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    Shut Your Eyes Tight: A Novel
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    Shut Your Eyes Tight: A Novel
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    Shut Your Eyes Tight: A Novel
    Audiobook17 hours

    Shut Your Eyes Tight: A Novel

    Written by John Verdon

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Dave Gurney, retired NYPD homicide investigator, is back in Shut Your Eyes Tight, the sequel to the international bestseller Think of a Number

    Dave Gurney, a few months past the Mellery case that pulled him out of retirement and then nearly killed him, is trying once again to adjust to his country house's bucolic rhythms when he receives a call about a case so seductively bewildering that the thought of not looking into it seems unimaginable-even if his beloved wife, Madeleine, would rather he do anything but.

    The facts of what has occurred are horrible: a blushing bride, newly wed to an eminent psychiatrist and just minutes from hearing her congratulatory toast, is found decapitated, her head apparently severed by a machete. Though police investigators believe that a Mexican gardener killed the young woman in a fit of jealous fury, the victim's mother-a chilly high-society beauty-is having none of it. Reluctantly drawn in, Dave is quickly buffeted by a series of revelations that transform the bizarrely monstrous into the monstrously bizarre.  

    Underneath it all may exist one of the darkest criminal schemes imaginable. And as Gurney begins deciphering its grotesque outlines, some of his most cherished assumptions about himself are challenged, causing him to stare into an abyss so deep that it threatens to swallow not just him, but Madeleine, too.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 12, 2011
    ISBN9780307917751
    Unavailable
    Shut Your Eyes Tight: A Novel
    Author

    John Verdon

    John Verdon is the author of the Dave Gurney series of thrillers, international bestsellers published in more than two dozen languages — Think of a Number, Shut Your Eyes Tight, Let the Devil Sleep, Peter Pan Must Die, and Wolf Lake. Before becoming a crime fiction writer, John had two previous careers — as an advertising creative director and a custom furniture maker. He currently lives with his wife Naomi in the rural mountains of upstate New York — raising chickens, tending the garden, mowing the fields, and devising the intricate plots of the Gurney novels.

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    Reviews for Shut Your Eyes Tight

    3.5/5

    185 ratings20 reviews

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    • 2/5
      You cannot expext or demand any believable personalities in such a plot. A bit too long narrative.
    • 4/5
      What I enjoy most about this author’s books is that his protagonist’s thought process always seems to be one step ahead of the reader’s. His books would appeal to those looking for crime fiction of a more cerebral type.

      The mystery involved Dave Gurney being hired by the mother of a bride who was found decapitated on her wedding day. It’s assumed that the gardener who occupied the cottage where the body was found was the killer, because he fled the area and no one has been able to locate him. It doesn’t take long for Gurney to disprove all the assumptions previously made about the case (which was half the fun).

      I enjoyed reading parts of the original investigative reports. Crime fiction authors rarely do this, perhaps because they don’t believe they can make it interesting enough. Another thing I’ve noticed is the author’s willingness to utilize modern technology in interesting ways, such as when Dave pulled up Google Earth in order to get a feel for the area around the crime scene. My favorite parts of the story were when Gurney was conducting his seminar. After two references to the class, however, no further mention was made and I hope to see this back in the next book. It was a fascinating discussion.

      I confess for most of the book I wanted to smack the wife. It always annoys me when the author writes the protagonist’s wife or girlfriend as being completely unsupportive and passive-aggressive. Such was the case here, but fortunately she experienced a change of heart at the moment of no return. It will be interesting to see in the next book if she suddenly becomes hostile to his work again.

      Four and a half stars

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A year ago I discovered John Verdon with his first novel. "Think of A Number". That one was an absolutely riveting read and this latest one does not disappoint. He has written the mother of all puzzle mysteries. I loved his plots and his main character, Dave Gurney. If you read James Patterson,Lee Childs or Nelson DeMille, you will love this author.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Strange book. Hugely enjoyable for about 150 pages towards the end of an excessive 500-odd. Lots of sub-plots that shouldn't have survived the editing process, and a nasty and largely implausible plot. Not terrible, but not particularly good either.
    • 1/5
      This is the second time I have attempted to read this book. Both times I have felt the same reaction...why oh why. As in why oh why are I subjecting myself to this book. Well I could not read anymore of this book on my second try after getting to chapter 13. Which to be honest was not hard to get to chapter 13 as the chapters are pretty short. Well they are when you find yourself skimming the pages. I was not into this book at all. I actually had to re-read the murder scene. I only knew this because I was continuing to read and the story went on about the possible motive and such and I went wait where was the murder? The intensity levels needed to be turned up to a 8-10. There was just too much detail spent in the talking and build up that Dave did not even talk about the murder or see the video until about chapter 10. Nope this book was not for me.
    • 3/5
      Retired homicide detective Dave Gurney once again, despite his best intentions, gets involved in a murder investigation. A bride killed on her wedding day is left in a gruesome pose with no clues as to who may have been her killer. The victim’s mother, with unlimited funds at her disposal, will spare no expense to find out what happened to her daughter. Detective Gurney (retired), puts both his life and his marriage on the line, agreeing to a “time limited” investigation.

      This second book is every bit as much of a page-turner as Mr. Verdon’s first, Think of a Number. I look forward to another Dave Gurney book soon.
    • 5/5
      A sparkling gem of Mystery genre which will amaze you, shock you and please you. A must read for all mystery readers.awesome ending.. awesome story.. go read it..
    • 5/5
      If you haven't read any John Verdon yet and you like a good detective crime story you'd better get on to them. I consider him to be one of the best in the genre writing intelligent, intriguing plots with a complex protagonist and a dash of psychology, philosophy, sociology thrown in. You actually learn things while the clever plot unfolds. SHUT YOUR EYES TIGHT fulfills every expectation following the first in the series and, while it becomes obvious near the end who the murderer is, it's the getting there that creates the tension. Gurney is a brilliantly rendered character with an inner thought/feeling world that is realistic and reflects the foibles of relationships we all experience at times. These are excellent stories and the next one is definitely on my to-read list!
    • 4/5
      Retired NYPD detectice Dave Gurney is asked to consult on a local murder of a woman whose head is found cut off on her wedding day.The strained relationship between husband and wife in this sequel sets my teeth on edge. It was like that in the first novel and it's distracting, not enhancing to the story. The plot is interesting even though I knew who the killer was early on. A lot of subplots to get to the main plot and sometimes it moves slowly.
    • 4/5
      Both annoying and compelling at the same time. The pace is slow and there are too many longeurs. Although a lot of time is invested in the characters you still somehow feel distant from them. The plot is far-fetched and yet somehow it manages to keep you hooked to the end as it skates a dangerous precipice between an implausible, sensationalist thriller and an absorbing psychological drama. Not sure which description fits best.
    • 2/5
      I figured out this "whodunit" very quickly. Reading the next 400 or so pages, I kept hoping I had it wrong, especially given that the main character, Dave Gurney, is supposed to be a brilliant detective. Verdon's first book was better.
    • 4/5
      Finally have finished this book and it is not that I did not like it, I did very much. Itwas sucha detailed layer of threads that needed to untangled, pieces that needed to be inserted. DaveGuerny, retired from the police dept. is asked to look into the beheading of a bride on her wedding day. This book is not told in a particularly gritty manner but more of a following along of the reader as pieces of the puzzle are discovered. Many twists and turns and this is definitely a thinking person's mystery.
    • 3/5
      Book OverviewDetective Dave Gurney, who readers first met in Think Of A Number, is back with another case—despite promising his wife Madeline that he really was retired after the events of the Mellery case. However, the reality is that Gurney is not cut out for retirement and a quiet life in the country. He needs a challenge and a puzzle to keep life interesting. So when an old colleague requests his help on a case, Gurney is easily drawn back into the fray.Although the case appears to be open and shut, the police have been stymied for months. The facts seem cut and dry: At her wedding reception, a young bride is found beheaded in the cottage of the live-in gardner just before the congratulatory toast. Based on where the murder took place, it seems obvious that the gardner is the murderer—especially since video footage from the wedding accounts for everyone else’s whereabouts and the bride was seen entering the gardener’s cottage moments before the toast. Although the police have identified the murder weapon and the perpetrator, the gardener seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.As Gurney gets drawn into the case, he begins to discover that things (including the bride and her groom) aren’t quite as they seem. In fact, it seems that Gurney may have stumbled onto a much larger conspiracy that involves a possible serial killer. Besides the case of the beheaded bride, the book also focuses on Gurney’s increasingly strained personal life and an unexpected development in his art career.My ThoughtsI read Think of A Number last year—drawn in by the seemingly “impossible” scenario. I ended up being intrigued by Gurney and the tragic back story hinted at in the first book. So when I was offered this book for review, I jumped at the chance to read it. After all, it featured another “impossible” case—plus I wanted to get to know Gurney more. Unfortunately, I think Verdon suffered a bit of a sophomore slump as this book didn’t grab me as much as his first one.Part of the problem has to do with the sprawling and complex plot. Verdon seems determined to create another puzzler that leaves readers scratching their heads, but the scenario just isn’t as compelling in this book. In a way, this book sets up a classic “locked room” mystery. However, with almost no cast of characters to get to know and investigate, readers must rely on Verdon to provide the clues and plot developments instead of trying to puzzle things out on their own. This led to a less active reading experience. In addition, the plot got so convoluted and complicated that I started to lose the core of the story. In fact, thinking back now, I would have a hard time explaining to you exactly what happened!In addition, the relationship between Gurney and Madeline wasn’t as fully developed as it was in the first book. In fact, Madeline was barely present in this book—often just passing by as Gurney was doing his stuff. I was also bothered by some of the decisions that Gurney made and his choice to keep critical information from Madeline. It seemed inconsistent with their relationship.Despite my complaints, Shut Your Eyes Tight isn’t a horrible book. Readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers would probably like it, and it is well-suited for a summer read (lots of thrills; not too much thinking). However, it is uncharacteristically long for these types of books—clocking in at just over 400 pages. Still, I wouldn’t write off Dave Gurney and John Verdon yet. Think of A Number was Verdon’s first book, and I think it is common for authors to have a bit of a slump in their follow-up, especially when pressured to come up with another “impossible” scenario for their super-detective.
    • 5/5
      John Verdon has done it again. In this his second book featuring retired NYPD detective Dave Gurney, Verdon has once again fashioned a suspenseful, tale full of twists and a clever plot that will have you rushing through the pages trying to keep up with Gurney and get one step ahead of the killer. Getting one step ahead is going to be hard as the victims have all been found with their heads cut off. The first victim, was a young woman whom her mother described as a self centered, uncaring, sexually abused and abusive witch. This head case had just married her former therapist, the head of a local sexual therapy institute for abused young women. Immediately following the marriage ceremony, which was fully video taped, the bride is found in a small cottage on the property, sitting in a chair, her head cut off and placed on a table facing her body. After months of fruitless police investigating, retired detective Gurney is hired by the victim's mother, who wants to find Hector Flores, the man suspected of killing her daughter. Flores proves to be as hard to find as a winning lottery ticket. It will take all of Gurney's investigative expertise, experience, and wily skills to solve this case as the heads continue to roll. This book provided for review by the Amazon Vine program and the well read folks at Crown Publishing.
    • 5/5
      I so enjoyed Shut Your Eyes Tight! Dave Gurney, a former NYC detective, is such a wonderful character. He's been enlisted to look into a grizzly murder that remains unsolved. He is non-committal but gets sucked in the more he learns. Yep, I know the feeling Dave, I got sucked in right along with you! There are so many creepy psychological twists and turns, every time I thought I was sure I knew "who dun it" something else came along to change my mind. Absolutely LOVED this book!
    • 4/5
      Mr. Verdon's style of writing consists of a mystery to be solved by retired super detective Dave Gurney and the well developed personal side of Det. Gurney and his private life. When I read his first novel, I don't think I really got this. The book was slower paced than I normally like and I looked at this as a negative. This time I got it. The mystery is good and Det. Gurney with his analytical mind sees things that others don't. He loves solving puzzles. Sometimes it is believable and sometimes it is not but it is entertaining. I thought I figured the mystery out (and in the end I was right) but there were enough twists and turns that I doubted my conclusion at times. Interwoven into the mystery, however, is the very personal story of the day to day lives of him and his wife, Madelaine. Both characters are likable but so different that they are not particularly likable together. I find her a bit selfish where he is concerned. In this personal side of his books, he develops the characters very well. His descriptions of places, people, and things puts you there, and they are believable. On the mystery/crime side, he develops characters and scenerios that are evil. I look forward to Dave Gurney, No. 3.
    • 3/5
      Received this book as an ARC......I am not sure how I applied for it but I would like to thank Crown Publishers of New York for sending it to me. I have not read the first of this series, so did not have the backstory available. I will go back and remedy that as I enjoyed this book. Tight writing, good plot, nicely drawn characters (lots of references to previous case so I would read in order if that option is available). My only problem with the book was that It was a little far-fetched. I just can't believe that a school like Mapleshade could possibly exist and the evilness of the villain was just beyond my limit of credulity. And Gurney's relationship with his wife was a little annoying. Maybe reading the first book would have explained why they were even together. Having said that, it was a fast read and for the genre, a good book. I would recommend to those who like fast-paced imaginative detective stories.
    • 5/5
      When Dave Gurney put his retirement on hold to assist in solving the Mellery case, he thought it would be the last time. But when his old friend, Jack Hardwick, asks him to meet with the mother of a recent murder victim, Dave finds his curiosity hard to deny. He soon finds himself investigating not one murder, but the murders of several young girls who had been treated for sexual deviances.I will warn you now, this one is a page turner. I found it very hard to put down, I just had to keep reading one more page. We have all come across authors whose work just seems to flow right out of their mind and into ours. Verdon is one of these authors. I can honestly say, this was my favorite read of the year so far.This novel falls somewhere between cozy mystery and high action thriller. There are, certainly, many scenes where the action is riveting, but they do not overwhelm the story. The pacing is somewhat relaxed, like a cozy mystery, but the plot and investigation is much more intellectual. The overall feel of this novel is refreshingly unique.The characters in Shut Your Eyes Tight are interesting, yet believable. The main character, Dave Gurney, is an incredible investigator, but he has problems with his marriage. His wife wants a simple quiet life, yet she understands her husband's need to exercise his mind. All of the characters have many sides and are sometimes unpredictable, making all that more human.The mystery genre has a new name to add to the list of its elite. John Verdon's Dave Gurney novels are fast becoming required reading. We can only hope there are many more Gurney novels in our future.
    • 4/5
      Verdon is back with his second book, Shut Your Eyes Tight, featuring retired NYPD detective Dave Gurney. But retired may be a misnomer for Dave. He and wife Madeleine moved to the country, settling in on an idyllic piece of property. Madeleine is happy, but Dave is restless. In the first year, Dave was asked to 'consult' on a case. He agreed, but working again took it's toll on both Dave and the marriage.When old friend Detective Jack Hartwick stops by to 'visit' and just happens to mention a tantalizing case that could use Dave's insight, he finds himself inextricably drawn in....yet again...A young woman has been murdered at her wedding reception in a truly horrific manner. Held on the grounds of her own home, she went into the gardener's cottage to ask him to attend. Jillian never came out and the gardener can't be found. Gurney takes on the case, drawn deeper into an ugly world that goes much further than 'just' the one murder. And he does so, knowing that his wife will not be happy."His acceptance of the case would prove that his obsession with solving murders, even in retirement, was intractable and that their future together would be clouded. His rejection of the case, on the other hand, would signal a changed, the first step in his transformation from a workaholic detective into a bird-watching, kayak-paddling nature enthusiast. But, he argued in his imagination, as though she were present, black-and-white options are unrealistic and lead to lousy decisions, because by definition they exclude so many solutions. In this instance the most tenable course would surely lie in a middle ground between black and white. He would accept the case, but with a strict time limitation - say one week. Two weeks maximum."I loved the enigmatic character of Madeleine in the first book and have come to appreciate her even more in this second novel. She says volumes without uttering a word. Verdon has done a fantastic job with this character. I find this secondary storyline and exploration of their marriage and relationship just as engrossing as the mystery.And the mystery is good. What sets Dave Gurney apart is his careful, analytical mind. It is intriguing to follow along with his thought processes as he links together seemingly disparate incidents and clues."The thing of it is, the whole damn case is like that. Everyone connected with it is either a genius or a lunatic or...a pathological liar or...I don't know what."As I said when I reviewed Think of a Number, I wasn't sold on Dave Gurney. I still haven't embraced him as a character I can say I really like, although we are shown a little more of what makes the man tick this time. But this isn't a bad thing at all. Verdon has created an interesting, flawed protagonist that doesn't fit a mold. Just as Gurney is unable to resist the pull of an unsolved case, I am hooked by Verdon's characters and writing. I am very much looking forward to the next chapter in Dave Gurney's life.
    • 4/5
      This is Verdon's second book featuring retired detective Dave Gurney and another powerful and fast paced murder mystery. He gets the call 4 month into a stalled investigation over a bride murdered at her own wedding reception--not from the police but from her mother. Gurney agrees to work on the case for two weeks (much to the dismay of his frustrated wife). and quickly discovers that the picture is far bigger than anyone had yet imagined. It seems there is a serial killer with a bit of a literary bent who has been quietly doing his thing for a least 3 years. And now he's gone public--and has Gurney directly in his sights. Verdon writes smart, smart mysteries with intricate puzzles that continue to surprise to the very last pages. I highly recommend this book, as well at the first one in the series, "Think of a Number".