Cheap Before The Cradle Falls (Book) (James F. David) Price

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Customer Reviews of Before The Cradle Falls

In my opionion, David has the perfect blend of paranormal/sci-fi and mystery/action/thriller down pat! As with his other novels, David takes a standard sci-fi theme (in this case time travel), and presents it in a way I have never read before, with interesting theories to back it up. I have no idea how scientific said theories are and don't really care. They're fun and unique.

One of the things I really enjoy about his books are the settings. Before the Cradle Falls is set in current day Portland, Oregon, my hometown. James F. David, who lives in nearby Tigard, is very familiar with Portland and uses real landmarks, Parks and businesses for much of the book. A few things are made-up (our real newpaper is the Oregonian, not the Oregon Chronicle), but for the most part, Portland is exactly as he describes it. It gives me the feeling that I could step out my door one day and see Kyle Sommers driving by in a police car...

An engrossing, not gross, time-travel thriller
Bravo to Mr. David for a fast-moving, highly involving time-travel thriller. With the grim subject matter (child murders, gang wars, etc.), you'd expect more explicit gore and street language, but there isn't much of that here, and there doesn't need to be -- David's story is quite compelling as is. Who is "Cradle Robber"? Who is the "Blue-Skinned Man" who interferes with his murder spree? And will Kyle Sommers catch either of them and learn their secrets?

Unlike a lot of sci-fi I've read, character development is well-done here. The prose is a little shaky at first -- repetitive and awkward in places, but once he finds his groove in the third or fourth chapter, David keeps the story chugging along, sometimes in unexpected directions.

There is a one-two punch ending, one part of which I saw coming (but thoroughly enjoyed) and the other, not as satisfying, but _Before the Cradle Falls_ is definitely worth reading, and one of the better crafted time travel tales out there.

Grabbed my attention and held it
There are some books that you have to allow a few pages or chapters to "get into" it; this book grabbed me from the first page. Something is always happening, but it's not confusing or overwhelming - the characters are easy to get to know and easy to distinguish. I really appreciated the personal tone of the story - I enjoyed "getting to know" the characters and their feelings, thoughts and motivations; it just adds a new dimension to the story to be able to see what's going on from the different viewpoints of the characters involved (not just to see one person's "side"). There's Cradle Robber, an elusive monster (who doesn't see himself as a monster, but as a kind minister who saves children from inevitable pain had they continued living) who has been traveling from city to city, suffocating young children in their beds and leaving a small baby toy in the dead child's hand. There's Detective Kyle Sommers, who has recently returned to work after taking a leave of absence to recover from his young daughter's death. Kyle feels an especially urgent interest in solving the Cradle Robber case because every time a child dies, his daughter's death hurts that much more. There's Sherrie Nolan, a dynamic woman in a wheelchair who believes in time travel and who puts herself on the line to help Kyle, young children, and people she's never even met. And there is the mysterious and elusive man in the hat and overcoat, who witnesses say has blue skin... why is his skin blue, and why is he showing up at numerous catastrophes, all involving children, in the nick of time to lend a hand in saving lives, but then disappearing before anyone can speak with him? Who is he, why does he leave newspaper-like columns for the detective to find that contain incorrect information about a crime or tragedy that has just occurred where he has intervened, and what is he trying to do? When the mystery man crosses Cradle Robber's path, a chain of events is set in motion that threatens to not only change the past and the future, but to destroy the present world as Kyle knows it.