Sub-category: Murder/law
The plot: Returning
to where she left off in Ashes to Ashes,
Hoag picks up her story with the two Minnesota cops, Nikki
'Tinks' Liska and Sam Kovac sent to investigate what looks
like a routine suicide of a cop. However, something doesn't
ring true for Tinks and Kovac and despite orders, they
continue to incestigate the seemingly obvious death of
Internal Affairs investigator, Andy Fallon. However, the
plot thickens as suddenly, Andy's bitter and paraplegic
father also seemingly commits suicide - is in response
to the death of his son or is there something more siniseter
afoot?
Comment: Kovac and
the 'smart alec' mouth of Liska make for two quite engaging
characters and the book engages the reader from the start.
However, despite many twists and turns, there is still
some undefineably sense of tension lacking in the overall
story telling. Hoags would do well to re-read her masterpieces,
Guilty as Sin and Night
Sins to realise the true potential of her unputdownable
work. However, that aside, Dust to Dust is a solid follow-up
- if not even better - to Ashes to Ashes and worth the
read just for Liska alone...
Sub-category: Murder/law
The plot: A serial killer
is loose in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. However, he doesn't
achieve fame until he kills the daughter of a prominant
businessmen, Peter Bondurant. Bondurant calls in all favours
to get the best people tracking down who the killer is.
Meanwhile, Kate Conlan, an advocate, is trying to get
the truth out of a volatile, streetwise witness, Angie,
who claims to have witnessed the Cremator burn his last
victim. However, as Kate struggles with the child, deals
with buried emotions raised by the sudden appearance of
her former lover, FBI agent John Quinn and her politically
motivated boss, the Cremator strikes again - but he's
killing people around Kate...
Comment: The first half
of this book starts off a little slow, but about half
way through, it picks up pace until it reaches the shattering
climax. A nice little read if you are hanging out for
a murder/mystery.
Sub-category: Murder/law
The plot: A detective
with a temper and a deputy who goes through the worse
sex discrimination imaginable, are both drawn to find
a copycat killer murdering women in the bayou's of Louisiana.
Comment: Hoag sets a
riveting pace from the word go and keeps you turning pages.
Her portrayal of Deputy Annie Broussard and the victimisation
she receives is every bit as horrifying as the murders.
However, having lived in the "Deep South", Hoag knows
her material and the scenario's painted in this riveting
novel are not altogether unlikely.
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GUILTY
AS SIN (1996) |
Sub-category: Murder/law
The plot: The sequel to
the book,
Night Sins, this book follows
the actions of Assistant County Attorney, Ellen North, as
she tries to prosecute the kidnapper. However, as she gathers
evidence, another child is kidnapped, raising questions
in the media and town's eyes as to whether or not she is
prosecuting the right person.
Comment: Although a little
slower to start, this book picks up pace very quickly and
becomes fairly unputdownable after the middle. The tension
builds to a thrilling climax.
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NIGHT
SINS (1995) |
Sub-category: Kidnap/detective
The plot: As Dr. Hannah
Kirkwood is delayed from picking up her son from hockey,
Josh is kidnapped. In small town Deer Lake, Minnesota, kidnapping
just doesn't happen, so Chief of Police, Mitch Holt is a
little slow to respond to the B.C.A. agent Megan O'Malley's
notion that they have to move fast. It becomes a race against
time for Holt and O'Malley to find Josh before the odds
become intolerably stacked against them.
Comment: A fast paced,
gripping book from cover to cover. Hoag keeps you turning
pages by discretely ending every chapter - and sometimes
every page - with a little teaser to keep you reading.
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CRY
WOLF (1993) |
Sub-category: Murder
The plot: Attorney Laurel
Chandler returns to her home in the Louisiana bayou's after
a devastating case backfired on her in Georgia, ruining
her career, marriage and life. However, this quiet part
of the world has a predator brutally killing women in adjacent
parishes. Suddenly, the predator moves too close to Laurel
and her world is devastated by the murderer getting too
personal.
Comment: Unlike the sequel,
A Thin Dark Line this novel kind
of crawls along at about the same speed as life under the
humid skies of Louisiana. However, Hoag devotes a lot of
time to painting the atmosphere of southern Louisiana and
writes well enough to keep you entertained until the pace
picks up.
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