Monday, December 1, 2014

Book Review: "Spectrum" by Alan Jacobson


New York City: home to world-renowned museums, theater, restaurants, iconic sports franchises. Central Park. Wall Street. And an infamous serial killer who’s terrorized the Big Apple for decades.

The year is 1995 and the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail. The rookie’s first day on the job is anything but easy when she finds herself at the crime scene of a young woman murdered in an unusual manner. Vail is unsure of what she’s looking at or what it means—but it’s a case that will weigh on her mind for nearly twenty years.

As the years pass, Vail’s career takes unexpected twists and turns—as does the case that’s come to be known as Hades. Now a skilled FBI profiler, will Vail be in a better position to catch the killer? Or will Hades prove to be Karen Vail’s hell on earth?

The character who has captivated readers worldwide—and who won the praise of literary giants Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Nelson DeMille—returns in a story that captures the experiences that shaped the revered profiler and made her the top cop she is today.m - from NetGalley.com

I received a free ebook copy from the publisher (Open Road Media) through NetGalley.com in exchange for a review.

I had previously read a few of the Karen Vail novels from Jacobson, and enjoyed them, so when I saw this one available, I immediately requested it. Needless to say, Jacobson did not disappoint. Learning a bit about Vail's earlier days and reasons why she reacts to certain things, was a nice insight to the character I had not seen before, and it made for a good read.

The plot twists and jumps in time kept my interest in reading more of the story, though at times I felt a bit stalled. Characters were a bit less detailed as what I recall in the other novels I read, but that could be my memory, not an actual detail. The Autism issue addressed in the story was a nice surprise, and the description of the spectrum was good. I admit I sort of felt like the author had jumped on the Autism bandwagon, but understand that with it being more in public awareness, how does one NOT include it sooner or later.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend to friends/family.

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