Fetish [Hardcover]

Tara Moss (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Harper Collins, Toronto (2001)
• ASIN: B00201LYFM
• 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