Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page One of TwoThe Hunted by Alan Jacobson
Pocket Books, February 2001.Hardcover, 404 pages.
ISBN: 0671026801.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Psychologist Lauren Chambers has worked hard to overcome her
debilitating agoraphobia and panic attacks, and has built up
a practice in quiet Placerville, California. But her carefully
constructed life shatters apart when her beloved husband,
Michael, disappears on a skiing trip with friends.
Lauren meets private investigator Nick Bradley, and the
two set off on a cross-country quest to find Michael.
But the more they dig into Michael's past, the stranger
things get. What's worse, a professional assassin is stalking
Lauren in order to get to Michael, who he believes
is the ex-FBI agent who sent him to prison years ago.
Alan Jacobson, author of the bestselling False Accusations, spins a complex tale full of heart-pounding action sequences, plot twists and fascinating characters. Lauren Chambers, the psychologist who herself suffers from terrible panic attacks due to a childhood trauma, is a unique heroine for a thriller. She's smart and courageous, but she has these debilitating attacks which she must overcome. It's an interesting choice of characteristics for a heroine in a thriller, and Jacobson uses it to full effect. Is Lauren really being followed, or is she just being paranoid? And how well do you really know the people in your life? The tension builds until an exciting (and surprising) denouement. If you like thrills, psychological suspense and complex characters, this should definitely make your summer reading list.
--Claire E. White
Black Lotus by Laura Joh Rowland
St. Martin's Press, April 2001.Hardcover, 352 pages.
ISBN: 0312268726.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
In 1693 Japan, fire is one of the most feared
disasters. With the use of so much paper and wood, a small
fire can quickly destroy an entire city. When a fire
breaks out in the Black Lotus Temple, three people
are found dead. Haru, an orphan girl is found near the
scene acting quite suspiciously. Samurai-detective
Sano Ichiro, the Emperor's Most Honorable Investigator
of Events, Situations and People is called in to investigate
the triple homicide which is now being blamed on the
unfortunate Haru. Against his better judgment, Sano asks
his wife, Reiko, to assist him in interrogating the girl.
Reiko is convinced of the girl's innocence, and
decides to do some unauthorized investigating on her own,
which infuriates Sano and causes a rift between the
formerly happy couple. Meanwhile, the investigation into the
Black Lotus Temple uncovers some very disturbing facts indeed:
it appears that the seemingly innocent religious retreat is actually
a hotbed of prostitution, extortion and possibly something even
more dangerous.
Progressive for his time period, Sano has actually allowed his wife to assist him in his investigations from time to time. After all, as a female of the samurai class, Reiko can gather all kinds of information from the women that Sano would never know about. Laura Joh Rowland provides a multi-layered mystery in Sano and Reiko's latest adventure; the Temple of the Black Lotus houses some very nasty secrets indeed. But the key to the case is the pathological liar, Haru. Her story constantly changes, and she certainly trades on Reiko's protective instincts. Rowland will keep you guessing until the very last page as to Haru's motivations, and hoping that Reiko and Sano can find a way to patch up their marriage. This is another fascinating entry in an excellent historical series.
--Claire E. White
Mystery Reviews
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