Intense material handled with great sensitivity

This is overall a gripping novel, however, the aspect that really amazed me is the way the author, who (judging by the portrait on the back cover) is Caucasian, captured the sense of ethnic angst of Melanie, a young African-American woman. As an African-American myself, I found it uplifting to see someone so sensitive as to capture the experience of growing up as a minority. There's a particularly touching scene in which Melanie reflects on the conflicts she feels about growing up black, and for me, that alone argued for a 5-star rating, although the overall story is of the highest caliber.

A master of understatement

Befumo is an absolute master of understatement. His characters are complex and intriguing-they all seem like people you might easily encounter in your own life, but who are thrust into the riptide of a society bent on destruction. I was particularly bemused when I realized that the painting of the mad-eyed prophet on the back cover was actually a portrait of the author himself. Pretty intense dude, and his writing reflects it. It also confirmed the feeling I got from reading the book that the author had modeled the central character after himself-the emotions and reactions were just too intense for the writer not to have been there himself. This made the book even more captivating.

Timely and Entertaining

This book draws upon the current madness of our nation and the world, and spins it into a plausible picture of where we're headed. For all that, it manages to never descend into self-indulgent philosophizing, but remains a highly readable novel throughout. The author maintains a wry sense of humor, particularly in his treatment of "the mad cult leader," who, in many respects, is the more sane than most of us. As a long-time martial artist, I particularly liked the scene in which Kadmon works out with the Mook Jong (Wing Chun dummy), which strongly suggests that the author truly has some in-depth knowledge of martial arts.

What a ride!

What a ride! This is the first novel I've read by this author, but it will definitely not be the last. All I can say is WOW. Absolutely masterful--I couldn't put it down. I have told EVERYONE about it! What I particularly liked was the tact and discretion with which he implies violence without dousing the reader in gore. This is a must for a movie...simply thrilling. Made my summer!

An author with a subtle touch

While this is obviously a work of fiction, it's clear that the author has some strong feelings about various political issues. The thing I like about it is that he manages to get his message across without beating the reader over the head with it. Everything the characters say seems totally justified and believable in terms of their literary development (which is quite detailed-you definitely feel like you know them very quickly). This is the third book I've read by J.P. Befumo (the first two, "Oranur Conspiracy" and "The Space Between Time") are currently out of print-too bad), and I look forward to seeing more of what he can do.

A Truly Original Work

This is one of the more original works I've read in a long, long time. In these days when everyone is trying to write their own knock-off of someone else's success story, it's definitely refreshing to encounter someone who isn't afraid to be innovative. I particularly liked the way the author juggles multiple, intertwined story lines, each merging in an entirely organic way, resulting in a cohesive whole. The characters all seem like people you've known or might expect to encounter-completely believable, even the inscrutable cult leader.

A VERY Unusual Book

This book isn't at all what I expected (though I'm not sure I could articulate what those expectations were). There's something about its characters, pacing, and plot(s) that are somehow unpretentious, to the point that you almost forget that you're reading a piece of fiction, and not just peeking in on some very peculiar friends. While the plots are definitely intriguing, I would have to say that this is a character-driven book. I would definitely watch for the next book by this author.

A first class page-turner

This is a first class page-turner--unpredictable, psychological, and gripping. From the very first page, his characters, Particularly Linwood Steene, take on almost tangible forms in various realistically-painted settings. Each of the constituent plots could almost support a whole novel on their own, but then they meld into the main story line in a totally intrinsic manner.

A stunning find

I stumbled across this gem as a result of searching for information on Wilhelm Reich, the pioneering Austrian psychoanalyst, which led me to another (out of print) book by this author, and thence, to Ariadne's Clew. The blurb caught my fancy, and the price was right, so I guess it was sort of an impulse purchase. I'm really glad I did! I'll definitely keep my eyes open for future works by this intriguing author. Without giving anything away, one of the things that I really liked about this book is the way the author maintains multiple converging plots, with new ones emerging as prior ones sublimate into the main story line. Masterfully done, these really kept my interest & maintained a brisk forward motion. The characters in this story are also fascinating-human enough to be likable and recognizable, but each quirky in one way or another. A great read, which I highly recommend.

A real page turner that has something to say

This book was really addictive. The characters are very well written and three dimensional. The story is completely original, and the ending is one of the best and most unexpected I've read in quite some time. I often found myself paging ahead to see how a situation would resolve itself. The authors' take on the current state of affairs in this country is all too relevant.
This was one of those rare books that I hated to see end. I can't wait to read his next novel!

An excellent read

I just finished Ariadne's Clew. I highly recommend it. It has everthing I look for in a novel: good character development, a fast pace, a complex enough plot so as not to predictable, and good literary values. You won't be disappointed.