Jonathan Nasaw

The Girls He Adored
5 Stars

When a routine traffic stop results in the discovery of a disemboweled corpse, veteran FBI Agent, E.L. Pender, finally catches a break in a decade old serial killer investigation. Unfortunately, before Pender can prove a connection to his case, the suspect, who appears to be suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder, escapes police custody and abducts his court-appointed psychologist, Irene Cogan. As Pender searches for the two, Irene must navigate the twisted mind of a sadistic killer and uncover the origins of his psychosis before she becomes his next victim.

***Warning*: This book contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of murder and mutilation. It is not for readers who find this type of writing offensive.

An original and well-written psychological thriller with a gripping storyline and appealing protagonists.

The villain is deeply disturbed yet absolutely terrifying in his almost "normal" façade. The method of shifting POVs between the various personalities adds nuance to the characterization as the reader vacillates between feelings of pity and disgust toward him.

Pender is not the typical sexy FBI agent from romantic suspense or popular culture. He is balding, overweight and disheveled. Nevertheless, his dedication to the case (despite the opinions of his fellow agents), and determination to find Cogan before its too late makes him very likable.

Irene Cogan is an amalgamation of opposites. On the one hand, she is intelligent and resourceful in her attempts to stay alive while she plays mind games with her captor. On the other, she has some almost Stockholm Syndrome type reactions that bely her professionalism. These dynamics and her interactions with Maxwell makes for an engrossing reading experience.

Overall, an excellent page turner that provides an intriguing look into the mind of a psychotic killer.
… (mer)

I bought this book for two reasons: 1) It was only $4 on a bargain shelf in a bookstore, 2) the premise intrigued me. I, like other reviewers of this book, was ready for a fresh take on vampirism. And I got it.

Unfortunately, I had to weed through pages and pages of cliche, nonsense, and over-romantic, unnecessary description to get that fresh take. The book started out boring, just a guy in his bedroom drinking a "mysterious" liquid from a Clamato jar. (Incidentally, I don't know why all the mystery about the blood in the first chapter. Anybody who buys this book knows it's about vampires.) Then, after countless monotonous pages of character development--including characters who are already dead when the novel begins and only appear in flashback!--the story finally begins to evolve in the LAST QUARTER OF THE BOOK. Why Nasaw makes the reader wait until that late in the novel to unveil the plot--not just the conflict, but the PLOT--is beyond me. And frankly, the conclusion was unsatisfactory. I thought the protagonist and the antagonist (I never could quite tell them apart) got along far too well throughout the book to make their conflict seem very believable, and the surprise at the end is neither surprising nor much of an end.

The devices were too obvious, the writing too sloppy and unrevised, and the concept too good to allow such mistakes. My only consolation in reading this book is that, with the proper connections, I actually have a shot at publishing myself. I mean, if Nasaw can do it, anybody can. I only hope that if I end up on the $4-bargain shelf, my readers will think they actually got a bargain. I didn't.… (mer)