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Type of bind: Kindle Edition
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
Format: Kindle Book
Label: Bantam
Manufacturer: Bantam
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 400
Printing Date: March 04, 2003
Publishing house: Bantam
Release Date: March 04, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 31307
Studio: Bantam
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Product Description:
Acclaimed as one of the most original talents to emerge in the last decade, award-winning author Laurie R. King returns to Folly Island to deliver her most stunning achievement yet--a breathtaking novel of suspense that explores the very essence of good and evil.
Allen Carmichael came back from Vietnam a lifetime ago--but only now was he ready to return home. For years, he’s lived on the fringes of the law, using a soldier’s skills to keep watch over those too young to defend themselves. Some consider him nothing but a kidnapper for hire--the best in the business; others call him a hero. His specialty has been rescuing children from abusive parents and escorting them to loving homes. But after twenty-five years, he is ready to take on his final case--a case that could destroy him.
The boy’s name is Jamie: He believes his father is going to kill him. Allen is convinced that the twelve-year-old is right and devises a strategy to save him. His last job done, Allen heads back to Folly Island, where he plans to settle into a quiet life. But not long after his return, a small plane piloted by the boy’s father’s crashes, leaving behind debris--but no body. Now it is up to Allen to resolve whether Jamie’s father is dead or alive--and to make sure Jamie himself stays out of harm’s way. But a series of ominous events leads Allen to question whether Jamie’s father is really the enemy after all. Or if the real threat is far more unspeakable...and the killer unimaginable.
Riveting, harrowing, and unforgettable, Keeping Watch takes psychological suspense to its most dizzying heights and proves again why Laurie R. King has been called by both readers and critics an undisputed master of suspense.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Rated by buyers 
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I'd read all King's Holmes series and most of her other series, but I'd gotten increasingly dissatisfied with the Holmes ones; they got too weird and unrealistic until I had dropped King from my list of authors that I watch for new books.
But I saw this one on my "Recommendations" list soon after buying a Kindle, and the reviews led me to give it a try.
I do agree that perhaps the pacing fell off a bit in places (or it got a little too long in the middle, as someone said of Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim").
It wasn't what I'd call a "page turner" and I didn't read it all in one day, but I really did love this book. It provided a satisfying, solid entertainment over 3 days and restored my faith that King can deliver the goods. It reminded me in many ways of my favorite Robert B. Parker novel, "Love and Glory", another story of a veteran who hits bottom and works out his redemption.
Rated by buyers 
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I am a new fan of Laurie R. King but this book didn't fully work for me. I understand she included the huge chunk of back-story when he was in Vietnam, as that shaped his character, but I found it dragged and bothered me because I don't care to read about war stories. So, I skimmed that part. I enjoyed the rest of the novel very much, especially how Allen is unsure if Jamie is salvageable or not. That part of the story held me throughout. So, my rating is not a slam--just be aware she does spend a lot of time with his Vietnam experiences and if you are not prepared for that it can really throw you out. But the rest of the novel is riveting.
Rated by buyers 
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I just finished this book and can't wait to read it again. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it - all of it, especially the Vietnam war parts. It's amazing how she wrote two different plot lines that (to me at least) seemed to seamlessly fit together. I found this book very different from the Kate Martinelli or Mary Russell stories - which also fascinated me.
Vietnam happened long before I could remember, and I don't really know a whole lot about it. The scenes are so realistic though, I feel a whole new understanding for the Vietnam vets (many still homeless among us).
And although I could see the plot twist coming, I couldn't figure out which way it was going to go.
I greatly recommend this book!
Rated by buyers -
I enjoyed this book and the thought that a damaged vet can find his way by helping others makes a good read. I am of the Vietnam era and normally stay away from war stories. But vietnan revisited through Allen's memories was an eye opener.
Rated by buyers -
I'm not going to review this novel - others have already done so. Some folks thought it was too long, others didn't care for the Vietnam introduction. But I was there - Vietnam in 1970/71 - and can attest from personal experience that Ms. King captures the heat, the sensations, the fear...and the Green to perfection. And the intro is vital to understanding the demons that drive Allen Carmichael.
So, even if you think you don't like 'war stories', stick with it...please! You'll be rewarded with a fascinating character study and a complex psychological thriller.
You may also come to understand why so many of those who fought in Vietnam took years to put the pieces of their life together (and why some never could) and how Abu Ghraib and other Iraqi 'incidents' occur 30 years later.
Ms. King continues to amaze and challenge. . .
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