Rating: 
Summary: Solid, but not that scary...
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Left Me Breathless
Review: Johnathan Nasaw has done it again. I stumbled upon his Girls He Adored quite by accident and absolute went nuts. When Fear Itself came out I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I was not disappointed. By the time the last 3 chapters came around I had palpitations and had to remind myself to breath. I couldn't read fast enough and yet wanted to slow down to prolong finishing because I didn't want it to end. Agent Pender is wonderful and I hope we are treated to more of him in the future. He's one of the most believeable characters out there. Since Mr. Nasaw's earlier books are out of print, just this last week I tracked down some used copies in Amazon's used book store; can't wait for them to come. If you have never read Nasaw before, treat yourself. Shadows and World on Blood are the other titles I purchased and I expect them to be every bit as entertaining. Grab a copy of Fear Itself, pour yourself some coffee (or whatever) and settle back for a ride you won't soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: Scared to death ??
Review: Jonathon Nasaw follows up a great read in ,"The girls he adored", with this book. It is an easy read though sometimes jumping from two or three different characters point of veiw. A must read for a Nasaws fan. This book is no disapointment after reading it. I recommend this read to anyone. It was a great twist as he used phobia as his target for fear. I look forward to his next creation.
Rating:
Summary: FEAR ITSELF, EXCELS ITSELF!!!
Review: The best book I have ever read. Jonathan Nasaw does it well. And deserves credit. The research Nasaw must have done is amazing considering the ammount of information he knows on FBI Protocal and Phobias. Well Done Nasaw you surpass Weaver in my opinion
Rating: 
Summary: What are you afraid of?
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Visual Tale of Fear and Torture
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: While this is not up to par with Nasaw's previous "Girls He Adored", it is nonetheless an effective, if somewhat muddled, little thriller. The hero, E.L. Pender, continues to be an unconventional hero, overweight, balding, and not someone who stepped out of GQ. His replacement, Linda Abbruzzi, is likewise likeable, considering she has a life threatening disease and the FBI doesn't want her around. Add phobic Dorie Bell as a mask-fearing heroine, and you've got the setup for a tasty thriller.
Unfortunately, the sum is not as good as the parts. The villain, Simon Child, is nasty enough, and his relationship with his Down Syndrome sister Missy, is touching, yet repulsive. What hurts the book, I think, is that instead of a tense whodunit, it becames an example of police procedural, and let's see how long we can keep these people tucked away in the basement. Pender's romance with Dorie sometimes gets in the way of the action. Child's reunion with his childhood buddy Nelson Carpenter, is also drawn out to the point of losing its momentum. Although the deaths we share are gruesome and nerve-wracking, they are so coldly presented, they manage to lose some of their impact.
And Nasaw missed a great opportunity to finish off his villain. Way late in the book, Dorie remembers what Simon is afraid of--after all, they met a convention for phobics, which he put together to suit his dastardly purpose. Why didn't Nasaw use this fear in the end?
Oh well, I don't mean to sound too negative.
It's a good book that could have been better.RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: SUM OF A FEW FEARS
Review: While this is not up to par with Nasaw's previous "Girls He Adored", it is nonetheless an effective, if somewhat muddled, little thriller. The hero, E.L. Pender, continues to be an unconventional hero, overweight, balding, and not someone who stepped out of GQ. His replacement, Linda Abbruzzi, is likewise likeable, considering she has a life threatening disease and the FBI doesn't want her around. Add phobic Dorie Bell as a mask-fearing heroine, and you've got the setup for a tasty thriller.
Unfortunately, the sum is not as good as the parts. The villain, Simon Child, is nasty enough, and his relationship with his Down Syndrome sister Missy, is touching, yet repulsive. What hurts the book, I think, is that instead of a tense whodunit, it becames an example of police procedural, and let's see how long we can keep these people tucked away in the basement. Pender's romance with Dorie sometimes gets in the way of the action. Child's reunion with his childhood buddy Nelson Carpenter, is also drawn out to the point of losing its momentum. Although the deaths we share are gruesome and nerve-wracking, they are so coldly presented, they manage to lose some of their impact.
And Nasaw missed a great opportunity to finish off his villain. Way late in the book, Dorie remembers what Simon is afraid of--after all, they met a convention for phobics, which he put together to suit his dastardly purpose. Why didn't Nasaw use this fear in the end?
Oh well, I don't mean to sound too negative.
It's a good book that could have been better. RECOMMENDED.
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