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Todd Travis

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CREATURES OF APPETITE (Emma Kane / Jacob Thorne Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Todd Travis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

6,780

Book 1 of 4: Emma Kane/Jacob Thorne

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Reviews for Todd Travis’ thrilling CREATURES OF APPETITE:  

“You’re used to clever plots, complex characters, twisted cases and brilliant writing. Few things can surprise you, because most times you figure out who the murderer is before the book ends. Well, let me tell you something: ‘Creatures of Appetite’ by Todd Travis is like nothing you’ve read before. Prepare yourself to be hooked from the very first pages, to forget that you need to eat or sleep, and to be taken by surprise by a twisted ending that you could have never guessed.”  —Jo Ammons, NY Books Examiner

 “If you start reading this book thinking that you’ll be able to put it down before bedtime, you’re wrong. You’ll only be able to fall asleep after you turn the last page. Usually, readers who read a lot of crime novels gain the ability to guess how everything is going to end, or at least suspect. It’s not going to happen with “Creatures of Appetite”, because the ending will come as a shock.”  —Top Books Worth Reading

 “No, as a reader you won’t guess who the murderer is before Jacob Thorne puts two and two together, but that’s not what makes Creatures of Appetite stand out in its genre. What makes it really worth reading is on the very last pages.”  —All Fantasy Worlds

They call it the Heartland Child Murders.
Everyone else calls it a nightmare.
Locked doors don’t stop him.
He leaves no trace behind.
He only takes little girls.

  His nickname …

The Iceman.

 A deranged serial killer roams wintry rural Nebraska, targeting little girls, with a demented purpose no one can fathom.  

FBI Special Agent EMMA KANE, a former DC cop considered to be damaged goods, is assigned to babysit burned-out profiler JACOB THORNE as they both fly to Nebraska to catch this maniac.  Thorne is erratic, abrasive and unpredictably brilliant, but what he and Kane find in the heartland is much more than anyone bargained for, especially when the Iceman challenges them personally, where it hurts most.

The clock is ticking and a little girl’s life is on the line.

And maybe even more with that, once they find out what he’s really up to.

CREATURES OF APPETITE
By
Todd Travis

Book 1 of 4

Emma Kane/Jacob Thorne
Print length

274 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

February 5, 2013
File size

1445 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"You're used to clever plots, complex characters, twisted cases and brilliant writing. Few things can surprise you, because most times you figure out who the murderer is before the book ends. Well, let me tell you something: 'Creatures of Appetite' by Todd Travis is like nothing you've read before. Prepare yourself to be hooked from the very first pages, to forget that you need to eat or sleep, and to be taken by surprise by a twisted ending that you could have never guessed." -- Jo Ammons, NY Books Examiner

"If you start reading this book thinking that you'll be able to put it down before bedtime, you're wrong. You'll only be able to fall asleep after you turn the last page. Usually, readers who read a lot of crime novels gain the ability to guess how everything is going to end, or at least suspect. It's not going to happen with "Creatures of Appetite", because the ending will come as a shock." -- Top Books Worth Reading

"No, as a reader you won't guess who the murderer is before Jacob Thorne puts two and two together, but that's not what makes Creatures of Appetite stand out in its genre. What makes it really worth reading is on the very last pages." --All Fantasy Worlds

From the Author

For the darkness, that black bastard in us all, I ain't scared of you, not no more.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BC2BCI4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dark Matters Press (February 5, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 5, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1445 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #808,809 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,285 in Psychological Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #7,741 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- #19,600 in Women Sleuths (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
6,780

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Todd Travis

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Todd Travis's interests include conspiracy theories, the poetry of Michael O'Donoghue and pop music and movies of the 80s. He is single and moves around a whole lot. His current whereabouts are at this time unknown. He doesn't like cable news, views cellphones with suspicion and don't even get him started on email. He also believes poker is not a sport and therefore should never be allowed on ESPN.

He is the author of the thriller CREATURES OF APPETITE, its sequels TROPHIES, TALENTS and THE HAIL MARY, which feature Emma Kane and Jacob Thorne, the horror novel SEX, MARRY, KILL, the novella DERELICT and the horror collection THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. More books are on the way. You can contact him via a Facebook fan page that a friend set up for him.

Sign up on Todd's Amazon author page to be notified when his next novel is launched.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

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Trulia Smith

Whoa! Prepare to be Surprised!

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2015

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Picked up CREATURES OF APPETITE by Todd Travis during a recent book promo. It was a little darker than what I’d been reading lately—all about a serial killer that preys on young kids. It’s a genre bender. While listed as a mystery-thriller, it could just as easily been categorized under horror. Think Dean Koontz.

For me, the beginning chapters were a love/hate relationship. I thought some of the writing was good and other parts repetitive and difficult to follow. Quick transitions and redundant dialogue made the opening a slow go, but I did like the characters and where the story was headed. I figured if something works, I’d give it a pass and kept reading.

About four or five chapters in, Mr. Travis hits his stride. I loved the protagonist Jacob Thorne. He’s a prickly s.o.b. with a personality better suited for a job in the DMV, but there he is, a profiler with the illustrious FBI. Well, was a profiler. In fact, he’s brought out of an enforced retirement to try to stop a serial killer dubbed The Iceman. Unfortunately for him, he’s saddled with Special Agent Emma Kane, a former cop who’s recovering from a traumatic event. Does Thorne relish a partner with shaky hands? Who would, but most of us would be more tactful in expressing dissatisfaction. Let me put it this way, Thorne does not hold back.

Given that this is Todd Travis’ first book, I kept thinking that I can’t wait to watch him develop. I was impressed by the writing and wished the very few mistakes were cleaned up. I mean, why not? This is stellar work and deserves stellar handling. The plot was intriguing, the characters richly embraced, and the twists? They had my head spinning. I especially loved the one at the end. No spoilers here! Suffice to say that Kane finally learns why Thorne plays chess in that unique way. She keeps hammering him with that question throughout and the answer had me laughing out loud.

If you can handle grisly crimes, a scumbag killer, a profiler who clearly never read Norman Vincent Peale’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, a rookie agent that better get her act together fast, and assorted police officials who would rather be right than catch a killer, then this one’s for you. I highly recommend CREATURES OF APPETITE and enjoyed the walk on the evil side. It’s creepy, full of memorable scenes and action, and entertaining to boot. Mr. Travis, I’m keeping my eye on you! Can’t wait to read what you come up with next!

6 people found this helpful

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HaloLove

Hated the characters, Loved the story!!!

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2014

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The good:

A very well thought out plot, smartly written, and ridiculously entertaining. Two serial killers...absolutely brilliant and surprised when their characters were revealed.

I absolutely love twists and surprises and this story gives you quit a few. Now the ending!! OMG! I can not wait until the next installment of this story. I had to re-read it (the ending) twice because the first time I read it I was like, "W T F did I just read!" After reading it a second time I was like, "ah hell, Mr. Travis just brought brilliant and crazy to the forefront." Color me anxious and excited for the next book.

And the little tif between Thorne and Forsythe in the bathroom was fantastic!!! Dude had it coming!!!

The cursing: I had no problem with it, probably because I'm so desensitize to it. If you've ever been in a unit (military) that's comprised of mostly guys, bad language is all you hear. -shrugs- Cursing really isn't that big a deal, it actually made the story more authentic.

*************************SOME SPOILER ALERTS!!!!****************************

The Bad:

Kane: disappointed the author made her so physically beautiful (model type) that everyone had to hate her.

I was so excited when Kane faced off with the Iceman but the scenes were completely dissatisfying and disappointing. All I could think after reading that small section was, are you effing kidding me?!! Kane is suppose to be a black belt but didn't even put up a fight against Iceman. In that moment she was weak and pathetic. Oh and of course Thorne carried her off like a damsel in distress. What an insult!!

Also, as a black belt you should know how to decommission someone without desperately depending on your weapon, because your body is the weapon. Instead, Kane gets the upper hand then loses it by looking for her weapon...dumb...dumb...dumb!

I would have even been ok with Kane losing, if she had at least put up a good fight.

Kane just seemed more like a rookie right out of college. 13 years as a homicide detective should have toughen her up a bit, she was clueless about everything and throwing up at a crime scene... Really?!

The one good quality about Kane is she's cool under pressure. In a dire situation she doesn't give up.

Thorne: over the top rude and annoying. He had no redeemable qualities. He's arrogant, abrasive, too conceded. I hated everything about his
character. And I was so annoyed Kane didn't put him in his place. She was like a lost little puppy dog needing him for every bit of information
on the case.

The conflict: due to watching every single episode of Criminal Minds, I had a hard time accepting the out right disrespect the local police had towards
the FBI. And the local police were portrayed as idiots. I guess to prove that Thorne was a genius. Which he ensured everyone knew at all
times.

All the characters were almost like an 80's cliche. Beautiful law enforcement female officer insulted by every other law enforcement officer because of her looks, has the tragic past, link up with an insulting partner who hates her because she's too pretty to have a brain, the list goes on and on. Although I do not like any of the characters, the story itself is intriguing.

So the characters created gets a half star. I'm sorry Mr. Travis, even though I appreciate Kane and Thorne not linking romantically, (thank you, thank you, thank you for that), I just didn't like them. But the overall story, the plot, the serial killers, the twists and surprises, all gets a 4 star.

Because I'm a true believer in not judging an author by one book (good or bad), I'm reading Sex, Marry, Kill next.

One person found this helpful

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Angy

Slow out the gate but ends with a bang

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024

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I wasn't sure if I was going to like Jacob Thorne, he's written a lot like Cumberbatch's Sherlock. Prickly, rude, and smart but he did grow on me. Disappointed in Emma Kane, typical male author's female character, so stunningly beautiful everyone hates or hits on her and she has to be rescued multiple times... in spite of being a trained black belt (insert eye roll here). The mid plot killer reveal was a great twist, however the iceman came out of left field but it didn't bother me as I liked how that was revealed and the reasoning. The final shocking reveal was mind blowing and unexpected that I instantly bought the second book. It's not a perfect book due to some editing issues and can be repetitive at times, but was enjoyable for a first author's book. There is cussing, which I didn't mind but I know some people have an issue with it so I wanted to warn you.

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Lin St Pete

Truly interesting and thought provoking

Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2017

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I typically read all types of genres but must admit fantasy is my big love with police procedural such as Creatures of Appetite coming in a distant second and even further behind would be a novel in a series.

I was pleasantly surprised then to find that from word 1 I was hooked and actually read every word to the very end of this book and enjoyed it immensely. Both of the “heroes” are flawed and are easy to relate to as we all have a Kane or someone who fancies themselves a genius like Thorne in our lives. The Iceman is a cunning and thoroughly believable baddie and his crime is laid out logically throughout the novel.

I enjoyed this so much in fact that I just bought #2 and #3 in the series and hope that I will enjoy them as much as the first.

I highly recommend this novel and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

One person found this helpful

Bee55

Couldn't put it down

Reviewed in Spain on April 12, 2018

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Totally riveting ... And there's an unexpected twist. Just starting book 2. My best read for ages and I'm hooked!!!

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Raymond Mathiesen

All you could want .. and more!

Reviewed in Australia on June 30, 2023

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In many ways this is a hard-boiled tale of police detection, with twist and turns of plot, rapid action, and brilliant deduction. The psychopath is kept anonymous until very close to the end. His crimes are horrendous. This book has just about everything you could want from a thriller/horror tale.

Jacob Thorne, the chief profiler, is a brilliant, but curmudgeonly b*stard, to put it mildly. (Excuse my language.) Emma Kane, Thorne's offsider, is a woman of caring and courage, but with hidden flaws. This is Kane's first case and the reader is soon on her side, hoping the best for her.

The plot has absolutely no dull spots, moving along rapidly. The short chapters help to keep up the pace. I read the book quickly mainly because I couldn't put it down.

This is one of the best books I have read in a while and I am happy to award it 5 stars.

Queen's omelette

MASTERMIND

Reviewed in India on December 5, 2017

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I'm seriously into profilers now. JACOB THORNE is a MASTERMIND. He plays chase with himself. An ex-FBI profiler but soon thrust into a new case because of his talent to solve the crimes. An egoist bastard. Paired up with newbie EMMA KANE he goes into a hunt for THE ICEMAN who is targeting the children. Although there's no sentence in which the Author said that JACOB and EMMA got some CHEMISTRY but sure you can just FEEL it. There's just the writing of TODD that makes the whole book what it is. THORNE is my fav hero... ANTI-HERO of all the heroes out there. I'm still not over this book.

One person found this helpful

Lynda Kelly

E-book Not Proofread Or Updated By Amazon/Paperback WAY Better

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2016

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Todd Travis very kindly sent me a paperback version of this story. I'm so pleased he did as it has WAY fewer mistakes and I could finally read what is a terrific story !! The ending is a real zinger, too. Can't wait to read the sequel. I really liked both Kane and Thorne and I was pleased he decided to work with her and that she took no nonsense off him. There were some funny lines as well.
It was interesting to read the author's bio at the back-he's trapped in the 80s...I used to get told the same thing because I wouldn't have a mobile phone or a microwave !
I didn't think the language in this book was any worse than in other stories I've read, either. I see others have made mention of it. That's how I'd expect cops to speak !! So I highly recommend this, only don't download the e-book if you're picky like me about errors. Get the paperback copy.

Ebook Review:
Gave in with this at only 7%. It's in a mess having not been properly proofread or edited. Now I downloaded it back in February 2013 and in the description on Amazon it states that it was re-released after a professional job in May 2013. However, Amazon have never updated it. I even tried deleting and re-downloading in the hope it would somehow "force" through the updated version but no joy.

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