Fetish [Paperback]

Tara Moss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1999

Makedde Vanderwall, part-time model and forensic psychology student travels to Sydney on assignment and finds her best friend murdered. She soon discovers a deadly puzzle of suspicious photographers, hired thugs, mysterious lovers and the handsome, jaded Detective Andy Flynn.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Australian author Moss makes her U.S. debut with a steamy fast-paced romantic thriller, set in the not so glamorous world of international, middle-income fashion modeling. Struggling Canadian model Makedde Vanderwall has come to Sydney, Australia, to visit her friend and fellow model Catherine Gerber. But Catherine doesn't answer her phone, and soon Mak stumbles on her friend's mutilated body. A serial killer known as the "Stiletto Murderer" next targets Mak, who spends the rest of the novel trying to help solve Catherine's murder while avoiding her own. Moss, a former model, writes fluidly, carefully laying out the pieces of the puzzle as she builds to the twist ending. When the strong and independent Mak becomes so smitten with the handsome detective assigned to the case that she allows her heart to rule her mind and jeopardize the investigation, some readers may cavil. Still, this marks the arrival of a bold new female voice for American crime-fiction fans. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From AudioFile

When Canadian model Makedde Vanderwall takes an assignment in Australia, she wants to earn money for school and visit her friend, Catherine. However, she's shocked to learn that Catherine has been brutally murdered. Makedde decides to go undercover to help the police find the serial murderer. Tara Moss is both the author and narrator of this graphically violent book. The story is clever and twisting; however, Moss's narration differentiates little among the characters and not at all between the Canadian and Australian accents. Nonetheless, this title is recommended for those who like Australian settings and unusual stories. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd (September 30, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0732266998
• ISBN-13: 978-0732266998
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars, January 5, 2006

By 

Angela Wilson "I love books & DVDs!" (Midwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fetish (Mass Market Paperback)

"Fetish" has a great cover and intriguing intro on the back cover, but the story is not original. I gave it a higher rating because of author Tara Moss's use of psychological terms and understanding of profilers and stalkers.

The romance is okay, though you see what's going to happen from a mile away. The killer is a bit formulaic - he would have been good in the early 90s, but today we are far more gripped by the ones that play with our heads. We get in his head some, certainly, but not to a degree that leaves goosebumps on the flesh.

It is a solid read, though, even with these problems. And I am curious to read the follow up to this, which I can so far only find on CD. I just want to know what happens to our intrepid heroine, Mak.

If you want something that's not too hard on your brain, get this one used.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Worth It, February 4, 2007

By 

Thriller Lover (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fetish (Mass Market Paperback)

FETISH is the first novel by Tara Moss, who was a 25-year old fashion model at the time of its publication. According to her website, Ms. Moss is apparently Australia's top selling crime writer, which is what led me to give her work a try.

This novel is readable, but it's pretty unoriginal. This is a typical serial killer story, and many of the scenes in this book are familiar and predictable. The characterization is pretty cardboard and much of the dialogue is pretty flat. I read a lot of crime fiction, and you can do much better than this -- early Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Harlan Coben, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly are all far superior choices.

What makes this novel interesting is that it takes place in Australia and provides some insight into the world of fashion modeling. If either of those subjects interest you, then you may want to give this novel a try. Otherwise, my advice is to skip FETISH, since there are far better books out there worth your time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fine Australian amateur sleuth, November 30, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fetish (Mass Market Paperback)

Mid level Canadian model and forensic psychology student Makedde "Mak" Vanderwall travels to Australia to strut down the runways. However, she receives bad news upon arrival that her close friend Catherine "Cat" Gerber, who she was looking forward to seeing after six months apart, was hideously killed with the police unable to find the culprit.

Unbeknownst to the police or to Mak, the culprit has the letter she sent to Cat that includes a picture of the newcomer. Unable to stay out although Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Flynn warns her off the case, Mak begins to investigate using what she has learned in school as a guide. While Mak and Flynn start seeing one another off duty, the killer hones in on her as his next target.

FETISH is a fine Australian amateur sleuth with strong police procedural elements. The story line is fast-paced especially when the heroine makes inquiries or when the villain takes center stage. Though the romance seems more like an unnecessary subplot that is tagged on to bring extra sexual tension between the cop and the model, Tara Moss writes an intriguing thriller that will hook her audience from the opening gamut when the killer murders Cat and never slows down until the final karma is settled.

Harriet Klausner