the guy to listen any further to find out who was after his sorry ass and why. Sorry, Mr. Hurwitz. This one is one of your ‘oops’ books.
Unless you simply enjoy listening to Scott Brick, which is understandable … this book is not one I can recommend.
The main character is a nobody, a failure at everything including his marriage and career. It might even be worth continuing if the lead was a significant success at something. I decided I didn’t care enough about the guy to listen any further to find out who was after his sorry ass and why. Sorry, Mr. Hurwitz. This one is one of your ‘oops’ books.
Unless you simply enjoy listening to Scott Brick, which is understandable … this book is not one I can recommend.
October 23, 2020
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
-Anonymous
About a decade ago, I picked up a copy of They're Watching while working at Borders Bookstore. I put the book on my bookshelf and picked it back up in 2020. Because I waited ten years, some of the technology and cultural references are now somewhat dated. There are many references to Hollywood and films. The novel is filled with non-stop twists and conspiracies - for me it was a bit too much, but overall I liked the book.
Favorite Passages:
Navigating a hairpin turn, I gripped the steering wheel hard and did my best not to slide in the driver's seat. If the butcher knife tucked beneath the back of my thigh shifted, it would open up my leg.
_______
For me, growing up, there was nothing like the movies. A dilapidated theater within biking distance and second-run matinees for $2.25. As an eight-year-old, I paid in quarters I earned collecting soda cans for recycling. Saturdays the theater was my classroom, Sundays my temple.
_______
It took years for me to realize that in L.A. everybody is an outsider. Some are just better at nodding along to the music we're supposed to be hearing. Follow Your Dreams, Never Give Up.
_______
Never Give Up, they say.
Follow Your Dreams.
Another adage, perhaps, would have been more apt.
Careful What You Wish For.
_______
I had to choose roles, and I chose wrong.
Follow Your Dreams, they say. But no one ever tells you what you have to give up in the process. The sacrifices. The thousand ways your life can go to hell while you keep your eyes on the horizon, waiting for that sun to rise.
_______
. . . he hadn't really been out of town but instead tiptoeing around rooftops with camcorders like a perved-out Santa Claus.
________
"'Guy,'" she noticed. "You said 'the guy.'"
"Better odds for an intruder. Plus, the gloved hand looked masculine."
"Just a little big, really. Maybe it's a woman retaining water."
________
"It's a weird age, and I'm not handling it so well. The world closed in on me in a hurry, and my life doesn't have a lot of what I hoped it would. The one thing I have that feels special is you."
_______
"You okay?"
A faint nod. "My mama said I'll never make it, that I ain't no filmmaker. She said I'd just as soon be a Chinese acrobat. You think that's true?"
"I don't know," I said. "I don't teach Chinese acrobatics."
_______
"You seen that kid's drawings? All fucked-up beheadings and dragons and shit. We joke he gonna be V Tech up in here, you feel me?"
"V Tech?"
"Virginia Tech." Diondre made a pistol of his hand and shot it around the empty chairs.
"In my day, I said with a grimace, "we called it 'postal.'"
_______
So far he had a castrating wizard who targeted jocks, a serial vandal who kidnapped Baby Jesuses from Christmas nativity scenes, and a girl who had resorted to cutting because she was so misunderstood by her parents. Standard disaffected adolescent far, half goth, half emo, and all seemingly harmless enough.
_______
From behind, I heard, "ON FEBRUARY NINTH, PATRICK DAVIS HAS. NOWHERE. LEFT. TO HIDE."
I said, "Today's the tenth, Marcello."
"Oh." He frowned. "ON FEBRUARY TENTH -"
I closed the door behind me.
________
When I opened the front door, an alarm screeched through the house. I started, dropping my briefcase, papers sliding out across the floor. A door shoved open upstairs, and a moment later Ariana thumped down the stairs, wielding a badminton racket. Taking note of me, she exhaled, then jabbed at the keypad by the banister. The alarm silenced.
I said, "Lawn party?"
"It was the first ting I could grab in the closet."
"There's a baseball bat in the corner. A tennis racket. But badminton? What were you gonna do, pelt the intruder with birdies?"
"Yeah, and then he'd slip on your papers."
We took a moment to smirk at our feeble reactions.
________
". . . a week ago this all looked perfect. And it felt like shit living here. At least it's honest now. This mess. This is where we are."
_______
A collision of alternate selves, a crossroads to alternate futures.
_______
I did my best to keep my eyes from those slash lines on his wrists. Instead I looked at my hands, scuffed up with scabs and scar tissue of my own. Regret, and the marks it leaves on us.
_______
"You're all over this. Investigating, figuring out the angles."
"It's like writing, I guess."
"Yeah, but you're good at this."
_______
Thrown up like a peacock's tail, part enticement, part aggression. All that money, and still not enough. Cheaper the farther you wade in. I recalled the first time I walked behind a set on the lot at Summit, how those great Norman Rockwell exteriors gave way to scaffolding and two-by-fours, and how it felt like catching Santa Claus, beardless and undershirted, in the department-store locker room.
_______
"They went through everything. My fucking Tampax carton. They emptied the trash. I came into the bedroom, a cop was reading my journal. He didn't apologize. He just turned the page."
_______
"If you change your personality, give me a ring."
_______
Lonely-hearts scams and death threats and chickens coming home to roost. Another solid cover for a murder that was nothing more than a cold efficiency.
_______
All those bits and pieces, sliding into alignment.
I felt a quickening of the blood, a predatory thrill at breaking through to the heart of the matter.
_______
A misinterpretation, a white handkerchief, and a few well-placed nudges. How easily they'd knocked me off course, a tap at a time, until the world in my head no longer matched the world outside. My palm was flat against the cool window, my quick breath fogging the glass. Fragmented reflections stared back at me, bruise-faced and stupefied.
________
There were more variables than I could wrap my sleep-deprived mind around, and if any one of them tilted in the wrong direction, I'd be making funeral arrangements, standing trial, or filling out a casket.
________
My life isn't like Enemy of the State anymore. It's not Body Heat or Pay it Forward either.
It's my life.
-Anonymous
About a decade ago, I picked up a copy of They're Watching while working at Borders Bookstore. I put the book on my bookshelf and picked it back up in 2020. Because I waited ten years, some of the technology and cultural references are now somewhat dated. There are many references to Hollywood and films. The novel is filled with non-stop twists and conspiracies - for me it was a bit too much, but overall I liked the book.
Favorite Passages:
Navigating a hairpin turn, I gripped the steering wheel hard and did my best not to slide in the driver's seat. If the butcher knife tucked beneath the back of my thigh shifted, it would open up my leg.
_______
For me, growing up, there was nothing like the movies. A dilapidated theater within biking distance and second-run matinees for $2.25. As an eight-year-old, I paid in quarters I earned collecting soda cans for recycling. Saturdays the theater was my classroom, Sundays my temple.
_______
It took years for me to realize that in L.A. everybody is an outsider. Some are just better at nodding along to the music we're supposed to be hearing. Follow Your Dreams, Never Give Up.
_______
Never Give Up, they say.
Follow Your Dreams.
Another adage, perhaps, would have been more apt.
Careful What You Wish For.
_______
I had to choose roles, and I chose wrong.
Follow Your Dreams, they say. But no one ever tells you what you have to give up in the process. The sacrifices. The thousand ways your life can go to hell while you keep your eyes on the horizon, waiting for that sun to rise.
_______
. . . he hadn't really been out of town but instead tiptoeing around rooftops with camcorders like a perved-out Santa Claus.
________
"'Guy,'" she noticed. "You said 'the guy.'"
"Better odds for an intruder. Plus, the gloved hand looked masculine."
"Just a little big, really. Maybe it's a woman retaining water."
________
"It's a weird age, and I'm not handling it so well. The world closed in on me in a hurry, and my life doesn't have a lot of what I hoped it would. The one thing I have that feels special is you."
_______
"You okay?"
A faint nod. "My mama said I'll never make it, that I ain't no filmmaker. She said I'd just as soon be a Chinese acrobat. You think that's true?"
"I don't know," I said. "I don't teach Chinese acrobatics."
_______
"You seen that kid's drawings? All fucked-up beheadings and dragons and shit. We joke he gonna be V Tech up in here, you feel me?"
"V Tech?"
"Virginia Tech." Diondre made a pistol of his hand and shot it around the empty chairs.
"In my day, I said with a grimace, "we called it 'postal.'"
_______
So far he had a castrating wizard who targeted jocks, a serial vandal who kidnapped Baby Jesuses from Christmas nativity scenes, and a girl who had resorted to cutting because she was so misunderstood by her parents. Standard disaffected adolescent far, half goth, half emo, and all seemingly harmless enough.
_______
From behind, I heard, "ON FEBRUARY NINTH, PATRICK DAVIS HAS. NOWHERE. LEFT. TO HIDE."
I said, "Today's the tenth, Marcello."
"Oh." He frowned. "ON FEBRUARY TENTH -"
I closed the door behind me.
________
When I opened the front door, an alarm screeched through the house. I started, dropping my briefcase, papers sliding out across the floor. A door shoved open upstairs, and a moment later Ariana thumped down the stairs, wielding a badminton racket. Taking note of me, she exhaled, then jabbed at the keypad by the banister. The alarm silenced.
I said, "Lawn party?"
"It was the first ting I could grab in the closet."
"There's a baseball bat in the corner. A tennis racket. But badminton? What were you gonna do, pelt the intruder with birdies?"
"Yeah, and then he'd slip on your papers."
We took a moment to smirk at our feeble reactions.
________
". . . a week ago this all looked perfect. And it felt like shit living here. At least it's honest now. This mess. This is where we are."
_______
A collision of alternate selves, a crossroads to alternate futures.
_______
I did my best to keep my eyes from those slash lines on his wrists. Instead I looked at my hands, scuffed up with scabs and scar tissue of my own. Regret, and the marks it leaves on us.
_______
"You're all over this. Investigating, figuring out the angles."
"It's like writing, I guess."
"Yeah, but you're good at this."
_______
Thrown up like a peacock's tail, part enticement, part aggression. All that money, and still not enough. Cheaper the farther you wade in. I recalled the first time I walked behind a set on the lot at Summit, how those great Norman Rockwell exteriors gave way to scaffolding and two-by-fours, and how it felt like catching Santa Claus, beardless and undershirted, in the department-store locker room.
_______
"They went through everything. My fucking Tampax carton. They emptied the trash. I came into the bedroom, a cop was reading my journal. He didn't apologize. He just turned the page."
_______
"If you change your personality, give me a ring."
_______
Lonely-hearts scams and death threats and chickens coming home to roost. Another solid cover for a murder that was nothing more than a cold efficiency.
_______
All those bits and pieces, sliding into alignment.
I felt a quickening of the blood, a predatory thrill at breaking through to the heart of the matter.
_______
A misinterpretation, a white handkerchief, and a few well-placed nudges. How easily they'd knocked me off course, a tap at a time, until the world in my head no longer matched the world outside. My palm was flat against the cool window, my quick breath fogging the glass. Fragmented reflections stared back at me, bruise-faced and stupefied.
________
There were more variables than I could wrap my sleep-deprived mind around, and if any one of them tilted in the wrong direction, I'd be making funeral arrangements, standing trial, or filling out a casket.
________
My life isn't like Enemy of the State anymore. It's not Body Heat or Pay it Forward either.
It's my life.
June 11, 2019
Kept me pressing (e-turning the page). There were a few points that were guessable but exciting nonetheless.
April 10, 2018
You could say it's unsurprising that acclaimed LA-based Gregg Hurwitz writes fast-paced thrillers; after all, his own life is pretty action-packed. Over the past decade since his debut THE TOWER broke through, in between penning several high-octane suspense novels (and having crazy adventures, e.g. blowing up cars, diving with sharks, joining biker runs through LA Canyon, or going undercover in a cult, all for research), he's been writing screenplays for film and TV, academic articles analysing Shakespeare (he studied literature at Harvard and Oxford), and graphic novels such as Punisher and Wolverine for Marvel. Applying some baseball parlance, Hurwitz is a rare 'five-tool player' – excelling in several diverse if related skill-sets, on the writing front.
OR SHE DIES, Hurwitz's tenth thriller, starts with a bang (literally), before taking us on a pulse-pounding journey as an ordinary man fights unseen forces. Patrick is having a horrible run; his breakthrough screenplay was slated for big success until the obnoxious lead actor falsely accused him of assault, he's being sued by the studio, the budding career he desired for so long is in tatters, and his neglected wife Ariana has had an affair with the neighbour. Washed up before he even really began, sleeping on the couch, and drifting through existence both at home and at his low-rent film teaching job, he feels he's hit bottom.
Then things get even worse – DVDs showing hidden-camera footage of Patrick and Ariana's disconnected domestic life start appearing. Someone is spying on them, and Patrick has no idea who or why. All he knows is that someone very powerful is out to get him, and he must follow their instructions or someone will die.
Hurwitz is a master at hooking readers early, reeling them in, and then slowly ratcheting up the tension more and more to explosive levels. Engrossing and intelligent – his books pull you along as well as making you think, both about what is happening (and may happen) in the plot, but also about some wider issues.
It may sound like a reviewer's cliché, but I did actually find this book very, very hard to put down – I was picking it up at breaks and lunchtime as I couldn't wait until the end of the work day to find out what happened. Somewhat surprisingly, I even felt my own heart-rate rising at times as I read OR SHE DIES; I actually felt nervous for the characters, in a physical way rather than just as a fascinated if detached observer. Patrick is a flawed human being, as are all the characters (to varying degrees), but Hurwitz had me really caring what happened to him and those around him, which is a far deeper reason to keep reading than a simple ‘I wonder what will happen'.
Fans of writers like Linwood Barclay will appreciate the way Hurwitz creates tremendous suspense centred on a fairly ordinary guy, an everyman, rather than relying on spies or super-cops and their out-of-this-world antics. But although the book starts with domestic unease and in-the-home threats, it does rise towards something far greater in scope and scale in the latter stages – as Patrick discovers he's been treated as a disposable pawn in someone else's big-money board-game.
Hurwitz keeps a good handle on the tension and pace right throughout, and even though the reader's mind is racing, envisaging all sorts of potential reveals, he still manages to deliver several well-written surprises right up until the end.
You almost feel like you need a rest after this book. Or a lie down. OR SHE DIES was my first taste of Gregg Hurwitz. It certainly won't be the last.
OR SHE DIES, Hurwitz's tenth thriller, starts with a bang (literally), before taking us on a pulse-pounding journey as an ordinary man fights unseen forces. Patrick is having a horrible run; his breakthrough screenplay was slated for big success until the obnoxious lead actor falsely accused him of assault, he's being sued by the studio, the budding career he desired for so long is in tatters, and his neglected wife Ariana has had an affair with the neighbour. Washed up before he even really began, sleeping on the couch, and drifting through existence both at home and at his low-rent film teaching job, he feels he's hit bottom.
Then things get even worse – DVDs showing hidden-camera footage of Patrick and Ariana's disconnected domestic life start appearing. Someone is spying on them, and Patrick has no idea who or why. All he knows is that someone very powerful is out to get him, and he must follow their instructions or someone will die.
Hurwitz is a master at hooking readers early, reeling them in, and then slowly ratcheting up the tension more and more to explosive levels. Engrossing and intelligent – his books pull you along as well as making you think, both about what is happening (and may happen) in the plot, but also about some wider issues.
It may sound like a reviewer's cliché, but I did actually find this book very, very hard to put down – I was picking it up at breaks and lunchtime as I couldn't wait until the end of the work day to find out what happened. Somewhat surprisingly, I even felt my own heart-rate rising at times as I read OR SHE DIES; I actually felt nervous for the characters, in a physical way rather than just as a fascinated if detached observer. Patrick is a flawed human being, as are all the characters (to varying degrees), but Hurwitz had me really caring what happened to him and those around him, which is a far deeper reason to keep reading than a simple ‘I wonder what will happen'.
Fans of writers like Linwood Barclay will appreciate the way Hurwitz creates tremendous suspense centred on a fairly ordinary guy, an everyman, rather than relying on spies or super-cops and their out-of-this-world antics. But although the book starts with domestic unease and in-the-home threats, it does rise towards something far greater in scope and scale in the latter stages – as Patrick discovers he's been treated as a disposable pawn in someone else's big-money board-game.
Hurwitz keeps a good handle on the tension and pace right throughout, and even though the reader's mind is racing, envisaging all sorts of potential reveals, he still manages to deliver several well-written surprises right up until the end.
You almost feel like you need a rest after this book. Or a lie down. OR SHE DIES was my first taste of Gregg Hurwitz. It certainly won't be the last.
May 18, 2016
This is such a twisty edge of your seat book, there were times I wasn’t sure what was going on but neither did the protagonists so it was perfect because I felt the same WTH moments as the Patrick did. I really enjoyed the way this was written, the suspense was palpable.
How would you react if you found out someone was watching and listening to everything you do? Then they tell you to go somewhere and what you find is a dead body with the cops on your heels? Is it the CIA? Is it Terrorists? Just a stalker with a grudge? What is going on? Do you give in or do you fight back and risk your life and the life of everyone you love? This book keeps you guessing all the way to the end.
I don’t want to give any more away because the unknown is what makes this book great. If you like a good psychological thriller I highly recommend giving this one a try!
As always Scott Brick’s narration is spot on and his narration of Patrick’s fear and anxiety just heightens the tension.
4 Stars
How would you react if you found out someone was watching and listening to everything you do? Then they tell you to go somewhere and what you find is a dead body with the cops on your heels? Is it the CIA? Is it Terrorists? Just a stalker with a grudge? What is going on? Do you give in or do you fight back and risk your life and the life of everyone you love? This book keeps you guessing all the way to the end.
I don’t want to give any more away because the unknown is what makes this book great. If you like a good psychological thriller I highly recommend giving this one a try!
As always Scott Brick’s narration is spot on and his narration of Patrick’s fear and anxiety just heightens the tension.
4 Stars
January 1, 2010
I was on the verge of giving up on this, as I found it very slow and a bit tedious however I stuck with it and almost halfway through the book the pace quickened and it started to become a page turner. I thought the ending was unsatisfactory though and to my mind, the actions didn't seem to fit in with the characters. Giving it 3 stars although it probably deserves 2.5!
September 18, 2014
Had a hard time finishing this one. Found protagonist difficult to root for. Story was beyond far-fetched.
November 26, 2019
Audio version of this book 📚- Very disappointed with this book , extremely far fetched and unbelievable storyline
June 29, 2023
My Goodness, I don't know how I finished this, but thank the Lord it's over!
July 24, 2023
A decent, emotionally gripping plot with a likable main character. It would have benefited from being more suspenseful.
November 6, 2017
לא דומה בכלום לפרויקט איקס. מאכזב מאד.
June 28, 2010
Whether it's on the right or wrong side of the law I prefer my crime story protagonists to have some experience with crime. If they don't know how to handle themselves in a fight or come up with strategic solutions to problems I'm usually not interested. So I'm not a fan of the crime and noir stories that involve everyday people who become ensnared in dark and disturbing plots. Gregg Hurwitz's latest thriller “They're Watching” is one of those types of tales though and I've enjoyed the writer's work on the Marvel Comics series “Vengeance of the Moon Knight”and the ABC television series “V”. Hurwitz has also written nine other crime and thriller novels and I always meant to give those a try. So I decided to pick up “They're Watching” and see what it was like. I'm glad I did.
“They're Watching” is a first person narrative told from the point of view of Patrick Davis, a man whose dream job and dream marriage have recently been taken from him. Davis was a screenwriter on the verge of his big break in Hollywood when the actions of a temperamental star got him blacklisted. Now he's eking out a living by teaching the art of screenwriting at a small college. That same star also orchestrated an incident that sent Patrick's marriage off the rails and onto the rocks.
When “They're Watching” begins Patrick's already shook up world gets tossed around even further by the arrival of some mysterious DVDs. The DVDs are of Patrick and his wife. They're being watched by shadowy enemies. Those enemy wants Patrick to do some jobs and it quickly becomes clear that they have the power enforce their will on Patrick. During the course of one job Patrick finds himself on the wrong side of the law and suddenly he has to deal with both the cops and his enigmatic assailants. In order to break free from his faceless adversaries, clear his name, and save his wife Patrick will have to call upon the friends he still has and a sense of cunning he's not sure he possesses.
In the first half of “They're Watching” Hurwitz really succeeds at creating a complex, shadowy, and scary mystery. At first you don't know the true agenda of the people watching Patrick and Hurwitz keeps you guessing right along with his protagonist. It made the early portion of the book a highly compelling read. The scenes where Patrick went on missions for his faceless enemies were full of fun tension. I truly felt like almost anything could happen.
In the later half of “They're Watching” you find out exactly what Patrick's enemies want him for and it still makes for an entertaining and satisfying read, but I didn't enjoy it much as the early scenes. I think it was a case of Hurwitz manipulating my imagination so that all that I thought was going on ended up being slightly more interesting than what was actually going on. Again though, that doesn't mean the second half of the book wasn't fun. There's a lot of twists and turns and you start to really admire how resourceful Patrick Davis becomes.
Another reason “They're Watching” works is because of the characters. At first you don't really like Patrick, but once you come to understand him, and the first person narrative helps with that, you start to root for him. And eventually it becomes clear that Patrick is guy who wants nothing more than the love of his wife and to make the world a better place. Some other interesting characters include the actor who screwed up Patrick's fantasy life, an older female but still very capable police detective, and an ex-cop who works as a consultant on movie sets.
So “They're Watching” was a fun and enjoyable thriller that has made me reconsider my thoughts on the average joe style crime story. Hurwitz shows that with the right blend of plot and characterization these types of tales can be just as fun and compelling as crime stories featuring skilled lawmen and lawbreakers.
“They're Watching” is a first person narrative told from the point of view of Patrick Davis, a man whose dream job and dream marriage have recently been taken from him. Davis was a screenwriter on the verge of his big break in Hollywood when the actions of a temperamental star got him blacklisted. Now he's eking out a living by teaching the art of screenwriting at a small college. That same star also orchestrated an incident that sent Patrick's marriage off the rails and onto the rocks.
When “They're Watching” begins Patrick's already shook up world gets tossed around even further by the arrival of some mysterious DVDs. The DVDs are of Patrick and his wife. They're being watched by shadowy enemies. Those enemy wants Patrick to do some jobs and it quickly becomes clear that they have the power enforce their will on Patrick. During the course of one job Patrick finds himself on the wrong side of the law and suddenly he has to deal with both the cops and his enigmatic assailants. In order to break free from his faceless adversaries, clear his name, and save his wife Patrick will have to call upon the friends he still has and a sense of cunning he's not sure he possesses.
In the first half of “They're Watching” Hurwitz really succeeds at creating a complex, shadowy, and scary mystery. At first you don't know the true agenda of the people watching Patrick and Hurwitz keeps you guessing right along with his protagonist. It made the early portion of the book a highly compelling read. The scenes where Patrick went on missions for his faceless enemies were full of fun tension. I truly felt like almost anything could happen.
In the later half of “They're Watching” you find out exactly what Patrick's enemies want him for and it still makes for an entertaining and satisfying read, but I didn't enjoy it much as the early scenes. I think it was a case of Hurwitz manipulating my imagination so that all that I thought was going on ended up being slightly more interesting than what was actually going on. Again though, that doesn't mean the second half of the book wasn't fun. There's a lot of twists and turns and you start to really admire how resourceful Patrick Davis becomes.
Another reason “They're Watching” works is because of the characters. At first you don't really like Patrick, but once you come to understand him, and the first person narrative helps with that, you start to root for him. And eventually it becomes clear that Patrick is guy who wants nothing more than the love of his wife and to make the world a better place. Some other interesting characters include the actor who screwed up Patrick's fantasy life, an older female but still very capable police detective, and an ex-cop who works as a consultant on movie sets.
So “They're Watching” was a fun and enjoyable thriller that has made me reconsider my thoughts on the average joe style crime story. Hurwitz shows that with the right blend of plot and characterization these types of tales can be just as fun and compelling as crime stories featuring skilled lawmen and lawbreakers.
August 12, 2013
So I am finally getting around to catching up on some older reads of mine that I never reviewed online and I thought I'd start with a book from one of my favourite "suspense" authors Gregg Hurwitz. Or She Dies AKA They're Watching is another twisted tale this time following Patrick Davis a man on the edge, with marriage and work issues, who discovers he is being watched. Emails arrive that seem to offer some hope of reprieve but as Patrick takes on the challenges he faces greater and greater danger.
This is not my favourite of Mr Hurwitz's novels hence the 3* rather than 4 or 5 but it is still a great edge of the seat read. I felt the standard dropped somewhat towards the end and it all became a bit of a mish mash - but up until that point I was as intrigued as I ever am when reading one of his novels. With the ending being less than satisfactory on a personal level I would say that this is definitely worth the time, but if you havent read Mr Hurwitz before then I would recommend starting with "Trust No-one" which shows this author at his best and leave this one for the time being until you have fallen in love with his writing.
This is not my favourite of Mr Hurwitz's novels hence the 3* rather than 4 or 5 but it is still a great edge of the seat read. I felt the standard dropped somewhat towards the end and it all became a bit of a mish mash - but up until that point I was as intrigued as I ever am when reading one of his novels. With the ending being less than satisfactory on a personal level I would say that this is definitely worth the time, but if you havent read Mr Hurwitz before then I would recommend starting with "Trust No-one" which shows this author at his best and leave this one for the time being until you have fallen in love with his writing.
March 15, 2021
353 páginas y 6 días después. El primer libro que leo del autor, pero que llegué por conexión a otro.
En general me cuesta mucho dar una calificación de 2, cuando es un libro que tenía una buena premisa, y sobre todo que tiene destellos de ser bueno. ¿Pero narrar en 353 páginas todo lo que NO se narra. Bien lo pudieron haber contado en 50 o 100 cómo máximo, es correcto todo lo demás es absoluta paja, y todos estamos de acuerdo que un Thriller debe ser ágil, no explicarme qué color me quedan los dedos después de un golpe.
Los capítulos son cortos, pero realmente hay muchos innecesarios. La empatía se esfumó, y el personaje principal me pareció más que patético. No se explota cuando se debe.
Me cuesta pensar que el autor haya ganado premios, y entiendo muchos de los guiños en el libro, pero es un libro bastante malo para ser un thriller de Best seller.
No puedo estar seguro que le daré otra oportunidad al autor. Pero evidentemente estoy molesto por haberle invertido tanto.
No habrá reseña.
En general me cuesta mucho dar una calificación de 2, cuando es un libro que tenía una buena premisa, y sobre todo que tiene destellos de ser bueno. ¿Pero narrar en 353 páginas todo lo que NO se narra. Bien lo pudieron haber contado en 50 o 100 cómo máximo, es correcto todo lo demás es absoluta paja, y todos estamos de acuerdo que un Thriller debe ser ágil, no explicarme qué color me quedan los dedos después de un golpe.
Los capítulos son cortos, pero realmente hay muchos innecesarios. La empatía se esfumó, y el personaje principal me pareció más que patético. No se explota cuando se debe.
Me cuesta pensar que el autor haya ganado premios, y entiendo muchos de los guiños en el libro, pero es un libro bastante malo para ser un thriller de Best seller.
No puedo estar seguro que le daré otra oportunidad al autor. Pero evidentemente estoy molesto por haberle invertido tanto.
No habrá reseña.
June 26, 2011
Very entertaining, and Hurwitz definitely knows how to grab his reader and keep them involved. My only complaint is that this entire book hinges on a conspiracy (and ultimate resolution) that is utterly ridiculous. I'm always willing to say "well, maybe..." when it comes to conspiracy theories, but I couldn't do it here. Nevertheless, I'll be reading more of Hurwitz's works when I can find them. He seems to have very limited distribution through my local library systems, which is unfortunate.
October 14, 2012
Weakest Hurwitz book I have read. Patrick Davis seems to have everything going for him when his screenplay is sold to become a movie, but the male lead alleges assault, and Patrick then becomes involved in a nightmare that revolves around him and the plaintiff. Like all Hurwitz thrillers, it is hard to tell the good guys from the bad, with twist after twist, but I did not find the characters believable or compelling.
August 15, 2010
I rarely read thrillers, don't really respect the caliber of writing, don't care about the characters. This thriller, however, was a roller-coaster ride of flop-sweat fear, exhilaration, suspicion, and compassion supported on the words of a truly talented writer.
I shall be reading more of this young author's work!
I shall be reading more of this young author's work!
May 19, 2011
A terrific suspense novel, which has all the requisites of a riveting thriller: plenty of suspense, high stakes, intrigue, interesting characters, good writing, and a complex story with a satisfying conclusion. I've read three of Gregg Hurwitz's books so far, and definitely want to read more!
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December 23, 2015I did not finish this book, therefore I will not rate it. I could not get into the writing style of this author. The best way I can describe it is that it was very choppy. It went from one scene straight into another leaving parts to feel unfinished.
June 6, 2015
If they make this book into a movie (and they should) I would go. From the first page to the last it grabs you by the throat. I stayed up way to late to finish this. Please read this author, he is great.
March 14, 2011
I have found a new author! Yea!! This is the 2nd book I read by him and loved it. Lots of intrigue, psychological drama, etc. Can't wait to find more by him.
December 1, 2012
A great book by Gregg Hurwitz that grips you and makes you want to carry on reading. This is the first book of his I have read and intend to read lots more.
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