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Anonymous
Posted August 8, 2007
The New King of Plot Twists
The Thief Maker is D. H. Schleicher¿s fourth novel. He writes in an unusually stylistic manner in which the point of view changes from one character to another and the timeframe jumps back and forth from chapter to chapter. Although this would seem to drag the reader down into an untenable web of confusion, the pattern so appropriately fits the storyline Mr. Schleicher is unraveling that the reader can successfully follow the plot. This is not a book you want to read too quickly, or with one eye on the ball game on TV, either. You must devour the multitude of plot twists slowly, bite by bite. Yes, I know the name of one character changes back and forth in the book, and the typos do sometimes get in the way, but The Thief Maker must receive five stars for its sheer originality of style and the deep absorption into imaginative plot twists with which the author entwines the reader. Like the Jerry Bruckheimer of movies and television dramas, Mr. Schleicher has created what deserves to become a franchise. Consider how Bruckheimer utilizes a very clever conceit in many of his series: what the television screen shows is not always fact or the truth. A character, usually a suspect or witness, can lie his head off and the audience sees the lies as if they are the truth. This is the sort of thing D. H. Schleicher¿s bounces through time and characters becomes to the reader. It¿s not the same as Bruckheimer¿s conceit. It¿s all new. The book offers an unusual approach to psychodrama. It is a morality play in which practically all the characters are blends of good and bad, compassionate and despicable, obvious and secretive. The Thief Maker brings a fresh concept to the table. Chow down!
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Anonymous
Posted July 3, 2007
A reviewer
I finished reading 'The Thief Maker' about an hour ago, and since then have been turning over in my mind ways to go about adequately summarizing and reviewing this book...its a twisted complex story and therefore, tricky to effectively summarize in a brief way. The characters in this story intertwine in a way that leaves me at a loss for words. Like I said, its complex, and very twisted. Through the whole story I kept shaking my head...I knew there was a kick coming, but I couldn't quite figure it out. And when it did come, it was like a slap in the face, and suddenly all the actions and motivations of all the characters became crystal clear. 'The Thief Maker' is a story about losing your identity and struggling to find redemption and revenge in a cold harsh world. The characters are fatally flawed and at the same time, tragically endearing. While they possess characteristics that are far from admirable, a reader can't help but identify with them -- be it through sympathy, empathy or downright admiration. I enjoyed this book from the first page. The story is told through alternating characters, and sort of jumps back and forth in time. Through the alternating time settings we are filled in on the childhoods and pasts of the present day characters we are following. The chapters in the past help set the tone for the characters' overall personality and motivations--and will leave you shaking your head at times. While the story is told in both alternate times and through alternate perspectives, it is an easy one to follow, and you'll soon be caught up in its pages.
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Anonymous
Posted March 15, 2007
A Fascinating Examination of Human Nature
There are many clues in this book to understanding the psychological states of the characters. Take, for instance, the quote in the beginning, which says that there are the arrogant elite, fatalists, and the fringe groups. This story is about the fringe group. All of them, even Catherine and Rodames, two psychologists that adopt deaf children as well as one child, Rex, with HIV. They appear to be the perfect ¿elite¿ couple, caring and interested in healing the wounds of the world but they unfortunately are no different from the rest of the characters in the story¿often angry at themselves and others, uncertain of their own motives and true emotions until it¿s too late. They try hide all of this and suffer just like the rest of the players. On the surface The Thief Maker is a mystery revolving around con man William Donovan. But it¿s more than that¿it is also an examination of the events and mental attributes that shape the lives of these characters. The major events that most people are aware of¿such as 9/11, which plays a role in the book¿and the all too common murders and everyday cons that go unreported in the newspapers and unnoticed by the public in general. The lives of the characters in this book are completely messed up when 9/11 occurs and that doesn¿t change much afterwards. Some of the players are impacted by the terrorist attack more than others, but only as it relates to the already in-motion circumstances of their existences. Frequently they are not ¿masters of their destinies,¿ or aware of more than their own small worlds, even when they believe they are. The story itself is very good as an entertaining mystery as well as an in-depth look into those that interact with the real world but separate from it as well, consumed by their own universes. There are times when the book moves along too slowly, where it could be tighter and the writing could be less clunky. But these spots are far between and are easy enough to get through. Also, at times, the characters come across as stereotypes¿weak or unaffectionate women, brutish or love-deprived macho men¿but as the story develops this matters little as the stereotypes fill out and the characters become real within the life of the novel. The Pulp Fiction out-of-sequence style of writing fits for this particular tale a linear style would not do justice to symbolically display the characters¿ confused, messed up emotional states and lives. Overall, it is a well-written, inventive story that strikes at the heart of what means for some people to love, hate, be indifferent and get carried along in global as well as personal events.
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Anonymous
Posted November 27, 2006
A Psychological Page Turner
Your Life is like a book. Your Birth is the Title Page...blank, except for Your Name. In the Book of Life, the pages write themselves. You are simply the Main Character. Will Your Book have a Happy Ending? That's entirely up to You...or is it? Decide for Yourself, as You turn the pages of D.H. Schleicher's psychological thriller, 'The Thief Maker'.
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