Book Brief

Derailed

James Siegel

Derailed

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003

Book Brief

Sparkles iconBeta
James Siegel

Derailed

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003
Book Details
Pages

339

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Horror & Suspense

•

Mystery & Crime Fiction

•

Modern Classic Fiction
Setting

New York City and its suburbs, contemporary United States.

First Publication Year

2003

Publisher

Warner

Edition

Hardcover • 2003

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Charles Schine, a married Manhattan advertising executive with a teenage daughter, meets the alluring Lucinda Harris during his morning commute. Their flirtation becomes an affair, leading them to a shabby hotel where an armed attacker beats Charles, assaults Lucinda, and robs them. Unable to approach the police without exposing their infidelity, Charles becomes vulnerable to a devastating campaign of blackmail.

Suspenseful

Exciting

Dark

Unnerving

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

3.8

2,925 ratings

66%

Loved it

24%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Reviewers consistently praise Derailed as a fast, gripping thriller, highlighting its clean prose, relentless plotting, suspense, and sharply drawn or multidimensional characters. Some also admire its original structure and authentic detail. The reservations are substantial, however: critics call the story improbable or preposterous, fault the characters for flatness, and identify credibility gaps. One reviewer argues that the novel’s later sections verge on farce and that its ending feels overly neat, even while judging the book highly entertaining.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Derailed?

Derailed is best for readers who want a compulsively readable thriller driven by relentless pacing, sharp cliffhangers, and frequent twists. Its opening follows a married advertising executive whose chance meeting with a stranger leads to an affair and a violent nightmare. Readers willing to overlook an improbable premise may find it especially entertaining. Those who prioritize strict plausibility, subtle plotting, or restrained storytelling may be less satisfied, since reviewers have described the novel as both over-the-top and predictable.

3.8

2,925 ratings

66%

Loved it

24%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

Character List

A successful married professional whose attraction to fellow commuter Lucinda Harris leads him to arrange a hotel tryst with her.

A successful married professional who meets Charles on a train, exchanges family pictures with him, and becomes the object of his attraction.

The assailant who attacks Charles and Lucinda at their hotel, then tracks Charles down and blackmails him.

Book Details
Pages

339

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Horror & Suspense

•

Mystery & Crime Fiction

•

Modern Classic Fiction
Setting

New York City and its suburbs, contemporary United States.

First Publication Year

2003

Publisher

Warner

Edition

Hardcover • 2003

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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