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Book Summary and Reviews of A Killer Harvest by Paul Cleave

A Killer Harvest by Paul Cleave

A Killer Harvest

A Thriller

by Paul Cleave

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  • Aug 2017, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A new thriller from the Edgar-nominated author of Trust No One and Joe Victim about a blind teenager who receives a corneal donation and begins to see and feel memories from their previous owner - a homicide detective who was also his father.

Joshua is convinced there is a family curse. It's taken loved ones from him, it's robbed him of his eyesight, and it's the reason why his father is killed while investigating the homicide of a young woman.

Joshua is handed an opportunity he can't refuse: an operation that will allow him to see the world through his father's eyes. As Joshua navigates a world of sight, he gets glimpses of what these eyes might have witnessed in their previous life. What exactly was his dad up to in his role as a police officer?

There are consequences to the secret life his father was living, including the wrath of a man hell bent on killing, a man who is drawing closer and closer to Joshua.

Joshua soon discovers a world darker than the one he has emerged from…

Thriller connoisseur Paul Cleave is back with another riveting story of hidden secrets and unspeakable horrors that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Edgar-finalist Cleave (Trust No One) makes an implausible, but very creepy, premise work in this powerful, thought-provoking novel set in Christchurch, New Zealand, which could pass for any of the corrupt cities more familiar to fans of American noir." - Publishers Weekly

"This powerhouse novel plays with the subtexts at the core of the mystery genre." - Booklist

"Starting with a macabre setup, Cleave keeps upping the stakes till any scrap of plausibility is left far behind and only an increasingly effective series of hair-raising thrills remains." - Kirkus

"This one will keep you guessing until the end." - The Strand Magazine

"With an unexpected ending, this thriller is one to remember." - NY Journal of Books

"A crime writer with dementia, who can't tell the facts from his fiction – this very clever novel did my head in time and again. Don't skip any pages." - Michael Robotham

This information about A Killer Harvest was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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mainlinebooker

a rollicking good time
This is going to seem like a schizophrenic review. On one hand, I really really enjoyed this and was spellbound from beginning to end. On the other hand, I thought the basic premise so absurd that I had to keep myself from smirking. With full disclosure, I am medical so it prejudiced me in a way that might not affect other readers. A blind teenage boy's detective father is killed by a criminal in a horrific scene. However, his father's wish is that his son receive his eyes as a gift. When both the criminal and father's eyes are mixed up prior to surgery, the boy receives one eye from his father and another from the criminal. When the son begins to have vivid dreams that seem to come from the criminal's vision, the theory of "cellular memory" is introduced. That, along with the tension from someone who is trying to destroy anyone who was loved by his father's work partner, leads to a game of who-dun-it! In the course of this , I found some elements more silly than realistic, but still was enthralled. Morality issues of good vs evil, and how do you define those parameters plays out throughout the novel as well. Despite my misgivings, I couldn't put this quick read down. It is a perfect beach read and if one can just enjoy the plot you will have a rollicking good time.

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Author Information

Paul Cleave Author Biography

Paul Cleave is the internationally bestselling author of ten award-winning crime thrillers, including Joe Victim, which was a finalist for the 2014 Edgar and Barry Awards, Trust No one and Five minutes Alone, which won consecutive Ngaio Marsh awards in 2015 and 2016. He lives in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Link to Paul Cleave's Website

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More Recommendations

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