Crush (Karen Vail #2)

“Plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion…a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done.”
–Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

“Crush rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion.”
–Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author

“Karen Vail is one tough character. Crush will keep you reading late into the night.”
–Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author & creator of TV show “Bones”

“A smart, stylish whodunnit with lots of surprises, and a finish with all the punch of a blockbuster Cabernet.”
–Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author

“Jacobson breathes life into the killer in a way that made my heart pound—and I do this for a living.”–Mary Ellen O’Toole, Senior FBI Profiler and Supervisory Special Agent (ret.)

Crush is “addictive…(with) a shockeroo cliffhanger.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Blew me away. (It’s) the best the industry has to offer…from one of the very best writers in the industry today…sure to be a HUGE contender for major awards.”
–BestsellersWorld.com

“Jacobson has done it again. Crush is a fantastic page-turning thriller which should be on your reading list.”
–The Strand Magazine, Andrew Gully, Managing Editor

“If you’re an author who writes in the ever-so-popular serial killer genre, then you’ve got your work cut out for you: how do you kill your victims in a shockingly interesting way that’s different from how all the other authors have done it? How about crushing the victim’s 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 there’s 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.”
—Booklist, Michael Gannon

“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.”
—Library Journal, Mary Todd Chestnut

“I have been finding it more and more difficult to find some truly great thrillers, but I have also enjoyed Jacobson’s novels and Crush is no exception. Crush brings back our main character from the 7th Victim – Karen Vail who is fast becoming one of my absolute favorite characters. I love that she is so strong willed, yet is fighting her own brand of demons – I am always looking for really human characters with their faults and their good points and Jacobson does an excellent job of balancing Karen…. The writing is top notch and the pacing is perfect – not too many boring details that drag the storyline down and at the same time, the author keeps the plot moving along at a very nice pace. At times, I kept thinking that I had the whole thing figured out, only to find out a few pages later, that I was completely wrong and I LOVE that in a thriller. This one kept me guessing until the very end. I love thrillers that I cannot put down – you know – ‘just one more page’ type of read and this one wassssss perfect. Loved it.”
—Bookshipper Blog

“I don’t just sell Alan Jacobson’s novels, I’m also a big fan. Crush is outstanding. The terrific internal rhythm and flow of the story, and the interplay between the characters kept me reading until I finished it at 3AM. I couldn’t put it down. Not only that, but the Napa Valley really was a character in the novel. Now I want to go back and visit!”
—John Hutchinson, VJ Books

“Jacobson has…written a full-throttle thriller that will keep readers hooked to the very end.”
—San Francisco Book Review

“The perpetual action rocks and rolls all the way to the bitter end. This is Jacobson’s fourth thriller featuring Vail and I think it’s his best effort to date…. hooking readers deeper into his lair, leading them to his website, and making them salivate for the next novel. Wow.”
—Tucson Citizen (Pour Me Some Grapes!)