Review of a novel: The Last 10 Seconds

To cap off a busy year of reading I reached for a page-turner. A fast crime novel suited summer-reading. I read the first edition of the novel, a paperback, and note that at least three editions, and an electronic edition, followed.

Source of image: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/108/1083543/the-last-10-seconds/9780552158817.html

The novel was a huge disappointment. It suffered from too many crimes against the English language. I counted eight errors after first letting some errors slip through. I hope the author addressed these errors in later editions. 

The eight error is my favourite.

Error 1, page 230, too much detail

"I was back up in an instant, racing across the empty room in the direction of a newish-looking double-glazed window with a handle-opening system, praying it wasn't locked, because there was no sign of a key"

To which I sacarstically respond: but what colour was the window frame? How high was the window sill? What shape was the handle? And, how does a rushing character notice so much and also have time to pray?

Error 2, page 231, inappropriate use of "us"

"We took a step back together in a tight, vicous dance, which was when there was a loud crack beneath our feet and, without warning, the floor gave way, sending us flailing through the air."

"Kent and I" should be used here instead of "us" in that Kent and the protaganist are not in any relationship that would make the reader consider them a "us".

Error 3, page 231, sentence is incomplete as to subject

"More important was the fact that Kent was no longer holding the gun.

[New paragraph] I clambered to my feet and looked round desperately for it in the darkness" 

Where "it" is a gun and by necessity of starting a new paragraph, the first sentence of that paragraph needs to be complete as to subject.

Error 4, page 231, incorrect word choice

"More important was the fact that Kent was no longer holding the gun.
[New paragraph] I clambered to my feet and looked round desperately for it in the darkness" 

Where "around" should have been used instead of "round".

Error 5, page 284, poor editing

"Gore might have been trying to paint himself as as much of an innocent as he could...."

Where the second "as" should have been eliminated in the editing process.

Error 6, page 325, poor editing

"...being treated as one of the Night Creeper's."

Where the apostrophe is unnecessary as the word falls at the end of the sentence.

Error 7, page 340, poor continuity

"Not even the neighbours would hear [the report of a gunshot from a gun with a silencer and with the shot to be fired through a pillow] through the paper-thin walls."

Where the struggle, and screaming beforehand, was apparently unhearable through the paper-thin walls.

Error 8, page 341, too much put onto a whisper

"'I'm not going to ask again,' he whispered, a renewed determination in his voice"

Where a whisper is doing much work to convey "a renewed determination".



With these errors I offered one star on Goodreads.

Shalom,
Ozhamada

Note: this page links from www.goodreads.com


[634 words] #book #reading #read #crime
edited following feedback.