.com Review Thorn, a loner and gloomy sort of guy, is the hero of James W. Hall's thriller series. But in Buzz Cut, the real center of attention is Butler Jack, an erudite homicidal maniac with a brilliant and grandiose scheme. The plan is to hijack a $400 million cruise ship and hold its 2,000 passengers for ransom. Butler Jack has an obsession with etymology, and he is more than happy to lecture his hostages on the derivation of the word "hijack," which is descended from "Jack" which comes from the Middle English "Jakke," which meant "ordinary guy." Our Jack is an ordinary guy who just happens to have the mind of a genius and a passion for grisly killing. Read more From Publishers Weekly A poet as well as a thriller writer, Hall (Gone Wild, etc.) brings an ear for language and an eye for the evocative detail, for the surge of meaning within sound and surface, to his latest?which features his customary hero, the moody, middle-aged Thorn. Reuniting with Thorn here is his old friend Sugarman (last seen in Mean High Tide). Bizarre family dysfunction and impending ecological disaster prove familiar but still effective Hall motifs as Sugar signs on as head of security for a billion-dollar Miami-based cruise ship line and Thorn encounters an unusually chilling adversary. Sugar's task is to catch a chimerical murderer whose victims all have some relationship to the company's gambling flagship, the M.S. Eclipse, from which the criminal has been stealing $50,000 per month. Danger promptly surfaces, as Sugar is nearly killed by the psychopathic Butler Jack, who has stun-gun electrodes attached to his fingertips and who plans to hold the Eclipse and its passengers hostage for a king's ransom. Jack also has designs on Monica Sampson, the long-missing daughter of the cruise line's owner, but Thorn, who winds up aboard the ship along with Sugar, casts eyes toward this young beauty as well. Murder, techno-wizardry and plenty of sexual tension ignite into spectacular action as Jack sets the ship on a collision course toward an oil-laden supertanker off Miami's South Beach. The title is right on; this thriller will slice readers' sleep into slivers. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
A**E
CRUISE FROM HELL
This is the first book I have read by James W. Hall. I almost quit it when Emilio got killed for his shirt, but I decided to read a little further, and I'm so glad I did because I really liked two of the main characters Thorn and Sugarman and now I have a whole series to go back and read. Buzz Cut had nonstop action and suspense that was truly electrifying.
C**S
Another Great Hall Book!
I write Caribbean-based adventure novels for a living so I like to think I understand the components of good Southern Hemisphere book, and Hall has it all in this one -- a great plot, quirky characters, fabulous descriptions of the islands, and that natural, integral understanding of The Keys. You can't go wrong with "Buzz Cut."Michael Reisig, author of "The Road To Key West" and "The Truthmaker"
A**S
Certainly not your usual hero.
The héros don't even like each other all the time. Neither are perfect, and it shows.So, when one is hired to find a murderer on a cruise ship, and the other joins, there's no tellingif anyone will be saved.Pretty good, long, the middle was too long, but the last third really picked up the pace.It was free and a good value. Price? Eh. $3 is fair.
T**R
Good character development
Dependable author. Good character development. Interesting story and nice interspersing of little known facts. Tense. Wrapped up in a bit of a hurry, though.
D**L
Something different
This is the first book by James W. Hall that I have read, but it won't be the last. A truly enjoyable book about a dysfunctional family and two good frIends an excellent read.
V**S
My review
It was a wonderful mystery and who done it book. Kept you guessing. I didn't want to put the e down.I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing all thru the book.
R**R
One more in the series. Fly tying beach bum ...
One more in the series. Fly tying beach bum saves gorgeous woman and the environment. People don't do as well, lots of animals killed too.
S**N
Very good
I liked the story and the characters. The plot was interesting the discussion of the Everglades was very good. I would recommend this to a frind.
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