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R.J. Ellory

Bad Signs: A Thriller Paperback – 24 January 2017

by R. J. Ellory (Author)

77 ratings

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Orphaned by an act of senseless violence that took their mother from them, half-brothers Clarence Luckman and Elliott Danziger have been raised in state institutions, unaware of any world beyond its walls. But their lives take a sudden turn when they are seized as hostages by a convicted killer en route to death row.Earl Sheridan is a psychopath of the worst kind, and as he and his two hostages set off on a frenetic path through California down to Texas, Clarence and Elliot must come to terms with the ever-growing tide of violence in their wake. Its a path that will force them to make a choice about their lives, and their relationship to each otherand it will change their lives forever. Set in the 1960s, Bad Signs is a tale of the darkness within all of us, the inherent hope for salvation, and the ultimate consequences of evil. Praised by Alan Furst as a uniquely gifted, passionate, and powerful writer, R.J. Ellory once again delivers a thriller as beautiful as it is riveting, returning to the haunting ground of his international bestseller A Quiet Belief in Angels.

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Product details

Publisher : Harry N Abrams Inc; Reprint edition (24 January 2017)
Language : English
Paperback : 440 pages
ISBN-10 : 1468314327
ISBN-13 : 978-1468314328
Dimensions : 13.65 x 0.25 x 20.32 cm

Customer Reviews:
77 ratings

Product description

Review

A haunting thriller an existential look at the nature of fate gripping"

About the Author

R.J. Ellory is the author of twelve novels, including the bestselling A Quiet Belief in Angels, which was Strand Magazine s Thriller of the Year, shortlisted for the Barry Award, and a finalist for the SIBA Award. He is also the author of City of Lies, Candlemoth, A Quiet Vendetta, The Anniversary Man, A Simple Act of Violence, and the e-book original series Three Days in Chicagoland.

Customer reviews

5 star		51%
4 star		31%
3 star		6%
2 star		9%
1 star		3%

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Top review from Australia

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jeff cross

Five Stars

Reviewed in Australia on 15 January 2015

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As always a very good read.

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Top reviews from other countries

S. Bennett

Story telling at it's best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 February 2012

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R.J Ellory has such a unique style of writing. He writes about the dark, seedy side of life but in such a light, eloquent way.
The characterisation is excellent, even if you despise a character, you can see how they became the way they are. The story follows the life-changing and fateful events of two teenage half-brothers, Elliott Danzinger and Clarence Luckman, over a nine day period and explores the consequences of coming face to face with evil and how that effects the two boys.

I particularly liked the character of John Cassidy, a detective who wants to know "why?" as well as "who, what & where?" A man who wants to make a difference, rather than just make a name for himself. A little touch of tv's "Criminal Minds" there, which I'm a big fan of.

There are twists in the plot that made me hold my breath and at one point I put the Kindle down, walked off to make a cup of tea, shaking my head and saying to my husband "No, that can't happen!" of course he had no idea what I was talking about :-)

It can be frustrating when you get to the end of a book and are left feeling that something is missing or not worked out right, but the ending of "Bad Signs" was just as I would have chosen it to end!!

If you like reading Crime or Thriller fiction I would urge you to try an R.J. Ellory novel, I'm confident you wont be disappointed.

6 people found this helpful

Mr. John Frank Herbert

A Worrying Sign?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2013

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I've read all of R J's books to date and I have to say that he has become my
favourite author of all time; every tale has been engrossing and on every occasion
when I've turned the last page, the story continues to echo for some time afterwards.
Thought provoking tales that grip you from page one, daring you to ever put the book down,
for fear of missing the next trick.

And so we come to Bad Signs - yes, another thought provoking tale, but different in that it
worries away at your violent psyche - absolute gratuitous violence with sexual gratification
flowing throughout the pages.
The thought of two wayward lads on the run, kidnapped by a violent psycho killer, was a good
pointer of things to come. However, being on the run opened up a world of possibilities, and
I sat back in anticipation of a rip roaring yarn in true R J Ellory style.

On balance I believe the excessive violence outweighed the quality of story, and for that I
was a little disappointed.
But, hey, this is R J Ellory we're talking about here, so despite my grumps I have to admit that
I still couldn't put the book down. I was still turning off the TV to find out what these
young scoundrels were up to next.

My goodness this author still takes some beating!!!!

2 people found this helpful

H. BROLLY

Not bad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2014

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I have been an avid fan of Ellory since reading Candlemoth and believe I have managed to read all his books. In my opinion he is one of the best thriller writers around with an ability to create deep and profound characters. With the exception of Det john Cassidy all other characters seem one dimensional caricatures . The main character Elliot goes from being slow and dull witted to being a psychopath managing to evade capture as he embarks on a murderous campaign across Arizona. Due to an identity fault his half brother Clay also follows the same journey managing to be in the same vicinity of each slaying. Each incident seems contrived with only Det Cassidy beginning to cast doubts on Clay's guilt.
One of my main criticisms is the detailed description given to each execution and in particular the brutal rape of Candace is not easy to read. Does it add to the story - I don't think so - just gratuitous.

Rev

... I've recently been on holiday to Arizona and I'm glad I did

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 November 2016

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Bought this on a whim based only on the fact that I've recently been on holiday to Arizona and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't say this is a great novel but it is very good and the characters (both major and minor) are well drawn and for the most part believable. In fact by the end I really did care what happened to them. Even the smaller parts are done well and are given a back story. The plot is quite straight forward and rattles along at a decent pace - there are a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes but really the interest lies in what will happen to Clay, Bailey, Digger and Earl. Anyway, good, solid story that will satisfy most people.

One person found this helpful

Bad Signs - I don't think so!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 November 2011

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Having read all of R.J. Ellory's books, I know that he can bring extra depth to the "typical crime thriller". As he has pointed out, himself, his books are more about the human condition than about the crime part of the story.
Bad Signs goes much much further than his previous novels by adding such warmth to all of the characters, major and minor, that you feel like you are living your life alongside them whilst your head is buried in the pages. To say this is a real "page turner" would not do the book justice. You don't want to put the book down yet you also don't want the story to end. The pure enjoyment of reading a good book is there to relish on every page.
Sure, there are squeamish parts (after all, this is a crime thriller) but the descriptions of the brutal acts are balanced perfectly, almost as though they were passages read from a coroner's report. But, it is in the descriptions of the dogged FBI agents, hot on the trail of the two brothers, and the human kindnesses demonstrated to those on the run from the law that really show how far Ellory has progressed as a writer.
This is his best work so far. I encourage you to buy this book and feel certain that you will want to read it more than once.

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Bad Signs: A Thriller Paperback – 24 January 2017

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