Before I Wake

by Eric Bowman

Book Overview

National TV news anchor Mackenzie Dennis takes a dive from his Upper East Side apartment, and his suicide seems confirmed by the videotaped message he leaves behind - until homicide detective Jimmy Montone examines the tape and discovers the shadow of a hangman's noose on the wall. Piecing together the evidence, Montone proves the anchorman didn't jump; he was pushed. The case swerves unexpectedly closer to home when a beautiful model intimate with...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0515123536
• ISBN13: 9780515123531
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

A serial killer makes life hell for a New York City cop

Famous for bringing serial killer Wendell "the Slug" Sligo to justice, New York City homicide detective Jimmy Montone is accustomed to the spotlight, and so doesn't think twice before agreeing to allow British novelist Terence Peregrine Keyes to observe as he works a case "from start to finish." Likable and intelligent, Keyes has promised to stay out of the way, and Montone figures the NYPD can use the publicity. Soon after agreeing to this arrangement, Montone is confronted with the apparent suicide of TV news anchor Mackenzie Davis. Skeptical from the start, Montone quickly determines the "suicide" was staged--someone forced Davis to tape a suicide video, then hurled him from the window of his thirty fifth-floor apartment. Days later, when Montone's new girlfriend is found dead under similar circumstances, he realizes that the killings are meant as a personal attack. It takes him longer, however, to realize that the murderer, one Terry Keyes, has been under his nose the whole time. Keyes, who resents Montone's fame, has laid an intricate trap for his prey, toying with him for sport. Even when he becomes aware of Keyes' machinations, Montone lacks the solid evidence he needs to arrest him, and is forced to play a game of cat and mouse with his deranged opponent, a game that will result in the death of one of the players. Eric Bowman is a pseudonym for Mark Frost, familiar to many readers as the co-creator of Twin Peaks and as author of The List of Seven and The Six Messiahs, which chronicle the fictional adventures of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes prototype Jack Sparks. This novel is different from those works, more straightforward and action oriented. Frost, clearly interested in describing the psychology of a madman, immediately lets readers know that Keyes has targeted Montone, and spends the rest of the novel making them squirm as they watch a killer manipulate his prey. Although Frost has crafted a fast paced, intricate thriller that lends itself to quick reading, you'll want to take your time, because there's plenty to savor. Especially interesting are the excerpts from the writings of Terry Keyes which open each chapter. Here, Frost provides tantalizing glimpses into the mind of his killer, increasing the tension as the book hurtles towards its violent end. While not as colorful as his previous novels, the book is well worth your time, mainly because of Frost's consummate skill in getting you to turn the next page.

Absolutely Amazing!!

This book was incredible! A co-worker recommended it to me, and I was not dissapointed at all. It was a great read, and I could not put it down at all. The characters were well developed, and the story was well thought out!! A real page-turner. Hope to read another Bowman novel in the near future!

A good psychological thriller... really enjoyed it!

I really liked the book but it made me very curious about the author. Does anyone know who the author is? I am trying to track him down and not having much luck. I am wondering about the screen plays he's written ... any made into movies? What writing award did he win? Are there other works of fiction available under another name? I guess I am more curious about the author than anything else.

A GREAT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER!

This book kept be reading past my bedtime! It was a fast read, and as another reader noted, even though one knew from page one who the killer was the plot was so cleverly entwined that the reader was kept on the edge of her/his seat until the very last page. I can't believe this book hasn't made the best seller's list!

A fantastic debut by a major new talent

When Mackenzie Dennis, a TV news anchor, jumps to his death, he leaves a videotaped suicide message. However, after studying the tape very carefully, Jimmy Montome, the New York City police officer in charge of the case, believes that Dennis was pushed. British mystery writer Terrence Keyes, who is in New York studying police procedures for his next book, convinces Jimmy to allow him to observe the investigation. ....... Soon Jimmy's girl friend is found dead with a similarly taped message. Jimmy thinks the two apparent suicides are connected and wonders if Keyes might hold the key to linking the two deaths. Soon a Scotland Yard inspector confirms that he has had personal run-ins with the writer and suspects that Keyes is a psychopathic killer. However, like the English police officer, Jimmy lacks evidence to prove that Keyes is the murderer. Montome must stop Keyes soon before someone else, perhaps a dedicated Manhattan detective, becomes the next victim of this deranged killer. ..... BEFORE I WAKE is an incredible who-done-it because the killer announces that he did it on the very first page (Hitchcock's FRENZY) and yet the remaining 293 pages are filled with mounting suspense. The cat and mouse game between the desperate cop and the suave English gentleman is brilliantly developed into a fantastic story line. In his first novel, Eric Bowman scores big time with this twisted chilling thriller. ......Harriet Klausner