Instruments of Night

by Thomas H. Cook

Book Overview

Thomas Cook is one of today's most acclaimed writers of psychological thrillers, penning hypnotic tales of forbidden love and devastating secrets. Now he has written an unforgettable novel that weaves... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553578200
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.7" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Another masterpiece by Cook.

Yes, I think it's a masterpiece. Exceptionally well written, an emotional rollercoaster that will turn you inside out, and a final revelation that will haunt you for days. As perfect a novel as Cook's "Breakheart Hill". Read it. Read it now.

Cook can write!!!!!

To those initiates lucky enough to have discovered Thomas H. Cook, it is no surprise that he has won an Edgar, it is more of a surprise that he has not won more. Cook tends to write novels that focus on the inner workings of characters (and the demons they face) as they work on solving a mystery, the original crimes have usually taken place in the past and are still somehow linked to the present. Cook weaves his narratives so well that you never know what is coming - he leads you where he wants and suddenly the twists and turns set in and by the end of the book, you never know what hit you! Instruments of Night is much like his other novels in that the main character, Paul Graves, is helping to discover the truth about a mystery of the past. Graves is an author who writes a series about a killer named Kessler, his lackey Sykes and the detective that is always in pursuit Slovak, which is set in old New York. Graves is invited up to Riverwood, an artist's retreat, by the owner Alison Davies to look into a murder that happened 30 years earlier. Davies is looking for closure and as Graves, with the help of the other summer guest Eleanor Stern, delves deeper into murder of young Faye he also must look deep within himself to keep his own demons at bay. Graves must face his past, the death of his parents and the gruesome murder of his sister Gwen, in order to create a plausible story about Faye's death and complete the task that Davies has put before him. Cook does what he does best in Instruments - he keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and keeps them guessing. I thought I had it all figured out and then WHAMO!!!! A new twist and turn, then I thought I had it wrapped up again and BLAM!!!! Out of no where - I was stunned! This is what makes Thomas Cook one of the best writers out there. You always know that there are twists and turns but the endings never cease to amaze - and they are always so realistic. He also has Graves imagine different stories throughout the book - and even tho most of them are short - they are so well drawn that the reader can't imagine another possibility. I highly recommend Cook and Instruments of Night.

Challenging on many levels.

This book kept me reading it word for word, page by page from beginning to end. I have not done this in a long long time. Mr. Cook is able to keep the pace of this book moving along while challenging the reader to uncover the truth of his story.I liked the way he brought the facets of the tale together at the end...the journey of the author to face his personal demons and the truth of the mystery.I did not guess the end of the story until I read it myself.....one indicator of a good book.

Haunting and compelling, a true psychological thriller.

This book is extremely well written and the reader will not want to pass up any passages at all. It is a twisted tale of evil and redemption; of guilt and love. The double tale is an ever deepening mystery full of twists and turns. I was at once repelled and captivated by it. The fictional detective characters, the story of Paul's past and the story of the 50 year old mystery are all part of a seamless tale. I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries of the mind.

Into the deep dark receses of the mind

There is poetry in this man's ( Cooks) writing as well as disturbing and haunting images. He seems to know so much about pain and suffering i found myself wondering about him. The story never bores, it crackles with hypnotic prose and disturbing realities. Outstanding....