Product Description

The captivating new novel from the international bestselling author of 'The Thorn Birds'. Innocence is no protection! In Holloman, Connecticut, someone is preying on the innocent. At a prestigious research centre fondly known by its staff as the 'Hug', parts of a mutilated body are found. Lieutenant Carmine Delmonico of the Holloman Police learns that a string of horrifying murders -- each with the same modus operandi as the one at the Hug -- have been commited throughout the state. When another body is found, the medical staff become prime suspects. With the powers that be in turmoil and every member of staff hiding something, Delmonico must delve into the lives of each and every Hug employee. This is the case of his career and he is determined to solve it. But how, when he is hunting a monster who leaves no clues and is always two steps ahead?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #286975 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
Praise for Colleen McCullough: 'Compelling, passionate and gritty.' She 'Fast-moving and immensely readable!this book is a page turner from start to finish.' Maeve Binchy 'Probes the depths of the human heart in a haunting, multi-layered novel.' Good Book Guide 'McCullough piles on the drama.' Daily Mail 'Sizzling family drama stuffed with passion, tragedy, love and sex.' More 'Absorbing.' Sunday Telegraph 'Deliciously addictive!a classic tale of wealth and power--an engrossing read.' Sainsbury's magazine Praise for On, Off: 'A robustly old--fashioned tale of murder!very much in the tradition of P.D. James!McCullough is a tremedous storyteller.' The Times 'This experienced writer knows how to grab attention and keep it.' Literary Review

About the Author
Colleen McCullough, a neuroscientist by training, worked in various Sydney and English hospitals before settling into 10 years of research and teaching in the Department of Neurology at the Yale Medical School in the USA. In 1974 her first novel, 'Tim' was published in New York, followed by 'The Thorn Birds' in 1977 and a string of successful novels, including the Masters of Rome series. She lives in Norfolk Island, with her husband, Ric Robinson, and a cat named Shady.

Customer Reviews

Not For You
Colleen, you are an exquisite writer, but not in thrillers,
The culprit was obvious from the begining to us (not the investigators) based on your lack of supplying information about him while extensively supplying information on others. The finding out of the truth lies on mere coincidence for the Cop-side. Not on suspicion or mind work.
Colleen, stick to what you do best, you write well and if you contemplate a thriller it has to work our minds trully, or else, please don't.

Definitely Off!!!
Yes, I have said it before - I loved "The Thorn Birds".

After that I ordered her next book and got very disappointed. Tried another one - it might just have been a slip - but no, another huge disappointment.

I gave up, until I saw this title and found it intriguing, read the synopsis and thought it worth making a try.

When I started to read, it was with my best intentions. But from the very first word, I just found this book plain disgusting. An ape believed dead (!) finds itself closed into a laboratory fridge in the middle of the night and scared to death is screaming its guts out until found by lab workers. The find of a certain part of a woman's body (with no pubic hair on it!) in the same fridge, described in great detail (I honestly did not believe what I read and had to repeat it several times to get it straight), adds to this horrible start of a criminal case.

I tried to go on. Found it disgusting, but skipped a few pages and started again in order to search for possible improvements. I really did my best, but got so put off that I finally gave up.

So I did not finish the book, but even based on what I read, I dare say this was the weirdest stuff ever. I cannot find another word for it. Ugly or strange doesn't cover it. A piece of raw meat with sexual implications, is so cruel and loathsome that I wonder how this author could have written something as beautiful as The Thorn Birds.

With this book it seems that Colleen McCullough tries her best to find the most offputting and unpleasant (to put it mildly) topics possible, even for an unusual and tough crime story.

I have certainly experienced finding books boring and uninteresting, and just looked quickly through and peaked at the end to see how it goes. But this is the first time I can remember having had no interest in even looking at the end. I simply could not close the book fast enough.

The title is very appropriate though, both as to my view on this book and experience with Colleen McCullough as a writer. ON, OFF!!!

Thomas Harris meets Agatha Christie
I had not read any of Colleen McCullough's novels since "The Thorn Birds", as most of her other works are historical novels and they are definitely not my thing. However, "On, Off" is a real "tour de force" which proves the author's versatility in turning her writing talents to many different genres. This is a brilliantly written, dark-as-they-get whodonit set in a Connecticut neurological research centre in the mid 60's, with bodies and body parts turning up ad infinitum - certainly not for the squeamish, but not your average serial-killer yarn either! The central character is the wonderful Carmine Delmonico, a cultured, sensitive and highly intelligent detective, assisted by a shy but sharp-witted Englishwoman with the amazing name of Desdemona Dupré. Two characters reminiscent of Christie at her best, as well as a host of other well-drawn characters, from the eccentric to the sinister. Although I had an inkling of who the killer was about half-way through the book, the ending came as a complete surprise - a real shocker!!! This is a MUST read, just begging for a sequel!