The Craving (Pack) [Paperback]

Jason Starr (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 5, 2012 | Series: Pack (Book 2)

Manhattan thrives on desire—the longing for a better apartment…a higher-paying job…fame. Simon Burns ought to know, since he nearly lost it all: his job, his family, his home. But now things are turning around, thanks to the pack.

Just when he thought he hit rock bottom, Simon found a group of friends, daytime dads like himself. But there was something “off” about Michael, Charlie, and Ramon, and Simon found himself slowly changing into the kind of man he gave up trying to be a long time ago and rediscovering the most primal of hungers.

There were nights he made constant love to his wife, nights he roamed the city streets, nights he doesn’t even remember. And it’s one of those black-outs that’s going to come back to haunt him.

For Simon isn’t the man he once was. In fact, he’s not really a man at all anymore. He’s a member of the pack. And once you’re in, it’s impossible to get out…

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jason Starr is hypnotically good.”—Lee Child

“A prodigious talent.”—Laura Lippman

About the Author

Jason Starr is the international bestselling author of "the pack" series of novels, which includes The Pack and the The Craving. He is also the the author of a dozen crime novels, published in many languages. He has won the prestigious Anthony Award two times, has been a finalist for the Anthony two times, and has won the Barry Award. He also writes screenplays and comics for D.C. and Marvel. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Ace Trade; 1 edition (June 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781937007553
• ISBN-13: 978-1937007553
• ASIN: 1937007553
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #684,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JASON STARR is the international bestselling author of many novels, including THE PACK which is out in hardcover and e-book from Berkley/Ace on June 7, 2011. Starr's other novels are COLD CALLER, NOTHING PERSONAL, FAKE I.D., HARD FEELINGS, TOUGH LUCK, TWISTED CITY, LIGHTS OUT, THE FOLLOWER and PANIC ATTACK. He has won the Anthony Award and the Barry Award and his books are published in more than a dozen languages. He has also co-written three novels with Ken Bruen--BUST, SLIDE, and THE MAX--and edited BLOODLINES, an anthology of horse racing stories for Vintage Books. He lives in Manhattan and is currently writing the sequel to THE PACK.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book June 13, 2012

By Dman4227

Format:Paperback

The book is decent, but I have to say I am disappointed in it. I think the disappointment lies in the change of direction that Starr has taken in his writing. His first 6 books are great noir reads that make you laugh out loud and bite your nails at the same time. The next three novels seem to be mainstream orientated and show a shift in his style. The Pack series is good, not great, but really veer away from the type of books that made him a "must read author" in my eyes.

This book picks up weeks after the ending of The Pack and spends a little time before picking up speed. I think the book is good, but average and unmemorable, which are words I never would have used to describe Starr's previous works. I have read on his website that his next book is a standalone crime novel and I hope that shows Starr going back to the style that has brought him so many fans and great reviews.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will have you by turns reading and looking over your shoulder July 30, 2012

By Bookreporter

Format:Paperback

No one is writing books like Jason Starr. His shelf of stand-alone urban noir thrillers, comprised of titles such as LIGHTS OUT and NOTHING PERSONAL, and the eerily prescient PANIC ATTACK, almost beg for repeat readings.

In 2011, Starr took his superior craftsmanship into somewhat of a different direction with THE PACK. The first in a series, it concerned a gentleman named Simon Burns, a thirty-something Manhattanite who practically overnight goes from an up-and-coming adman to a stay-at-home dad. Burns meets a group of similarly situated fathers one afternoon in Battery Park, and after a guys' night out is initiated into their world of werewolves. The book works not only in the straight horror genre but also as a dark metaphor, the perfect antidote for those who don't find supernatural creatures to be cute, cuddly, or sexy. THE CRAVING is Starr's follow-up, broadening Burns' universe while bringing him even deeper into the new world.

One of the considerable strengths of Starr's work is his uncanny ability to explore the nooks and crannies of human foibles while never losing track of the trademark qualities of genre fiction. This is especially true in THE CRAVING. As it opens, Burns is having an increasing amount of difficulty functioning around people, particularly his family. He hugs his child too tightly; his wife notices that his eyes are darker; and he is unable to deal with sexual arousal for fear that he will literally tear his wife apart. Being out in public creates its own share of difficulties: women are instinctively attracted to him in a carnal way; animals shy away from him or react badly (there is one scene that takes place in the Central Park Zoo that alone makes the book worth picking up); and when Burns stretches himself out during a run, he goes just a bit too fast. He also likes to roam the city streets late at night, and sometimes experiences blackouts on the morning after. Burns doesn't know it as the book begins, but he is about to find himself in huge trouble.

New York homicide detective Geri Rodriguez remains troubled by the recent disappearance of a successful female executive, and while her commanding officer wants her to concentrate on other cases where the bodies are still warm, she is haunted by this woman who has seemingly vanished. Rodriguez's investigation is putting her on a straight collision course with Burns, who is really beginning to like the changes he has experienced, even with their associated problems. These individuals are about to connect in a way that will change them both.

Starr combines elements of crime fiction with the supernatural and romantic to make THE CRAVING a memorable second installment in a series that, as far as I'm concerned, can go on forever. And when one considers the nature and method of the seemingly random attacks taking place in the real world recently, one has no choice but to wonder if Starr is working his prescient magic once again. THE CRAVING will have you by turns reading and looking over your shoulder.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Human's taste better June 27, 2012

By Gerald W. Sessions

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Book 2 did pick up and carry on the tale. Yes book one was rehased but that helped refresh what happened and explained some of the deaths in book to. Eddie was fleshed out more as a character. We end up with a sane female wolf and are suprised by the way things happened and look forward to seeing how everyone deal with what has happened.