Customer Reviews

Catch Me

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Sleek and stylish, "Catch Me" is a great follow-up to A.J. Holt's first book about FBI agent Jay Fletcher's attempt to rid the world of two very dispicable serial killers. She did just that in "Watch Me" as she "took out" computer expert, Ricky Styles. Now, in "Catch Me", she attempts to track down and stop Styles' compatriot, the self-acclaimed son of Charles Manson, William Bonisteel, a.k.a "Billy Bones". Billy's connection to the Manson family is an interesting sidebar to the story.

Aided by US Marshall Jack Dane, Fletcher attempts to get to Billy before he gets to her. She must do so as quickly as possible because Billy is leaving a trail of death and destruction as he teases Fletcher along to their inevitable final meeting. Invariably, Fletcher and Dane find themselves a step behind Billy as they try and decipher the clues that he leaves for them regarding his next victim.

And, while, Dane, Fletcher, and Billy are obviously the main players in this novel, Holt does a fine job adding some very interesting characters along the way. It's this aspect of his writing that I think I appreciate the most. Holt, in just his 2nd novel, has mastered the art of creating believable and interesting "bit players" that are critical to the plot and not just fluff through in to pad the story.

Some readers might find themselves appalled by the graphic descriptions of Billy's treatment of his victims. In this writer's opinion, however, these scenes are more than gratuitous violence and are necessary to understand the character and mindset of Billy.

If you're a fan of this genre' and enjoy the works of authors like Thomas Harris, James Patterson, and Rex Miller, you'll find yourself enthralled by "Catch Me". Here's hoping that A.J. Holt will continue to evolve the character of Jay Fletcher and that we'll see another installment in the near future.

I couldn't put this book down - because I knew if I did, I'd never pick it up again. The characters were beyond believability, beyond stereotype, beyond hope. The only plot device the author uses is motion - moving the characters around-and-around, from location to location, until finally the book runs out of pages, or the reader runs out of patience.

Jay Fletcher is an ex-FBI agent who specalises in hunting down serial killers and killing them. Because she is never tried for her murders, she is kicked out of the FBI and is put in a Witness Protection Program where she is happy living, until she gets an email from Billy Bones, a serial killer who she didn't quite catch the last time.

Billy Bones, convinced he is the son of Charles Mason, sends Jay on a wild-goose chase so she can track him down and have her day with him. Billy is an absolute psycho and his character is reminiscent of Dr Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, intelligent and very very scary.

The entire book is about Jay tracking down Billy with the obscure clues that he leaves for her. It is actually very cleverly written and it is a different spin on the usual 'whodunits' as the reader knows who done it, and actually gets of insight into the serial killer (not many authors do that).

This is a very easy book to read, but it is still an enjoyable thriller that will keep you interested right until the end. Ok, so its not as brilliant as Michael Connelly or Dennis Lehane, but it is still good.

A. J. Holt's first book, 'Watch Me,' was the incredibly chilling story of Jay Fletcher, an FBI agent who discovers a serial killer site on the internet. Driven by the horrors of her own past Jay is seduced into a hunting spree that rivaled those of the serial killers that became her victims. Jay stepped over the line, and was only barely able to make her way back into the light.

Her last sanctioned hunt was for Billy 'Bones' Bonisteel, whom she successfully brought to trial and to justice. Jay, also known as 'Ladykiller,' then disappeared into the FBI's witness protection program, hoping never to confront the dark side of her character again.

Unfortunately her idyllic retreat was not meant to last. Billy Bones makes his escape and demands that Jay be put on his trail. If not, he threatens to go on a full blown killing spree. Anxious to prevent publicity, the FBI permits Fletcher to take up the hunt. Billy leads her on a nerve-wracking chase from coast to coast ending up in a spectaular finale in the Pacific Northwest.

This is not your basic slash and burn serial killer story. For Billy Bones 'Catch Me' tells the story of his last, defiant struggle for freedom. Holt allows us to peer continually into Billy's mind, detailing his belief in chaos theory and his belief that he is Charles Manson's child. Billy has a certain Hannibal Lector like charm for us. Yet, in spite of all these insights and often ghastly details, Holt still masks the truth from us, leading to a surprise ending of great power.

For Jay Fletcher, 'Catch Me' is a coming of age novel. Jay makes a journey from her new life as a Mendocino glassblower back into the horror of the hunt. Confronting the her reality, she moves onward to self-discovery and acceptance of the creature she has become. This occurs in natural flow, almost without the reader's awareness. In her way she has become a model for the heroines of the 21st century.

Holt's ability to create characters that are enduring and real is remarkable. It is honestly hard to believe that this is only a second novel. 'Watch Me' was a tough act to follow, yet 'Catch Me' succeeds completely, on many levels. The book is relentlessly paced, and very hard to put down. If you have a fondness for the serial killer thriller, 'Catch Me' will occupy a special place in your library. One you will come back to many times.

Should have known when I picked it up I could kiss my Saturday goodbye. Couldn't put down. Snatched it right up when I spotted it as her first novel was a tasty appeteaser. Two great reads and some cool characters. Can hardly wait for our Ladykiller, marshall and smuggler to return as they surely must.

If you are into really good "whodunits", this is for you. Please read "Watch Me" before reading this book. The two of them are so powerful together.

"Catch Me" starts out exciting and taut, but by the last chapters of the sequel to "Watch Me", it becomes easily predictable. To be honest, I have never read "Watch Me," so I may be biased. What compelled me to this book was its beginning chapter. Holt provides a detailed premise along with the intriguing participants in the "cat and mouse" game--Jay Fletcher and Billy Bones, respectively. Those are the only cahracters that were convincing; everyone else, especially Fletcher's FBI agent partner, falters. Also, of note, is its climax. I don't want to give it away, despite the fact that it resembles something straight out of a horror- or serial killer- themed movie. If you're gonna read Catch me, then head to your public library and ckeck out a copy rather than paying five bucks for it.

Catch Me is about the hunt for a murderous anthropologist. It has parts where the story and the writing are tight, drawing the reader into the suspenseful search for a demon, and it has sluggish parts where the writing is mushy and the story is contradictory.

Jay is likable, especially as an ex cop/vigilante. She's tough and flawed and still real enough to have a sense of humor. She's out to kill herself a killer.

Billy Bones, the book's bad guy, is pretty much that. He's your dime-a-dozen mainstream fiction killer, which a PhD in anthropology and a fixation with the Manson family doesn't make very interesting.

When I discovered A.J. Holt I felt like I'd uncovered a real gold nugget - the author is an excellent writer who grabs you and immediately involves you in the plot. I liked the characters and the plotting and found the books (both of them by the author)to be immensely enjoyable reads. Write on, A.J.! I'm waiting for more.

Jay Fletcher had been an expert computer hacker and FBI agent until she had single-handedly tracked down five serial killers. She killed the first four. But on the fifth execution she almost killed the wrong man. That had been her wake up call! She finished tracking down the fifth, "Billy Bones", and helped put him away. Then she cut a deal. She turned in her badge, retired, and went into the Witness Protection. With her new identity, no one would know she had once been dubbed "Ladykiller".

Billy Bones was brilliant. He was as good with a computer as Jay. So when he escaped, it was easy for billy to locate Jay and begin sending her emails. He also emailed the U.S. Marshals. Jay was to play hound. Billy would play fox. If the U.S. Marshals did not put Jay on the case, then he would go on a killing spree, tell CNN and all to view ghastly pictures of his victims on the net and where, and then who knows what else? Therefore, Jay Fletcher and Deputy U.S. Marshal Jack Dane hunted Billy as he killed, leaving clues with victim as to who would be next.

***** A chilling novel that I am still trying to shake of! Awesome!