The Guise of Another

The Guise of Another is a gripping second installment to the Max Rupert and Joe Talbert series. It has a slightly different vibe than the first book, but the suspense and storytelling are just as sharp and even better than the first one . Allen Eskens knows exactly how to keep a reader hooked from chapter to chapter. A must read if you enjoyed the first book!

I read the first Max Rupert book, The Life We Bury, some time ago, and really liked it. But in the business of life and SO MANY books (!) I forgot about it until I started reading reviews of this one, which is the second in the Max Rupert series. And it pulled me in from the beginning and didn't let go. It is part mystery, part thriller, part police procedural with the politics of the police department, part cat and mouse game - but all good. We discover very early that a man has been living his life under the identity of James Putnam, but is actually not James Putman. The case could have been closed early on, but the Minnesota detective that I thought was the main character, Max Rupert's brother, Alexander Rupert (we find out more later) cannot let it go. And so the chase and the intrigue begins, taking us to Iowa, New York City, and back to Minnesota. At the same time, a side plot has Alexander in trouble with the law, his career, his personal life, and his marriage. It is briskly paced, filled with greedy bad guys (some unexpected), and the aftermath of a huge secret. The ending blew me away. At a few points in the story I was just stunned. Some things I never saw coming! Eskens can really write...I will look for his books in the future.

This is another great book by Askens. I cant wait to read the rest of the books in the series!

While this book is surely not as good as his first, "The Life We Bury," it is certainly not a bad read. Eskens's debut book was phenomenal. It had everything I love and I'm sure many readers would agree. However, I don't think "The Guise Of Another" is a waste. I love a good mystery and this book did deliver on that aspect. It also had some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, so that is always a plus.I understand why some readers have the complaints they do such as not identifying with the main character and being able to "like" Alexander. My thoughts on that are that most every book you read you are pulling for the main character. You hope for good things to happen to that character. You want everything to work out for that character in the end. This book was different and I LIKED THAT! When the story unwinds and you find out some things about Alexander, you're not sure how to feel. Eskens makes you think here. And the ending, wow! I liked that, too. It did not work out how I expected it to and that is good! A change is always good.Some readers said the book was predictable. Maybe in some spots, but not all the way through. And the comments that I'm seeing where people won't read anymore books by this author, I think are unfair. I think he has a lot to offer book lovers like myself. I loved his first book and will not stop reading him because of one book that wasn't a "hit." Many of my favorite authors have written books that I turned my nose up at, like James Patterson and Jodi Piccoult.I liked "The Guise Of Another" for its mystery, it's multiple storylines, its twists and turns, and its "out of the box" ending.I will surely read another book by Alen Eskens. I don't think he's done wowing us.

I wanted to read this book because I had just finished "The Life We Bury", and really like the writing style and story. This book is quite a bit different, although it is still a great read. I liked the tie to the first book by involving the detective Max Rupert. The story centers around his brother, Alexander Rupert, who is also a police detective. The story starts out with a rather bizarre car wreck where the driver of one car is killed. Upon trying to identify that driver, it is discovered that he was using another person's identity. The story has some interesting twists, and leads to the discovery of a former crime. This all leads to the involvement of a brutal killer, Drago Basta.. His tactics are brutal, and he is very clever in pursuing his intended targets. Charater and plot development were very good, and you can almost feel that there is no place to hide from such an evil killer.

Another riveting mystery. Max’s brother Alexander, also a homicide detective, takes the center stage of this knuckle chewing, breath holding story.

An amazingly realistic mystery that grabs your attention from the ground running and never lets go. The ending is somewhat expected but still exciting and sad.

book for book club. story line was okay; delivery was on time; purchased used book at a reasonable price.

This is a brilliantly plotted novel about people living a double life. Detective Alexander Rupert has been reassigned to the Frauds Unit. This is quite a step down from his previously run in Narcotics where he worked undercover until rumours circulated about missing money from some of the major busts while he was on the task force . He now awaits a hearing in the basement of the precinct trying not to die of boredom in the mean time. One day a swarmy insurance agent by the name of Dogget, known as an ambulance chaser comes to Det. Rupert to report a crime. He was doing follow up work on an car accident, hoping to sue on behalf of living relatives of the deceased, and was unable to track down anyone related to the driver James Putnam. Tracing a lead through Putnam's girlfriend, he tracks down a brother incarcerated in Clinton Correctional Facility. The brother takes one look at Putnam's picture on his driver's license and denies that is his brother. He says his brother is dead. Now Det. Rupert begins his adventure to find out what happened to Putnam and discover the reason for his impersonator to switch his life for Putnam's. And in the process Det. Rupert discovers a whole lot about himself.This novel is very fast paced and exciting. It will keep you up nights trying to get the answers.

Once started, I could not stop and kept listening till the heartbreaking showdown. Now it is almost dawn and I feel shattered...

I so enjoy Allen Esken's writing; unpredictable and thrilling. Thank you for keeping me gripped! I have bought his next book and am looking forward to reading it.

Overall pretty good book, if you like a bit of suspense and twisted minds there's a couple rolling around in this book

I purchased this book second hand for $11.00. Great read and great value.