Customer Rating:  
Summary: Waiting for that perfect match?
Comment: Eden Inc. is the largest and most successful company in the matchmaking business. Using highly proprietary screening methods and exceedingly sophisticated computerized processes, they've matched more "perfect" couples than any of the competition. Eden Inc. is the brainchild of brilliant computer scientist Richard Silver, originating from parent company PharmGem before branching off as a privately held company. But something recently has gone very wrong; of the five "supercouples" matching 100% at Eden, the first of them, Lewis and Lindsey Thorpe, are found dead of what looks to be mutual suicide. How could this happen to a perfect couple?
Silver and his corporate director Edwin Mauchly call upon the aid of Dr. Christopher Lash, currently a psychologist specializing and family and marital relationships. But it's Lash's past experience as a special agent in forensic psychology for the FBI's Behavioral Science program as a criminal personality profiler that really interests them. Dr. Lash left the FBI after a particularly bad run-in with serial killer Edmund Wyre, which was also the cause of his divorce from his wife Shirley.
Dr. Lash has difficulty uncovering any reason for the couple's suicide, until the next 100% "supercouple" also commit mutual suicide. Now Silver knows it was no coincidence. Lash gains access to the inner workings of Eden Inc. and meets the enigmatic Richard Silver, and his self-aware computer system Liza. Teamed up with Tara Stapleton from systems security, Lash continues his search. As a research project, Lash himself goes through Eden's screening process and is rejected, yet somehow his Avatar gets placed in "The Tank" and is matched to a potential mate. According to Tara, such a mistake is impossible. Impossible or not, the more Lash and Tara uncover, the more unrealistic the suicides seem to be. But they must work fast to find the answer, because there's still three more "supercouples" left.
This enticing story is interspersed with chapters from Lash's past against serial killer Edmund Wyre, adding an intriguing subplot to the novel. The characters are thoughtfully constructed and the "self-aware" computer personality made believable. Like most of Child's novels, the "whodunit" factor is usually easily guessable, but the tension at the build-up is exciting and enjoyable anyway. I've found novels by Lincoln Child to be peculiarly addictive, whether written on his own or with co-author Douglas Preston. While not perfect, they contain a substance to them that is attractive; good storylines and plot-development being a couple of factors to mention. With the popularity of the "computerized dating" businesses growing, 'Death Match' is a modern and tantalizing tale. Check out other novels by Lincoln Child also. Enjoy!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Can computers manipulate the future?
Comment: I love all of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's books. This story is based on the use of a computer to determine the perfect mating of man and woman. But the computer is diabolical and kills some of its best matches and makes it look like suicide. It requires an eminent psychiatrist to go up against this "dating" computer. Some interesting concepts about how computers can conceivable control our lives. Fun Read!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Absolutely loved this book
Comment: What a fun, imaginative, suspenseful ride this novel was. I loved it. I am not usually a fan of science fiction type books buth this novel is an excellent mix of suspense thiller and techno thriller. The premise is extremely intriguing and gives the book the great plot it needs to succeed.
We have Eden, Inc. a highly developed matchmaking service - it uses high tech artificial intelligence to try to match people on up to 1 million separate pieces of criteria. It is expensive, very popular and succesful. People are finding their soul mates. But 2 "super couples" have committed double suicide. A "super couple" is a couple that matches on all 1 million pieces of criteria. The deaths are a problem and Eden, Inc. needs help so they call in Chris Lass, a psychologist on marital relationships who used to work for the FBI. He is given all he needs to try to figure out why these couples are killing themselves - or are they?
This novel is excellent escape fiction. Many have given it 4 stars saying that the ending was predictable or not believable. What I love about this book is just that. It is not reality based. But it is so expertly, intelligently written that we get caught up in Eden, Inc. and their computerized matchmaking. We go into another world and it is exciting. The characters are superbly developed. None of them are thin or caricatures. They are all fully developed and carefully crafted just as Eden is detailed to expert precision. Some characters you will root for, some you will hate, some will surprise you.
The suspense starts at the beginning and never lets up. Someone is not happy with Chris Lass looking into the working of Eden and they start causing serious problems for him. The journey Chris goes on and how expertly we are made a part of it is what carries this novel. The ending may be a little over the top but for me it followed the rest of the book and was very satisfying.
I highly recommend this book for intelligent, well crafted escape fiction. The suspense is awesome and you will be on the edge of your seat.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Death Match (Review)
Comment: I am a big fan of suspense thrillers. I also enjoy the Preston and Child's novels so I was excited to read this this book by Lincoln Child. I thought it was okay...a good story; but not as exciting to read as the novels by both authors.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Premise, Flat Ending
Comment: The premise was great. The writing in the early part was absorbing. I was hoping against hope the ending would be different. But it became the boring, flat ending I was afraid of.
As to Eden, while the premise of an all-knowing computer was intriguing, the extent to which it was pushed, & for a purpose like match-making, made it rather implausible, if not laughable. It is conceivable a computer can hack into that much data. It is rather dubious it can do that a million times without anybody detecting anything.
Would have preferred if the novel had taken another direction, like, how all the information in the world still can't predict a perfect match...a little misinterpretation can ruin all the hard data...
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