A Tap on the Window: A Thriller

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. There are a lot of bad people in this book. Then there are good people who make bad choices. The central character is a man who endures what happens when he finds out the truth.

I read this as a second foray into the Linwood Barclay stable and it was a ripping read and like the first book of his I read, No Time to say Goodbye, it kept me guessing to close enough to the end. That's either a reflection of my poor detection skills or the mark of a really good author and I believe the latter is accurate. The story unfolds around a recently bereaved man and his wife who lost their son some months prior to the events of this book. It takes the reader through the scenario of an unexpected tap on the window of his car on a wet cold night and the moral dilemma faced by a middle aged man who must decide between leaving the drenched teenaged girl out in the rain or risking God knows what by giving her the lift. The balance was tipped for him when she recognised him as being the father of the boy who died recently after falling from a roof and when he realised she knew his son he agreed to give her a seat home. It moves at a nice pace from there, through myriad characters, many unexpected twists and turns and all and all turns out a well narrated and very well thought out story line. I just don't understand all the slang terms and that is the only reason I didn't give it five stars. This happens me with all American books and is not peculiar to Mr. Barclay. I am now on my third Barclay book in a row and already I see another four stars for Too Close to Home.

Barclay always good, always a twist you don't expect. I have been reading them in order and are looking forward to reading A Noise Downstairs.

I always love Linwood Barclay and was looking forward to this newest addition. But I was disappointed.This story about a father (who is a private detective) looking for the person who sold his sold drugs, which ultimately led to his death, was not the thriller I have come to expect from Mr. Barclay. Its an OK read, but I was easily distracted and found it not to be a page turner. Its an OK book, but not his best.

Linwood Barclay has become one of my favorite thriller authors. He writes standalone novels that feature an everyman caught up in extraordinary circumstances. This book begins with Cal Weaver, an ex-cop turned PI. What a great start. Right away you wonder why he's an ex-cop -- did he burn out, get injured, quit? Was he too good for the job -- or too bad?As the book opens, Cal is still numb over the loss of his teenaged son, who struggled with drugs and alcohol. While Cal and his wife try to cope with the loss, He becomes embroiled in an odd situation. One night a young woman asks Cal for a ride home. He knows it's not a good idea, but when she tells him she knew his son, he says yes. When the girl later disappears, Cal feels partially responsible, and his search for her leads him to the mayor's door and on the bad side of the police chief -- his brother-in-law!I loved the first person narration. Cal is a decemt guy and an intelligent observer. The book is fast paced, but occasionally we take a breath when he sums up or analyzes what's happening, so I enjoyed the action and the pauses.Barclay is a dependably thrilling author. If you like his other books, you will likely appreciate A Tap on the Window.

Another awesome read by Mr. Barclay. It never ceases to amaze me how good writers put together these types of books. It had me guessing and wondering the whole way. I would definitely recommend this.

I won’t bore anyone with my summary of the book. You can get that in the front of the book.However, I will say there are two things wrong with it.1. Finding it so good you don’t want to get to the end.2. Finding another book that keeps your interest as well.

I think the title of the story was excellent as it is unusual and refreshing in its simplicity, but so cogent to the enravelling of the drama throughout the tale. The story starts like a normal crime thriller and then... oh my word becomes a whole lot more than expected. The author creates a fascinating and a spellbinding plot that keeps one guessing until the end. To add to the reader's entertainment there are also sub plots that slowly enfolds as one races through a relentless amount of detective work that plays out in an intelligent and believable end.This is an excellent read that gives you much more than you expect from a simple "tap on the window".

This book arrived early and in excellent condition. I love to get a hardcover book for less than a new paperback.

Why did Donna have to die? They should have both found out the truth of there sons death come to terms with it then got on with their lives 🤔🤔🤔🤔😔

Hard to understand that a single tap on the window of your car, can lead you deep into the dangerous secret of the subsurface life of a placid city where corruption, crime and illegal activity are much more closer of your personal life than you can expect. Linwood Barclay drive us in the secret life of this obviously quiet city.

"A Tap on the Window" é mais um livro que demonstra o estilo de escrita onipresente nas obras de Barclay. Colocando a trama em torno de dois personagens principais, Cal e Claire, Barclay faz uma trama envolvente e de rápida leitura, com muitas reviravoltas e o clássico ritmo ditado pelo autor.É interessante ver a conexão entre os personagens, outro ponto marcante do autor. Os personagens de um livro aparecem em outros, algo possibilitado pelo fato de seus enredos se desenvolverem majoritariamente em Promise Falls -- o que não é o caso deste livro, mas que nem por isso impediu Barclay de "portar" Cal Weaver como detetive convidado em sua nova trilogia, Promise Falls Trilogy.Esta ligação entre personagens e livros faz com que Barclay seja um de meus autores preferidos, por possibilitar estabelecer muitas relações ao longo da leitura quando se tem conhecimentos de outros livros escritos por ele.

I discovered Linwood Barclay with “ No time for goodbye”, and I loved that novel. “Trust your eyes” was also a thrilling one. Now I have just finished “A tap on the window”. This time I’m not giving 5 stars, 4 feels more like it. Not as fast-paced as the previous ones, this was a little slower in rhyme and plot. Even so, at about page 90 the events pick up again and keeps you interested all the way down to the end. Maybe someone will say it’s not difficult to find out who the killer was, but it kept me guessing, never sure whether my guess was right or wrong. The ending can also be a bit disappointing, not being a happy one at all, but I think it gives the story more credibility, so I didn’t feel put down by it.So, not his best novel for me, but another “keep-you-on-the-edge” from the author.