Knife Music [NOOK Book]

Swept Away in a Twisted Maze

This excellently written story opens up on the innocent setting of a 16 year old girl having to have emergency surgery after a car accident and this mysterious hero is, in her words, a "George Clooney looking" surgeon . but is he to be trusted or feared? A few time jumps later the reader is basically forced to try to keep up with the players in a wild ride through this clever tale of conflicting and dangerous lies, crime, death, dark secrets, perversions, and shocking revelations. I dare you to read this book and tell me that you have it all figured out!! No way! At times, I honestly had to close the book and just think and try to remember all the subtle clues, how they fit together and every time I thought I had it figured out Carnoy threw me more curves . I never once felt like I had this figured out, not with any confidence anyway! If you want to be swept away and have your sleuthing skills challenged this is the book for you. To call this one a "page turner" is an understatement . I actually got paper cuts rushing through the pages to the most satisfying ending you could have asked for . and not to be content with that, Carnoy just cannot resist throwing in another twist on the very last page! You will not be disappointed with "Knife Music".

17 out of 19 people found this review helpful.

Fun read

Once I got about 50 pages into this book, I couldn't put it down. It had an interesting, twisty plot and the writing was very smooth. Could easily see this as a movie with someone like George Clooney playing the doctor. I really enjoyed it.

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

A Definite Page Turner

I cannot believe this was a debut novel! The author does such a great job developing the story line and just when you think you have it all figured out.....surprise, surprise! This story was well developed with a good deal of mystery and thrill in it. I loved the way the author intertwined the characters storylines and backgrounds because it gave a real sense of who they were - you could visualize exactly who you were reading about and why they behaved, acted, or thought as they did. The main character, Ted Cogan, was dynamic and tenacious. All of his characteristics - arrogance, intelligence, attractiveness, humbleness and compassion - makes you want to keep turning the pages as they story develops. His "cat and mouse" relationship with Madden, the detective, is also brillant. Bravo!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

This was an amazing suspense story. Ted Cogan is a great character to get to know. He is a surgeon with a a sense of humor and both feet on the ground. Being good looking doesn't hurt him either but does it make him a rapist? You will ask yourself this over and over as you read. I changed my mind more than once.

The writing flows very well and the author manages to not only take us into the mind of a gifted surgeon but the minds of teens as well, boys and girls. That is no easy feat if you ask me. Each chapter tells the story from a different character which I liked.

I particularly enjoyed reading the snippets from Kristen's Journal. The author hit it right on the head with the style a teen uses while talking. I admit annoying to read at times but dead on.

Example from page: 145
"She was like did he say anything about me? And I was like,yeah, he asked me where my partner in crime was. And I was like, she's over talking to the Gap guy."

If you are a mystery, suspense, thriller lover pick up this book. It's hard to believe it's the author's debut novel. I sure want more!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic Book. A real page turner and extremely well written.

Highly recommend "Knife Music." I couldn't put it down. Lots of twists and turns. Great characters. Extremely well written.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Excellent, fast read

I got this book because a friend recommended it and it was actually cheaper on B&N online than Amazon! This is really good for a first novel--and any novel for that matter. The story feels very real and I really liked the main character Cogan, who is a surgeon, and the story really keeps you guessing and moves along at a quick pace. This is not your typical mystery. It's got a bit of everything: doctors, lawyers, frat boys, sex, suspense, friendship/betrayal, a detective with baggage...and a great twist at the end.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Really good.

Good story. Couple of twists and turns that I didn't see coming! Nice easy read. Give this book a try.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

I really liked this book! Such a great debut novel. Had me guess

I really liked this book! Such a great debut novel. Had me guessing right up to the very end. I will definitely be reading more of his work. You will not be disappointed in this book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wow

I wont say this is the best book I have ever read but I will say I absolutely LOVED it. All of the twist and turns drove me crazy! The ending is shocking. I highly recommend it for a light read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very good!

Bought this first book and loved it! Kept me turning pages quickly and couldnt put it down. Buying his second book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book !!!!

Great book thats all there is to say. I would give it 6 stars if i could.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Lacy

IK!!!!!!!

1 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Dani

YAY!

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Read, enjoy, & share!!

Great story line, good character development. Wonderful finish and a surprising plot twist at the end. Not the normal good versus evil, but what happens in life.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

REVIEW

GOOD BOOK. WORTH READING

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Oh My!!!!!

You've read the reviews - just buy it and get to reading - you will NOT be disappointed - promise!!!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A must read

Totally awesome book

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Anonymous

I liked reading this book, but I found the dialogue to be pretty standard and I would have liked to have the writer put more drama into the events. All of them were so matter of factly. Kristen's accident, the sexual attack, and her suicide. They were too down played. I liked the character of Dr. Cogan and his determination to clear his name. What I liked best is the unexpected twist at the end. It absolutely took me by complete surprise. It made up for all the lack of real drama throughout this book.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Knife Music is authentic, well-written, and suspenseful

As a former crime reporter, "Knife Music" seems like it could have been culled from any of the police blotters I've seen in many precincts. As a nonfiction author myself, it rings more truthful than most fiction I've read. No doubt that's because first-time Author David Carnoy evidently conducted thorough research to achieve this authenticity. I'm not sure what kind of music surgeons listen to while they operate on a patient, but I hope it's a soothing, melodic adagio or canon, rather like Pachelbel's Canon in D--one of my very favorite pieces. Carnoy's suspenseful novel is definitely not an adagio. More like an opera, interspersed with mini intermezzos. That's not to say it isn't good--it is. Quite good, in fact, and Carnoy's writing is measured, with adequate attention given to pitch, tone and tempo. His main character, Ted Cogan, is a surgeon who first operates on a teenage girl, and then--following her suicide--is accused of being her rapist. Like any well-composed piece of music, "Knife Music" does all it should to hold the reader's attention: it introduces passages, it orchestrates the scenes and it evokes emotion. Sometimes the emotion is not what one would expect: confusion, angst or even frustration are among the ones you might experience. Confusion over why the seemingly good doctor--a quite likeable fellow--would have raped a beautiful but troubled teen. Angst over her death and her parents' utter failure to effectively reach out to her prior to her senseless suicide. Or frustration over Detective Hank Madden's inability to clearly separate himself from the rape investigation. Because these are all realistic responses to similar traumatic events one might experience in life, Carnoy's writing comes across as bona fide. He does weave the story back and forth, bringing to mind a good fugue, but that merely serves to keep the reader on her toes. The only complaint this particular reader had was this: I got bogged down at one point. The story just seemed to drone on in no specific direction, and I was left wondering where Carnoy as the conductor of this work was taking me. Turns out, it was to a finale that was anything but dull and monotonous! Carnoy accomplishes many things with the melodic story he tells in "Knife Music." Among them, he gives his readers an ethical dilemma to ponder, provides them with characters we come to care about, and ties in a social issue that couldn't be more fitting in view of the current Penn State scandal. But it is the final movement that any maestro would be proud of. This is one reader who will gladly cry, "Encore, encore!"

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't put it down

Very good mystery/adventure read. Somewhat violent spy story. After reading it, I looked for other books by this author.