Ashes to Ashes (Hardcover)

by Tami Hoag (Author)
Key Phrases: Peter Bondurant, Jillian Bondurant, Rob Marshall (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Some doctoral candidate is doubtless hard at work as you read this, trying to explain why and how the serial killer suddenly became every thriller writer's favorite subject. Meanwhile, the irrepressible Tami Hoag shows us in her latest sure-to-be-a-bestseller how the theme should be handled--with sensitivity, wit, and enough energy to heat a small city.

A monster known as the Cremator is killing prostitutes in Minneapolis parks and setting their bodies on fire. When one of his victims turns out to be the daughter of a local billionaire, and a homeless teenager claims to have witnessed the burning, it brings together former FBI agent Kate Conlan (now working as a victim-witness advocate) and the Bureau's top serial-killer profiler, John Quinn. Conlan and Quinn share a painful personal history; now they have to work together against a very smart lunatic who seems to be able to read their minds.

Although none of this is actually groundbreaking material, Hoag leaps into her story as if she were the very first writer to have thought of it. Guess what? Her innocence and verve are contagious. We throw skepticism to the winds and gladly go along for the thrilling and romantic ride, just as we did in other Hoag hits such as Cry Wolf, Dark Paradise, Guilty As Sin, Lucky's Lady, Magic, Night Sins, Still Waters, and A Thin Dark Line--all available in paperback. --Dick Adler

From Publishers Weekly
Hoag (A Thin Dark Line) has a way of sneaking up on the reader in superior thriller tradition, taking her time in revealing monstrous images lurking in the dark corners. The Cremator, a Minneapolis serial killer, has been torturing prostitutes before incinerating them in local parks, but no one pays much attention until it appears that the third victim may be Jillian Bondurant, a billionaire's daughter. Former FBI agent Kate Conlan, now a victim/witness advocate, is enlisted to handle a reluctant teenage witness who claims to have seen the latest torching. Kate's life becomes further complicated when ace FBI profiler John Quinn is called in by Jillian's father. Kate and John share a personal history, he being one of the reasons she left the Bureau five years ago, and they must each contend with their painful past as they work together to catch the diabolical killer who appears to be taunting them at every turn. Hoag uses crisp dialogue effectively to distinguish the many diverse characters, while Kate and John's mirror-image Machiavellian work ethics justify both their mutual attraction and aversion. Devoting equal attention to the mystery of the serial killer's identity and the romantic tension between her engaging protagonists, Hoag does service to both, scripting love scenes worthy of George Clooney and Renee Russo, the Hollywood stars she mentions as look-alikes for her principals. Granting a humanizing dignity to the victims' corpses, she neatly sidesteps the graphic crudeness of some of her competitors, while still providing enough surprise twists and stomach-turning carnage to satisfy any heebie-jeebie enthusiast. Major ad/promo.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; BOMC? edition (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553106333
• ISBN-13: 978-0553106336
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (192 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #422,538 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint at heart, June 11, 2000

By	Bonnie Gilbert (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Taking a break from my regular romances, I decided to read the newest Tami Hoag novel, Ashes to Ashes. I absolutly loved it.

Tami Hoag's newest novel is a great thriller in it's own right. This book is thriller first, romance secondary, so all you men out there don't shy away. This book was excellent!

As with her previous novels, Night Sins and Guilty as Sin, this novel has so many twists and turns you feel like you're on a roller coaster. Victim Advocate Kate Conlan and Top FBI Profiler John Quinn create a wonderful couple finding love again and caught in a terrible triangle of madness.

If you're faint at heart, I wouldn't recommend this book. But if you love a good thriller, this book is a MUST READ!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ashes to Ashes, February 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ashes to Ashes (Paperback)

Ashes to Ashes was my first Tami Hoag book, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. If you are a fan of Jeffery Deaver, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, etc., you'll love this book. The plot was excellent, with enough twists and turns to keep me reading until 3am. The identity of the killer was a total surprise to this veteran thriller reader. Once you read it, you'll be hooked on the author's books.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1ST TAMI HOAG BOOK, WON'T BE MY LAST!, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

I am a loyal romance reader. I have specific authors in the mystery genere that I like (Sandra Brown,Iris Johansen,Sidney Sheldon and now Tami Hoag). This book blew me away. I thought it was very well written. The plot kept me guessing. I cared about the characters. Yes, this was a story that was hard to read in parts. It did have some explicit violence in it, yet I didn't feel it was any more violent than a rated R movie. I didn't get the feeling that the violence was for shock value. I disagree with the reviewer that felt that the romance between John and Kate was unnessary to the story. The author established that Kate had gone through an awful lot and personally I was glad she had some happiness come into her life. Hats off to Ms. Hoag. Keep up the great work! You have a new fan!