Scavenger (original 2007; edition 2007)

Really enjoyed Creepers when I read it a few years so when I found out there was a sequel I thought I would give it a try.

Scavenger follows the same characters as the first book but for me it has lost the atmosphere that Creepers created. I think the author has gone for a more conventional story this time and that has taken the edge off for me.

Apart from the characters, I would really struggle to call this a sequel and feel it would be better as a stand alone novel.

Frank and Amanda both attend a time capsule lecture, both are drugged and she is captured. both must pit their wits against a guy called the Gamesmaster, with the prize being her life.

There are enough plot twists to keep you interested although some seem fairly far fetched, and you can tell the author also did his homework and must have researched a great deal so that adds to the enjoyment level. I would be fair and give 3 stars as although it wasn't a book I really enjoyed I can see why others have. ( )

Definitely not one of his best. There are a few gaping plot-holes.[return]The time capsule discussions are fascinating, especially since there is one not 2Km from my home. ( )

David Morrell is one of those authors that I generally don't seek out but almost everything that I read by him is really good. It makes me wonder why I don't anticipate reading his books as much as other authors. The only reason I can think of is that I have so many other authors that I read and try to stay current on that I can't handle one more. A poor excuse considering the quality of Morrell's writing. Anyway, SCAVENGER makes me reconsider why Morrell isn't on my must-follow list. The book is solidly entertaining and thrilling from start to finish.

Frank Balenger and Amanda Evert are recovering from the events in CREEPERS (not a requirement to read but recommended). Suffice to say, they are a couple of survivors from a tortuous torment in an abandoned building. Amanda and Frank attend a presentation about time capsules where they are drugged and Amanda gets kidnapped. The rest of the book is the chase of Frank trying to find and rescue Amanda while simultaneously Amanda is forced to "play" in an adventure scavenger hunt for a missing time capsule. If she wins, she gets to live.

The setup and action might seem a bit much for the end result; there seems to be near limitless resources to both set up and execute the plan and to have the characters run through the hunt. This is no worse though than James Bond or countless other stories where money seems to be no object to achieve the final goal. And there are ample explanations as to from where the money comes. While all the characters are believable, I do wish that Detective Ortega was flushed out a bit more. He almost fell into the cliche of not-so-smart detective that helps the hero but is still two-steps behind the hero at all times. I still very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it. ( )

I made it to page 100 of 368 of Scavenger before making the executive decision to shut this one down. I think the decision to bill this book as a sequel to Creepers was a poor one. Completely different type of story, and way too pulpy and unbelievable to continue. Skimmed through to the end and it didn't seem to improve in the slightest. David Morrell's characteristic wonderful writing is absent in this book, and seems as though he took a bare-bones plot and tried to patch it up with hundreds of boring and barely rewritten factoids pulled from the internet.

Comparisons in other reviews have been made to the movie Saw, but I think if you want an example of the best execution of this particular plot, watch the movie CUBE.
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I discovered David Morrell (who wrote First Blood) quite by accident and he has quickly become one of my favourite thriller writers. Although he began publishing before David Baldacci, it’s the only style I can compare it to. Scavenger lets revisit with Frank and Amanda (from Creepers) as they innocently get dragged into a real-life “video game”. The usual thrills with some humour thrown in, as well as some interesting facts about time capsules. I also got a little bit of THE WIZARD OF OZ dejavu happening as I read this … wondering if anyone else read it and had the same feeling?