Crush

July 27, 2009
In Jacobson's addictive second Karen Vail thriller (after The 7th Victim
), a serial killer spoils the FBI profiler's romantic Napa Valley vacation with boyfriend Det. Robby Hernandez. During a Silver Ridge Estates winery tour, Karen and Robby stumble over the strangled and mutilated corpse of Victoria Cameron, daughter of an influential winemaker. The narcissistic psycho responsible? John Wayne Mayfield (aka the “Napa Crush Killer”), who taunts the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force formed to catch him. As more victims are found, their windpipes crushed and bodies inflicted with postmortem wounds, the motive behind such a killing spree appears connected to conflicts within the Georges Valley American Viticultural Area board. Jacobson jolts standard serial killer fare with some twists concerning the publicity-hungry Crush Killer and insightful peeks into California's wine industry. The action culminates in a shockeroo cliffhanger.

Starred review from September 1, 2009
FBI Profiler Karen Vail's idyllic vacation to Napa Valley with her boyfriend, Det. Robby Hernandez, is derailed on day one. A mutilated body bearing distinctive wounds is discovered during their exclusive wine tasting, and Vail is drawn to the case. Further investigations lead her to a second corpse with similar wounds. By the end of day two, Vail joins the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force. As additional bodies are found, Vail and her new colleagues begin a relentless pursuit of "The Napa Crush Killer." As possible motives and patterns begin to emerge and task force members are targeted, intensity levels increase. Jacobson's extensive FBI research background yields a gripping story laced with political underpinnings and dizzying twists that will have readers perched on the edge of their seats. In a style rivaling that of Patricia Cornwell or Harlan Coben, Jacobson surpasses his first Karen Vail thriller, "The 7th Victim". VERDICT Essential for suspense aficionados. One caveat: readers expecting a neat ending may be disappointed, as a sequel is forthcoming.Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2009
If youre an author who writes in the ever-so-popular serial killer genre, then youve got your work cut out for you: how do you kill your victims in a shockingly interesting way thats different from how all the other authors have done it? How about crushing the victims windpipe and then draining her blood? Yep, just like a grape. FBI profiler Special Agent Karen Vail, last seen in The 7th Victim (2008), is on a forced vacation in the Napa Valley for some R&R after being involved in a public shooting right outside the White House. But theres no rest for the weary as Vail stumbles onto a murder scene while attending a wine tasting at an elite winery. The murder has all the elements of a serial killer, and Vail is quick to offer her profiling skills to the local police, who are reluctant to believe a serial killer is involved. Soon the body count starts to rise and the police seek out her advice, but her involvement raises the ire and the interest of the Crush Killer. Fans of James Patterson, Michael Connelly, and Patricia Cornwell will drink deeply of this intoxicating tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)