Scan barcode
A review by saareman
The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver
4.0
It's All In The Game
Review of the G.P Putnam's Sons eBook edition (May 14, 2019) released simultaneously with the hardcover and audiobook.
I'm reading the Colter Shaw series after being introduced to the character in the recent Tracker TV series. Deaver builds an interesting character in a man who grew up in a survivalist family and whose "cutting-sign" aka "tracking" skills were honed by his father who died mysteriously. That unsolved case is a greater multi-story arc which is introduced in this novel and presumably continues into the later books. The father's axioms to his children (there are 2 other siblings) always started with the word "Never" as in "Never guess, but base your decisions on facts", "Never assume, but seek the truth", etc.
In The Never Game, Shaw is at first called out to find a daughter who went missing after an argument with her father. The father has offered a reward for her safe return. Shaw makes his living by following such reward offers around the country, and has assistants who search for possible cases and also a secretive hacker-type private investigator on his team.
As Shaw proceeds with his investigation, an odd pattern begins to emerge. Other victims are kidnapped as well, each left in abandoned locations but with 5 objects which may be of assistance in their possible escape and rescue. This all uncannily mimics an online multiplayer game situation where players progress through various levels solving the same sorts of puzzles. The question is whether the kidnapper is a deranged gamer or is somehow seeking to create bad press for the associated company in an effort to undermine their sales and reputation.
Deaver builds suspense very effectively throughout, while also providing flashbacks to Shaw's upbringing and early childhood. The subplot of his search for answers about his father's death also progresses with a final twist revelation to come at the very end.
Why not a 5-star rating if I enjoyed the book as much as I did? Once the motive of the culprit is revealed it is somewhat of a letdown and not quite believable, not to the extent of needing an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert, but just that I would have wished for something that was a bit more clever. So a 4-star rating is the compromise.
Footnote
* This refers to writer/researcher Richard Bartle and the Bartle taxonomy of player types an analysis of online game players as first proposed in a 1996 paper.
Trivia and Link
Watch the extended trailer for the Colter Shaw Tracker TV series on YouTube here. The series has been renewed for a Season 2 after the shortened 13-episode Season 1. It is actually filmed in British Columbia, Canada although it is an American TV series on the CBS network.
Review of the G.P Putnam's Sons eBook edition (May 14, 2019) released simultaneously with the hardcover and audiobook.
"There are four personality profiles of gamers, according to Bartle*. One: Achievers. Their motivation is accumulating points in games and reaching preset goals. Two: Explorers. They want to spend time prowling through the unknown and discovering places and people and creatures that haven’t been seen before. Three: Socializers. They build networks and create communities.” He paused for a moment. “Then, fourth: Killers. They come to games to compete, to win. That’s the sole purpose of gaming to them. Winning. Not necessarily to take lives; they enjoy race car and sports games too. First-person shooters are their favorites, though."
I'm reading the Colter Shaw series after being introduced to the character in the recent Tracker TV series. Deaver builds an interesting character in a man who grew up in a survivalist family and whose "cutting-sign" aka "tracking" skills were honed by his father who died mysteriously. That unsolved case is a greater multi-story arc which is introduced in this novel and presumably continues into the later books. The father's axioms to his children (there are 2 other siblings) always started with the word "Never" as in "Never guess, but base your decisions on facts", "Never assume, but seek the truth", etc.
In The Never Game, Shaw is at first called out to find a daughter who went missing after an argument with her father. The father has offered a reward for her safe return. Shaw makes his living by following such reward offers around the country, and has assistants who search for possible cases and also a secretive hacker-type private investigator on his team.
As Shaw proceeds with his investigation, an odd pattern begins to emerge. Other victims are kidnapped as well, each left in abandoned locations but with 5 objects which may be of assistance in their possible escape and rescue. This all uncannily mimics an online multiplayer game situation where players progress through various levels solving the same sorts of puzzles. The question is whether the kidnapper is a deranged gamer or is somehow seeking to create bad press for the associated company in an effort to undermine their sales and reputation.
Deaver builds suspense very effectively throughout, while also providing flashbacks to Shaw's upbringing and early childhood. The subplot of his search for answers about his father's death also progresses with a final twist revelation to come at the very end.
Why not a 5-star rating if I enjoyed the book as much as I did? Once the motive of the culprit is revealed it is somewhat of a letdown and not quite believable, not to the extent of needing an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert, but just that I would have wished for something that was a bit more clever. So a 4-star rating is the compromise.
Footnote
* This refers to writer/researcher Richard Bartle and the Bartle taxonomy of player types an analysis of online game players as first proposed in a 1996 paper.
Trivia and Link
Watch the extended trailer for the Colter Shaw Tracker TV series on YouTube here. The series has been renewed for a Season 2 after the shortened 13-episode Season 1. It is actually filmed in British Columbia, Canada although it is an American TV series on the CBS network.