The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson started off feeling a bit like an episode of Criminal Minds as the main character is an FBI profiler who works for the BAU. However, as the story continued I started to realize that this woman was in no way capable of being a member of such a prestigious group. Her credibility is basically nil as she rants and raves at the office while dealing with a lot of drama in her personal life. To say the drama was overdone would be to put it mildly. (There isn't an area of her life where she isn't faltering in some way and the obvious course of action to fix said problem never seems to occur to her.) Our main character, Karen Vail, has been trying to find the Dead Eyes Killer for several weeks with virtually no leads. The killer's signature is gruesome and the bodies keep piling up but she's too wrapped up in her own life to really spend a lot of time working the case efficiently. (And then it's further complicated by her relationship with the members of her task force.) I don't want to spoil the ending but it was so ridiculous that it really sealed the lid on the coffin for me. I didn't like the main character, I didn't like the plot, and the killer reveal was dumb. 0/10 do not recommend

Adding insult to injury, this is the first in a series. That's a no for me.

What I'm Currently Reading: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

The Darkness of Evil - Alan Jacobson

Jasmine turned her father in when she found out he was a serial killer. Now her father - Roscoe Lee Marck had escaped from prison and is on the run leaving dead bodies behind him. FBI profiler Karen Vail has been assigned to the team to recapture Roscoe. Jasmine had to cancel her book tour for the non fiction  book she had wrote detailing her life with Roscoe the  serial killer and almost immediately receives threats. Her testimony had helped put Roscoe in prison with a life sentence and no chance of getting parole. Roscoe is a dangerous killer and a brilliant psychopath who seems to know a lot about law enforcement. Karen had given Jasmine protection before but it failed so this time no one know where Jasmine is and she uses burner phones. Jasmine gives Karen a blank piece of paper that Roscoe had mailed from prison. Karen finds out that the paper has a menacing message for Jasmine. Roscoe has been in maximum security for the last seven years Roscoe is a sadistic serial killer. Karen tried  tried to keep in contact with Roscoe while he was in prison.

I thought this was an excellent read. I won’t say I love it as I don’t love the violence but that’s the way this had to be written. In fact it seemed very realistic to me. This had a great plot. This story grabbed me from the start and kept me there until the very last page of this book. I really didn’t want to put it down unless I absolutely had to. I enjoyed seeing the soft side as well as the tough side of Karen who was the profiler. There was a lot of violence but this was about a serial killer. I enjoyed how there was focus on the profiling and getting into the mind of a killer. Every now and again this dragged a little but not enough  harm to say so.There were several twists and turns and I love the characters and I highly recommend.

Sorry. I tried. Just could not make it through this. I won't bore you with the plot, it's been covered by many other reviewers. Predictable formula. Poor dialog. Typical alphabet-soup of agencies, each represented by a hero character. Snipers picked off from multi-story buildings with a single shot from an off hand shot by an officer using a handgun? With a scope that he just happened to have in his pocket, and just snapped onto said handgun, with perfect accuracy? Give me a break! Been done before, much better by other authors.

Thank you Net Galley and Open Road Media for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Alex Jacobson, so I really didn't know what to expect. However the blurbs about the book called out to me and I was definitely intrigued. I'm glad I decided to do something about that and request this book. While it was the 6th in the series of Karen Vail books, I did not have a problem at all reading the book. Although there were a few mentions about London that only encourages me to read more of this author's books.

While you pretty much think you know who the killer is throughout most of this book, you don't. Everything adds up to you knowing the unsub, but you are wrong.

I also find it interesting that this book takes place over twenty years of Karen Vail's life, which further intrigues me to read more by this author. Most books that are series take place over days or months, not a whole career which I find very interesting, and yes, intriguing.

I would definitely recommend this book and will be reading more of this author in the future.

When I started this book, it was with the knowledge that it would end with a cliffhanger. 

And now that I'm done with the book I can honestly say, that it didn't bother me as much as it could have.

I don't think the characters have been entirely fleshed out, so I'm not sure I care. 

I had a bit of a hunch about writing style last book that got confirmed in this one. I don't like it very much. It feels like a condescending lecture and pretty much showy and I'm left feeling very annoyed.

I am however terrible curious and still hoping the writing will improve, so next book I'll certainly read, as for the next thereafter, who knows - Might change my mind.

I did like Dixon. I would like to see more of her- As for Robby? Hmm I don't know him, no feel for him.

Updated 28 May 2014

I totally peeked in the reviews for the 3rd book and therefor I know what happens and now I've settled my curiosity so whether I'll return for the next book, I don't know.