Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Loved!
Review: After reading A Perfect Evil I quickly went out and bought this book! I loved Maggie and the way her character was brought out. The story was creatively written and truely something I enjoyed reading. Cant wait to read Soul Catcher!
Rating:
Summary: AN AMAZING, FAST-PACED, INCREDIBLE SEQUEL!
Review: Alex Kava is one of the best suspense authors that there is. She has only written two novels but both of them are on the same level of a Tami Hoag or Kay Hooper thriller. Make sure that you read Kava's first novel, "A Perfect Evil" before you read "Split Second." Both novels feature the hard-boiled and exciting FBI Agent Maggie O'Dell. She is a very enjoyable character to read about with a great attitude. Maggie put Albert Stuckey, a sociopath that loved to murder women and leave their entrails hanging out, away in prison about eight months ago after being forced to watch Stuckey perform one of his murders. Unfortunately, Stuckey has escaped from prison after overpowering two guards on the way from the jail to a psychiatric facility. He is now determined to make Agent O'Dell pay for putting him in prison. He is killing every woman who is an acquaintance of O'Dell, like the pizza delivery girl and a waitress. O'Dell is afraid of her own life and the lives of every woman she makes contact with. This is a pulse-pounding, non-stop action thriller, that keeps readers on the edge of their seat all the way until the shocking finale, that could easily be a major movie. Alex Kava will definitely make it "big" with this suspense masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Split Second leaves you ready for Soul Catcher and more...
Review: Alex Kava takes Maggie O'Dell one step closer to the edge and then returns her to solid ground. Alex Kava has the remarkable ability to leave you breathless and wondering until the main event, where the title's meaning becomes as profound as the excitement one feels with Maggie hot on the trail of the killer. It is refreshing to feel how the writing affects us, as Ms. Kava allows our imaginations to make the story as graphic as we deem necessary. Look for the symbolisums of good versus evil. Each novel increases my desire for the next. I have recommended this book to many who, as myself, have not been disapointed. I look forward to Soul Catcher and the continuing drama of Agent O'Dell's life experiences.
Rating:
Summary: SECOND TIME AROUND
Review: Alex Kava's "Split Second", in my opinion, is a much better book than her debut, "A Perfect Evil." Although "Evil" was entertaining and intriguing, Kava didn't seem to have her finger fully on the characters and spent a lot of time with romantic fluff scenes. However, in this book Alex brings much more depth and understanding into some of her characters. Even though Maggie O'Dell starts out being a little hard to like, a little paranoid, and belligerent, by the end of the book, Maggie has finally come to grips with her ghosts. Her reunion with Nick Morelli is especially well done. In "Evil," Nick came across as a woman chasing stud, with only one thing on his mind. This time around, Nick seems to really have matured, and with his new job in Boston, he has a new outlook on how to show a woman he loves her. It was nice after the Barbara Caitlin scenarios Kava gave us last time. The supporting characters in this one are far from cardboard cut-outs, as one reviewer surmised. Tess McGowan is a strong female character, and almost steals the book away from Maggie. Complete with a horrendous childhood and a life as a prostitute, Tess has bounced back and come into her own as a real estate salesperson. Her current boyfriend, Daniel, is a real jerk, but Kava gives her a one-night stand with a young stud lawyer named Will Finley, and establishes an entirely different relationship for such a one-night stand. When Tess finds herself kidnapped by Stucky, she shows fortitude and strength, and refuses to let him control her. Maggie's partner, Tully, is also a well-drawn character: disorganized; a recent divorcee trying to understand his 14 year old daughter, but actually a genuinely nice guy. Some of the other characters do well, too: stuffy and stubborn Detective Manz; Maggie's psychiatrist friend, Gwen Peterson; FBI Chief Kyle Cunningham is both stern but compassionate. The villain or villains (?) in "Split Second" are completely despicable and even if one reviewer thinks Stucky's antics are implausible, this is fiction, and considering how the FBI bumbled some important cases (remember Timothy McVeigh), one can see how someone as brilliantly insane as Stucky could outwit them. I'm sure in her next adventure, Maggie will return to Father Michael Kelly, and hopefully, her relationship with Nick will continue to grow. I wouldn't mind having Tess and Will around as secondary characters, too. I liked this book a lot and recommend both Ms. Kava's novels.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent second book...
Review: Alex Kava's follow-up to last year's A PERFECT EVIL, SPLIT SECOND, is a thriller that is sure to make her fans and newcomers read in one -- or two -- sittings. Maggie O'Dell joins the league of Kay Scarpetta, Alex Cross, and Lucas Davenport!
Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculous follow-up
Review: At the end of A PERFECT EVIL serial killer Albert Stucky escapes police custody after getting assistance from the Platte City kidnapper. Profiler and FBI Agent Maggie O'Dell is given menial duties in order for the Bureau to find Stucky. This book introduces Agent R. J. Tully, another profiler sent to work on this case alone and later with Agent O'Dell's assistance.Ms. Kava expects the reader to dismiss many leaps of logic in order to enjoy this book. Maggie is recently divorced from her husband and is now living on her own. Stucky tracks her down and stalks her endlessly avoiding detection. Every woman that interacts with Maggie becomes a victim of Stucky and wind up completely brutalized. This is a bit hard to swallow since the author also has Albert performing tasks. He makes him seem a bit ubiquitous and ever knowing. This is not how she portray Stucky at end. This book was a big let down.
Rating: 
Summary: An Exciting Read
Review: First if you have not read Kava's A Perfect Evil do so. The people who are the main focus of A Split Second are introduced. Once you have the book(s) make sure you have a lot of time to spend reading. This is an exciting suspense story, one you will not want to put down. Kava does a wonderful job taking you as the reader on a climb into the intrigue of the story. There are several characters introduced; some having subplots. Kava has done a nice job leaving the possiblity of using these people in future books. The only reason I did not give 5 stars for the book was the way it was ended. Though all loose ends were tied up, I felt dissppointed on the ending. It seemed as though for what ever the reason she had to hurry the ending. It had a let down effect as a whole on the book. One page we are engrossed in a search of a house that is on fire, the next everyone (that matters) is out. Not much written on how they got there. All in all I still recommend that you read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Split Second
Review: I could not put the book down. My only regret she doesn't write them fast enough. I put her up there with or better than Patricia Cornwell, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, Iris Johanson. Keep them coming girl.
Rating:
Summary: Still Breathless!!
Review: I loved this book. It has been a while since I read anything I truly could not put down but this book delivers. The characters were well developed and varied in their personalities and approaches. A little romance, lots of thrills and chills and page after page of nail biting suspense. I particularly like strong women heroines, which Maggie O'Dell certainly is but she is also vulnerable and flawed just enough to be human and likeable. The other female roles are excellent and totally different from each other; the strong, worldly Tess is a pleasure to root for in her confrontation with evil. Would like to see more of this character in subsequent novels. All in all a thoroughly good mystery. I hope to see many more of the Maggie O'Dell novels. Would highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes thrills, chills and a rollicking good story.
Rating:
Summary: In response to earlier reviews......
Review: I picked up her first novel, A Perfect Evil, with knowing that I might be disappointed due to the new author. I was extremely surprised and equally engrossed in the book - here I am, a Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts fan....I wanted something different. I finished this book within a day, not wanting to put it down. I went online to get reviews of the only other book, to my knowledge, that was coming out. Based on the reviews, I was disappointed before even seeing the book for sale. The reviews, or one in particular, just downs this book and I am not quite sure what they were expecting - but I thought it all went with the momentum of the first novel. I especially enjoyed the relationship with Nick & Maggie and Maggie, wow, what an incredible lady! I was deeply captivated by this author's style of writing and didn't feel she goofed up in any way with her characters. I do have to admit, though, the ending is not what I would have thought would happen - I was expecting something a little more dramatic than what was given. Overall, this book is a MUST if you've read the previous novel. Eagerly awaiting the next to find out if Nick and Maggie carry out the relationship....
|
