Crush

by Alan Jacobson

Overview

In the USA Today–bestselling author’s “addictive second Karen Vail thriller,” the FBI profiler tracks a serial killer through California wine country (Publishers Weekly).

In this follow-up to the standout bestseller The 7th Victim, Karen Vail ventures to Napa Valley, where a serial killer has been crushing his victims’ windpipes and leaving their bodies in caves. But when the Crush Killer learns that an FBI profiler has joined the Major Crimes Task Force, the newfound attention emboldens him, and he sets in motion a plan that wreaks havoc on the town—as well as the task force. Although a sudden break in the case helps Vail zero in on the identity of the killer, she senses that something isn’t right. If she doesn’t figure it out in time, the consequences will be dire.

In a rousing climax that leaves readers breathless, and which Publishers Weekly termed a “shockeroo ending,” Vail must pick up the pieces—and clean up the carnage left behind by the Crush Killer.

Meticulously researched during years of work with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, this high-velocity thriller from national bestselling author Alan Jacobson features the kind of edge-of-your-seat ending that inspired Nelson DeMille to call Jacobson “a hell of a writer.”
 
Crush is the first installment of a two-part story that concludes with Velocity, book three in the Karen Vail Series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781497692077
Publisher:	Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
Publication date:	03/03/2015
Series:	The Karen Vail Novels , #2
Pages:	566
Sales rank:	575,029
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 4.90(d)

About the Author

Alan Jacobson is the national bestselling author of several critically acclaimed novels. In order to take readers behind the scenes to places they might never go, Jacobson has embedded himself in many federal agencies, including spending several years working with two senior profilers at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s vaunted Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico. During that time, Jacobson edited four published FBI research papers on serial offenders, attended numerous FBI training courses, worked with the head firearms instructor at the academy, and received ongoing personalized instruction on serial killers—which continues to this day. He has also worked with high-ranking members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US Marshals Service, the New York Police Department, SWAT teams, local bomb squads, branches of the US military, chief superintendents and detective sergeants at Scotland Yard, criminals, armorers, helicopter pilots, chief executive officers, historians, and Special Forces operators. These experiences have helped him to create gripping, realistic stories and characters. His series protagonist, FBI profiler Karen Vail, resonates with both female and male readers, and writers such as Nelson DeMille, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly have called Vail one of the most compelling heroes in suspense fiction.

Jacobson’s books have been published internationally, and several have been optioned for film and television. A number have been named to Best of the Year lists.

Jacobson has been interviewed extensively on television and radio, including on CNN, NPR, and multiple ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox network affiliates.

Editorial Reviews

"Karen Vail is one tough character. Crush will keep you reading late into the night.” —Kathy Reichs, New York Times–bestselling author of 206 Bones

“Crisply written, meticulously researched, Crush rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion. Don’t start the book unless you have a full evening to finish it, because you won’t be able to put it down.” —Steve Martini, New York Times–bestselling author of Shadow of Power

“Action-packed story [with] plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion . . . a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done.” —Steve Berry, New York Times–bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit

From the Publisher

In Jacobson's addictive second Karen Vail thriller (after The 7th Victim), a serial killer spoils the FBI profiler's romantic Napa Valley vacation with boyfriend Det. Robby Hernandez. During a Silver Ridge Estates winery tour, Karen and Robby stumble over the strangled and mutilated corpse of Victoria Cameron, daughter of an influential winemaker. The narcissistic psycho responsible? John Wayne Mayfield (aka the “Napa Crush Killer”), who taunts the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force formed to catch him. As more victims are found, their windpipes crushed and bodies inflicted with postmortem wounds, the motive behind such a killing spree appears connected to conflicts within the Georges Valley American Viticultural Area board. Jacobson jolts standard serial killer fare with some twists concerning the publicity-hungry Crush Killer and insightful peeks into California's wine industry. The action culminates in a shockeroo cliffhanger. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

FBI Profiler Karen Vail's idyllic vacation to Napa Valley with her boyfriend, Det. Robby Hernandez, is derailed on day one. A mutilated body bearing distinctive wounds is discovered during their exclusive wine tasting, and Vail is drawn to the case. Further investigations lead her to a second corpse with similar wounds. By the end of day two, Vail joins the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force. As additional bodies are found, Vail and her new colleagues begin a relentless pursuit of "The Napa Crush Killer." As possible motives and patterns begin to emerge and task force members are targeted, intensity levels increase. Jacobson's extensive FBI research background yields a gripping story laced with political underpinnings and dizzying twists that will have readers perched on the edge of their seats. In a style rivaling that of Patricia Cornwell or Harlan Coben, Jacobson surpasses his first Karen Vail thriller, The 7th Victim. VERDICT Essential for suspense aficionados. One caveat: readers expecting a neat ending may be disappointed, as a sequel is forthcoming.—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Library Journal