Friday, June 17, 2011

Review + Giveaway: The Hypnotist

THE HYPNOTIST
(Reincarnationist #3)

M. J. Rose
Thriller/Mystery
416 pages
Mira
Available Now
Received for review via TLC Book Tours

Normally, I write my own synopsis for every book I review, but due to the complicated nature of this book I'm not sure I can adequately sum up the story in a way that won't royally confuse you all, so I've taken the description from M.J. Rose's website:

THE STORY
An FBI agent, tormented by a death he wasn't able to prevent, a crime he's never been able to solve and a love he's never forgotten, discovers that his true conflict resides not in his past, but in a…Past Life.

Haunted by a twenty-year old murder of a beautiful young painter, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work as a Special Agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team. Currently investigating a crazed art collector who has begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation—dedicated to the science of past life study—where, in order to maintain his cover, he agrees to submit to the treatment of a hypnotist.

Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to 19th century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history: the theft of a 1,500 year old sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

MY THOUGHTS
The Hypnotist is a story that combines an interesting array of elements–from murder and mystery to robberies both past and present to a touch of the paranormal with the possibility of past-life regression and reincarnation. We are undoubtedly intrigued by the number of storylines presented, infinitely curious to see how all these seemingly separate characters and events will prove to be linked in either the smallest or most profound of ways. That being said however, the constant shuffle from one set of characters to another in the beginning is a bit overwhelming. We want to know more about the characters we meet, but with each chapter someone new is introduced, a new storyline begins, and we often don't return to already familiar individuals for several chapters, giving us plenty of time to temporarily forget the specifics of their piece of the puzzle and have to backtrack to get caught up.

The concept of reincarnation is one of the more fascinating aspects though, spiriting us away to places and events that keep our eyes riveted to the pages as we wonder how what we're experiencing is going to tie into the present. We get tiny snapshots of the past–little clues to help us paint a clearer picture of the characters we know in the current time period–that force us to question whether we believe in such a possibility as past lives and, if we do, what ours might have been like. The only drawback to this particular element is again the complex nature of it, adding so many dots to the picture we're not sure we'll ever be able to connect them all by the time we're done reading or even after. Those who have an abundance of patience for detail-oriented stories will likely revel in this elaborate tale, but for others like me who enjoy a plot that makes you work but not to the extent where you begin to feel defeated by the immensity of the puzzle, this book might be a bit of a challenge to find your way through.

Overall, The Hypnotist will appeal to fans of complicated mysteries and thrillers, with the lack of strong character connection in favor of intricate plotlines being less problematic for those who are used to it. A few less brush strokes used to create the final piece of artwork might have allowed for an easier relationship with the book as a whole, but there's no denying Ms. Rose's writing skill or her creative ability.

Rating: 3/5

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and M. J. Rose I have one copy of The Hypnotist to give away to a lucky commenter today! To enter, please just leave a comment with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and will run through midnight EST on Friday, June 24th after which time a winner will be chosen and announced on the blog. Good luck everyone!

38 comments:

  1. Our thoughts and even the rating for The Hynotist seem to be the same. Like you, the reincarnation aspect - especially when Lucian recalls his past lives- was my favorite part of the story.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not a fan of books that are overly detailed even though the concept does sounds very interesting. Great review Jenny :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been following this tour and would love to read this book. Thank you so much for hosting this giveaway opportunity.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  4. This book has several elements that have me intrigued. I love a good murder mystery, and am fascinated with the idea of reincarnation. I also like the art aspect, but without strong characters and the complexity of the plot I am not sure this one is for me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Enjoyed your review. Thanks for your honesty. I'd like to check it out.

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I read the Rein..and that one was ok. Too bad nothing came of that tvseries they wanted to make

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love books that deal with reincarnation and past lives! Haven't heard of this one before, but it sounds interesting. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. This does sound like a twisty book. I can see how that would be a good and a bad thing. Still sounds interesting though!
    alisoncanread at gmail dot com.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the sound of this book! Plus I love solving mysteries. Thanks for the giveaway!

    bwithbite (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds a bit too overwhelming and confusing for me. Also, I like to have romance in all the books I read so this one might not be for me. =P Awesome review though! You gave great insight in what to expect. =)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I read a review of this earlier this week and was surprised I hadn't heard of it before. Reincarnation is a fascinating concept. And the book sounds like a challenge to read. A good one.

    Thanks Jenny!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, The Hypnotist sounds like a very busy book. Multiple sets of characters and storylines? Phew!
    I've always been fascinated with reincarnation, though, so I'm glad The Hypnotist delivered in that respect. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I did a research paper on reincarnation in high school (he, if you have to suffer the topic might as well be interesting) so I was intrigued by the description. But I definitely don't have "an abundance of patience for detail-oriented stories" - I've been feeling like a very lazy reader lately. The idea of the story still interest me, maybe I'll thumb through it at the library.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hmmmm, sounds like this one leaves subplots dangling for many chapter and then picks them back up again. I can enjoy those books, but they are not my favorites to read. I don't them easy, but you have to be able to follow the plot, right? Doesn't sound bad, though, but maybe a good one for a long weekend when you have time to spend with it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I don't know if I'd like the fact you forget other characters as you move on in the book but at the same time, I like the theme. I still think you have me curious enough to try the book. Great balanced review! Loved it!

    books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Not sure I could follow the time jumping but hey, I will try anything once.

    chamsmama at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks so much for the thoughtful review and for being on the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds like a winner of a book


    amhengstATverizonDOTnet

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've heard a lot about these books! They sound interesting, especially the reincarnation aspect!

    Thanks for the giveaway :)

    info[at]reelswellproductions.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sounds great. Please enter me.

    musicalfrog(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm surprised how very few books tackle the concept of reincarnation. The spaces between the dots leading up to the resolved mystery makes me hesitant to pick this one up. Thanks for your honest review, Jenny.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am a big fan of murder mysteries but this sounds like the author might have had too many "red herrings" in the book. Thanks for the review

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm not a huge fan of 'mystery' books... and and I haven't read books 1 or 2...

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. It sounds very good. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jenny-

    Good review! Don't enter me in the contest. Just wondering, would it have helped to have read books 1 and 2? or are they stand alones?

    Heather

    ReplyDelete
  26. Marjorie

    This book has been on my wish list for awhile and I would like to win and read it.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I like mysteries/thrillers with twisting plots even with a lack of character development. Now, as I say that the best ones have both elements. The only thing that might draw me back is the time jumping as I like my mystery/thrillers to be realistic.

    ReplyDelete
  28. You know, it completely depends on my mood if I want a complex story or if I'm just looking for something fun to read. But strong writing's always appreciated.

    Don't enter me in the drawing (gah, I never win anyway!) -- I just wanted to say hi & thanks for the review!
    Happy reading,
    Mary @ Book Swarm

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm definitely up for this one. I love a good intricate puzzle!

    demonicattractions(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks for the opportunity!

    forsurveysonly at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great review but I don't think this one is for me because of all the shuffling between time and characters. It reminds me of a movie trailer - I can't remember the name - but that was confusing too.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would like to give this story a try; I've heard so many conflicting things about it I would really like to read it and judge for myself:)
    jwitt33 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I still would like to read this book, but I will keep in mind your reservations. I think that I do better with good characters and a simpler plot, but I will know to pay close attention when I tackle this.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Not entering the giveaway-just wanted to say I agree with your review. You nailed it.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I would like to be entered in this giveaway please!! =)
    Thank you for hosting this giveaway!

    SpadesHigh @ http://SpadesHighReads.com
    TValeros18 @ gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  36. While I love the idea of reincarnation I do not love the idea of not being able to fully connect with the characters because of all of the jumping around. Hmmmmm... The verdict is still out on this one! ;)

    Avery
    averys.book.nook@hotmail.ca

    ReplyDelete
  37. Awesome review! :D Thanks for the chance to win this.

    AndyE.1989@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. I have always wanted to read this book.
    Thanks for the chance to win it.
    Marjorie

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete