Ashes to Ashes

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Summary: Ashes to Ashes
Review: Ashes to Ashes was my first Tami Hoag book, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. If you are a fan of Jeffery Deaver, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, etc., you'll love this book. The plot was excellent, with enough twists and turns to keep me reading until 3am. The identity of the killer was a total surprise to this veteran thriller reader. Once you read it, you'll be hooked on the author's books.

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Summary: Ashes to Ashes EXCELLENT
Review: This is my first book by Tami Hoag and I am hooked. This was a great story. I don't pride myself in being able to determine the plot, probably because I don't try. I just want the book to entertain me. However, if I were such a person I know I would have missed this one. The twists and turns are many . . . every page leaves you wanting to find out more.

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Summary: Excellent Thriller
Review: I can't say enough good about this book. I've been a fan of Ms. Hoag's work for years, but in my opinion, this is her best. The suspense will keep you reading, while the characters will keep you involved. On top of that, her writing is flawless. Great Job!

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Summary: Hard to Hit Home
Review: I'm a loyal Tami Hoag reader and have read the brilliant Night Sins, Guilty as Sin and the Thin Dark Line. All of the above were wonderful books but this one just doesn't seem to place with them. Even though it's enjoyable and well-written, i find that it lacks the power and nail-biting suspence of it's predecessors. Plus, the chemistry between the two main characters has become somewhat dull and expected. Hoag tend to stick to the same outline with her novels. Suspence, Murder, Romance. not to mention the bruised and battered female beating the odds 'till the very end. Let me ask you, why can't the male ever get the stuffing beaten out of him? (Apart from Nick Fourcade, in with case, brilliant!)

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Summary: Ashes To Ashes
Review: Great Book, If you like Tami Hoag you must add this one to your collection. I'm not even done reading it yet but it's great. You will not be able to put this one down.

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Summary: Suspenseful, but disturbing
Review: I picked up this book because I was looking for some light but scary Halloween reading. Although it was certainly suspenseful, and occupied me during most of a weekend, I am uncomfortable with books like this that deal with sadistic violence against women. This book and others of its genre are capable of feeding the very same sadistic fantasies that fuel the Cremator, its serial killer villain. Personally, the book was very disquieting because I live in the Twin Cities and work in the justice system (as a lawyer). The Hennepin County Government Center, City Hall, and many other of the book's venues are the stuff of my daily life. To see them used as the stage for such cruelty and terror was disturbing. That said, this is a well-crafted book that certainly keeps you turning pages. I did guess the Cremator's identity. I agree with some other readers that his background and motivation were not sufficiently developed or explained. Certain other aspects of the solution which I won't go into for fear of spoiling the surprises for others did not seem credible.The romance was strictly Harlequin stuff. All in all, a diverting read for a weekend, but I wonder if writing books for a mainstream audience with such extreme violence against women as the principal feature is socially responsible.

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Summary: Tami Hoag sets a new benchmark for suspense.
Review: An exquisite thriller

The Cremator is on the loose in Minneapolis. He's not just killing women; he's burning and mutilating them beyond recognition. The first two victims are hookers. But when a billionaire's daughter disappears, everyone from the mayor to the FBI director wants this guy caught. Now. The basic plot may seem pedestrian, yet Tami Hoag has fashioned a remarkable thriller. It's not easy to put a new shine on the serial killer theme. Worn are the cliches of dogged cops, bloodthirsty masterminds and cowardly politicos who just want things swept away. Hoag uses them all, but adds enough quirks to push beyond the routine. The strength of "Ashes to Ashes" is a careening plot. Hoag brilliantly dots the book with false leads and suspect characters. The killer's identity is never telegraphed. You'll spend the first 400 pages suspicious of others. Hoag also proves quite skilled at character development. We follow a half-dozen lives through the hunt for the killer. These are people both smart and fallible, sturdy yet vulnerable - not the rugged superheroes found in most cop tales. Even ancillary characters are painted in vibrant colors. It's clear Hoag has done her research. This isn't to say the novel is without shortcomings. The prose won't raise your rent, and Hoag has a habit of dropping in such profound lines as, "Life doesn't come with any guarantees." She also has an exceedingly average command of dialogue. Many of the characters speak in a tongue close to the narrator's, and for a novel set in Minneapolis, not one speaks Minnesotan - not even the cops. Yet the craft with which Hoag develops the story more than compensates for any blemishes. "Ashes to Ashes" truly defines the term "page-turner." - Pete Kotz

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Summary: A good read but similar to Patricia Cornwall's Point of Orig
Review: First off, I love Tami Hoag and have read most of her books. I found Ashes to Ashes, however, to be very similar to Patricia Cornwall's Point of Origin. (If you like your victims well done, you'll probably love both books.) The feeling that I had read it all before kept washing over me. The violence was graphic, the romance was a needed touch and well done, and the ending very satisfying with the exception of one thing...what DID happen to that cat?!?

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Summary: Tami Hoag Is Still One Of The Best!
Review: This was a great book. The suspense was amazing. Ms. Hoag kept you guessing until the very end. Keep up the good work Ms. Hoag!!

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Summary: 1ST TAMI HOAG BOOK, WON'T BE MY LAST!
Review: I am a loyal romance reader. I have specific authors in the mystery genere that I like (Sandra Brown,Iris Johansen,Sidney Sheldon and now Tami Hoag). This book blew me away. I thought it was very well written. The plot kept me guessing. I cared about the characters. Yes, this was a story that was hard to read in parts. It did have some explicit violence in it, yet I didn't feel it was any more violent than a rated R movie. I didn't get the feeling that the violence was for shock value. I disagree with the reviewer that felt that the romance between John and Kate was unnessary to the story. The author established that Kate had gone through an awful lot and personally I was glad she had some happiness come into her life. Hats off to Ms. Hoag. Keep up the great work! You have a new fan!