Friday, January 28, 2011

Crush - Alan Jacobson

I just finished Crush by Alan Jacobson, and wow, what an ending!

This is the second novel in the Karen Vail series (now three books).  Karen Vail is a top profiler for the FBI, who gets a (little too) involved in her cases.  In this book, she is on vacation in Napa Valley, when she and her boyfriend find a dead body inside a wine cave.  Karen then inserts herself into the team to find what turns out to be a serial killer that has been operating for quite some time.

The best part of this novel is the character of Karen Vail.  She's smart, intense and a little bit confrontational.  She makes a few mistakes in the novel, but recognizes them and takes them in stride.  I thought the first Karen Vail novel (The Seventh Victim) was a little over the top, but I really liked the character, so I gave the second novel a try.  The fact that both of the novels were free on Amazon for the Kindle helped out a bit too!

The book is also a quick tour of Napa Valley, and mentions several famous vineyards.  My only criticism of the novel is that it may be a little TOO researched, meaning there are a few too many brand names thrown in there.  I know some people think this adds authenticity, but for me, when it is a constant lineup of brand names, it feels a little too commercial for me.

The ending of this book makes me want to pick up the third Karen Vail novel ASAP, but I think I'm going to take a friend's advice and read The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais next.  circa 1992!

1 comment:

  1. Okay-this is like the 15th time I've tried to leave a comment. I'm about to pull my hair out at and scream.

    I totally can't wait to read this series because I think it is finally time for me to introduce some take charge lead female characters to my readers.

    As always, I love your blog and I really can't wait to finish this comment so I can read the review of The Breach by Patrick Lee.

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