Hush

Rating:
Summary: The dark side of human personality
Review: "Hush" kept me absolutely riveted. The concept of the Madonna murders is just dark enough, just twisted enough, it could be taken from the headlines of today's newspapers. Anne Frasier created characters I found myself caring about. One investigator with a haunting past, struggling to face the darkest moment of her life. The other balancing parenting with a dangerous career, while realizing the potential cost to his family. A serial murder, in many ways a victim too. Richly drawn, complex characters, dealing with the darkest issues of human personality, in a crime wave targeting the most helpless and innocent. The suspense began with the first page and continued to the last. Tami Hoag, Patricia Cornwall, and the others need to move over and make room for Anne Frasier. Having read one book by Anne Frasier, I'll be waiting anxiously for more.

Rating:
Summary: Way Too Scary, But Great
Review: "Wow" I have to say that this is the scariest book I have read. For a debut Anne Fraiser Rules. This is a book you have to read during the day. I recommend that when the sun starts to set YOU should close this book . Even though I read it in two days. The first night I had to sleep with my light on. I am so looking forward to reading Anne's books when they start hitting the shelves.
For anyone who likes a good psychological thriller and a really twisted character this is the book for you. Very detailed (gruesome though)Fraiser's account of this mad mans mind is terrifying! ...

Rating:
Summary: A book to curl up in front of the fireplace with
Review: 18 years ago, a killer ravaged Chicago killing unwed mothers and their infant sons. A total of 13 women and babies were killed in the rampage, and the killer was never caught. The Chicagp PD named the killer the Madonna Murder, after the Virgin Mary. But unknown to the killer, one of the women survived. And 18 years when the crimes resurface, a woman with a different name and no past returns to find the man who ended the life of her son. With the help of Detective Max Irving, Ivy Dunlap gets on the case. But the search to find the killer will take her to places she never thought she could go.

With a damaged heroine, an original and terrifying villan, HUSH is a fantastic freshman effort which covers new ground with the serial killer plot. An entirely absorbing plot, HUSH is required reading for the thriller buff. One might want to settle down in front of the fire just to read it in one sitting to get all the clues together.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing debut
Review: A few months ago I was browsing Amazon.com in search of some new thrillers to read. I was particularly interested in reading debut novels, picking along the way Danielle Girard's "Savage Art" and Bruce Elliot's "Still Life". I was recommended HUSH and after seeing what it was about and reading one or two reviews I decided to give it a shot.

Am I glad I did.

I must say I didn't have much hopes, with the typical storyline of the serial killer on one side and the tough detective aided by the out-of-town female profiler who hides her horrible past. First thing that comes to my mind with novels like these is that the lead characters are going to be living a secret affair by the middle of the novel (this has happened, for example, in Tami Hoag's "Night Sins" and at least two of the books in Kay Hooper's "Shadows" trillogy). Then the suspense is sometimes just opaqued by the romantic element.

Big surprise, that does not happen, and that's just one of the things that make this a great read. Despite of course there ARE some traces of interest between Max and Ivy the novel always keeps the focus on the case and -this being another winner in this novel- on the characters' personal conflicts.

Thus Ivy, Max and the Madonna Murderer are skillfully portrayed, though the best are Max, with the love for a son who doesn't love him back, and the killer, with remarkable glances at his twisted mind.

Other interesting characters are Abraham Sinclair who appears briefly but who I feel I know so much about and Ethan with his teenage conflict with life and the way he feels alone in the world. Yes, Ethan sometimes appears as a selfish brat, but who can deny most teenagers behave like that?

Now, I am not saying this is the best thriller I've ever read. I really haven't thought about which one it is to begin with. But I can undoubtely say it's one of the best I've read this year (along with Jeffery Deaver's "The Bone Collector"). The book in my opinion has a few flaws but the work as a whole more than makes up for them.

I strongly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: After 16 years, the city of Chicago is once again rocked by the vicious acts of the Madonna Murderer. This man stalks single mothers and their infant sons, and the city is soon in a panic. In search of some expert assistance, the head of the CPD calls up a former victim turned profiler to help with the investigation. Ivy Dunlap leaves behind her safe, quiet home to return to the city that spawned her worst nightmares. Max Irving is the veteran homicide investigator who resents Ivy's involvement until he understands her past. Can the two of them track down the merciless killer who has evaded capture for so long? How will this madman affect their lives and those of their co-workers?

After reading numerous (too many to count) serial killer novels, I really didn't expect this one to be very memorable. Wrong! Frasier lends a breath of fresh air to this somewhat tired genre. Her characters are very life-like, and her research is incredible. She has a great eye for detail, and I was so captured by this story that I had to keep reading the book for each twist and turn. The forensics are interesting, the police procedures are believable, and the situations are creepy enough to hold your interest. The serial killer here is vile, insane, and driven by some very human motivations. This is certainly the most unique novel of its kind that I've read in quite a while. If you're looking for a nail-biter, and you don't mind losing a few hours of sleep, then Hush might be just what you're looking for. Another pretty good suspense thriller is BLINDSIGHTED by Karin Slaughter.

Rating:
Summary: Very Well Written - Highly Entertaining
Review: Anne Frasier has delivered a very nice freshman effort with this book. The book flows easily and reads quickly. Ms. Frasier took two uncommon approaches that I particularly enjoyed:

1) Many of the secondary characters were fleshed out with unsympathetic characteristics, and the primary characters were similarly "blessed" with ambiguous, less-than-angelic motivations and actions.

2) Many tangential characters appeared, then did not return. For a reader used to seeing every single character reappear to have loose ends wrapped up at the end of the typical book, this realistic portrayal of life was much appreciated.

For example, the scene taking place in the bagel shop adds more realism to the book than any amount of police jargon could, even though it's completely irrelevant to the main story. Do I really need the co-worker showing up later as a witness or victim? No, I don't, and in this book, you don't get that.

This book is a very quick, very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling 'till the end!
Review: Anne Frasier is an excellent author. HUSH is her first book and I couldn't put it down! The plot is very exciting and you'll want to keep reading and reading until the very end. HUSH is full of suspense and is great for any suspense/mystery book fan.

Rating:
Summary: A strong debut!! ...from author of "Chasing Darkness"
Review: Anne Frasier writes a high stakes, fast-paced tale with strong characters to make it a journey you won't forget. And what impressed me even more is that she does a great job with the details! She obviously knows her stuff when it comes to crime and police procedure and spoon feeds her readers to add texture to the story. The protagonists are both real, with real problems and that, too, adds to the books authenticity. Nicely done!

Rating:
Summary: A thrilling, chilling read
Review: Anne Frasier's _Hush_ kept me riveted from the first page to the last. It's the best book I've read in years.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Suspense
Review: Anne Frasiser does an excellent job of keeping the reader riveted from the first page to the last page of this book. HUSH is dark and chilling and had my heart racing for practically the whole book. The characters were fleshed out and real. You can tell that Ms. Frasier has done her research. The detailed information she provides to make this seem real is very impressive. If your looking for a book that will make you sleep with your light on, I recommend you read this book if you like being held in suspense and never knowing what's going to happen next. This book was absolutely captivating. Not for the weak at heart and those who scare easily. Good Job Ms. Frasier!

Keishon