Strip Search: A Novel [Hardcover]

William Bernhardt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2007

She likes the sudden seconds of sheer terror. The neon dreams fit perfectly with the dreams that wake her up at night: about the man she loved and lost, about the constant temptations in her life, and about the odds that inevitably she’ll be in the right place at the right time to look naked, human madness in the eye.

Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims’ bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.

Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-six-year-old whose autistic savant skills are perfect for unraveling such mysteries as how many rivets are in the Eiffel Tower and how many Elvis impersonators there will be in the year 2020. As it turns out, innocent Darcy can also think along the arcane lines of Vegas’s most savage serial killer, peering into a numerological mystery that stretches back hundreds of years.

With her own life one spark away from going off the rails, her department turned against her, and the lives of those she cares most about in jeopardy, Pulaski hunts for dangerous prey in the shadow of the Strip–with herself as the perfect bait. And the closer she gets, the more terrifying and intriguing the case becomes, for the person she’s tracking possesses truly ingenious powers–and a heart full of hate.

The incomparable William Bernhardt brings to life America’s most fascinating city and the people who police it, while he invites the reader to join one woman’s fight to stay sane, stay alive, and keep a killer from making the most shocking score of all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bernhardt's dysfunctional Las Vegas cop, Susan Pulaski, tracks another maniacal serial killer in this circuitous and graphically violent sequel to 2005's Dark Eye. When the grisly murders—in which the victim is branded and dismembered, and a mathematical equation left at each crime scene—hit Vegas, police chief Robert O'Bannon temporarily rehires widowed ex-police profiler Susan, against the wishes of Lt. Barry Granger, the homicide detective leading the investigation, who despises Susan. The chief's autistic math-whiz son, Darcy, may be able to crack the killer's baffling symbols, but O'Bannon warns Susan to keep Darcy on the sidelines. As tensions escalate between Susan and Granger, Susan remains one step behind the mastermind behind the crimes. Distracting lectures on numerology, the Kabbalah and advanced mathematics interrupt the overloaded plot, but the ghastly puzzle comes together in a breathtaking, suspenseful finale. (Aug.)
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From Booklist

In Dark Eye (2005), Bernhardt (of the Ben Kincaid series) struck out in a new direction, introducing readers to Susan Pulaski, a down-and-out former Las Vegas police detective who teamed up with an autistic savant, Darcy O'Bannon, to track down a serial killer. Now they're hot on the trail of another killer, a ruthless executioner who kills according to a complex mathematical process. This is a better book than its predecessor, perhaps because Bernhardt has a firmer grasp of his characters. Pulaski seems less pathetic, and O'Bannon seems less like a curiosity. The story, too, is compelling, grittily gruesome in a Jeffrey Deaver kind of way. Pitt, David

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345470192
• ISBN-13: 978-0345470195
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,331,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love my job. Even on the worst day when I can't seem to put together a coherent sentence, I am grateful for having been given this magnificent opportunity to participate in the literary exchange of ideas. My mother says I was telling people I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I know that seems incredible, but she's my mom, so we have to believe her. I never missed an opportunity to visit the library, which was blissfully near my home, and the librarians there took a great interest in this nerdy, shy, bespectacled kid who kept reappearing almost every day. They encouraged me to read widely and to read the best of everything, and that is exactly what I did and have continued to do all my life.

I sent off my first submission when I was eleven, to Highlights Magazine. This was a poem of which I was particularly proud concerning the Oklahoma Land Run. They turned me down. Yes, that was my first rejection letter. Over the next twenty years, I collected over 400 more of them. No, I'm not exaggerating. I still have them. Every last one. There was a reason, I realize now, why all those compositions were being rejected. They weren't very good. But they improved over time. I didn't know it, but during the entire torturous process of submission and rejection, I was learning how to write.

I finally had my first novel published (by Ballantine, a division of Random House) when I was thirty-one. To some, this may seem an early age to publish, but if you clock it from my first rejection, it took twenty years. That was a great year--my first son, Harry, was born in August, and my first book, Primary Justice, was born in December. The book surprised everyone and the follow-up did even better and before I even realized it I had accomplished my goal--I was a real honest-to-gosh writer. I've been writing ever since. I've written more than twenty novels, edited two anthologies, done two books for children, and published numerous stories, essays, puzzles, and poems. I have three children now, and this job allows me to be present when they come home from school and available when they need me during the day, which is a blessing I could not have anticipated back when I was a seven-year old gazing dreamily at author photos on dust jackets, wishing I could see myself there.

My goals for the future are to continue to learn, to grow, to find new ways of doing my work and doing it better. I think the current interest in thrillers provides a marvelous opportunity to spin bigger and more exciting stories. I've learned that I enjoy teaching, which has led to the William Bernhardt Writing Programs and The Fundamentals of Fiction DVDs, as well as many speaking and teaching engagements throughout the year. My interest in mentoring aspiring writers led me to start the Small-Group Seminars and Master Classes, which allow me to teach my favorite subject all across the nation. And in my personal life, my goal is I to be the best parent possible to Harry, Alice, and Ralph, and the best possible partner to my wife, Marcia. I'm very excited about the future--my personal life with these extraordinary people, and my professional life, creating new stories for you wonderful people who still understand the importance of storytelling and the written word.
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William Bernhardt is the author of more than twenty novels, including Primary Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, Death Row, Capitol Murder, Capitol Threat, Capitol Conspiracy, and Nemesis. He is one of fewer than a dozen recipients of the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He is also one of the country's most popular writing instructors, teaching at various conferences throughout the year. A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Marcia, and their children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Remember ... this is FICTION, June 26, 2008

By 

J. Strayer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strip Search: A Novel (Hardcover)

I would hate for anyone to have to read this book. Furthermore, I would hate it more if anyone thought that the mathematics embedded in it was correct. Get a mathematical consultant next time, William!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly developed and not engaging, December 18, 2007

By 

Christy Caballero - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strip Search: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is the first time I have read a Bernhardt novel. I am a fan of all the other typical thriller authors - Lee Child, Michael Connelly, John Sanford, etc. I was very disappointed. I think the overall plot was a great idea - I liked the numerology involved - but I just didn't think he did a good job establishing the characters. There was no one character that I was rooting for. Although Darcy, the autistic companion, was interesting, I didn't feel particularly connected to any of the characters. I found myself skimming through the book to get to the end just to find out what the outcome was and not really caring about the pages in the middle. Sometimes Bernhardt would be very detailed about certain specifics (numerology and its history) but I didn't feel it was well woven into the book. It was like he took a couple pages from an encyclopedia and threw them into the middle of the book. I also found that in some of the passages he didn't have a good grasp on writing in the first person for a female character. Some of her thoughts (about a female friend in particular) seemed more from a man's view rather than a woman's. Overall, I was very disappointed because I was hoping to find another author I could enjoy and count on for quality material. I just didn't find it with this one. Being able to sit down to read a book is a luxury and I regretted the time wasted on this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as DARK EYE, October 9, 2007

By 

Mike Sawin (Central Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strip Search: A Novel (Hardcover)

Here's what I liked about STRIP SEARCH: the autistic character, Darcy, grows more independent and self-directed. This is a good thing, and Darcy is a fun character to read about.

Another thing I liked was the math angle. As a mathophobe, any time math can be shown to be used for evil is okay with me! I also liked that Pulaski, our protagonist, screws up pretty badly and spends a lot of time making up for it.

The pacing was really tight, and the book moved fast. I like that. The clues were fair, although I figured out stuff a long before I was probably supposed to.

Someone in another review complained about the dialogue, but I thought it was pretty good. Remember: bad grammar, childish taunts and other stuff that comes out of Susan's mouth is supposed to sound bad when she's high or drunk. It's kind of the point.

The twist on character development was well done! Darcy, the autistic guy who will never 'cured' really grew as a person while Susan Pulaski made many of the same kind of mistakes that she did in her first adventure. But addicts do that, so it's fair play.

But there were some problems, too. The police chief and the Granger character were both just one-note guys who did nothing more than react to Pulaski or provide her with an obstacle. I know that is the supporting character's function ... but give us something to work with here, Bill.

Darcy lied -- and this after establishing as a "fact" that due to his autism he cannot lie. It felt like Bernhardt broke his own rules here, and that's not good.

The gore and the weird sex seemed a bit ... forced. I'm no prude when it comes to this stuff, but it just didn't feel organic or necessary to the story.

I had a difficult time with the bad guy characters, because they both unravel a bit too fast for me when confronted by Pulaski. And when we're supposed to have sympathy for the mastermind (even Darcy, who doesn't connect with people, felt sorry for her), I was at a loss.

Pulaski losing a friend (no spoilers, friends) in this book felt unnecessary as well. Pulaski has quite enough on her plate without losing anyone who might be in her corner.

Speaking of which...let's give the Chief a little more to do and a lot more intelligence, huh? And Granger -- how did this oaf make it as far as he has? We need to see him as more than just a foil for Pulaski. He's got to have some strengths on his own, because as it stands it seems like no one has any respect for the character -- in the book or out of it.

Over all, this was a good read. But Bill needs to tighten up on some characterization, if you ask me. I'll be one of the first in line to get the next chapter, though, because I really like this writer a lot.