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    Scavenger
    Scavenger
    Scavenger
    Audiobook8 hours

    Scavenger

    Written by David Morrell

    Narrated by Patrick Lawlor

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Frank Balenger, the resolute but damaged hero of David Morrell's acclaimed Creepers, now finds himself trapped in a nightmarish game of fear and death. To save himself and the woman he loves, he must play by the rules of a god-like Game Master with an obsession for unearthing the past. But sometimes the past is buried for a reason.

    Scavenger is a brilliant, frightening hunter-hunted tale that layers modern technology over the dusty artifacts of earlier times. The result is a surreal palimpsest, one that contains the secret of survival for Balenger and a handful of unwilling players who race against the game’s clock to solve the puzzle of the time capsule, only to discover that time is the true scavenger.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMar 30, 2007
    ISBN9781423329916
    Scavenger
    Author

    David Morrell

    David Morrell is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight books, including his award-winning Creepers. Co-founder of the International Thrillers Writers Organization, he is considered by many to be the father of the modern action novel. To learn more, go to www.davidmorrell.net.

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    Reviews for Scavenger

    3.5/5

    140 ratings14 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Definitely not one of his best. There are a few gaping plot-holes.The time capsule discussions are fascinating, especially since there is one not 2Km from my home.
    • 3/5
      Viel Action und Spannung.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 2/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Scavenger, the sequel to David Morrell’s Bram Stoker winning novel Creepers, features Frank Balenger, still trying to recover from his ordeal from the previous novel, where he had been looking for his wife only to find her dead. He and Amanda, who he had saved in the previous novel, are now a couple and are trying to heal together. They go to a lecture on time capsules, which is a set up for an elaborate game. Amanda is kidnapped and thrust into a virtual reality game with others who have been kidnapped as well. They must find the Sepulcher of Worldly Desires, an infamous time capsule. Frank, meanwhile, is trying to piece together clues to find Amanda and rescue her, getting himself thrust into the game as well.Scavenger is a thrilling novel with a great high concept. I enjoyed the way Morrell incorporated both the ideas of time capsules and virtual reality games as well. It’s obvious from reading this novel that he did a ton of research. As a fellow writer I appreciate the painstaking way he tackles the research in his novels. He does it better than any novelist I can think of. The story plays out in a logical manner. The only thing I didn’t care for is that I thought the way the Game Master, the story’s villain, brings together the contestants, stretched the realm of believability. Even though Creepers had more acclaim, I thought Scavenger is a much better novel, the best Morrell has written. This is a fast-paced novel that I highly recommend.Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed this book for it's factual information about time capsules and video games. "Reality" games is an interesting concept and I enjoyed the foray into the psychologics that causes a person to want such an experience and the reuslting effects on the players. We are ever changing beings and our environment and situations do affect us.This book was extremely violent and gory. I likened it to reading a film version of "Saw." Although it's a fairly small book, it wasn't a quick-read for me because I could only do so much of the "action" at one time. If I were to read this book over-I would skip most of these."'The most painful state of being is remembering the future, in particular one you can never have.'" The Game Master quoting Kierkegaard p.292"Everything exists in God's imagination." Amanda p.324"In the end, that might be the message of every time capsule. From the long-dead past, they warn us that the here-and-now doesn't endure, that the objects around us aren't as important as we think, that what matters isn't the promise of the future but the value of each passing moment." Author's Note p.331"Impressed by the gleam of the spotless arch, I was suddenly reminded that twenty whole years had passed, that I'd gotten older. But instead of depressing me, the moment felt alive with the fulness of my memories. Nothing passes as long as we remember it. Each of us is a time capsule." Author's Note p.332
    • 3/5
      This was my first David Morrell book. It won't be my last, but I won't go racing to the libary either. I wasn't all that impressed with the characters, as each seemed to exhibit traits that were above and beyond what I thought was realistic. I think the whole time capsule idea was pretty good, but could've been handled with much more invention. This idea in the hand of Child/Preston would have been tremendous. The whole Game Master thing was OK to begin with, but a little tedious as it went along. Morrell seems to have the resume for being a great thriller writer, but I didn't really see it here. Guys like Flynn and Reilly do it much better.
    • 5/5
      Is the language captivating? Astonishment and desperation prevail. 4 out of 5Are the characters unusually interesting? They are chosen for their heroism. A hostile environment tests what they are made of. 4 out of 5Are the plot twists intriguing? Seemingly impossible obstacles are accompanied by clues to overcome them. 4.5 out of 5Does the pace pull you along? A time deadline looms, but is time warped? 4.5 out of 5Is the meaning of the ending worth the trip? The larger religious implications are ultimately undermined by a personal failing: the emotional wounds suffered by a sensitive person can warp that person into becoming completely insensitive. 4.5 out of 5Is sexuality used appropriately? Yes, there is no sexuality, but a value is placed on true intimacy. 4 out of 5What background research is evident? Video games, GPS systems, psychology, religionOffensive to any group? Religious fanaticsAre there flaws? There are too many narrow escapes, but they are consistent with the video game theme.
    • 3/5
      At one point, this book's villain launches into a brief monologue on how writers often find their fictional characters taking on lives of their own, doing and saying things the author never intended. I find this deliciously ironic, because if ever there were a novel for which that was not true, it's this one. This book is all plot, and the characters are just blank-faced pawns that Morrell (and his fictional antagonist, as it turns out) is simply moving from point to point on the board.Now, there's nothing wrong with a plot-driven story, but a little character depth would have been nice as well. Which isn't to say that the book wasn't entertaining. It was. If it were a movie, it'd be a perfect vehicle for someone like Vin Diesel or the Rock to flex their muscles, fire their weapons, and save the damsel in distress. I'd go get some popcorn and watch, and I'd put my brain in neutral on my way into the theater. Reading the book is much the same experience; it just takes a little longer.One quality that makes this tale worthy of a book (instead of the film it's dying to be) is the information regarding time capsules throughout history, which I personally found fascinating. I'm not sure how much of it was strictly necessary for the advancement of the plot, but it was, for me, the sole redeeming intellectual quality the book possessed. And it's the sort of thing that would be excised from a screenplay.
    • 5/5
      Why, oh, why, don't more people read David Morrell's books? He is an absolute master when it comes to thrillers and very, very few authors manage to create tension and suspense with the written word the way that Morrell does. Scavenger was essentially a one-sitting book (though, admittedly, that was a long sitting in the back of a car on the way home from vacation...).
    • 5/5
      Frank Balenger, the hero from Morrell's previous thriller Creepers, finds he must play an elaborate time-travel game to save himself and his lover from an insane video game designer who calls himself "The Gamemaster." Sequel to Creepers, but can stand alone. Exciting and fast-paced with a very original plot. Highly recommended for fans of adventure/suspense.
    • 4/5
      Frank and Amanda, from Morrell's earlier book Creepers, are again targeted by a psychopathic killer. This time they are tricked by a bogus invitation to attend a lecture on time capsules. They are incapicated while at the lecture. Amanda wakes up to find herself locked in a room with several strangers, who like herself have been picked for their survival skills to play a bizarre version of a video game--one in which they are the players controlled by the "gamemaster" who has the power of life or death. Meanwhile, Frank finds himself alone in New York City and is desperate to find out where Amanda is. Fortunately the Gamemaster has included him in the game as well--leaving him clues so he can find Amanda. But is there really a way to win the game, or does the gamemaster just want to kill them both?Almost totally plot driven, with little development to the characters, but oh so exciting. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was excellent for this type of book and it made my commute much more interesting. If you like action you'll love this story.
    • 4/5
      I'm a latecomer to the fiction of David Morrell. I have not yet read his classic thrillers from the 70s and 80s. I have them to look forward to in the future. From what I've heard, they may be a little more substantive than what Morrell is writing today--and that's not a criticism of his current work. I read Scavenger, Morrell's follow-up to last year's thoroughly entertaining Creepers, in about four hours the other day. The novel comes in at 333 pages (plus some interesting afterwards), but it's a light 333 pages, with short chapters and lots of white space. And again, this is not a criticism. There's something really delightful about sitting down with a thriller that you just can't put down. It's entertainment. It's fun. You can actually finish the darn thing in a timely manner! Sure there's a little part of you that may want more, but it's sooo satisfying just gobbling the thing down whole! As I mentioned above, I enjoyed Creepers and I thoroughly enjoyed Scavenger as well. I would also recommend reading Creepers first, just because that's my nature. But truthfully, you could easily get by without having read the prequel. The stories aren't that linked--other than the fact that the notoriety Frank and Amanda received in the wake of the first novel brought them to the attention of the antagonist in the second novel. Did you ever notice how some fictional characters just seem to attract psychopaths like flies to honey? I have to agree, there isn't a lot of character development in this novel. That's not what the novel is about. Morrell has surrounded his two protagonists with almost archetypal characters. They do their job. A lot of detail and development just serves to slow the story down. He has given his characters conflict and obstacles. This novel is entirely plot-driven, and I felt it moved at a very satisfying pace. I thought the information on time capsules was interesting, and that it was an intriguing device to build a story around. I wondered if the stuff about video games was a little...dated. But you know what, I didn't care. This novel was my cotton candy on a dreary Saturday afternoon. I just ate it up.