Customer Reviews

Body Count

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All things considered, this isn't a bad read. Unfortunately I knew on page 82 who the villain was.

My concerns are for grammar and research. The author did her graduate work in creative writing yet can't seem to differentiate between subjective and objective case. After the third cringe at her mistakes (e.g., "He looked at I" "He gave it to I" "They considered I for the job") I just chalked them up to cultural differences (but, then, why didn't the editors catch and correct them?).

Having grown up in Tucson, I honestly have to say that the only thing she got right was the name of a local high school. She states that the victim's parents live in a subdivision that used to be a farm. Tucson is in the middle of the Sonoran Desert and there haven't been farms (much less rivers that she also describes) in or near Tucson for hundreds of years. And her description of the house w/ it's lovely flower beds and perfectly trimmed grass would be illegal. With the cost of water in the $11/gallon range, any landscaping that needs water (anything that is not indigenous to the desert) is strictly forbidden.

And the idea of a federal agent withholding information about an investigation? Well, that doesn't even deserve to be addressed.

This book was SOOOO good. I literally finished it in 2 sittings. I couldn't stop reading it. However, I picked the murderer out early on. So, in that aspect, it wasn't challenging for me. However, I can't wait for P.D. Martin's next installment in the series called: The Murderer's Club. It looks like it will be another fun mystery. Hope you like Body Count as much as I did.

I LOVED Body Count. I read the book in two and a half days...it was that good! It had so much intensity, along with twists and turns in every chapter. Plus, it even had romance, which played nicely with the storyline. I highly recommend this book. It was GREAT!

Though well-written, I'm one of those oddballs who do not like to be right there present in the action. I have never appreciated first-person narrative, nor present-tense story telling. I wish the publisher had included an excerpt on the order page. This is not a bad book; this author is not lacking in talent. This is a note to all those other people who prefer to read the story as if it had already happened. It is definitely suspenseful and moves with speed. The psychic element is something I do enjoy and it is well done here.

Sophie Anderson is a profiler from Australia who's recently transferred to the FBI. Her brother was kidnapped when she was a child, and she dreamed about it as it was happening. Now, her psychic abilities have resurfaced as a serial killer hits DC. When her friend and fellow agent, Sam, becomes the latest of the killer's victims, Sophie begins to test her ability in hopes that it will help her solve the case.

I like the premise of this series, and Sophie is a pretty good lead based on this first outing. I wasn't blown away, though. I thought the killer was obvious, but I wasn't sure if it was meant to be. The forensics explanations felt a little too informative, but given that the book was released in 2005 (2007 in the US), it could be that it was still early days of the forensics trend and the author felt it was necessary. I'm actually anxious to get to the follow up titles to see if some of this smooths out (which I expect, seeing as this was Martin's debut).

After a somewhat rough and slow start, give or take the first 150 pages, BODY COUNT picked up steam with the turn of each page. Told in first-person, present tense narrative, the book introduces Australian transplant, Sophie Anderson, who now works as a profiler for the F.B.I. and is intent on catching the D.C. Slasher before he strikes too close to home.

Sophie is a sympathetic and smart protagonist, and I liked her even though she felt slightly distant to me; although her distance quite fit with her character. While many books feature headstrong females who idiotically go off half-cocked into precarious situations, I am happy to say Sophie was sensible enough that I don't remember her ever doing anything overtly stupid throughout the duration of the book. At first, I thought too much of the book was given to the romance between Sophie and Josh Marco, a fellow profiler, but luckily that trailed off and it became less of a focus. The psychic angle actually doesn't play as much into this series' first outing as I was led to believe from the synopsis, but it works in the book's favor, as it helps set up the characters and background, especially Sophie's.

Some parts of the book I thought unnecessary but they weren't anything big or too distracting to the plot as a whole. While it is easy to figure out who the serial killer is, if you've read enough mysteries, you're bound to determine who's the one; the fun is in how Sophie and the others get to that point. I did like the main motivation behind the killer and found it fresh and interesting. The passages told from the killer's perspective were especially well-done, very chilling and realistic, and they were at the end of most chapters.

Fast, fun, thrilling and full of twists and turns, BODY COUNT kept me riveted and refused to let me put the book down. Yes, it has some faults but they're minor and this book is a pretty darn good starter to the series.

Sophie Anderson series in order:
Body Count
The Murderers' Club
Fan Mail
The Killing Hands
Kiss of Death

as I stated with Fan Mail. PD Martin is a very good author. read this and enjoy.

Aussie transplant Sophie Anderson has been working as an FBI profiler at Quantico for about six months. She's made a home for herself as well as several friends-- especially fellow profiler Samantha Wright. The only thing in her life that she's not sure how to deal with is her psychic ability. When she was a child, she had dreams that presaged the disappearance and murder of her brother. She's had occasional visions and dreams ever since.

Sophie may feel uncomfortable with her gift, but she's smart enough to use it in her career. When women begin to die and the media dubs the latest serial killer the "D.C. Slasher", Sophie's unit goes into high gear trying to put together a detailed profile of the killer that will lead to a swift arrest. When Sophie's friend Samantha is abducted, the FBI closes ranks and works desperately to find one of their own before it's too late.

I really enjoyed this book. Martin knows how to plant subtle clues and set a fast pace to keep the suspense cooking. Sophie is a multi-faceted character, and her desperation is palpable as she tries to find her friend Samantha.

I was afraid that Body Count might descend into "fem jep" (the female lead character willingly putting herself into deadly situations), but it didn't. All the female characters were cautious and didn't take silly chances-- especially Sophie and Samantha. Unfortunately they weren't cautious enough for a particularly wily killer.

For readers who prefer a book to be spiced with a bit of romance, there is a touch of that in Body Count, but not enough to bother those who prefer to do without it. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was watching the profilers work to piece clues together in order to identify a killer.

One thing that bothered me a bit was the rather weak portrayal of Tucson. (So weak that I wonder about the author's sources.) And although I slapped my forehead when the Slasher's identity was revealed, it made me wonder if such a person really could stay unidentified for so long.

But both of those things are minor quibbles. I enjoyed the plot, the pace and the characters so much that I'll be continuing on with the series. Sophie is one FBI profiler on whom to keep an eye!

This was a wonderful book! I couldn't put it down. I read so many books they all seem to blend together but this one will stick with me and I can't wait to read to the sequel.

From the opening page I was hooked. The first person account of FBI agent Sophie Anderson throws you straight into the action, and doesn't let up until the end. Between her terrifying night time visions and the cruel MO of the serial killer haunting her duristiction, there's no time to relax as Martin weaves an intricate and surprising tale of murder and mayhem. If crime thrillers are your thing, Body Count is definitely for you.

Only problem - I was too scared to read it before bed! I recommend reading with the lights on...:)