BAFFLING BINGO MYSTERY BOOK DAY: THE FACE THIEF: A GUEST REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
"BAFFLING BINGO DAY"
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS THURSDAY'S
"BAFFLING BINGO DAY"
MYSTERY BOOK CHOICE IS.....

 GIVEAWAY ENDED 
THE FACE THIEF

 BY ELI GOTTLIEB

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Eli Gottlieb’s previous novel, Now You See Him, was acclaimed by reviewers as “irresistible … moving” (New York Times Book Review), “a triumph…of literary suspense” (Los Angeles Times), and “gorgeous” (USA Today). With The Face Thief, he returns with a driving, compulsively readable novel that probes the wellsprings of human greed and loyalty beset by temptation.

Gottlieb introduces the mystery of the charismatic Margot, a promising journalist who morphs—with stunning panache—from a high-achieving affluent twentysomething into a grifter making her living preying on the weaknesses of men. Having studied the ancient Chinese art of face reading, she becomes an expert at reading people and is also able to rearrange her look and persona with uncanny skill to fit any social situation. She is an avenging angel, shattering marriages and draining bank accounts.

What drives her quest to deceive and disarm? Exploring this question, The Face Thief moves fluidly forward and back in time, drawing vivid portraits of Margot’s rocky childhood and her adult victims: an amiable, newly married man enticed into a catastrophic fraud; an esteemed teacher outwitted by his most dangerous student; and a well-meaning New York City cop tripped up by his belief in redemption.

Ingeniously constructed and exquisitely written, The Face Thief swirls a hypnotic dance of predator and prey, creating a contemporary landscape where the educated are violent, the beautiful ugly, and the well-intentioned hapless. And yet we never give way to despair, because the protagonists of the book push back against the maelstrom and attempt tirelessly to right their toppled lives. Rich in suspense, psychological depth, and nuance, The Face Thief confirms Gottlieb’s standing as “a master” (Denver Post) and, in the words of essayist Phillip Lopate, “an enthralling stylist who[se] . . . characters are shockingly, electrically alive.”

PRAISE FOR THE FACE THIEF:

“Psychological depth and mystery cast in great sentences: the result is a suspenseful, beautifully achieved example of what happens when a serious novelist wants us to keep turning the pages.”

— Francine Prose, New York Times bestselling author of My New American Life

 “A dark libido animates this novel that can’t be resisted. The reward is an intimate literary encounter with a force that is beyond good and evil, and turns the mystical screws behind our unfathomable human destinies.”

— Walter Kirn, author of Up in the Air and Lost in the Meritocracy

 “One of those remarkable books that sneaks up on the reader, startles, and remains memorable long after the final paragraph is read.”

— Bookreporter.com

 “Frightfully good…Gottlieb’s writing is strong.”

— Associated Press

 “Jaunty... suspenseful.”

— Kirkus Reviews 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eli Gottlieb’s New York Times Notable Book, The Boy Who Went Away, won the Rome Prize and the 1998 McKitterick Prize from the British Society of Authors. His second novel, Now You See Him, has been translated into eleven languages. He lives in New York City. 

To find out more about this talented author, visit his website HERE. 

GUEST REVIEW: 

Another wonderful review from Guest Reviewer Larry DeLeon. I am constantly amazed by his talented writing. I have told him he should give up the work he currently does and just review books! However, I assume paying the bills and the demand for his expertise in his chosen field would necessitate him continuing to do what he does. Larry lives in North Carolina with his lovely wife, and their "baby", Hoover (now that the other "babies" are grown and out of the nest). Thanks you so much, Larry, and I am sure everyone will enjoy your review of THE FACE THIEF.

When I picked up this book, I had never heard of Eli Gottlieb or read any of his other works, so I had no idea what to expect.

What I found was a writer whose voice was completely unique. Visual without unnecessary adornment, I was immediately drawn in. The second surprise was his dead-on take on the driving psychology of a segment of contemporary American society –educated, mildly affluent middle aged men - that sees itself as enlightened and privileged, while still helplessly a victim of ego and sexual need.

This profile is at the heart of THE FACE THIEF. (The title takes its name from villainess Margot Lassiter's acquired skill of reading faces and using hers, along with her physical charms, to gain advantage).To illuminate this, Gottlieb drops in this creature from some other place. Margot is a manipulative, conniving, psychopathic predator, who attacks her victims with their own vanity, enriching herself in the process.  The wives and all other women including Margot, in this book are somewhat one dimensional, clearly not as important to Gottlieb in the telling of his tale.This conceit is what stops this book from being a complete success. Margot is nowhere as interesting or believable as her prey, the helpless men who fall under her spell. This incongruity takes the book straight into pulp, a fate I felt his male characters didn’t deserve. However, if you’re not worried about such minor complaints, I think you’ll find THE FACE THIEF a fun, fast read, perfect for a beach weekend. (Actually you’ll probably finish it in a couple of hours), even if you end up feeling you ordered the chocolate layer cake to find only the icing. Having said that, I would love to see something meatier from this author, as I know it’s there. Hey Eli, throw us a real bone next time.

----Larry DeLeon

GIVEAWAY 

THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIENDS AT 

HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE ONE COPY OF 

THIS INTRIGUING MYSTERY FOR A 

LUCKY FOLLOWER TO WIN

 

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT A FACE THIEF THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT AUTHOR ELI GOTTLIEB'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

 

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MARCH 22

GOOD LUCK!