Mass Murderers Books

Already reviewed well --
Tense action - when the Thunder Spirits aid and abet Dana Thunder Eagle in her quest to recover the ceremonial Thunder Pipe.
She calls upon her own personal pipe Cetan - "Nighthawk", to ask for protection.

Chase Iron Horse has come out of the Military with a damaged and scarred soul but when grandma Agnes asked him to ready Dana with the discipline she needed strengthened, he couldn't refuse her. He is Delta Force and U.S. Army and has the skills to be Dana's protector.

Dana is a fragile soul and sees good in everything, Chase must teach her of the evils in the world. That not everyone is trustworthy.

Rogan Yalua Soquili,45, is a Cherokee medis medicine man with strong psychic powers. And also a thirst for revenge. He wants to bring down the American government for all their lies and treatment of the Native American Peoples.
He has gathered women from the twelve tribes to complete the circle for the power of the Pipe to work. Only trouble is Blue Wolf, also 45, who has bonded with the Storm Pipe is gaining more power.

Now we also have FBI agent David Colby,33, who is ordered by his boss, Mort Jameson to work with CIA psychic Annie Ballard, who leads him on the trail of her dream. They just don't know what kind of trouble this dream is leading them into.

Even though she comes through, Dana is too fearful and seems to have little or no self-preservation instinct. She has taken two years to get over the deaths of her mother, Cora and her husband, Hall.
She appears to be such a wimp. [mentally I can understand her problem but emotionally I would have liked to belt her one]. She doesn't have the convictions of her up-bringing, at 29?, come on.]

Definitely Recommend for the mystic parts - action - pace.

Rogan Fast Horse stole a sacred ceremonial pipe, killing the female guardian on the Rosebud Reservation. The thief next used the special pipe to magically kill the vice president of the United States. The FBI conducts a massive manhunt, but the few clues they find make little sense.

The daughter of the murdered guardian Dana Thunder Eagle was to have inherited the pipe from her mother, but following the homicide she fled her home on the reservation. Although feeling unprepared, she accepts the responsibly of retrieving the pipe and preventing Rogan from using it to kill again. She has five weeks left to before Rogan can regenerate the power to reuse the pipe to magically murder someone. Former Delta Force soldier and psychic warrior Chase Iron Hand trains Dana to become a special kind of fighter able to defeat Rogan.

This is an exciting tale in which the perpetual action is built around Native American mythos. The lead couple is an interesting pairing as they have no time for much more than training; to a degree that leaves Chase and Dana somewhat enigmas to readers, which in turn adds to the tension. HEART OF THE STORM is an enjoyable cat and mouse as Chase knows Dana must recover the pipe as its power is gender specific, but she is not ready even as he expects the stakes to be higher than the second homicide.

Harriet Klausner

The Murderer is A Fox (1945) is the second of four stories set in the small New England town of Wrightsville. Ellery Queen is persuaded to come back to Wrightsville to investigate a murder committed twelve years earlier. Bayard Fox had been found guilty of poisoning his wife and is serving a life sentence. His son Davy, now returning from the Pacific as a war hero, suffers from a delusion that he has inherited his father's murderous instincts and becomes fearful that he might kill his young wife.

Ellery Queen does not appear in the first fifty pages. The long prologue develops the psychological premise that the trauma resulting from Davy Fox's harrowing wartime escape reawakened his boyhood memories of his mother's murder. Davy views his medals as proof of his own murderous tendency. The Murderer is a Fox was well-received in 1945, but I suspect that many readers today might not find the psychological characterization of Davy Fox to be entirely convincing.

Nonetheless, the plot is well-constructed and offers unexpected twists. Ellery's task is daunting as the evidence that led to the conviction of Baynard Fox appears incontrovertible, and Ellery's painstaking analysis seems to confirm that no one other than Baynard could have poisoned his wife.

The Murderer is a Fox has been applauded for the strong development of the characters, and indeed, they are more faceted than those in earlier stories. I was especially intrigued with Baynard Fox, a man imprisoned for twelve years that was either entirely innocent or a superb actor. Even minor characters like Emmeline DuPre, Dolores Aikin, and Judge Eli Martin prove interesting.

Some may consider the critical evidence as being somewhat weak, and that the logic involves some intuition. There is some justification for this view, but I was not at all uncomfortable with Ellery's chain of logic. The ironic ending was a surprise.

For readers new to Ellery Queen: The Ellery Queen reputation rests firmly on a foundation of nine early novels (1929-1935) recognizable by their so-called nationalities titles like The French Powder Mystery, The Greek Coffin Mystery, The Egyptian Cross Mystery, and The Siamese Twin Mystery. These stories are exceptionally well-constructed puzzle mysteries. Ellery Queen's solutions are examples of dazzling logic.

In the following years the Ellery Queen stories became more experimental, offering more realistic personalities, more social commentary, and varied settings. The traditional challenge to the reader was quietly discarded. Ellery became more mature, more complex, and occasionally even expressed self doubt. Regardless of these changes, the mystery always remained the central focus. The Murderer is a Fox dates from a transitional period about midway in the Ellery Queen canon.

In the second of the Ellery Queen Wrightsville mysteries, Ellery goes to the aid of Davy Fox. Fox is a war hero and newlywed whose father was convicted of murdering his mother. Fox's war experiences, coupled with his parents' tragedy, convince him that he will murder his own wife, Linda. At Linda's request, Ellery agrees to investigate the old murder in the hope of clearing Davy's father, Bayard. The Murderer is a Fox is a fine example of detective fiction, and Ellery Queen is always at his best in Wrightsville.

this is well written, and worth your time to read.
gives you insight about the reasons why men do
such wicked things.
It's good to know the FBI has figured these guys out, and
are able to track them down more easily.

Mark Olshaker has written a very readable, entertaining, and educational book on the life and career of Special Agent John Douglas of the FBI. Douglas was one of the leading experts on criminal personality profiling and a pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. The 'Prologue' tells of the physical breakdown Douglas endured from overwork. This is a shocking and misleading introduction! The nature of violent crime has changed since 1960. The murder rate has gone up and the solution rate had gone down (p.30). Crimes between strangers lack an obvious motive. This need created the behavioral approach to criminal profiling. The Investigative Support Unit assists local police in focusing their investigations. Few towns or counties ever have a serial killer or the experience to learn the techniques for solving rare crimes (p.31). [G. K. Chesterton's "Father Brown" used to solve crimes by getting inside the head of the murderer, a feat that seems illogical compared to "Sherlock Holmes" and other detectives.]

[As I remember it, the "Mad Bomber" was caught when police work matched the handwriting in the letters (p.33) to the employee records. Metesky contracted TB and was then fired for being out sick.] The early chapters tell of Douglas' life, education, military service, and how he joined the FBI. These are colorful stories. Douglas was most successful in clearing bank robberies when he developed a "signature" to link several crimes together (p.86). His background in psychology led him to behavioral science (Chapter 5). After Douglas joined the Behavioral Science group he learned that the academic expert's opinions had limited applicability to law enforcement. [Academics don't get the details known to the police, law officers see a limited area. Only national police can see the whole picture.]

Douglas knew the importance of actual experience (pp.104-105). Chapter 6 tells about a strange murderer who was released against the advice of state psychiatrists (p.107). Chapter 7 tells about other serial murderers. Good psychics can pick up on small, nonverbal clues; keep them away from detectives who know the details (p.151). The following chapters describe the cases that he worked on. Is there a classic profile to a serial killer (p.178)? Can an interrogator educe a confession from a suspect (p.186)? Chapter 11 tells about the Atlanta child murders and the conviction. Chapter 15 tells about the solution to the murder of a two-year old boy. Wrapping the body in a blanket was a clue (p.283).

Serial killers are not legally insane, but not normal either (p.338). Their mental disorders derive from their sexual interests and their character. Insanity means not knowing the difference between right and wrong (p.339). Can a brain tumor cause a murderous rage (p.341)? Violent, sexually based serial killers can not be rehabilitated [except by a death sentence]. If they are released on parole they will return to past behavior (p.343). Don't confuse a psychopath with a psychotic (p.345). Killers are created by a bad background (p.357). [Like Ted Bundy?] That seems like an incurable problem given our society. Crime can be lowered by families at the grassroots level (p.374). [Does it takes a village?] The changes in family life since 1960 has effects. [No mention of the National Highway System since the 1950s and the ease of travel for everyone, including serial killers.]

What can I say other than John Douglas never fails to deliver? This book is a great read, and I loved it!

this book is very similiar to many of his books. This book discusses much of his life. His second book is much better if you are interested in true profiling.

Given Douglas' background there was little question that he would have a story or two to tell. In Mindhunter you get a glimpse of what it takes to conduct good profiling and what an instrumental tool the profile can be. The book covers some of America's most feared monsters and what role the Behavioral Science Unit played in their capture.

James A. Forrest - Eye of the Storm

I love this book it has details of my fathers death and my uncle joe as well finally a real book on the true crime and the sick bastards that took so many life's fathers humans and friends form south Boston and Medford Mass.

Howie well knows,but chooses to ignore,the truism that a grand jury can always be persuaded to indict a ham sandwich. But try as they might All the Kings Men be they federal, state or local could not get a rubberstamped indictment of Billy Bulger and this fact gives Howie an ulcer. And all the kings men also includes congressional committees who basked in their public investigation of Sen Bulger and came up with scratch. Poor Howie: all full of righteous thunder and a sack full of yellow journalism.
Jim Whalen

There is some great info in this book, but at times it was like Chinese water torture. Slow but steady. I was mentally exhausted by the end of this one. I found that I was just trying to get through it rather than enjoying myself until the end. I don't know, but it just didn't grab me.

The Publisher's Weekly review and the audio file review are very good descriptions of this narrative. Two brothers in Boston, one a politician and the other a mobster, shaping politics and crime in Boston for decades. Whitey Bulger, who is still an international fugitive, makes an excellent precursor, if not template, for Jack Nicholson's role in the film "The Departed". The author is an award winning newspaper columnist who clearly knows Boston intimately, along with who is connected to whom on both sides of the law, however, it can be a little confusing for the reader to keep up without a table of organization or flow chart. Frequently, Carr states facts or describes events that it is assumed he acquired from court transcripts, police reports and street sources but the reader is often left to take it simply on faith because the hard evidence or source isn't referenced or cited. Still, it's an interesting saga of the backrooms and chicanery in Boston over the past five decades.

"The Brothers Bulger" tells the story of James "Whitey" Bulger and his brother Billy. From an early age Whitey was headed in the wrong direction in life and he soon became one of the most feared men in Boston and is currently in the top ten on the FBI's most wanted list. For a long time Billy seemed to be on the straight and narrow, at least to the public, as he became involved in politics, eventually becoming president of the Massachusetts State Senate. But "The Brothers Bulger" shows the Billy earned his nickname of "The Corrupt Midget".

I'm not a big fan of Howie Carr's newspaper column in The Boston Herald and almost didn't read "The Brothers Bulger" because of that. I'm glad I did. Newspaper column to the contrary, Carr can actually write and does a good job telling the Bulger's story. I've lived in the Boston area my entire life and while aware of the Bulgers I wasn't aware of the extent of Whitey's crimes or the extent of the corruption. I was also surprised at the number of local politicians and other well known Bostonians who knew what was going on with the Bulgers and looked the other way including Michael Dukakis, Kevin White, Joe Moakley, Bill Weld, and Cardinal Law.

Of the two brothers, Whitey's story, not surprisingly, is the most compelling. He is truly a brutal man, not caring who he killed, be it man or woman. One of his killings was so brutal I cringed while reading it. His dealings with the FBI are mind boggling and not very reassuring. While Billy's story is less compelling, it was still interesting to read how he maneuvered his way through Boston politics and managed to snag himself a nice sized pension from U-Mass Boston. What was especially interesting about all this is the numerous mistakes he made politically and still came out on top for a long time.

As of right now, Whitey Bulger is still at large and wanted by the FBI. If he is ever found (and after reading this book I have to wonder how hard the FBI is looking for him), I hope Howie Carr is able to write a book about Whitey's years on the lam, which I'm sure would be quite interesting.

"The Brothers Bulger" is a compelling read.

I think that this one is another of his greats. I loved the way that he combined "history" with "present". I have never cried reading a book before, but this one opened the flood gates. Even though its a work of fiction, its always good to remember the holocost and what those people went through.

I think this book hit me hard becasue I am a mother. I remember I was reading this at the gym on a treadmill and burst into tears.(I'm not a cryer)
THe holocaust it's self is so horrific, but to write a story that could have been very similar to what a woman could have gone through just broke my heart.
What would I have done if I were her? Life changes when you have children, your heart changes, you view life differently. It's not about you anymore. I thought this was a great mystery...I liked how he became obsessed with the truth and fought for what was his.

Obsessed left me feeling flat.

Dekker's normally taut storytelling somehow got lost in this story with unremarkable characters and unremarkable plot. Normally, when I finish a Dekker book, I love to talk about the book, about the characters and the plot. With Obsessed, I couldn't think of anything to say. When I went to my favorite online book discussion and tried to start a thread about the book, no one else could think of anything to say, either and the thread died after three posts.

Normally, I enjoy Dekker's books very much. The Circle triology is one of the better fantasy series of this century. I enjoyed the twists of Three, the suspense of Blink, and even the starkness of Saint. But Obsessed seemed to lack what these other books possess, a plot. At the end, I didn't care about any of the characters or their situations.

Don't worry, though, there are plenty of great Dekker books to make up for this one flat one.

I had read Thr3e before reading this novel. I thought Obsessed was going to be awesome with a treasure hunt element.

I was wrong. It's entertaining but it falls short on too many areas. It starts off great. It's when the beginning fades away that it doesn't seem to feel right. Things are too tedious with Stephen trying to break into the apartment. It was fun at first but it gets old.

The characters I like and the sub plot during WW2 was interesting. The ending didn't work for me. If you like Dekker than its fun but it is flawed.

This was my first jump into Dekkers novels. And I have to say...I was blown away. The story flowed so well that I couldnt put it down...I finished it in two and a half days!

The spiritual meaning that I came away from it with was...when you are obsessed, and learn to control it, it can be a good thing.

The women in the POW camp, you truly feel their fear. At one point while sitting in a hummer on patrol I started tearing up...got some funny looks that day. He truly draws you into the story. I will buy everything Dekker has to offer now!

An excellent book. There is nobody writing today who is more insightful on the subject of profiling and catching murderers.

I notice most people who gave him one-star reviews were those who didn't believe his opinion that the Ramseys were innocent. I used to think they were guilty, but the news was just released that DNA from an intruder was found inside and outside JonBenet's underwear and they are working on a genetic profile of the real killer. Vindication for the author's unpopular opinion on this topic.

Most of the cases detailed in this book are old cases that are either unsolved or with convictions that have some degree of doubt attached to them.
The insights from John Douglas as a profiler are very interesting.

The "Jack the Ripper" case is one of the most notorious of all time.
Mr.Douglas explains why he would eliminate some the known,hypothetical suspects and settles on a probable suspect.

He argues for the guilt of Lizzie Borden and I think that he's correct on that case.

His assessment of the Lindbergh kidnapping is intriguing. "More than one individual took part in the crime that night"-page 180. Hauptmann was no doubt heavily involved but the case for the "dual intruder theory" makes sense.

The "Black Dahlia" case was another savage murder and he lists two very strong possible suspects.

I can understand how he arrived at his conclusion in the JonBenet Ramsey case. That case was hamstrung from the start with crime scene contamination and the well-known animosity between the police and DA's office. The presence of foreign DNA enforces the theory of an intruder.
John Douglas will get slammed for his supporting of the Ramseys. Considering the victim and the unsolved status of that case,it's going to be an infamous topic for years to come.

As a fan of true crime genre books I liked this book.

Detailed book, lots of speculation, pretty interesting, but has many old cases, such as the Lizzie Borden murder, the Lindberg kidnapping, etc.
Not as insightful as his other books, nor as interesting.

John Douglas is a great investigator and actually does most of the writing in this book. His writing style is surprisingly well polished and entertaining. If you studied Psychology (as I did) this book is a must read if you have any interest in the criminal or forensic side. His analysis of the Jon Benet Ramsey case is very controversial but it is the high light of this book. It forced me to do a complete 180 and I believe that his conclusions are right on the mark. I know someone that worked at the FBI while he was there and his reputation is genuine though not superhuman. In real life, the Behavioral Sciences Unit can't contribute on many occassions because there isn't enough initial data. If there isn't much to go on from the beginning or if its a random act they aren't able to construct a viable profile. That said, Douglas has almost single handedly created a new field that has provided immense value and his is a brilliant person. This is a book for people that don't mind immersing themselves in something for several days until its done.

This book is interesting, worth buying, and informative. I liked the varied accounts of interesting well known cases. It provided insight into the Jon Benet Ramsey case, among others. I would recommend this book to anyone. John Douglas is a good author.

Robert Cormier is one of the most renowned authors of young adult literature, yet this one falls short of his signature plot twists. The characters, convicted killer Eric Poole and the runaway teen who fantasizes about him, Lori Cranston, are realistic enough - especially in a society that has watched thousands of women lustfully throw themselves at murderer Scott Peterson. While this is a page-turner that will strike an emotional, obsessive chord with young adults, I believe they will be as disappointed as I was with the conclusion of this work. Cormier knew his audience better than this particular novel suggests and it cannot possibly compare with his others (I Am The Cheese; After The First Death).

If this is the first of Cormier's books that you've tried, please don't allow it to cloud your judgment of his writing. Give the aforementioned titles a try - they are definitely worth your time and guaranteed a re-read.

This is an entertainingly dark novel. Ends in a fairly predictable, anticlimactic way, but is still great to read. I agree with another reviewer that Cormier takes a seemignly "nice" word and turns it into something quite nasty. For lack of a better term, the use of the words "the tenderness" throughout the novel... Eric is looking for "the tenderness" is really quite "skeevy." These characters are either empty or pathetic. I had to keep reminding myself that there are really people like this out there. This novel will make you shudder and feel like you need a shower afterwards, but all in a good way.

I like most of Cormier's work, but this one was awful. The characters are dull, the plot is predictable... it lacks the twists and turns of Cormier's other books. I wouldn't even leave this one behind in the coffee shop because I didn't want anyone else to have to read it!

I am reading Tenderness for a class on young adult literature that has been challenged as being "too edgy" for young readers. I have not read any of Cormier's other titles, but. By the end of the very first page I was bored, anxious, and dissapointed. Tenderness should be challenged as a read for young adults, not because of it's "disturbing and adult" content, but because it was written by an 83 yr old man with no idea what was going on in the minds of Gen Y teenagers, using some of the most obvious and overused cliches of all time - Oedipal teenage killer with no remorse, young troubled daughter in need of attention (drunk "beautiful" mother, abusive father roles) who "doesn't mind it" when older men look at her and touch her, getting-too-old for this cop who works on cold cases, haunted by the spector of a killer he once let go, blah blah blah. It was so out-of touch with the youth culture and mindset, so droolingly juvenile in writing style that I could barely put it down. It was like a study in What Not To Do When Writing For Teens. It should be taught to aspiring writers as an example, but never offered to teens looking to find something to relate to in this cold, unforgiving world. So, so dissapointed.

Eric Poole is eighteen years old and is being released from a juvenile prison. He's been in the prison for three years for the murder of his mother and stepfather. Most people believe his story--that he killed them because he was horribly abused. Police Lieutenant Jake Proctor does not believe this story. In fact, he suspects that Eric is a psychopath who is actually involved in the murders of two teenaged girls in addition to the murders of his mother and stepfather. Proctor is not happy Eric is being released.

Lori Cranston is a teenager with an alcoholic mother and an unstable home life. She tends to get fixated on guys, to see one and not be able to get him out of her mind until she kisses him. She is looking for someone to be kind to her.

When Lori sees on the TV news that Eric has been released from prison, she remembers a time years ago when she met him briefly and he was kind to her, and she becomes fixated on him. She needs to track him down, to kiss him and see if he will be the one to be kind to her.

When Lori does track down Eric, their lives become connected. Things may not work out the way Lori had hoped, though.

I enjoyed reading about these characters, although neither of them had an appealing personality. I absolutely loved the ending of the story; it was perfectly satisfying.

As with all John Douglas books this was a completely fascinating read with so much insight. Marred only by a certain arrogance but then doing the work he does, who wouldn't be arrogant?

Very informative, though some of the cases are repeated in the series of books that have been released by the authors.

This book was a great reading experience. Douglas is an experienced storyteller, and being that these are not just stories, but actual accounts of reality make is a bonus! This book was a satisfing buy for my evil sweettooth. I loved it. It was worth adding to my collection of true crime interests.

This book explains his career as a criminal profiler for the FBI. John Douglas solved unusual kinds of crimes done by those who kill or rape or torture because they enjoy it. Profiling requires "creative-type thinkers", not accounting or engineering types. They must work well both alone and in groups. They need good judgment based on instinct, which can't be defined in an objective nature. Douglas says serial killers are mostly made, not born. Most come from broken or dysfunctional homes, and are victims of some type of abuse. Real-life killers were used as models for "The Silence of the Lambs", "Red Dragon", and "Psycho". The modus operandi is what the offender does, the signature is why he does it (that doesn't change). Virtually all multiple killers are male. Chapter 2 gives an example of solving murders where there was only a vague eyewitness description.

Chapter 3 shows many examples where profiling was used to describe the habits of killers. Chapter 4 tells of more cases, some of which will never be dramatized for TV as they are too horrible. Chapter 5 deals with pedophiles. One warning sign would be a man whose house has games and amusements that appeal to children. Chapter 6 tells of the possible dangers to young children. One example is the murder of Megan Kanka. It doesn't tell you that her murderer was released from prison against all advice because a new governor wanted to cut costs. Fast footwork by propagandists made it appear to be the fault of the parents since "they didn't know". I wonder if this law affected the crime rate? Chapter 7 tells of the Collins family; its too long. Chapter 8 tells of the murder of Suzanne Collins, a sad tragedy. Chapter 9 tells of the after-effects on Suzanne's parents, and their support group. Chapter 10 is about the savage murder of a wife and her two girls. It established the use of criminal profiling at trials. Chapter 11 tells about the crimes of a rapist-murderer near Arlington Va. [Was this the inspiration for Patricia Cornwell's "Post Mortem"?] When they noted a 3-year gap in the crimes, they looked for someone who had been in prison for burglary; they found a likely suspect. This suspect was convicted, the first person in the world to be executed on the basis of DNA evidence.

Chapter 12 is about the unsolved murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. John Douglas was not called in by the police and the prosecutors, but has formed a strong opinion of the case. [Ever notice how many people's opinions are set by the first news and can never consider the facts in the case?] Note that his discussion of the attack omits the fact that two different knives were used (autopsy report). Douglas talked of the "widespread conspiracy" argument, but didn't read Steven Singular's "Legacy of Deception" which tells how a journalist in Denver got news about the LAPD! The timeline says O. J. Simpson is innocent. The limo driver arrived at 10:22 and saw no one enter or leave until the 11pm trip to the airport. Any evidence like a glove or blood drops had to be planted the next day. Ron Goldman was 5'9" and 175 lbs. His unexpected visit to Nicole's place put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nicole had been involved with another man who was 5'9", 175 lbs, but a few years older. In the dark the killers attacked the wrong man, then the witness who came out of the house. If her boyfriend then went into hiding, then that would confirm this theory.

Chapter 13 gives the authors views on crime and punishment. Rehabilitation which makes a good guy out of a bad guy is best. But some offenders can never be rehabilitated and must be isolated from society. Capital punishment prevents the worst from recommitting their crimes. But the problem is to be sure those convicted are truly guilty. Criminals are manufactured from a poor home life. [But isn't this the result of poverty in many cases?] The problem is apparently without a practical solution.

I won't go much further. John E. Douglas is an excellent expert on true crime particularly the gruesome serial killings. I got the book before the Green River Killer was identified as Gary Leon Ridgway. Anyway, he analyzes cases and gives his opinions but he is pro-law enforcement most of the time. He doesn't like to give the benefit of the doubt towards the law enforcement community. Sadly, his dedication in the beginning of the book mentions only a portion of the victims in the book which some are well-known like Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson and the victims of Bernardo-Homolka crimes in Canada, as well as a few others. There were others who were murdered, brutalized, and their names are bearly mentioned in the book. Unless he changed their names to protect their true identity which I doubt because most of the murdered victims are identified. Since he is pro-law enforcement, he may not have a total open view of the criminals themselves. Granted, he knows how to identify the criminal whether a child molester or serial killer from his actions. He aids in their capture, prosecution, and their sentence whether death penalty or life in prison. He doesn't suggest ways to prevent such disasters such as a pedophile or serial killer from becoming such a creature because they aren't really human.

Suzanne Brockmann has once again woven a beautiful story of determination and committment to the "cause". I love how the Seal Team 16 and the Troubleshooters Incorporated work so well together. Once you begin reading the carefully laid out story, Ms. Brockmann never fails to keep you in suspence from beginning to end. Guess who falls in love this time? Purchase this book. You will not be disappointed!

I usually don't start out my reviews saying what I don't like, but I will this time just to get it out of the way. I felt at times that there was a little too much going on to follow the main plot of the story. And secondly, I wish that the love triangle (possible quad-rangle LOL) between Deck (the brutish hunk), Sofia (the abused concubine turned agent), Dan (the newly enchanted hunk) and Dave (the best friend who wants to be more, but is too afraid to ask) would have come to some sort of head, so that I could look forward to it's resolution in future books. With that said, I will say what I did like about the book.

I have recently started reading Suzanne Brockmann and never find myself bored with either her plots or her characters. Her novels are filled with intrigue, romance and characters that overlap in all of her stories. "Into the Storm" was a wonderful addition in the Troubleshooters series. Lindsey (sexy Asian American) finds herself attracted to vertically challenged/Ryan Seacrest look-alike, Mark Jenkins, who of course thinks he is in love with his high school crush, Tracy. Tracy, of course is running from a bad relationship and hoping that her leaving will cause her wayward ex (Lyle) to come looking for her with a big engagement ring. Failing at her new job, and wanting what she thinks is best, she is picked as a hostage for the a special assignment with her new co-workers. Well of course the story isn't that simple. Following a night of intense romance, Mark realizes that perhaps Tracy isn't who he wants, but Lindsey is....the problem is, he can't convince her (she has a little baggage) that a relationship with him would be best. Izzy, Mark's bestfriend, decides that although he shouldn't be attracted to Tracy, he is and maybe one harmless night of fun, will be ok. Tracy, feeling once again betrayed by her ex, looks for revenge sex as a means of paying him back. But soon discovers that she likes Izzy probably more than she should.

Needless to say, a series of events leads to Tracy's disappearance and a serial killer's unmasking. So between the serial killer, the romances, the action and potential future stories, I enjoyed this book and suggest that you read it as well. While multiple storylines can make the story slightly overwhelming, there is enough future potential to keep me reading future installments in this series.

This is my first Brockman book. I understood she wrote romantic suspense. I've read well over 200 pages and so far haven't caught a whiff of either. The only suspense so far is which of the incredibly attractive characters will hook up together, rather like a junior high for supermodels obsessed with who "likes" who. Those who are attracted to someone pretend they aren't or can't bear to be in the same room with them, what with all the sexiness flying around. As for having sex, that's great as long as it can be labeled "meaningless." Without suspense or romance, it's just pages and pages of people gossiping about each other. I can get that at the office.

Have read previous books by SB, and must say this was one of the better ones I've read.
Remember thinking when will the girl go missing, and when she did, was happy with the tempo on how they got to find her.
Am not sure there's a story for Izzy and Tracy but am sure they'll link up some how, as will Tracy and Decker.
Would recommend this book to anyone who has never read SB before.

This is my very first of Suzanne Brockmann. Althought the story was really good, I couldn't say the same for the characters, except for Sophia, Derek, Izzy, and Tracy. Well I guess I should say the two main character, Jenks and Lindsey. I found Jenks to be too um average. I mean when I read a novel, I want my male to be strong, alpha, dominate. He doesn't have to be rambo but at least make him strong, both personal life and professional life. I think I see him as weak because of his puppy love over Tracy. As for Lindsey, in the beginning she seem like this she-man type girl and I don't mean that in a bad way. What I meant was she seem overly strong and confidence but then when she started this crushing on Jenks, it just wipe that all away.

But on the good side, the story flows very easily. I love the interaction between the SEALS. They're not the CoOp that I'm used to from other stories, you know cold, hard, unfeeling. They are actually, human.

Will I read book 1-9 as well as 11 and 12? Probably not because the other characters didn't get me all that interested where I would run out and buy their books to find out about them. However I am looking forward to Izzy, and Derek's. Hoping that Tracy and Sophia play a very major part.

Informative for everyone. Will help everyone as it helps get into the minds of predators.

I received this item in a timely manner and it's in great condition.

I've read several other John Douglas books, including Mindhunter, Journey into Darkness, and my favorite,The Anatomy of Motive. Obsession just seems weak in telling the stories in a compelling fashion. I'd recommend one of his other books, particularly for first time readers.

Third in a series of criminal profiling by the best in the world. This edition is more how to survive and tips for defending against sexual assault, kidnapping and other violent offenses. Douglas takes one chapter to explain how the Hannibal character from Silence of the Lambs was created. Cases are introduced to illustrate point of safety. Well written and easily to understand, but much different from the previous two Douglas has written. If you are looking for case after case of gruesome crimes, this is not the book for you.

I've been a fan of several of Douglas's books, finding them facinating. But I never thought I would relate to one of the stories directly....until i got to "Katie's Story". Destiny Souza was a classmate of mine, and a neighbor. It was emotional to read what happened to her, and the reactions of members of our community I looked up to as a child, because they were involved in my life also. When it happened, being a child, details were given to me pretty vaguely, but reading the story as an adult was a really good expirience for me. As with all his books, i've learned a great deal about how to observe and interact with people and keep myself safe in the process.