• At First Sight

  • A Novel of Obsession
  • By: Stephen J. Cannell
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (123 ratings)

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At First Sight  By  cover art

At First Sight

By: Stephen J. Cannell
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

Meet Chick Best - a middle-aged, self-absorbed, disaffected, California dot.com millionaire. Other than his house and high-priced foreign cars, Chick's most expensive possession is his trophy wife, Evelyn.

Evelyn is good at spending Chick's money, money that has pretty much run out. His other personal possession is his drug-addled 16-year-old daughter, Melissa. Though concerned about his life and family, Chick resigns himself to a miserable state of acceptance.

That is, until he, Evelyn, and Melissa take a Christmas vacation in Maui. With this, Chick's life changes. He experiences unrequited love at first sight when he observes Paige Ellis. His obsession, exceeded only by his need to possess her, isn't diminished when he learns that she is happily married. Instead, he befriends Paige and her near-perfect husband, Chandler.

A short time later, Chick's obsession compels him to drive to Paige's house, where he runs down and kills Chandler in a drug-store parking lot. He attends the husband's funeral, feigning compassion for Paige. Several months later, with his lust for Paige in high gear, Chick stages a carjacking and murders Evelyn. Evidence that Chick has planted in and around the car implicates an ex-convict.

When he calls Paige with the news of Evelyn's murder, she returns the favor and comes to comfort Chick in what she thinks is his time of need. Chick, however, has other ideas. Will Paige learn the truth before it's too late?

©2008 Stephen J. Cannell (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about At First Sight

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Based on the book description, I was optimistic that it would be at least an entertaining story. However, when the protagonist commits a reprehensible crime, I lost all interest. There is nothing 'sympathetic' about this character, and I ceased to care about him. The author's forward mentioned that his publisher/agent advised against publishing this book, and I must agree with them.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Different perspective

Would you try another book from Stephen J. Cannell and/or Scott Brick?

Definitely.

If you’ve listened to books by Stephen J. Cannell before, how does this one compare?

This story is told from the perspective of the culprit, the other books from the perspective of law enforcement.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings the books to life.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stephen J. Cannell is the best!

I'm never unhappy with a Stephen J. Cannell book, and this one doesn't disappoint! As usual, Scott Brick does a wonderful job. He's the true voice. of Cannell. This story was so compelling that I could hardly stop listening. One of his best!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not enough suspense and too many details upfront

What did you like best about At First Sight? What did you like least?

I liked the way the character kept trying to get to the girl.

What was most disappointing about Stephen J. Cannell’s story?

It would have been better to leave out some details (like running over the ex with the car) until later in the book. That would have been more exciting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Couldn't finish...

I could not bring myself to finish this book after about an hour into it. I typically love works by this author, but I could not listen any further. The characters had no likable qualities. I felt like I had stepped back a few decades and was reading the screenplay of "10." Maybe there is a worthwhile story in there somewhere, I couldn't get to it....

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

protagonist??? not in my book

Would you try another book from Stephen J. Cannell and/or Scott Brick?

worried about them now. I need to LIKE the protagonist. doesn't mean they have to be perfect, but must have some redeeming qualities. I could't listen to this book because i couldn't stand the protagonist.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

annoyance...the protagonist is a whiney, cheating, irresponsible clout.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

He just had to write it

Would you try another book from Stephen J. Cannell and/or Scott Brick?

I have read other Cannell books and loved them. He is a talented author, Which is why I chose this one. Cannell says in the beginning he wanted to write this for years. I can't imagine why. The story was tedious and the characters were extremely unlikeable. I had to fight to finish it. Yulk. As for Brick, as others have said, he could read the phone book and I would buy it!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Uneven Storytelling

What disappointed you about At First Sight?

Telling the story from two points of view might have worked better if they had been used evenly. The vast majority of the story is told by the antagonist at the beginning, and the protagonist doesn't beginning telling that side of the story until much later. The antagonist was shallow and unlikable, so this lopsided approach had me spending too much time evaluating whether I should even keep reading.

Has At First Sight turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all. I will also read other Cannell books. Based on the foreword, I think this was a fluke.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Scott Brick was actually a good choice. He did condescending and snobbish very well.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Surprise and anger at the antagonist's world views. The stereotypes he perpetuated had my eyes rolling. I almost stopped listening after hearing him describe a black man's 'ghetto accent'. Ugh.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a twisted dark ride!

I loved it. Some stories you listen too leave your mind wandering off during slow periods; this story really kept my attention. It was a unique approach of telling the story through the antaganists view point. When it starts you believe Chic Best who is the main character is the protagonsit and you start off liking him and pulling for him. As the story progress and his life and plans really start pulling apart you feel for him at first but by the end you really learn his true nature. I listen while riding to and from work and I found myself anxious to get back to the book to hear what would happen next.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book

Very dark and twisted humor. But captivating. I couldn’t stop listening. Chick was a great main character. You felt bad for him but were rooting for him in a weird way.

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