I've noticed it happening at more than one site, but especially at Amazon. It's either overly gushing or scathing. I will sometimes check other reviews written by them, if I am suspicious. This is why I choose books recommended by others I know have the same reading taste that I do. Especially, members on MobileRead. If I want to check out one that hasn't been recommended, then I download a sample and check the style myself.
I think more and more readers are becoming aware of this and don't pay as much attention to the ratings. A good book will rise above this game playing. I've also figured out that the number of downloads does not translate to number of readers or how good the book actually is.
