Crush (Karen Vail Series) [Hardcover]

Alan Jacobson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Karen Vail Series | Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Fresh off the most challenging case of her career, The 7th Victim heroine and renowned FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in an explosive thriller set against the backdrop of California’s wine country.

Hoping to find solace from the demons that haunt her, Vail makes her first trip to the Napa Valley. But shortly after arriving, a victim is found in the deepest reaches of an exclusive wine cave, the work of an extraordinarily unpredictable serial killer. From the outset, Vail is frustrated by her inability to profile the offender—until she realizes why: the Behavioral Analysis Unit has not previously encountered a killer like him.

As Vail and the task force work around the clock to identify and locate him, they’re caught in a web knotted with secretive organizations, a decades-long feud between prominent wine families, and widespread corruption that leads Vail to wonder whom, if anyone, she can trust. Meanwhile, as the victim count rises, Vail can't shake the gnawing sense that something isn't right.

With the killer’s actions threatening the Napa Valley’s multi-billion dollar industry, the stakes have never been greater, and the race to find the killer never more urgent.

And through it all, a surprise lurks…one that Karen Vail never sees coming.

Meticulously researched during years of work with the FBI profiling unit and extensive interviews with wine industry professionals, bestselling author Alan Jacobson delivers a high-velocity thriller featuring the kind of edge-of-your-seat ending that inspired Nelson DeMille to call him "a hell of a writer."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit
"Action-packed story (with) plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion…a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done."

Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow of Power
“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.”

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

Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Look Twice
"Set in the Napa Valley, Crush is a smart, stylish whodunnit with lots of surprises and a finish with all the punch of a blockbuster Cabernet."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press; 1 edition (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593155484
• ISBN-13: 978-1593155483
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (170 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #891,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My literary career has been marked by a number of events, but none more significant than an accidental meeting nearly 20 years ago. While researching "False Accusations" at the Department of Justice's crime lab, I met FBI agent Mark Safarik, who was awaiting promotion to the FBI Behavioral Analysis (profiling) Unit--the one popularized by TV's Criminal Minds. We hit it off, stayed in touch, and Agent Safarik invited me out to Quantico to tour the FBI Academy and profiling unit. Thus began my immersion in the world of serial killers, rapists, bombers and arsonists.

Seven years later, my education had reached critical mass: I'd made numerous trips to the BAU, had countless hours of conversations with Agent Safarik and his partner; I'd edited four published FBI research papers on serial offenders and attended numerous FBI training courses; I'd shot submachine guns with the head firearms instructor at the Academy; and I'd parsed serial killer interviews with Agent Safarik. I felt that I owned the material well enough to use this knowledge and experience in writing my third novel, the first featuring FBI Profiler Karen Vail.

Vail had an explosive debut, bursting onto the scene in the national bestseller "The 7th Victim." Sporting a vibrant personality oozing sharp wit and sarcasm, Vail is a woman bucking the odds in a unit geared toward men, someone who always means well but, like you and me, makes mistakes. She has fears, loves, and vulnerabilities--and despite being very good at what she does--suffers perpetual unease about the decisions she makes. Because lives are on the line. Errors prove costly.

There's little doubt that Vail has resonated with hundreds of thousands of readers because she's real. But at the end of the day, Karen Vail is a cop you'd "go through a door with." That's how law enforcement officers of all stripes describe a colleague you'd entrust your life to when bullets are flying. And that's how the head of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers association described Karen Vail.

Vail has directed the action in "The 7th Victim," "Crush," "Velocity," and "Inmate 1577"--which are set in exotic locales, from Alcatraz to the Napa Valley, Las Vegas and San Diego to Washington DC. And wherever Karen Vail goes, trouble tends to follow.

My years of research and training with law enforcement have influenced me both personally and professionally and have helped shape the stories I tell and the diverse characters that populate my novels. So sit back, crack the spine--or click that button--and immerse yourself in the gripping world of Karen Vail.

But--before you go: I co-authored a free personal safety booklet with FBI profiler Mark Safarik. Hop over to my website, alanjacobson.com, and pick it up. Did I say it's free? Did I say it's super important for you and your loved ones in keeping them out of the crosshairs of violent criminals? (It is.) And while there, be social...and follow me on Facebook and Twitter. See you in cyberspace!

Alan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Crush was good, but it doesnt end.. You have to buy next book for the finish. Not that great.n, November 5, 2010

By 

Lisa Baker (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Crush (Karen Vail Series) (Kindle Edition)

I wish I would have purchased it at 0.00, but it's a good book, however, the ploy is to entice you to read Velocity, which I didn't care for and didn't like the price. You have to read it because it is the 2nd part of this book. I thought the 7th victim was really great, but I don't like to be forced to buy a new book to read what happens in the book I was reading. So Free is a great price but just keep in mind if you want to finish the "book" you will have to read velocity which is 17.00 hardcover and 13.00 on kindle.
Next time author please just finish the book and let your readers decide if they want to read another. And, yes I did see your video.. Still don't agree. There was so much fluff in the 3rd book it could have easily been the end of Crush.

136 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't like being forced into buying next book to read the ending of the story, November 9, 2010

By 

smartcarfan (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Crush (Karen Vail Series) (Kindle Edition)

I loved the book and would've given it 5 stars....however, the ending (there wasn't one) left you hanging....you have to buy "velocity" to read the conclusion...as much as I loved the book, I will not be manipulated into buying the next book.

I am the type that will buy the whole series of every book I read, but not this one just because of how it was done.

120 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crush...the Killer in Napa, October 5, 2009

By 

Robert Friedberg "Axle R Raider" (Danville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crush (Karen Vail Series) (Hardcover)

Length:: 1:10 Mins

I just finished reading "Crush" by Alan Jacobson and have recorded a short video about my experience.