Terry Hayes

Pilgrim is the code name for a world class and legendary secret agent. His adversary is known only as the Saracen. As a young boy, the Saracen saw his dissident father beheaded in a Saudi Arabian public square, creating a burning desire to destroy the special relationship between the US and the Kingdom. When a woman's body is found in a seedy hotel near Ground Zero, the techniques are pulled from a cult classic of forensic science that Pilgrim wrote under a pen name. In offering the NYPD assistance with the case, Pilgrim gets pulled back into the intelligence underground.

A Thriller

I Am Pilgrim

The film writer for Bangkok Hilton presents a debut thriller that traces a collision between two geniuses, including a tortured hero and a determined terrorist, in the aftermath of a murder that a world-class secret agent discovers has been conducted according to his own forensic techniques to hide the victim's identity.

Very striking ideas and some amazing action scenes, but an insufferable main character. The relationships between the characters needed to be better developed and have depth. Also the whole book was obsessed with shoving US-centrism down your throat.  

Eva de Jong

Luke Harkness

A very good thriller that encorporates a murderer mystery and a plot to destroy America into one. There's not a vast amount of action, it's now asking the lines of a detective book. Just with more badassery.

Alan

To get an impression of this book, imagine Dick Cheney wrote a thriller.

Shit was interesting from start to finish. All the characters were interesting and the conclusion was satisfying. Rip to the guy that got his peewee shot off tho🙏

Jean-Paul Massaquoi

Can you commit the perfect crime? Pilgrim is the codename for a man who doesn�e(tm)t exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation. But that book will come back to haunt him. It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down. And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman is found facedown in a bath of acid, her features erased, her teeth missing, her fingerprints gone. It is a textbook murder �e" and Pilgrim wrote the book. What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion. Pilgrim will have to make a journey from a public beheading in Mecca to a deserted ruins on the Turkish coast via a Nazi death camp in Alsace and the barren wilderness of the Hindu Kush in search of the faceless man who would commit an appalling act of mass murder in the name of his God.

Ed Kay

I found this overlong and far too pleased with itself, but my primary annoyance with the whole thing was the weird and distracting authorial voice. It's all narrated first person - even the sections that are describing what the other characters are thinking. Perhaps among the amazing skills Pilgrim constantly alludes to though rarely demonstrates is telepathy? Not to mention the fact he also describes in perfect authorial detail exactly how the bad guy set up the crime despite repeatedly pointing out that he was so clever and hidden that no one knows anything about him and that he's a ghost... I found it SO JARRING.

The author - as is pointed out in the eager full page 'summary' at the start, and at the end a nauseating 3 page acknowledgements, smug 'note' AND sycophantic Richard and Judy 'interview' - was a screenwriter, so presumably he's writing from the perspective of the camera. Where in a film the camera can cut to another scene with other characters, off he goes, describing everything, but not as a dispassionate authorial voice. No, he's still the main character! How about some third person Terry? Didn't they teach it at scriptwriting school? Or - gasp - more than one first-person narrator?

And what classic movies has he had a part in? Vertical Limit with Chris O'Donnell, one of the most awful and unrealistic films ever made.

That's not even to mention that the whole murder investigation in the middle of the novel is based on the knowledge of the time of death of the victim because "his cellphone was in his pocket and the clock stopped when he smashed onto the rocks." Oh yeah, those modern cellphones with the ANALOGUE CLOCK FACES that stop when they get smashed.

This probably deserves 3* but the aggravation these factors caused (where were the editors?!) have driven me to dock one additional star as a stupid tax.

Daniel Toke Hansen

Magnificent story telling and true page turner. Couldn't stop listening to this audio book and the author keept surprising me throughout the journey to find the answers that would prevent a global pandemic.

Matthew Royal

Did not finish. Not impressed with the author's internal narrative -- it's shallow and stupid, despite attempting to be the inner thoughts of the "genius" detective. Very demeaning to women in an "in-cel" sort of way, and worse: Terry Hayes shows us he can't put himself in someone else's perspective. 

I can't imagine anyone besides other dirty old men enjoying this book.

Can you commit the perfect crime? Pilgrim is the codename for a man who doesn't exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation. But that book will come back to haunt him. It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down. And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman is found facedown in a bath of acid, her features erased, her teeth missing, her fingerprints gone. It is a textbook murder - and Pilgrim wrote the book. What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion. Pilgrim will have to make a journey from a public beheading in Mecca to a deserted ruins on the Turkish coast via a Nazi death camp in Alsace and the barren wilderness of the Hindu Kush in search of the faceless man who would commit an appalling act of mass murder in the name of his God.

Cindy McKee

I took this story slower than I normally do, not because of anything the author did wrong, but because of all he did right. The story spreads across time, crimes, and events, and even though it's alot to absorb, it never felt weighed down or boring. Even though he's a first time novelist, Mr. Hayes is no stranger to writing. He's wrote incredible action packed screenplays and hollywood blockbusters, so I'm sure it would seem an easy task to crank out a thriller full of action and a tidy bow of an ending. Instead he gave us a well thought out thriller that uses intelligence over explosions and guns, and gives us both a damaged and complicated hero and villain. I liked all the peripheral characters and thought he was able to turn essential pencil sketches of people into portraits without a page and a half description. They were as well thought out as his main characters. It was a gripping tale filled chockablock with subtle moments of humanity, pathos, humor, courage. Just excellent! I normally would have steered clear of a story about terrorists plots or the "spy novel" unless I knew the author in question. But I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a chance on this ARC. Again, just absolutely excellent! Well done Mr.Hayes!

Rowan trollope 

epic thriller

amazing thriller. right from the first page to the final chapter this is a book you simply cant put down.

Todd Luallen

I really wish there were some sort of rating system for books, because every now and then I come across a book that has content in it that I would prefer not to read. This is one of those books. I don't like reading about detailed medical procedures, they make me squeamish. I also prefer not to read books with foul language, and this book had it's fair share of it. However, in spite of those issues, this book was definitely a thrill ride. And I think I enjoy long books a bit more because the author has more time to build the characters. This book was just over 700 pages, and so it's no surprise that I really felt like I knew the characters intimately. I doubt I'll continue the series, for the reasons already mentioned, but I do think thriller fans will enjoy it.

Dana Kraft

This could have been a great book by cutting out most of the first third. I'm glad I stuck with it because it did get interesting, but it was too long. I think I read a review saying it was better if you turned off your brain and just read it. I agree with that.

Cams Campbell

A gripping spy thriller to rival Ludlum. Well written and well researched, with the exception of some to the tech. Hard drives spinning faster and going into the red? Sounds like it was written with one eye on a movie adaptation.

Lauren M

I loved this book. Very long, but it was addictive and I couldn’t put it down. Loved the characters and the storyline.

Still waiting on the sequel, I pre-ordered it years ago but I’m still really looking forward to it arriving. 

Melody Izard

It was a page turning thriller no doubt. But I felt like I was reading conservative fueled propaganda written with every damn cliche listed in the dictionary of cliches. I wish someone else would rewrite it. Oh wait. Someone already has. That would be the screen play. 

Creepy that I finished on 9/11.

Somya

A fast-paced story with a gineous storyline. Similar to Dan Brown, but better.

Lucija

I got this book at a second-hand shop and it is clear to me why that was the case. Here on good reads are the opinion fairly split some are saying it's the best book they have ever read and the other half not even picked the book up again after half of the book.

The book is split into 4 parts and contains several flashbacks, in the course of the book the protagonist, who is known by several names because of his profession as a top spy, hunts the villain, who wants to end the USA with a virus.

I have tried to summarize the plot as neutral as I can but I have found the book unbearable, down here I have listed the reasons for my bad opinion of the book:

-the narrative is weirdly structured, it switches between a first-person narrative and a sort of all-knowing 3 person narrative, which later is said to be the protagonist narrating but it was so detailed and even included thoughts and actions no one would share

-the character of the protagonist itself:
The character is very 2 dimensional and is perceived by everyone else as the best spy etc., even though he makes a lot of mistakes over the book and even goes in a book he published loosely under a dead name into detail about his childhood. The character has no emotions, even though someone calls him too emotional. The only time he feels emotions is mourning the death of genocides like the Holocaust or 9/11, which is hopefully a mutual feeling among humans. He also threatens that a person would get raped under his command and describes women weirdly like describing their breasts and ass in detail. Most of the times I only skimmed through his chapters because the narration of the villain was just more entertaining.

-the length of the book:
a lot of the pages could have been reduced significantly, with the first murder having nearly no significance to the plot except introducing a characters that could just be cut from the beginning, a lot of his backstory in general could have been cut as well because one really can't feel that it shaped the character of the protagonist in any way

-the American propaganda and stereotypes:
America is presented as the only functional country and even though the protagonist mentions some of the bad things of American Intelligence, it never goes into detail about them; 
A lot of side characters or one time characters from different countries are presented as stereotypes as example the criminal family from Greece, the corrupt banker from Swiss or the Slavic pickpocketing couple

-Islamophobe:
There is no doubt that the author made a lot of research concerning the Arabic culture and Islam but it is unbearable to read with what disrespect of it it's presented. First of all the villain is a proud Muslim from Saudi Arabia, how original is that? I won't go into further detail because I as a none Muslim person can't truly judge the extend of it int his book, but it was significantly the most uncomfortable thing in the whole book.

Summary:
I found reading the book at times very uncomfortable, because of the reasons I listen above. The only light in the dark was that when I am through with the book I can give a bad review. If the reasons I listed don't seem like a turnoff and you are comfortable enough reading it through, I was fairly disappointed tho, seeing the many recommendations in the book alone calling it the best thriller they have read tho year/ ever. So if you want to see what the fuss is all about and the one-star reviews didn't stop you, read it.

Ps.: My cover of the book will go back to a secondhand shop tho.

Imzy

You can kill a thinker but you can't kill the thought.

Well this was a monster of a book.

On one hand I wanted to give it 5 stars because of the amazingly emaculate storytelling and the structure of the book, but on the other hand I wanted to give it one stars for the very blatant Islamaphobia. There were so many false sterotypes tied into the story to explain the characters' actions, at moments it became hard to read.

However, if you're able to ignore all of that and not take personal offense to it all, I think this book is quite amazing. The amount of research that Hayes most certainly had to do must have been alot. The story leaves out nothing. It shows the background and life story of the antagonist. It shows several different cases being solved along with the main big case. It was so well paced, and we got the 
  whole story
. With nothing left out. I don't think I've ever read such a full book before. 

I recommend this book to those who like a slow paced well developed crime thriller

Tanya Sutton

Scott Murdoch is a member of a secret government agency, so secret that only a few in the country are aware of it's existence. After years of living in the shadows, Murdoch decides on retirement and writes a book on forensics as an act of closure. Instead of a quiet life off the grid in Paris, he finds himself drawn into a murder investigation at a seedy New York City hotel. The killer appears to have committed the perfect crime and then disappeared without a trace - all while using Murdoch's book as a how-to manual.

Soon he is pressed into service by high-ranking government officials, traveling to the Middle East in search of a lone wolf Saudi terrorist, with the fate of Western civilization hanging in the balance.

"The world doesn't change in front of your eyes; it changes behind your back." 

At 600+ pages and cover art that some might call dull, I Am Pilgrim did not immediately strike me as a "summer read," the kind of page-turner I like to take on day trips to the lake. However, it didn't take more than the opening lines before I was hooked. Hayes has the somewhat dubious distinction of writing the first crime scene that I've excitedly read aloud to my husband over a glass of wine at night.

This book is a rare treat - a literary spy thriller that defies stereotype. Our hero is a young, but extremely accomplished, member of a secret government intelligence agency. The bad guy is a young, radical, Muslim terrorist, hellbent on the destruction of Western civilization. The novel is full of exciting chases, thrilling shootouts, and exotic locations. It does not, however, feel tired or overdone at any point. The book is a fresh take on the traditional spy novel. It's filled with enough twists and surprises to keep you on your toes. Hayes uses exciting side plots and character back stories to allow for some breathing room between tense scenes but these scenes are far from dull. On the contrary, they serve to flesh out his characters and bring them to life in a way that many suspense novels fail to do.

Though this is a debut for Hayes, his experience as a screenwriter results in an absorbing, action packed, heart-in-your-throat read. The pacing is perfect, building suspense in just the right spots and then unleashing the action in explosive bursts. Expertly delivered foreshadowing leaves you breathlessly awaiting the next surprise, the next twist. It's not difficult to imagine the blockbuster film this book will become.

In the end, this book is certainly a contender for best-of-the-year lists. It starts as a murder mystery, becomes a spy thriller, and ends up as one of the best books you'll read this year.

(I received a copy of this book from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Lisa Trebilcock

A solid 4.5. What a decent read.
Initially, I was going to stop after the first part. It just felt like yet another crime/ action novel. Then, the author takes us to Saudi, and introduces us to a teenage boy who tragically witnessed his fathers public beheading. After that, I was hooked. The author nicely ties up all the little stories throughout the book. 
I am Pilgrim isn’t my favourite book of all time, and I didn’t “love” it as much as others, but it’s still a pretty decent read for those who love mystery/ crime and suspense.

Andrea Johnová

Já, poutník. Tak nese název thriller od Terry Hayese. 
Sedm set padesát pět stran plných zvratů, napětí, citů a někdy i strachu, co se na další stránce stane. Já, poutník je skvělá kniha, kterou jsem přečetla za osm dní. Tedy větší část knihy jsem přečetla poslední den, kdy jsem si řekla, že knihu už musím dočíst a dozvědět se jak příběh o muži jménem Poutník skončí. 
Poutníka jsem sledovala celou knihu. Opravdu se mi líbila jeho osobnost. Byl to skvělý agent, detektiv. Jeho neotřelé nápady, které by nenapadly ani toho nejlepšího detektiva. Finta se zrcadli mě opravdu překvapilo, koho by to napadlo. 
Nějaké pasáže v knize možná i kapitoly jsem chtěla přeskočit, protože mě ta část nepřipadala zajímavá. Opravdu mě překvapila scéna, kde šlo o život dítě s dawnovým syndromem. Bylo mi to opravdu nepříjemné. 
Do knihy jsem se opravdu ponořila v poslední a to tak hodně, že jsem chvíli cítila, jak se Poutník cítil. Speciálně to bylo při jeho mučení za získáním jistých informací, ale opravdu bylo skvělé, že nepolevil a dál bojoval a nakonec dosáhl čeho chtěl.
Jak jednou řekl na utajované základně v Saudské Arábii. Jeho snem bylo chytit Saracéna, a to taky dokázal. Zabránil katastrofě, který by možná zničila celý svět. 
Jsem ráda, že se takováto díla rodí na tomhle světě. Díla plná dobrých postava a příběhů. Děkuji vám pane Terry Hayesi, že jste napsal tuto skvělou knihu.

Amy Buckle

This book was bought as a present for me from the lovely @thehelsproject. This is her favourite book, so it had a lot to live up to when I started reading! It was intimidating to pick up as it’s almost 900 pages, so I knew I had to be committed. I Am Pilgrim is a... read the full review here: https://www.amybucklesbookshelf.co.uk...

I Am Pilgrim A Thriller

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