Nasaw, Jonathan

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The Girls He Adored : A Novel
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Audioworks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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The Innocent
The Girls He Adored
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Hidden Prey

ASIN: 0743517962

Book Description

For ten years, the charmingly disheveled veteran FBI Special Agent E.L. Pender has been investigating the apparently random disappearances of a dozen women across the country. The only detail the cases have in common is the strawberry blond color of the victims' hair, and the presence of a mystery man with whom they were last seen.

Then, in Monterey, California, a routine traffic stop erupts into a scene of horrific violence. The local police are stunned by a disemboweled strawberry blond victim and an ingenious killer with multiple alternating personalities. Pender is convinced he has found his man, but before he can prove it, the suspect stages a cunning jailbreak and abducts his court-appointed psychiatrist, Irene Cogan.

In a house on a secluded ridge in Oregon, Irene must navigate through the minefield of her captor's various egos -- male and female, brilliant and nave, murderous and passive -- all of whom are dominated by Max, a seductive killer who views her as both his prisoner and his salvation. Irene knows that to survive she must play along with Max's game of sexual perversion. Only then will she be able to strip back the layers to discover a chilling story of a shattered young boy -- and all the girls he adored.

Amazon.com

Of all the rules a serial killer might choose to ignore, the costliest may be rolling through a red light within sight of a vigilant sheriff's deputy. But in Jonathan Nasaw's latest thriller, The Girls He Adored, that's exactly what he does. As the deputy tells it: "But when I look in, I see this blond girl, couldn't have been more than eighteen, she's sitting straight up holding her stomach with both hands. She's wearing a white sweater that looks like it's dyed in overlapping bands of red at the bottom, and she has the strangest expression on her face. Just, you know, puzzled--I'll never forget that expression. I ask her if she's okay, she lifts up her sweater with both hands, and her guts spill out on her lap."

A number of strawberry blondes have disappeared over the past 11 years. If rumpled FBI Special Agent E.L. Pender's correct, the unfortunate woman above is number 13. The good news is that "Casey" (after the gent with a passion for strawberry blondes from the song "And the Band Played On") is in custody, undergoing evaluation by court-appointed psychologist Irene Cogan.

The bad news is that before Pender can prove that Casey--or, given his dissociative identity disorder, Max, Christopher, Kinch, Lyssy, Alicia, et al-- is his man, the suspect breaks jail, gives Pender the slip, and takes Dr. Cogan on a hellish ride of psychosexual perversion. It ends on a nightmarish farm that could scare the pants off Dante.

How much Nasaw owes to Thomas Harris and his friend Hannibal Lecter is beside the point. In Casey/Max, Nasaw's crafted a true monstrosity; in Irene, a masterful adversary; in E.L. Pender, a cop as fine and likable as any you've met in some time. And he's wrapped them in a story like none you've lately read. --Michael Hudson

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A twisted and sexually charged thriller of extraordinary originality and page-turning suspense, THE GIRLS HE ADORED moves furiously from the inner recesses of the psyche to its startling climax. Jonathan Nasaw brilliantly portrays two equally intense characters -- a deviant killer and the expert who can unlock his darkest secrets -- and introduces one of the most likable sleuths in recent fiction. For ten years, the charmingly disheveled veteran FBI Special Agent E.L. Pender has been investigating the apparently random disappearances of a dozen women across the country. The only detail the cases have in common is the strawberry blonde color of the victims' hair, and the presence of a mystery man with whom they were last seen. Then, in Monterey, California, a routine traffic stop erupts into a scene of horrific violence. The local police are stunned by a disemboweled strawberry blonde victim and an ingenious killer with multiple alternating personalities. Pender is convinced he has found his man, but before he can prove it, the suspect stages a cunning jailbreak and abducts his court-appointed psychiatrist, Irene Cogan. In a house of horrors on a secluded ridge in Oregon, Irene must navigate through the minefield of her captor's various egos -- male and female, brilliant and naive, murderous and passive -- all of whom are dominated by Max, a seductive killer who views her as both his prisoner and his salvation. Irene knows that to survive she must play along with Max's game of sexual perversion. Only then will she be able to strip back the layers to discover a chilling story of a shattered young boy -- and all the girls he adored.

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A Visual Tale of Fear and Torture
A Great Idea, But...
Solid, but not that scary...
Fear?
What are you afraid of?

Fear Itself: A Novel
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743446526

Amazon.com

E.L. Pender, the FBI agent introduced in Nasaw's previous mystery (The Girls He Adored, is a few days short of retirement when he gets a letter from a California woman with an unlikely premise--that the deaths of three people who, like her, attended a conference for people suffering from a variety of phobias (some very strange indeed) were not the random accidents they appeared to be, but the work of a serial killer. Once Pender meets Dorie Bell, the letter writer, he believes her, and with the help of a gutsy agent sidelined from an active career in the FBI by her recently diagnosed MS, he tracks the murderer--the man who bankrolled the conference in order to meet his victims, learn their vulnerabilities, and use their fears to kill them. The sociopathic villain of this suspenseful novel is a sort of junior-grade Hannibal Lecter who gets his bloody comeuppance in the end; having written him out of the picture, and set Pender up for retirement, one wonders who the resourceful author will turn to for his next thriller. --Jane Adams

Book Description

From Jonathan Nasaw, whose heart-stopping debut was hailed as "a superior thriller" (The Washington Post) and "wickedly compelling" (The Oregonian), comes a new novel that takes readers into the depths of

<B><CENTER>Fear Itself</CENTER></B>

Is it possible to be scared to death? FBI Special Agent E. L. Pender thinks so -- when a man afraid of heights falls nineteen stories to his death and a woman terrified of blood is found with her wrists slashed. Could it be that the apparent suicides are actually the work of a twisted psychopath?

To stop him, Pender joins forces with Investigative Specialist Linda Abruzzi, and before long they find themselves facing their own worst terrors -- and a madman who is as immune to fear as he is fascinated by it.

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"Injecting fresh potency into the phrase ""scared to death,"" the wickedly talented author of The Girls He Adored has delivered a spine-chilling follow-up, introducing an unforgettable villain who confronts his victims with their phobias. The charmingly disheveled FBI Special Agent E.L. Pender is strapping on his nonregulation calfskin shoulder holster one last time on his last day on the job, showing the ropes to his eager successor, Investigative Specialist Linda Abruzzi. Then a letter from Dorie Bell arrives at FBI headquarters. Last year Dorie attended a phobia disorders convention in Las Vegas. Since then, three attendees have died under suspicious circumstances. A man with fear of heights jumped from the nineteenth floor of a building. A woman with fear of blood managed to cut her own wrists in the bathtub. A third victim with fear of suffocation was found in the bathtub, with a plastic bag over her head. ""If you won't help us,"" Dorie begs Pender, ""who will?"" But it may already be too late: Dorie's friend Wayne Summers has now disappeared, too. Wayne's phobia is fear of birds. He's currently tied to a bed in a dark basement. And above his head, looms an enormous, starving barn owl.Fear Itself pits Agent Pender, one of the more endearing sleuths in recent fiction, against a man as immune to fear as he is fascinated by it. It's a duel that will jolt you time and time again and force you to confront the inevitable "

Customer Reviews:

A Visual Tale of Fear and Torture.......2005-03-05

This novel is another spin on the popular genre of serial killer tales.

Simon is a particularly malicious individual, in search of the ultimate adrenalin high. He discovers early in his sadistic career, that by inducing fear in his victims, the rush is the best he can attain. Mixing drugs and torture, he has found the perfect combination. Simon is a smart killer, sophisticated, and plans his fear games to the last detail. He is also rich and can spend full time exploring this deadly activity.

Enter Special Agent Pender, a large, witty and terribly dressed veteran of the FBI on the verge of his retirement. Pender is a likable fellow - he drinks too much, a live-alone divorcee, at the end of a long career. But appearances can be deceiving because this roly-poly officer of the law has been chasing serial killers for twenty years and knows how they think.

Dorie Bell is a middle-aged artist with an unusual phobia - prosoponophobia, fear of masks. Simon has her in his reptilian sights and when she least expects it, he strikes and his malevolent activities begin.

Nasaw writes his descriptions realistically and effortlessly. He's a visual writer, placing the reader directly into his scenes. As you turn the pages of this novel, the images of Simon's sadistic games appear before your eyes - Nasaw is a fly-on-the-wall- writer, which makes this kind of story that much more enjoyable.

As a fan of this genre, I'm intrigued how so many good writers out there can continue to come up with new spins on the ways and methods of the serial killer; Nasaw certainly ranks with the best of them. He seems confident with this genre and writes it superbly well.

A Great Idea, But..........2004-10-12

I went looking for this book, having been told by a friend who had it on her to read list that it involved a serial killer, targeting phobics, and using their worst fears against them.

Wow, I thought, what a great idea for a plot. And it is, it really is. But that's where the great part ended.

The writing style was pretty much average for this type of novel. The ideas behind some of the characters were really good, original, potentially interesting, but that's again where it ended. In the idea stage. When it came time to develop, things began to unravel, and then, to rather promptly fall flat. With many years of experience behind him, and retirment in the offing, the main? FBI agent character suddenly goes brain dead, and forgets how to behave like a professional. Instead, he nearly gets one of the victims killed. I didn't buy that anyone with that vast a field of experience, attracted to a witness or no, would suddenly get that stupid. It frankly reeked of agism. Oh yes, and poor characterization.

The other partial, Persecuted due to disability, mostly former agent with MS, again, potentially a good character, also continues to hang, fall flat, etc. What she's even doing there is often questionable. Were it not, again, this might also be quite good. The author does have a real sensitivity, on some levels, to the plight of the disabled. Perhaps he should have stayed there.

The sister of the killer has downs syndrome. The Killer, who is far too soon revealed, and long before he could really get down to thinking up ever more horrendous ways in which to off his poor victims, frankly what one would expect, considering the idea, yet again, manages to fall flat.

Of all the characters, the sister is the one I actually liked best. Her ultimate disposition, however, felt so contrived as to be ridiculous, lead-ins for it, or no. Too, within this story line, there are places he started to go, then didn't. Rather a tendency toward tangents, that, indeed, I found running throughout the work.

The other character I liked was the phobic female artist. Having found, only halfway through the book, however, what her fate would be, I set the thing aside. Every now and then, I picked it up, thereafter, to slog on through, having paid full price for the paperback, and hoping it would get better. No such luck. The villain, who goes on the run, looks up old chums, etc., just doesn't manage to overcome the yawning.

Perhaps the author's other works are better. If ever I'd be inclined to find out, I'd do it at the library.

Solid, but not that scary..........2004-02-09

If the first Pender book was by turns revolting, scary, and creepy...this one tries to be, but has a lighter tone. Pender is great fun (I wish we had more of Sid, the wise cracking, dapper best friend to Ed), but we don't get even get as much of him. Linda is a decent character, who is not fleshed out. We get a lot of Simon Childs (not real clever with that name, but oh well), who is fascinating in theory, but only fairly interesting in reality. I would have liked more Pender. The book is good in that it does not dwell too long on any one chase (as the last book did at times). The last one worked for pure scare factor, this was more fun, but there are many better thrillers out there. Oh, and why is Nasaw always trying to show us that he must have scored well on his Verbal SATs? I wonder what he is trying to overcompensate for. Still, I'd welcome another Pender novel, but I hope he enjoys his retirement first.

Fear?.......2004-01-27

I'm being generous with a 2 star rating, gripping this story was not. I had put this book down several times and it was shear stubbornness that I made myself finish it. Revealing the killer in the first quarter of the book lost my interest.
I experimented in reading the remaining chapters by skipping all sections that had reference to the killer 'Simon'and a really obscure section dealing with his sister. This did not present any problems in following the storyline. I have read many thriller stories dealing with FBI investigations and this had to be the sloppiest. Skipping sections of the book sped up the reading considerably and shortened the story, thankfully.
If this killer was using 'fear', it was a poor attempt. Just pick anyone off the street and torture them, you'll get the same results. I really want to give this one star, I'm just sorry that I spent the time finishing it.

What are you afraid of?.......2003-12-23

The second E.L Pender novel by Jonathan Nasaw has a strong plot consisting of a serial killer attacking people with various phobias.
Pender nearing retirement recieves a letter from a woman in California who suffers from a phobia, but Pender and new F.B.I. liasson agent Linda don't believe she is with the MDA (Martian Defense Association I believe?)So Pender decides to "unofficially look into the mysterious suicides the letter writer informs them about.
Nasaw writes a creepy disturbing thriller, and what's more he makes the telling of the story effortless. There is real subtlety dark humor, touching moments and style in his prose. I read this novel in little over 24 hours that should be a hint about how intense, gripping it is, too many novels are dubbed "compelling" reads but if there is a case where cliche meets fact Fear Itself is that book.

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Shadows
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The World on Blood
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ASIN: 0525940650

Book Description

After saving his father from a deadly illness, blood addict James Whistler, from The World On Blood, has become the victim of a deadly plot of revenge! A Romanian arsonist/vampire hit-man has been hired to destroy Whistler and everyone connected to him, including his former lover Selene, a Wiccan High Priestess. As the reunited couple seek to uncover the truth behind the hit-man's employer, Selene's goddaughter is kidnapped, and only by confronting the abductor in an act of deadly seduction will Selene be able to save her.

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Excellent Concept... Too Long
PERFECT!
Ah Vampires and Witches heping each other
Not what I was expecting
Wonderful

The World on Blood
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451186583

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Concept... Too Long.......2006-07-12

I enjoyed the concept of this book but for what it was and what it really wanted to tell us, it was far too long. If you are going to make a novel of epic proportions, then you need to create some kind of world like Anne Rice does.

PERFECT!.......2005-11-22

An absolutely amazing book, definately for those with attractive, imaginative, delicious thoughts in their lives. Not for the 'unemotional' robots of today.

Ah Vampires and Witches heping each other.......2003-10-01

I read this years ago and have the sudden urge to read it again. I am one who enjoyed it. Although it portrays the blood lust as an addiction,it shows that not everyone can 'believe' in one thing and needs to find their own way to 'deal' with their addiction rather than a '12 step-ford (wives)' approach. I am an Ann Rice addict and was surprised to find Nasaw's book to quench my thirst as well.

Not what I was expecting.......2003-06-20

I purchased this book because it was said to be rather good Splatterpunk novel. Although it really did lack the heavy gore or sex that classifies a book as such, the story was not a total disappointment. The story is a new twist to vampires, really giving them a more scientific reasoning for being. I did find it a bit predictable at times. All in all, I did enjoy reading it and will look for other novels writen by Jonathan Nasaw.

Wonderful.......2001-10-19

I never knew it was possible to fiend for a drug that doesn't exsist.

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When She Was Bad: A Thriller
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416534164

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A Miss
Nothing Like "Adored"
Disappointed
Audio Book: GREAT!!
HANDS OFF PLEASE

Twenty-Seven Bones
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743450639

Book Description

<B><CENTER>The brilliant author of Fear Itself pulls readers into an intricate web of ritual killings orchestrated by an evil pair of murderers who always manage to be one step ahead of the law.</CENTER></B>

Former FBI Special Agent E.L. Pender may be retired, but he jumps at the chance to help solve a particularly gruesome series of crimes in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This is no ordinary case, seeing as the right hand on each body in the string of murders is missing. The police want to keep the existence of a serial killer under wraps; they hope to solve the crime before a stampede sets in. Meanwhile, Pender is convinced the killer must be the husband of the last victim and sets out to capture him -- but he's only partly right. The husband is connected to the case, but the real murderers are a cunning husband-and-wife team of archeologists who believe that if they breathe in their victim's last breath they will live forever.

Never before has Pender come up against such savvy, diabolical opponents. From one trail of dead ends to another, readers will feel Pender's fever to prevent more murders from occurring...and his sheer panic when he can't. Twenty-Seven Bones is that most quintessential of thrilling reads, providing a visceral experience of chills and excitement on every page.

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" The brilliant author of Fear Itself pulls readers into an intricate web of ritual killings orchestrated by an evil pair of murderers who always manage to be one step ahead of the law. Former FBI Special Agent E.L. Pender may be retired, but he jumps at the chance to help solve a particularly gruesome series of crimes in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is no ordinary case, seeing as the right hand on each body in the string of murders is missing. The police want to keep the existence of a serial killer under wraps; they hope to solve the crime before a stampede sets in. Meanwhile, Pender is convinced the killer must be the husband of the last victim and sets out to capture him -- but he's only partly right. The husband is connected to the case, but the real murderers are a cunning husband-and-wife team of archeologists who believe that if they breathe in their victim's last breath they will live forever. Never before has Pender come up against such savvy, diabolical opponents. From one trail of dead ends to another, readers will feel Pender's fever to prevent more murders from occurring...and his sheer panic when he can't. Twenty-Seven Bones is that most quintessential of thrilling reads, providing a visceral experience of chills and excitement on every page. "

Customer Reviews:

A Miss.......2007-03-09

The characters' actions don't always make sense. The descriptions of torture and sex seem to serve no purpose other than repulsing the reader. There's no redeeming quality to the novel, so I can't recommend it.

Nothing Like "Adored".......2006-03-19

Nasaw's The Girls He Adored was a scary, thoughtful, and believable tale of horror and psychopathy. This one, Twenty-Seven Bones, is a light tale that's not terribly interesting.

Someone or something is severing peoples' right hands and leaving them to exsanguinate. Ex-FBI Agent Pender is called by his friend, the chief at St. Luke's PD, to come out of retirement (unofficially), to track down the bad guy.

The characters are pretty silly, and the story is pretty unbelievable. I was really ready for the story to end well before its time came. Skip this one.

Disappointed.......2006-02-25

After reading the publishers reviews, we discovered what the publisher meant by "detail oriented". The details turned out to be more about sicko sex than about the exciting and suspsense filled hunt for serial killers. This is the first time we gave up on a book. We're not prudes by a long shot, BUT this was over the top for a murder/thriller/mystery. Frankly, we think it would be wise to list it under adults only or at least warn the reader about the sexually explicit material. Being fans of Jeffery Deaver, Kathy Reichs, Dean Koonz, Patricia Cornwell and others we were in for quite a shock with Jonathan Nasaw. Doubt we'll give another of his books a try.

Audio Book: GREAT!!.......2006-01-17

I've listened to a lot of audio books, but this book, "Twenty-seven Bone" really stand out as an excellent piece of work by Jonathan Nasaw.

Mr. Nasaw chose a wonderful reader, Dion Graham. Mr. Graham can change dialect and accents w/ out a stammer, he mesmerized the audience and really pulls one into the story.

If you are a fan of Cornwell, the Kellerman's or Harris, this is the book/audio for you.

HANDS OFF PLEASE.......2005-09-20

The title of this effective little chiller comes from the number of bones in the human hand. Nasaw's third entry in the Pender series finds our recently retired FBI agent summoned by an old friend to the island of St. Luke to investigate the brutal murders of a serial killer(s). The reader knows who the culprits are right off the bat, but Nasaw effectively weaves his suspenseful tale by throwing in some interesting subplots and some uniquely envisioned characters. The island atmosphere and language is captured convincingly and the pacing is good for a novel where the suspense comes from wondering when and how the culprits will be apprehended. Good entry and should keep Pender alive for a few more books.

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Twenty-Seven Bones: A Thriller
Jonathan Nasaw
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Girls He Adored
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ASIN: 0743446542

Book Description

The Washington Post hailed Jonathan Nasaw's debut thriller as "superior" and "frightening." The Toronto Sun called him "a legitimate heavyweight contender among the masters of the psychological thriller" with "the most original, twisted, terrifying villains known to mankind." Now, in Twenty-Seven Bones, Nasaw turns up the heat -- and the suspense -- with a pair of deranged killers who defy the very nature of life, death, and desire....

There are twenty-seven bones in the human hand. And there are three dead bodies on the island of St. Luke -- each victim missing a hand. It's the strangest, most disturbing series of murders the Caribbean has ever known -- and one of the few crimes that could pull FBI Special Agent E. L. Pender out of retirement. In all of his years, he's never faced such a diabolical underworld drenched in superstition. At the heart of this darkness is a husband-and-wife team with a perverse plan so powerfully consuming, so brilliantly evil, that Pender can only watch and wait...as the grisly hand of fate reaches out for its next victim.

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