Dark Specter: A novel

by Michael Dibdin

Book Overview

With an extraordinarily acute take on the extremist mind, the award-winning author of Ratking gives readers an electrifying story of interconnected lives, all of which spin in a desperate orbit around... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679442219
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: Pantheon
• Length: 339 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Creepy commentary

Yes, the ending is ridiculous, but it may be a commentary on the genre. To me it seemed calculated to make us think about the interest in the morbid which has kept us turning pages. I have been wrong before, however. Maybe he was just trying to write something that would look good on a movie screen.The writing was more pedestrian than that of the other books of his I have read, perhaps because he was writing in a new dialect. He does do a pretty good job of writing in American.

Chapter Grabber

Dibdin knows how to capture your attention. He definitely knows how to draw you in. Each chapter leaves you wanting to read "just one more" as when you guiltily reach for "just one more" of your favorite sins. Felt the book sagged near the end-- too much quick tidying- but even the ending was unique. It ends with a bang.

Welcome To America, Mike!

It's great that we can read all about Mike's take on the US, as you may know, he is now living here. My one fear... is this what all brits think of the US, or just the crazy ones

Not the Author's best.

As a fan I was a little disappointed. I felt the Manson theme and American setting was too open to allow the author to fully exercise his talents. For me Dibdin excels at intricate plot lines in enclosed universes and delicious ironic twists of fate. Still a more accomplished novel than most in the field though not as viscerally gripping as some of the American writers.

An effective mystery

Michael Dibdin's Dark Spectre is a compelling read that effectively combines multiple perspective to create a cohesive tale. The reader is able to follow the plot from three perspectives, that of the criminal, the investigating officer and Phil, the "innocent bystander." Dibdin's prose style is complex, more engaging and literary than is often found in fictional thrillers. The plot centers around a religous group founded on the misconstrued principles of William Blake's poetical writings. To become a full-fledged member of this following, a murder is necessitated of a purely random nature. The connection of these random crimes, which take place throughout the United States, is one of the ways in which Dibdin holds attention and creates interest in characters and action outside of the crimes themselves. As the plot unfolds, we meander with Phil throughout the suspense, always coming back to his character for the center of the story, while Kate provides us with the factual, logical center and Sam the emotional, criminal aspect. All in all, a satisfying read. Not as quite quick as some more garden variety thrillers but well worth the time.