The Killing Hour [Mass Market Paperback]

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Killing Hour [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Bantam (September 28, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553584529
ISBN-13: 978-0553584523
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Lisa Gardner
Price : $7.99

Customer Reviews

In Lisa Gardner's sixth novel, "The Killing Hour," the protagonist is Kimberly Quincy, a deeply troubled young woman who is following in her father's footsteps by training as a Special Agent for the FBI. Her male counterpart is Georgia-based Special Agent Mac McCormack, who is in Quantico to find a lead on a case that has troubled him for years.
Seven young women have died under Mac's watch, all victims of a sadistic serial killer. Mac is hoping that the FBI's expertise will help him crack the case. When Kimberly stumbles on the dead body of yet another victim, this time in Quantico, she and the hunky McCormack risk their careers when they team up to catch the killer. They have no jurisdiction in this case and they are told to keep their noses out of it. However, both Mac and Kimberly are driven to press on with their investigation.
Does all of this sound familiar? It should, since "The Killing Hour" is chock full of clichés. First, there is the psychopathic but devilishly clever criminal who is driven to kill because of his childhood demons. Then, there are the two bright, motivated, and good-looking agents, Kimberly and Mac, who risk everything to see that justice is done. Will they be able to resist the undeniable physical attraction that they have for one another? Finally, there is the race against time to try to save at least one of the killer's victims.
To Gardner's credit, she moves the plot along briskly enough and she writes exciting action sequences. Gardner has done her homework and the details about the FBI and investigative procedure seem authentic. Kimberly and Mac are sympathetic characters, and the author sustains a high level of tension throughout most of the book. "The Killing Hour" is, on the whole, a mildly entertaining thriller and I give it a marginal recommendation.

This was an excellent addition to the series, but would also do well as a stand alone. The locations were incredible and the suspense kept building. I enjoyed "catching up" with Raine and Quincy. I did however find Kimberly's admission to the FBI academy a little hard to believe. This girl has some very serious emotional issues. Wouldn't there have been an in-depth psych evaluation? Even with her dad's status it didn't quite ring true. It was still a very enjoyable book and I'm definitely looking forward to Lisa Gardner's next.