SPECTRUM by Alan Jacobson #newrelease #4StarReview

I LOVED this book. Even though I could only give it four stars.

SPECTRUM follows the life of Karen Vail, a police officer, all the way through her decision to become an FBI profiler where hopefully, she will acquire the skills necessary to bring a serial killer to justice. Called Hades, the murderer chooses only Greek women to kill. Each victim has a diagram on the back of their head which no one can decipher and all are left in compromising positions.

In addition, we meet Livana who is soon to be made a widow after her husband, Basil, leaves one of the local mobsters blind. When Fedor, Livana and Basil's best friend threatens to tell the police about the murder, Livana's son is kidnapped. It is only when Fedor recants his story that Dimitri is returned.  Fedor takes Livana under his wing along with her son and daughter and together with his son, Niklaus, they move into an abandoned hospital wing on Ellis Island.

SPECTRUM is compelling, interesting, and well written. The only area I found lacking was Karen Vail's marriage to a man with severe bipolar disorder who won't take his medication. Vail's marriage issues are thrown in when you least expect it and really do not add to the story line. In fact, in some ways, it detracts from it. I had a hard time imagining a police woman with a small child leaving her son with someone not competent to care for him.

That's where the four stars come in. Otherwise this is a great book and the marriage issues really don't take up that much reading space. SPECTRUM is well worth your money and your time.

Blurb

New York City: home to world-renowned museums, theater, restaurants, iconic sports franchises. Central Park. Wall Street. And an infamous serial killer who’s terrorized the Big Apple for decades.

The year is 1995 and the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail. The rookie’s first day on the job is anything but easy when she finds herself at the crime scene of a young woman murdered in an unusual manner. Vail is unsure of what she’s looking at or what it means—but it’s a case that will weigh on her mind for nearly twenty years.

As the years pass, Vail’s career takes unexpected twists and turns—as does the case that’s come to be known as Hades. Now a skilled FBI profiler, will Vail be in a better position to catch the killer? Or will Hades prove to be Karen Vail’s hell on earth?

The character who has captivated readers worldwide—and who won the praise of literary giants Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Nelson DeMille—returns in a story that captures the experiences that shaped the revered profiler and made her the top cop she is today.

About the Author

Alan Jacobson is the national bestselling author of the critically acclaimed thrillers False Accusations, The Hunted, The 7th Victim, Crush, Velocity, and Inmate 1577. His years of extensive research and training with law enforcement have influenced him both personally and professionally, and have helped shape the stories he tells and the diverse characters that populate his novels. Jacobson's books have sold internationally and his Karen Vail series has been optioned for television.