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Kovac and Liska #4
The 9th Girl
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag’s fan-favorite Minneapolis investigators, Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska, hunt a serial killer in this haunting thriller.
On a frigid New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis, a young woman is found brutally murdered—the ninth so far this year in a string of grisly slayings. Homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska fear that it’s the work of a serial killer they call Doc Holiday, a transient who has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska uncover the truth, they find that the monsters in the ninth girl’s life may live closer to home. And even as another young woman disappears, they have to ask the question: Which is the greater evil—the devil you know or the devil you don’t?
On a frigid New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis, a young woman is found brutally murdered—the ninth so far this year in a string of grisly slayings. Homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska fear that it’s the work of a serial killer they call Doc Holiday, a transient who has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska uncover the truth, they find that the monsters in the ninth girl’s life may live closer to home. And even as another young woman disappears, they have to ask the question: Which is the greater evil—the devil you know or the devil you don’t?
512 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2013
1474 people are currently reading
8122 people want to read
About the author
Tami Hoag
99 books6,131 followersTami Hoag is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers—BITTER SEASON, COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller.
She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting.
Visit her at www.tamihoag.com, Facebook.com/TamiHoag and on Twitter @TamiHoag
She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting.
Visit her at www.tamihoag.com, Facebook.com/TamiHoag and on Twitter @TamiHoag
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,615 reviews
November 28, 2021
In this 4th book in the 'Kovac and Liska' series, the police detectives are on the trail of a vicious serial killer. The novel can be read as a standalone.
*****
When the mutilated, acid-burned body of a teenage girl falls from a car's trunk a serial killer called 'Doc Holiday' is the prime suspect.
This sadistic murderer has already taken eight lives in a ritualistic fashion and police fear the teen may be his ninth victim. Detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska investigate the murder of the unidentified girl - dubbed 'Zombie Doe' by the media.
Turns out 'Zombie Doe' is Penelope Gray, a high school classmate of Liska's son Kyle. Talking to students reveals that 'Gray' (as her friends call her) was at a teen hangout the night she disappeared, as was Kyle and a number of other students - some of whom were bullies who tormented both Gray and Kyle.
Questioning Gray's mother and her fiancé reveal that Gray was a troubled teen, angry about her parents' divorce several years before, who was prone to acting act and staying away from home.
The homicide detectives pursue evidence on the assumption that Doc Holiday killed Gray, wanting to stop him before he claims another victim. The book intersperses some first person scenes of Doc Holiday planning/committing his crimes with the story of the detectives' investigation.
Liska's problems raising two sons as a single mother - one of whom is a witness in the case - also plays a part in the story.
The characters are realistically depicted, the police investigation proceeds at a good pace, and the ending is almost satisfying.
All in all an okay mystery book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
September 24, 2013
I found this book to be not believable in every sense
As I said about the other Tami Haog book I read, Down the Darkest Road, this book is okay for an airplane ride. But that's it.
From the simple linear predictable plot to the bumbling undeveloped stereotyped detectives, there was nothing in this book memorable, challenging, or remarkable.
The book is 400 pages of dialog between detectives that goes like this:
That on page 6. And so it continues throughout. Example from page 113:
And so goes the book.
The most interesting character in the book is the villain. Unfortunately, the villain in this book is a bit character and plays a minor role in the plotline, and in the end, is snuffed prematurely. In fact, it feels as if Tammy tired of writing this book or reached the publisher's page limit because the book ends abruptly. In fact, the case with which the book begins isn't solved by the main characters, the detectives, but ends due to the unbelievable, and I truly mean not-to-be-believed, ineptitude of the guilty characters in the storyline. The villain plays a bit part interwoven with this main thread, and like the main thread, the villain's thread self-destructs in an abrupt end without involvement of the main characters, the detectives.
A fast read. The plot is simple, linear, and easy to comprehend. The characters are trite, stereotyped, and repetitive. These characteristics combine to make a fast read, best-suited for mindless airplane entertainment.
As I said about the other Tami Haog book I read, Down the Darkest Road, this book is okay for an airplane ride. But that's it.
From the simple linear predictable plot to the bumbling undeveloped stereotyped detectives, there was nothing in this book memorable, challenging, or remarkable.
The book is 400 pages of dialog between detectives that goes like this:
"Happy new year, detective."
"What's happy about it?"
"Uh… nothing, I guess."
"I'm assuming there's somebody dead here. Should we be happy about that?"
"No, sir. I'm sorry, sir."
"Jesus, Kojak. Just 'cause you're not getting laid tonight doesn't mean you get to take it out on young Officer Hottie here."
"How do you know I'm not getting late tonight?"
"You're here, aren't you?" she said. "Neither one of us is ringing in the New Year with an orgasm. And I did have a date, thank you very much."
"Yeah, well, I've got news for you, if that's what you're wearing you weren't going to get laid either."
"Shows what you know," Liska shot back. "I'm bare-ass naked under this coat."
That on page 6. And so it continues throughout. Example from page 113:
"I was hoping for him to remember at least a partial tag number on the car, "she said with a big sigh. "Valerie says we can try again in a day or two. Now that Jamar knows we're not going to make him put his underpants on his head and bark like a dog, he'll be more relaxed next time. Something might come to the surface for him."
"Yeah," Kovak said without hope. "Like if that chick in the backseat maybe had a pussy piercing. That's where his head was at."
"We can't pick eyewitnesses, Kojak," she said. "And by the way, that's where your head would have been too."
"My head's there now," Tippen remarked.
"You're disgusting."
"I'm honest. ""
"You're honestly disgusting."
And so goes the book.
The most interesting character in the book is the villain. Unfortunately, the villain in this book is a bit character and plays a minor role in the plotline, and in the end, is snuffed prematurely. In fact, it feels as if Tammy tired of writing this book or reached the publisher's page limit because the book ends abruptly. In fact, the case with which the book begins isn't solved by the main characters, the detectives, but ends due to the unbelievable, and I truly mean not-to-be-believed, ineptitude of the guilty characters in the storyline. The villain plays a bit part interwoven with this main thread, and like the main thread, the villain's thread self-destructs in an abrupt end without involvement of the main characters, the detectives.
A fast read. The plot is simple, linear, and easy to comprehend. The characters are trite, stereotyped, and repetitive. These characteristics combine to make a fast read, best-suited for mindless airplane entertainment.
June 20, 2015
Disturbing and chilling and that wasn't even the serial killer part...
Liska and Kovac are teamed up on another case. The grisly murder of a teenage girl just might be the same girl who went missing from Liska’s son’s school. This could be another victim of a serial killer they’ve encountered in the past, Doc Holliday, but Liska and Kovac are not ones to overlook other solutions.
There’s not much romance except between Liska’s teenage son, an artistic outcast happy in his own skin (loved him!!) and a girl who has compromised her values somewhat to blend with the “in crowd”.
A cop procedural type mystery that took me a little to get in to, but fiercely grabbed my attention about a quarter ways through! The narrator did well with the male voices, but his female ones were a bit lacking.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
Liska and Kovac are teamed up on another case. The grisly murder of a teenage girl just might be the same girl who went missing from Liska’s son’s school. This could be another victim of a serial killer they’ve encountered in the past, Doc Holliday, but Liska and Kovac are not ones to overlook other solutions.
There’s not much romance except between Liska’s teenage son, an artistic outcast happy in his own skin (loved him!!) and a girl who has compromised her values somewhat to blend with the “in crowd”.
A cop procedural type mystery that took me a little to get in to, but fiercely grabbed my attention about a quarter ways through! The narrator did well with the male voices, but his female ones were a bit lacking.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
July 21, 2013
2.5 Stars. Pass.
Pretty good ending and I was satisfied with the way Hoag built the suspense. However, it didn't really pick up until at least halfway into the book, which was too slow for my tastes.
I was a bit bored by the first half. The concept wasn't interesting enough for me. The victim, who was murdered in a way that made her resemble a "zombie", is pretty much what the first half of the book rides on. While it certainly wasn't a cut-and-dry murder, it didn't offer anything else that drew me into the story. It was like I was supposed to be intrigued based solely on zombies being mentioned in the book, riding the coattails of recent movies and TV series based on them.
The murder and murderer don't really get much more interesting throughout. The intrigue halfway through and onward comes from the placement of characters, where everyone stands in relation to the victim.
All in all, it wasn't my favourite Tami Hoag novel as it didn't excite or interest me from the beginning unlike her previous books, but the story's conclusion sort of makes up for it. Sort of.
Pretty good ending and I was satisfied with the way Hoag built the suspense. However, it didn't really pick up until at least halfway into the book, which was too slow for my tastes.
I was a bit bored by the first half. The concept wasn't interesting enough for me. The victim, who was murdered in a way that made her resemble a "zombie", is pretty much what the first half of the book rides on. While it certainly wasn't a cut-and-dry murder, it didn't offer anything else that drew me into the story. It was like I was supposed to be intrigued based solely on zombies being mentioned in the book, riding the coattails of recent movies and TV series based on them.
The murder and murderer don't really get much more interesting throughout. The intrigue halfway through and onward comes from the placement of characters, where everyone stands in relation to the victim.
All in all, it wasn't my favourite Tami Hoag novel as it didn't excite or interest me from the beginning unlike her previous books, but the story's conclusion sort of makes up for it. Sort of.
September 6, 2016
On New Year's Eve, homicide detectives Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac investigate the brutal murder of a teenage girl whose body pops out of a trunk of a moving vehicle after hitting a pothole in the road. The detectives wonder if this is another victim of the still-at-large serial killer, Doc Holiday, who is known for committing murders on holidays. As they investigate further, there is also the chance that this may be a stand-alone crime, since the victim was not well-liked and not looked upon too kindly by many of the people in her life.
The story was enjoyable and interesting and also had a subplot dealing with high-school bullying. Liska and Kovac made a great team and worked well off each other. I really liked Nikki's son, Kyle, who stood up to the bullies and wouldn't give in to them. There was a varied cast of characters, many of the type that you love to hate. The story was well paced so that it remained entertaining throughout.
The story was enjoyable and interesting and also had a subplot dealing with high-school bullying. Liska and Kovac made a great team and worked well off each other. I really liked Nikki's son, Kyle, who stood up to the bullies and wouldn't give in to them. There was a varied cast of characters, many of the type that you love to hate. The story was well paced so that it remained entertaining throughout.
October 26, 2014
#4 in the Sam Kovak & Nikki Liska series The 9th Girl is such a sad and shocking story.
Detectives Sam Kovak & Nikki Liska follow a trail of smoke and mirrors after a body of a young girl is thrown out of the trunk of a moving car that may be the latest victim of a serial killer, who has eluded capture for some years, named “Doc Holiday”
Characters well-developed and realistic. Liska’s home-life with her kids felt so real to me. How to deal with her young sons on an everyday basis….trying to be a good mother…questioning if she was doing the right thing for them.
The one character that pulled me in completely was Penelope Gray, the victim of the most horrific, cruel, intense and brutal death and the pain she suffered most of her life. Her loneliness, hopelessness, her cry for help that no one did anything about. Heart-rending.
Great dialogue – especially between Kovak & Liska – they have a lovely chemistry and really good connection.
The plot was good, though a slow start soon picked up pace that had me turning the pages wanting to find out who killed Penny Gray.
When the murderer is revealed at the end, I was…beyond SHOCKED and HORRIFIED. I surprise I NEVER expected.
Detectives Sam Kovak & Nikki Liska follow a trail of smoke and mirrors after a body of a young girl is thrown out of the trunk of a moving car that may be the latest victim of a serial killer, who has eluded capture for some years, named “Doc Holiday”
Characters well-developed and realistic. Liska’s home-life with her kids felt so real to me. How to deal with her young sons on an everyday basis….trying to be a good mother…questioning if she was doing the right thing for them.
The one character that pulled me in completely was Penelope Gray, the victim of the most horrific, cruel, intense and brutal death and the pain she suffered most of her life. Her loneliness, hopelessness, her cry for help that no one did anything about. Heart-rending.
Great dialogue – especially between Kovak & Liska – they have a lovely chemistry and really good connection.
The plot was good, though a slow start soon picked up pace that had me turning the pages wanting to find out who killed Penny Gray.
When the murderer is revealed at the end, I was…beyond SHOCKED and HORRIFIED. I surprise I NEVER expected.
May 10, 2024
4.5 stars
July 23, 2017
I enjoy the Kovac and Liska series and did enjoy the 9th girl. I do want to note that The 1st Victim was a prequel to this one, but you don't really need to read it to enjoy this one. In fact The 1st Victim was more like a long prologue as it didn't have an ending.
I like that there are multiple bad people and suspects on who killed Gray. The author did a really good job of showing how difficult it can be for young people who don't quite fit into the high school cliques. Gray's life was very sad and the people who should of supported her, blamed her for all the problems. As a reader, I really felt sorry for Gray - not only for her death, but for her life. The protrayal of the supporting cast was really good in this book. Ms Hoag also showed how sometimes the "popular" kids aren't really likable.
This book also delved more into Liska' struggles of trying to be a homicide detective and a mother of teenagers and how difficult it is when the two sides of her life (cop and mother) collide.
The serial killer aspect was interesting, but it did take a back seat to the focus on the ninth victim and not the previous 8 victims. (Which worked well for me.)
I like that there are multiple bad people and suspects on who killed Gray. The author did a really good job of showing how difficult it can be for young people who don't quite fit into the high school cliques. Gray's life was very sad and the people who should of supported her, blamed her for all the problems. As a reader, I really felt sorry for Gray - not only for her death, but for her life. The protrayal of the supporting cast was really good in this book. Ms Hoag also showed how sometimes the "popular" kids aren't really likable.
This book also delved more into Liska' struggles of trying to be a homicide detective and a mother of teenagers and how difficult it is when the two sides of her life (cop and mother) collide.
The serial killer aspect was interesting, but it did take a back seat to the focus on the ninth victim and not the previous 8 victims. (Which worked well for me.)
August 8, 2013
Jamar Jackson drove the twenty-passenger white Hummer to make extra cash while he studied. This particular night was New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis, it was freezing cold and his passengers were in various stages of drunkenness. With one eye on the semi-naked activities in the back, and one eye on the road, his concentration levels weren’t at their peak. Suddenly a vehicle cut across in front of him, bouncing through a pot-hole; the boot flew open and to Jamar’s horror the body of a woman fell from it, straight into his path…
Homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska were immediately called to the scene; the consensus was that the serial killer dubbed “Doc Holiday” had struck again. This would be his 9th victim since New Year’s Day – but her injuries were horrific and with half her face gone the media dubbed her “Zombie Doe” instead of the usual Jane Doe.
Struggling to identify the young woman, Kovac and Liska were drawn into the monstrous activities of someone who seemed to think it was all a gruesome game. The evil which lurked nearby was beginning to encompass them, with the task force being drawn in several different directions at once. With Liska also have problems with her teenage son, Kyle, their desperation to find the killer before he struck again was intense.
Would they find “Doc Holiday” before he killed again? Would they identify “Zombie Doe”? And would they uncover the truth? As another young woman vanished, they asked themselves these questions and more, intensely frustrated, furiously angry but deeply fearful.
Tami Hoag is a brilliant thriller writer, and never fails to produce! This was gripping and intense, incredibly fast-paced with unexpected twists throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable read, one I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
Homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska were immediately called to the scene; the consensus was that the serial killer dubbed “Doc Holiday” had struck again. This would be his 9th victim since New Year’s Day – but her injuries were horrific and with half her face gone the media dubbed her “Zombie Doe” instead of the usual Jane Doe.
Struggling to identify the young woman, Kovac and Liska were drawn into the monstrous activities of someone who seemed to think it was all a gruesome game. The evil which lurked nearby was beginning to encompass them, with the task force being drawn in several different directions at once. With Liska also have problems with her teenage son, Kyle, their desperation to find the killer before he struck again was intense.
Would they find “Doc Holiday” before he killed again? Would they identify “Zombie Doe”? And would they uncover the truth? As another young woman vanished, they asked themselves these questions and more, intensely frustrated, furiously angry but deeply fearful.
Tami Hoag is a brilliant thriller writer, and never fails to produce! This was gripping and intense, incredibly fast-paced with unexpected twists throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable read, one I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
April 17, 2014
The 9th Girl by Tami Hoag is a 2013 Dutton publication.
Kovac and Liska have been working a serial killer case for nearly a year now. The one they call "Doc Holiday" because he plans his killing around holidays. It's now New Year's Eve and a young girl has been killed apparently trying to escape from her kidnapper. It is assumed that since it is a holiday she was a victim of Doc Holiday. But, Liska isn't presuming anything. The first order of business is finding out who the girl is.
Meanwhile, Liska is going through some hard times at home. Her oldest son is a quiet, studious type that is having some trouble at school. She is really concerned about him when it appears he may have known the victim and he's been in a few scapes with the more popular kids.
Kovac works to keep Liska focused on the investigation as details emerge about the victim's home life . A difficult and unpopular girl that was screaming for attention and help, but was tuned out by everyone close to her leads Liska to suspect the she may not be the 9th victim.
I have had this book in my TBR for over a year, but my reviewing responsibilites have forced me to put this one aside for awhile. I am a big fan of this author and this one did not disappoint. As a parent I remember the anquish of worrying about your kids as teens. They keep secrets, lie, and share precious little about what is going on with them. Liska is going through that phase with her son and her ex-husband is no help at all. He partner is also a bit dismissive, reminding her that her son is alive, home, safe, and so she should be happy with that and focus on her job. It was a just a little annoying. Her son is quite mature for his age in many ways despite an active fantasy life. But, I didn't like how everyone blew off her concerns. Thankfully Liska has a mind of her own and will find the time to think about where her priorities lie.
The investigation reminds us of all the dangers young people face, not just from the obvious monsters out there, but from peers and figures of authority. Teachers and administrators who also lean toward the affluent or gifted or beautiful students and roll their eyes at those with the guts to express their individuality. These kids are often dismissed as difficult when maybe they are the ones that could actually make a difference in our world if only someone took the time to encourage them.
As a veteran of mystery thrillers, I knew something was off about this case. I wasn't buying the serial killer angle either, but that doesn't mean our guy wasn't still out there or that we had heard the last of him. Far from it. I did have a few things figured out, but there is an OMG moment in there as a twist is thrown in you won't see coming.
Kovac is a still a good guy, he's just doesn't understand the bond between a mother and her children. He's seen the worst of the worst and is jaded, but he does care about his partner and in the end he redeems himself just a little bit.
As far as I'm concerned Tami Hoag is one of the very best in this genre. This one is another excellent effort by Tami. This one gets 5 stars.
Kovac and Liska have been working a serial killer case for nearly a year now. The one they call "Doc Holiday" because he plans his killing around holidays. It's now New Year's Eve and a young girl has been killed apparently trying to escape from her kidnapper. It is assumed that since it is a holiday she was a victim of Doc Holiday. But, Liska isn't presuming anything. The first order of business is finding out who the girl is.
Meanwhile, Liska is going through some hard times at home. Her oldest son is a quiet, studious type that is having some trouble at school. She is really concerned about him when it appears he may have known the victim and he's been in a few scapes with the more popular kids.
Kovac works to keep Liska focused on the investigation as details emerge about the victim's home life . A difficult and unpopular girl that was screaming for attention and help, but was tuned out by everyone close to her leads Liska to suspect the she may not be the 9th victim.
I have had this book in my TBR for over a year, but my reviewing responsibilites have forced me to put this one aside for awhile. I am a big fan of this author and this one did not disappoint. As a parent I remember the anquish of worrying about your kids as teens. They keep secrets, lie, and share precious little about what is going on with them. Liska is going through that phase with her son and her ex-husband is no help at all. He partner is also a bit dismissive, reminding her that her son is alive, home, safe, and so she should be happy with that and focus on her job. It was a just a little annoying. Her son is quite mature for his age in many ways despite an active fantasy life. But, I didn't like how everyone blew off her concerns. Thankfully Liska has a mind of her own and will find the time to think about where her priorities lie.
The investigation reminds us of all the dangers young people face, not just from the obvious monsters out there, but from peers and figures of authority. Teachers and administrators who also lean toward the affluent or gifted or beautiful students and roll their eyes at those with the guts to express their individuality. These kids are often dismissed as difficult when maybe they are the ones that could actually make a difference in our world if only someone took the time to encourage them.
As a veteran of mystery thrillers, I knew something was off about this case. I wasn't buying the serial killer angle either, but that doesn't mean our guy wasn't still out there or that we had heard the last of him. Far from it. I did have a few things figured out, but there is an OMG moment in there as a twist is thrown in you won't see coming.
Kovac is a still a good guy, he's just doesn't understand the bond between a mother and her children. He's seen the worst of the worst and is jaded, but he does care about his partner and in the end he redeems himself just a little bit.
As far as I'm concerned Tami Hoag is one of the very best in this genre. This one is another excellent effort by Tami. This one gets 5 stars.
March 10, 2016
4.5 Stars! Very well written, tight read! I did figure out who did the deed, but getting there was a wild ride, as we explore the depth of teenage angst and drama. (all too real in my life right now.) If you haven't read a TH this is a good book to start with, as this book could stand on its own quite easily. Liska and Kovak have been partners for a long time, but this book didn't have a serial feel to it.
June 18, 2013
Tami Hoag has done it again with her latest novel The 9th Girl. The "it" is make an exceptional read that's full of twists, turns, suspense, and some really dead bodies. The 9th Girl begins with the body of an unrecognizable girl coming from the trunk of a car on New Year's. She is believed to be the 9th victim of a serial killer dubbed the Doc Holliday. All of his victims are discovered during or around holidays and have similar MOs. Nikki Liska and Sam Kovak are called into the crime scene and immediately get on the case.
The investigation takes Liska and Kovak into the seedy, underworld of high school politics and family secrets. All the evidence suggests that "Zombie Girl" may have been killed by Doc Holliday, but there's so much going on in Zombie Doe's life that anyone is potentially her killer. The investigation brings Liska to question her own parenting she struggles with the idea that she isn't around enough for her two sons. One, Kyle, a very teenage son who may have known the victim or last saw her.
Hoag manages to sprinkle in a lot of cop babble that's genuinely funny in a very serious novel which is a breath of fresh air. The characters all work well together and compliment each other. Liska takes center stage in the The 9th Girl and her struggle between the badge and being a good parent is very relatable to any working single parent.
In conclusion, Tami Hoag kept me guessing until the very end. Although the ending may be a little too neat for some, I find it acceptable. Fans of Tami Hoag will need to add The 9th Girl to the Kovak/Liska series. For those living under a rock and not familiar with her work I recommend that fans of Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, or suspense thriller lovers go out and get it. The 9th Girl will make you question who can you really trust? And is any of it worth being accepted as opposed to just being you.
The investigation takes Liska and Kovak into the seedy, underworld of high school politics and family secrets. All the evidence suggests that "Zombie Girl" may have been killed by Doc Holliday, but there's so much going on in Zombie Doe's life that anyone is potentially her killer. The investigation brings Liska to question her own parenting she struggles with the idea that she isn't around enough for her two sons. One, Kyle, a very teenage son who may have known the victim or last saw her.
Hoag manages to sprinkle in a lot of cop babble that's genuinely funny in a very serious novel which is a breath of fresh air. The characters all work well together and compliment each other. Liska takes center stage in the The 9th Girl and her struggle between the badge and being a good parent is very relatable to any working single parent.
In conclusion, Tami Hoag kept me guessing until the very end. Although the ending may be a little too neat for some, I find it acceptable. Fans of Tami Hoag will need to add The 9th Girl to the Kovak/Liska series. For those living under a rock and not familiar with her work I recommend that fans of Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, or suspense thriller lovers go out and get it. The 9th Girl will make you question who can you really trust? And is any of it worth being accepted as opposed to just being you.
March 18, 2016
After reading 2 thrillers, A Thin Dark Line (a stand alone story) and Ashes to Ashes (1st book in Kovac and Liska series), by Tami Hoag, I am hooked. The 9th Girl (4th book in Kovac and Liska series) didn't disappoint.
The plot is cleverly delivered, with a shocking twist and satisfying ending. All characters are slowly and well developed as the story progresses, with fun bantering and intelligent dialogs. It was a little slow in the middle (in Audiobook standard, in my opinion), but the suspense is great.
The way the story is told in The 9th Girl is very different from the Ashes to Ashes. I would highly recommend reading the 1st book in the series first to have a thorough understanding on all the characters involved, then proceed to other books in the series (not necessarily in sequence), although each character's background is briefly mentioned in the 4th book in the series.
I listened to audiobook format; David Colacci's performance is to die for!
The plot is cleverly delivered, with a shocking twist and satisfying ending. All characters are slowly and well developed as the story progresses, with fun bantering and intelligent dialogs. It was a little slow in the middle (in Audiobook standard, in my opinion), but the suspense is great.
The way the story is told in The 9th Girl is very different from the Ashes to Ashes. I would highly recommend reading the 1st book in the series first to have a thorough understanding on all the characters involved, then proceed to other books in the series (not necessarily in sequence), although each character's background is briefly mentioned in the 4th book in the series.
I listened to audiobook format; David Colacci's performance is to die for!
May 4, 2023
If you have tween or teen kids or grandkids, you will want to read this book. The subject of bullying plays a big part in the plot and what Hoag drives home is that parents need to be involved in all areas of their children's lives. It also drives home that when people become parents, their own lives need to take a backseat to what is happening with their children. This is a wonderfully written plot with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the horrible end.
Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are homicide detectives with the Minneapolis Police Department. They have several open cases, cold cases that have not had a resolution. On New Year's Eve they get another homicide. This one is beyond bizarre. She is nicknamed Zombie Doe and Kovac and Liska need to solve her murder with little to nothing to go on. She appears to be the 9th victim in a string of serial killings by a killer dubbed Doc Holiday that are yet to be solved.
As they delve deeper into the case, they focus on who Zombie Doe was and who in her life would want to maim and kill her. The case hits Liska hard as this girl is close in age to her oldest son, who is experiencing trouble with the kids in his very exclusive school.
Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are homicide detectives with the Minneapolis Police Department. They have several open cases, cold cases that have not had a resolution. On New Year's Eve they get another homicide. This one is beyond bizarre. She is nicknamed Zombie Doe and Kovac and Liska need to solve her murder with little to nothing to go on. She appears to be the 9th victim in a string of serial killings by a killer dubbed Doc Holiday that are yet to be solved.
As they delve deeper into the case, they focus on who Zombie Doe was and who in her life would want to maim and kill her. The case hits Liska hard as this girl is close in age to her oldest son, who is experiencing trouble with the kids in his very exclusive school.
August 10, 2024
I've had to distance myself from Facebook recs and KU for a while since bad heroes, bad romances, bad writing and stupid heroines have made me a little cynical and bitter. Contrary to what some may think, I don't like writing 1 star reviews, but I don't like my eyes rolling out of their sockets either. What better change it all up than to read suspense/thrillers that center on serial killers, bad human behavior, teen bullying, and rotten parents! Is it ironic that Tami Hoag started as a romance writer?
Anyhoo, well done and well written, the story is the stomach churning discovery of the Zombie Doe, the body of a teen girl victim now unrecognizable due to physical and acid damage. Is she the 9th victim of a serial killer, or is she the victim of a different murderer? Liska and Kovac are back and their dynamic and banter is everything a detective duo should be. Liska is tiny and fierce, and Kovac is gruff and cynical. A little cliche, but in a comfortable and entertaining way. Kovac channels all the old school detectives from his love of whiskey to his tongue in cheek attitude: Mannix, Kojak, Columbo, Lennie Briscoe, etc.
Anyhoo, well done and well written, the story is the stomach churning discovery of the Zombie Doe, the body of a teen girl victim now unrecognizable due to physical and acid damage. Is she the 9th victim of a serial killer, or is she the victim of a different murderer? Liska and Kovac are back and their dynamic and banter is everything a detective duo should be. Liska is tiny and fierce, and Kovac is gruff and cynical. A little cliche, but in a comfortable and entertaining way. Kovac channels all the old school detectives from his love of whiskey to his tongue in cheek attitude: Mannix, Kojak, Columbo, Lennie Briscoe, etc.
October 8, 2013
This was my first date with Tami Hoag & I can tell you there will definitely be a long term relationship on the cards.
First character: I love Nikki Liska, the ballsy female homicide detective with a heart of gold. That she is a single mum struggling with all the guilt & fear that comes with being a working parent only endeared her to me more. Sam Kovac, her long term partner, is also a fantastic character even if a bit stereotypical as the gruff male detective. But what also surprised me was the depth of the supporting characters. The two supporting detectives are unexpected, one a deep thinking, sensitive man in giant size, the other an extremely intelligent & quick thinker. A particular aspect I loved about these four was the way they spoke to each other - yeah they give each other a really hard time & often tell each other to fuck off, but you just know they've got each other's backs. The depth of character in Nikki's son Kyle & his school companions, the parents of the victims, the protagonists & the victim herself was also great - sometimes chillingly so. The inclusion of poetry by the main victim. Gray, gave a unique insight into a troubled adolescent mind.
Now story: This one was interesting as there are more than one protagonist. One is given away early but that by no means did that reduce the suspense because there was a complex cat & mouse game going on that was muddied by the investigation in many ways. I did guess the other protagonists, but whether it was because I didn't want to believe it, I still held out to the end.
So overall a very enjoyable read & highly recommended!
First character: I love Nikki Liska, the ballsy female homicide detective with a heart of gold. That she is a single mum struggling with all the guilt & fear that comes with being a working parent only endeared her to me more. Sam Kovac, her long term partner, is also a fantastic character even if a bit stereotypical as the gruff male detective. But what also surprised me was the depth of the supporting characters. The two supporting detectives are unexpected, one a deep thinking, sensitive man in giant size, the other an extremely intelligent & quick thinker. A particular aspect I loved about these four was the way they spoke to each other - yeah they give each other a really hard time & often tell each other to fuck off, but you just know they've got each other's backs. The depth of character in Nikki's son Kyle & his school companions, the parents of the victims, the protagonists & the victim herself was also great - sometimes chillingly so. The inclusion of poetry by the main victim. Gray, gave a unique insight into a troubled adolescent mind.
Now story: This one was interesting as there are more than one protagonist. One is given away early but that by no means did that reduce the suspense because there was a complex cat & mouse game going on that was muddied by the investigation in many ways. I did guess the other protagonists, but whether it was because I didn't want to believe it, I still held out to the end.
So overall a very enjoyable read & highly recommended!
October 30, 2024
Ideal summer reading. It got a bit bogged down in the sub plot between Liska and her son. However, what I like about Hoag books is the ease in reading them. Throw in some plot twists and it's a good read.
This is the fourth book in the Kovac and Liska series. The story starts on New Year's Eve when a limo driver sees a a car hits a pothole and a body pops up out of the trunk falling into the street in front of his limo. Aside from a small tattoo the body is disfigured and difficult to identify. They eventually identify the body and it could be the ninth victim of the Doc Holiday serial killer.
The theme of bullying is throughout this story.
This is the fourth book in the Kovac and Liska series. The story starts on New Year's Eve when a limo driver sees a a car hits a pothole and a body pops up out of the trunk falling into the street in front of his limo. Aside from a small tattoo the body is disfigured and difficult to identify. They eventually identify the body and it could be the ninth victim of the Doc Holiday serial killer.
The theme of bullying is throughout this story.
May 19, 2016
In the mood for another who done it & a serial killer on the loose. I liked the lead female detective's struggle between job, kids and frustration with "no responsibility" ex. Interesting story with quite a bit of commentary on teen culture and acceptance. 3.5 stars
April 22, 2016
There's a very good story lurking somewhere in here, but unfortunately it's buried in a 500-page book that's about 150 pages too long. It gets off to a roaring start on a New Year's Eve, when a Lexus sedan hits a pothole, of which there are apparently many in Minneapolis. The trunk springs open and a young woman, who's dead or nearly dead, is thrown out of the trunk and is hit by a stretch hummer carrying a group of inebriated and half-naked party goers. At first sight, the victim resembles a zombie and while the police attempt to establish her identity, she becomes known as Zombie Doe.
The case falls to detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska. Their first instinct is to think that the young woman might have been the ninth victim of a serial killer named Doc Holiday who has been murdering young women and scattering their bodies around the Midwest. Three of them have been left in the Minneapolis area.
Kovac and Liska must first identify the victim and then determine how she might have fallen into the clutches of her killer, whether it's Doc Holiday or not. Then, of course, they will have to catch the killer, and none of these will be easy tasks. For Liska, the problem is complicated by the fact that she is a single mother of two sons, one of whom is a teenager going through a very difficult time. The boy is being bullied in school and frankly needs more attention from his mother than she can provide at the moment. Meanwhile, Doc Holiday is following the investigation from a distance and has already selected his next victim.
Again, there's a gripping story here, but Hoag spends a great deal of time detailing the problems of Liska and her troubled son. And every time Hoag turns to that subplot, the book comes to a screeching halt. By the time I was halfway through the book, I was already tired of Liksa and her son, and I was growing increasingly impatient with Hoag for not getting on with the story. It gives nothing away to say that her son's problems may be germane to the larger plot of the book. But those sections could have been significantly condensed without doing any harm to the story and it would have made for a much more taut and suspenseful book.
The case falls to detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska. Their first instinct is to think that the young woman might have been the ninth victim of a serial killer named Doc Holiday who has been murdering young women and scattering their bodies around the Midwest. Three of them have been left in the Minneapolis area.
Kovac and Liska must first identify the victim and then determine how she might have fallen into the clutches of her killer, whether it's Doc Holiday or not. Then, of course, they will have to catch the killer, and none of these will be easy tasks. For Liska, the problem is complicated by the fact that she is a single mother of two sons, one of whom is a teenager going through a very difficult time. The boy is being bullied in school and frankly needs more attention from his mother than she can provide at the moment. Meanwhile, Doc Holiday is following the investigation from a distance and has already selected his next victim.
Again, there's a gripping story here, but Hoag spends a great deal of time detailing the problems of Liska and her troubled son. And every time Hoag turns to that subplot, the book comes to a screeching halt. By the time I was halfway through the book, I was already tired of Liksa and her son, and I was growing increasingly impatient with Hoag for not getting on with the story. It gives nothing away to say that her son's problems may be germane to the larger plot of the book. But those sections could have been significantly condensed without doing any harm to the story and it would have made for a much more taut and suspenseful book.
February 20, 2015
I am not sure if this is the final book to the Kovak and Liska series or not. It ended on a note that could be taken as a last installment. I was quite satisfied with this last book and I was kind of sad to be leaving the Kovak and Liska world. This was probably my favorite of the four.
In this book Doc Holiday once again rears his ugly head when a teenage girl falls from a trunk of a dark sedan on the highway. Once they identify the girl they must figure out if Doc Holiday is back to his old gruesome habits or could there be some other perp on his playing field?
Tami Hoag always has great plot lines to her stories. They are always engaging, realistic, and easy to follow. This one is no different. Already you have a sense of impending doom set in the cold sub zero temps in Minnesota in the middle of a dreary winter, while a madman runs loose killing innocent women. And then you have that extra air of mystery when something doesn't quite feel right, doesn't quite click like you would expect. I loved that, I love books that have a lot of mystery to it. I like how Hoag leads you down one path only to find out it was not the right one.
The characters, what can I say about them. I love Kovak and Liska simply because they are real. They are developed so well, with so much depth. They are realistic, believable, flawed, they have their own issues, but they get the job done. I love how they stand up to witnesses and suspects and they let them know what they think about them or the circumstances. I love how they can relate to the victims and feel something and be emotional over it. They are truly among the best characters I have read in Mystery.
I recommend this series to any mystery lovers out there, but I tell you to please start with book 1, Ashes to Ashes, and read them in order so you get the full feel of the detectives, of the whole team. Tami Hoag is always a pleasure to read.
In this book Doc Holiday once again rears his ugly head when a teenage girl falls from a trunk of a dark sedan on the highway. Once they identify the girl they must figure out if Doc Holiday is back to his old gruesome habits or could there be some other perp on his playing field?
Tami Hoag always has great plot lines to her stories. They are always engaging, realistic, and easy to follow. This one is no different. Already you have a sense of impending doom set in the cold sub zero temps in Minnesota in the middle of a dreary winter, while a madman runs loose killing innocent women. And then you have that extra air of mystery when something doesn't quite feel right, doesn't quite click like you would expect. I loved that, I love books that have a lot of mystery to it. I like how Hoag leads you down one path only to find out it was not the right one.
The characters, what can I say about them. I love Kovak and Liska simply because they are real. They are developed so well, with so much depth. They are realistic, believable, flawed, they have their own issues, but they get the job done. I love how they stand up to witnesses and suspects and they let them know what they think about them or the circumstances. I love how they can relate to the victims and feel something and be emotional over it. They are truly among the best characters I have read in Mystery.
I recommend this series to any mystery lovers out there, but I tell you to please start with book 1, Ashes to Ashes, and read them in order so you get the full feel of the detectives, of the whole team. Tami Hoag is always a pleasure to read.
March 12, 2014
Sam Kovac and Nikki Lyska make a great detective team, Kovak is an old school, loaner, sleuth and Syska is a younger, divorced mother of two. Both are flawed but their flaws only add to their charm, they fit together and offset each other at the same time. Tami Hoag did an outstanding job of making this a stand alone book while keeping it intriguing enough to make me want to start with the first book in the series. The relatability of the characters and the crisscrossing threads of the mystery, helped to keep the pace up and the story interesting.
There is a zombie girl, a serial killer and a kidnapping. What more could you want from an entertaining crime thriller. David Colacci always dose a fabulous job narrating, his voice is perfect for Kovac and even added to Lyska's personality.
There is a zombie girl, a serial killer and a kidnapping. What more could you want from an entertaining crime thriller. David Colacci always dose a fabulous job narrating, his voice is perfect for Kovac and even added to Lyska's personality.
September 21, 2013
#4 in the Sam Kovak & Nikki Liska series. I'm afraid I can't agree with the rave ratings bestowed on this book by the vast majority of reviewers - maybe it's a gender thing. The thing I object to most is the stuffing. I can recall when a book with this content would be 160-220 pages instead of the 400+ in this novel - of course a 160 page thriller couldn't command a $26.95 list price. There are pages of side stories that could be left out without being missed and more pages worth of repetitive dialogue about the lousy coffee, the malfunctioning heating system, Minneapolis weather, etc. I did enjoy the addition of Liska's son into the story although the inter-relationships of the characters seemed ultra-coincidental, if not incestuous. Finally, with the descriptions taken care of, the plot took over and the book moved well until just before the end, bing-bing-bing! - the serial killer is identified. The other malefactor was unlikeable enough to be dismissed as too obvious - nope! For all of the preceding complaints, I read the book in a single marathon sitting. I recognize Hoag's skill in pushing the buttons she is aiming at and recommend the book especially for readers who have enjoyed some of her other work.
Sam Kovak & Nikki Liska series - On a frigid New Year's Eve in Minneapolis a young woman's brutalized body falls from the trunk of a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Questions as to whether she was alive or dead when she hit the icy pavement result in her macabre nickname, Zombie Doe. Unidentified and unidentifiable, she is the ninth nameless female victim of the year, and homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are charged with the task of not only finding out who Zombie Doe is, but who in her life hated her enough to destroy her. Was it personal, or could it just have been a crime of opportunity? Their greatest fear is that not only is she their ninth Jane Doe of the year, but that she may be the ninth victim of a vicious transient serial killer they have come to call Doc Holiday. Crisscrossing America's heartland, Doc Holiday chooses his victims at random, snatching them in one city and leaving them in another, always on a holiday. If Zombie Doe is one of his, he has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska begin to uncover the truth, they will find that the monsters in their ninth girl's life may have lived closer to home.
Sam Kovak & Nikki Liska series - On a frigid New Year's Eve in Minneapolis a young woman's brutalized body falls from the trunk of a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Questions as to whether she was alive or dead when she hit the icy pavement result in her macabre nickname, Zombie Doe. Unidentified and unidentifiable, she is the ninth nameless female victim of the year, and homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are charged with the task of not only finding out who Zombie Doe is, but who in her life hated her enough to destroy her. Was it personal, or could it just have been a crime of opportunity? Their greatest fear is that not only is she their ninth Jane Doe of the year, but that she may be the ninth victim of a vicious transient serial killer they have come to call Doc Holiday. Crisscrossing America's heartland, Doc Holiday chooses his victims at random, snatching them in one city and leaving them in another, always on a holiday. If Zombie Doe is one of his, he has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska begin to uncover the truth, they will find that the monsters in their ninth girl's life may have lived closer to home.
July 22, 2013
The opening of this thriller sets the scene for the book. A driver of a limousine is more interested in the antics of his drunken passengers than the traffic on the road on New Year’s Eve – until what looks like a zombie flips out of the trunk of the car ahead, hits the pavement and comes upright in front of him. Detectives Kovac and Liska investigate and they discover the young adolescent victim was dead before the accident with the most horrific injuries – she was stabbed and then she had acid poured over her face.
Is this the work of Doc Holiday, a serial killer who has celebrated the last eight festive seasons by torturing and murdering young women? Could this be the 9th girl? Or is it someone else, perhaps someone close to the murdered girl? Kovac and Liska investigate further and discovered their victim was a troubled teenage girl, a victim of bullying and with an unhappy home life.
There are twists and turns aplenty in this highly competent crime thriller, especially as Liska discovers that her own teenage son was friends with the victim. This is definitely a page turner, especially memorable for the relationship between Detective Liska – a single mother torn between her children and her job – and her son, a troubled, sensitive teenage, but one with a heart of gold.
Is this the work of Doc Holiday, a serial killer who has celebrated the last eight festive seasons by torturing and murdering young women? Could this be the 9th girl? Or is it someone else, perhaps someone close to the murdered girl? Kovac and Liska investigate further and discovered their victim was a troubled teenage girl, a victim of bullying and with an unhappy home life.
There are twists and turns aplenty in this highly competent crime thriller, especially as Liska discovers that her own teenage son was friends with the victim. This is definitely a page turner, especially memorable for the relationship between Detective Liska – a single mother torn between her children and her job – and her son, a troubled, sensitive teenage, but one with a heart of gold.
November 25, 2019
2nd Tami Hoag and once again out of order in the series! What can I say? A free book is a free book.
This one focuses on homicide detectives Kovac and Liska. They are called to the scene of a homicide on New Year's Eve soon to be called Zombie Doe (as in Jane Doe). Is it the work of the serial killer they have been looking for?
Once again, Hoag is very readable. Like reading an episode of Bones or another police procedural - that's the only one I can think of at the moment, ha! The story of the young girl found on New Years Eve was heartbreaking and I thought the pace was just right. It was a quick read. I liked the focus on the detectives and Liska's guilt as a mom who works too much, dealing with teenage boys. I have two teen/pre-teen boys and I found her very relatable and her struggles authentic.
4 pulling on the parental heartstrings stars!
Follow me and see all my reviews @ mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com
This one focuses on homicide detectives Kovac and Liska. They are called to the scene of a homicide on New Year's Eve soon to be called Zombie Doe (as in Jane Doe). Is it the work of the serial killer they have been looking for?
Once again, Hoag is very readable. Like reading an episode of Bones or another police procedural - that's the only one I can think of at the moment, ha! The story of the young girl found on New Years Eve was heartbreaking and I thought the pace was just right. It was a quick read. I liked the focus on the detectives and Liska's guilt as a mom who works too much, dealing with teenage boys. I have two teen/pre-teen boys and I found her very relatable and her struggles authentic.
4 pulling on the parental heartstrings stars!
Follow me and see all my reviews @ mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com
July 29, 2015
In the beginning of her writing career, Hoag could write a thriller that caught my interest every time. I bought a lot of hardcover books just to be able to enjoy her next story. Then she seemed to hit some sort of wall, plateau, loss of interest in writing...something and her books became crappy....this happens to a lot of popular authors...Steven King and Dean Koontz are 2 that come to mind....so I gave up reading her books.
I am happy to report that I will be reading every book of hers in this particular series and I will be going back to her book list to see if I can find more books that highlight her excellent ability to tell a great story that keeps you wanting to avoid everything else but reading the book. This one was well paced, well-written and a joy to read. I highly recommend this series (if the rest are as great as this one was) to anyone who enjoys thrillers or mysteries.
I am happy to report that I will be reading every book of hers in this particular series and I will be going back to her book list to see if I can find more books that highlight her excellent ability to tell a great story that keeps you wanting to avoid everything else but reading the book. This one was well paced, well-written and a joy to read. I highly recommend this series (if the rest are as great as this one was) to anyone who enjoys thrillers or mysteries.
September 12, 2016
As a serial killer thriller, it kept my interest well enough.
However...
I've had just about enough of high school queen bee mean girls as suspects/witnesses after recently finishing The Secret Place. More of them in this book was just too much.
Also, I felt there was too much over explaining. It was a bit heavy handed in letting us know the various characters' motivations and personalities, as well as the life lessons that Brit and Liska learned from the young and virtuous Kyle.
However...
I've had just about enough of high school queen bee mean girls as suspects/witnesses after recently finishing The Secret Place. More of them in this book was just too much.
Also, I felt there was too much over explaining. It was a bit heavy handed in letting us know the various characters' motivations and personalities, as well as the life lessons that Brit and Liska learned from the young and virtuous Kyle.
June 16, 2018
This was an interesting thriller, with good main characters. I don’t recall reading anything in this series before; this is #4. I wanted to know what happened, but I was rather uncomfortable reading it. I’m so glad my kids are no longer teenagers; they face such a tough world. I think this could have been shortened with good effect. Not bad, but another book that I was happy to finish.
January 11, 2025
3.5 stars - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
This is a dark and disturbing thriller, and I did like it. I just found it unbelievable and infuriating that Kovac, Liska, and the rest of the police didn't figure out who the serial killer Doc Holliday was because it seemed so obvious, and the ending was too abrupt.
Ridiculous.
I also felt that the Zombie Doe, , part of the book took over too much from the overall Doc Holliday serial killer storyline.
And the ending was too hurried and disappointing. Nothing was said about what happened to Dana Nolan
I see that there's a book about Dana Nolan, Cold Cold Heart, that I'll probably read at some point.
This is a dark and disturbing thriller, and I did like it. I just found it unbelievable and infuriating that Kovac, Liska, and the rest of the police didn't figure out who the serial killer Doc Holliday was because it seemed so obvious, and the ending was too abrupt.
Ridiculous.
I also felt that the Zombie Doe, , part of the book took over too much from the overall Doc Holliday serial killer storyline.
And the ending was too hurried and disappointing. Nothing was said about what happened to Dana Nolan
I see that there's a book about Dana Nolan, Cold Cold Heart, that I'll probably read at some point.
May 21, 2018
Já há muitos anos que li os livros anteriores da série Kovac e Liska e a minha memória sobre estes 2 personagens estava agora bastante deficiente. Lembrava-me de Liska como uma polícia séria, dedicada aos casos que investiga, um bocado ríspida e bruta, mas não me lembrava que era sequer mãe de 2 rapazes. Fui surpreendida por esta protagonista se revelar uma mulher, uma mãe que demonstra vulnerabilidade, a braços com um filho adolescente que praticamente desconhece, fechado em si, que não partilha o que lhe vai na alma e no seu dia a dia, que se mete em sarilhos na escola, que luta com outros rapazes e, Liska, simplesmente não sabe o que fazer para conhecer o filho e entender o que se passa com ela. Tudo isto ao mesmo tempo que tem de investigar o caso de assassínio de uma jovem da idade do seu filho, que não consegue identificar e que foi severamente agredida, o que leva Liska e Kovac a ponderar tratar-se de outra vítima do assassino em série Doc Holiday.
Será que a intenção da autora é que Liska e Kovac alguma vez sejam um casal? Não é que haja alguma coisa a apontar nesse sentido mas também não há mais ninguém para ambos...
Será que a intenção da autora é que Liska e Kovac alguma vez sejam um casal? Não é que haja alguma coisa a apontar nesse sentido mas também não há mais ninguém para ambos...
June 19, 2013
Quote This: “You must be new,” Liska said. “Wait until we’re un here eating egg salad sandwiches while Doc scrapes the maggots off a severed head.”
***
90% of the time I start my reviews off with a personal story. I find it’s a great way to establish community with my readers. But today that is not the case. Today I am going to start by telling you why I decided to read and review Tami Hoag’s “The 9th Girl.”
Unlike most of you (that will decided to pick up this book) I have never read a Tami Hoag novel. I own all of them, for no other reason than I have a friend that lives and dies by Hoag’s words, but until her publicist contacted me asking if I would take a look…the idea of reading any of them (in the relative near future) was pretty much at ground level zero.
The truth of the matter is, I just don’t have the time to read a hand load of novels just so I can review one random one in the middle of the pack. I have over 200 books waiting (not so very patiently) on my review TBR, to stop in the middle for the sole purpose of binge reading a series just to review one doesn’t make a lot of sense. But, as a person who doesn’t like burning bridges, I agreed, deciding to approach this novel from an entirely different angle.
The angle? To see if it’s possible to pick up a Hoag novel (having not read any previously) and successfully follow along. Could I, having skipped books 1-3 in this series, establish an emotional relationship with the characters? Would I care at all about the story, if I had no connection to the past? Could this book ultimately stand alone? Or did it need the crutch of its predecessors?
The answer, I have to admit…shocked me.
“Kovac had seen more dead bodies than he could count: Men, women, children; victims of shootings, stabbings, strangulations, beatings; fresh corpses and bodies that had been left for days in the trunks of cars in the dead of summer. But he had never seen anything quite like this . . . “
On a frigid New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis a young woman’s brutalized body falls from the trunk of a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Questions as to whether she was alive or dead when she hit the icy pavement result in her macabre nickname, Zombie Doe. Unidentified and unidentifiable, she is the ninth nameless female victim of the year, and homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are charged with the task of not only finding out who Zombie Doe is, but who in her life hated her enough to destroy her. Was it personal, or could it just have been a crime of opportunity? Their greatest fear is that not only is she their ninth Jane Doe of the year, but that she may be the ninth victim of a vicious transient serial killer they have come to call Doc Holiday.
Crisscrossing America’s heartland, Doc Holiday chooses his victims at random, snatching them in one city and leaving them in another, always on a holiday. If Zombie Doe is one of his, he has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska begin to uncover the truth, they will find that the monsters in their ninth girl’s life may have lived closer to home. And even as another young woman disappears, they have to ask the question: which is the greater evil–the devil you know or the devil you don’t?"
Now, before I dive into the intricacies of characters, connections and the fate of reading a book from the middle of a series, I want to talk about the plot. Like most great suspense novels, “The 9th Girl” is overflowing with mystery, twists, and handful of artfully penned disfigured corpses. It is also a product of its environment. Meaning there is more than one plot line to sort through at once. However there is one very significant thing that sets Hoag’s “multiply story lines” apart from the others I’ve read. Not knowing what is significant and what is filler. So instead of guessing the killers identity 50 pages in, I had to collect ALL of the information, weave them together and THEN try to dissect them.
The result…I still got it wrong.
Which actually made me quite happy. I WANT to be surprised. I WANT to be strung along with the police, the families, and all of the gawking media outlets. I WANT to gasp and be outraged right along with the characters, and Hoag delivered that. The “way” in which the overall concept was built remained generic and formulaic (1. Murder 2. Investigation 3. Bump in the road 4. Killer’s perspective 5. The end.) but the way in which it was delivered showed Hoag’s maturity and ingenuity in what she DID or DID NOT deem worthy to present to her audience.
I KNEW the formula, yet I remained engaged.
And the moment I realized I was engaged, was the moment I realized it didn’t matter that I was reading a book from the middle of a series. I cared about the characters inside this novel. I was heartbroken for some, disgusted by others. Past cases, were exactly that…past, and ultimately had no bearing on my understanding of what was going on inside this novel. Relationships seemed natural, flitting across the page with easy and comfort. Soothing my instinctual feeling that reading this book was wrong.
In the end…it was just another (stand alone) psychological thriller, with amazing attention to detail, just the right amount of humor, and enough heart to make the story sink its teeth into you. I didn’t need to backtrack. I didn’t need to research. All I needed to do was kick back and take it all in.
Which (to me) is the sign of a successful novel.
That said…I actually DO recommend you read novels 1-3 first. Not because it’s necessary, but because I have a feeling they will be just as entertaining as this one was. And, since most of you read for fun (not work) adding a few more books to your list isn’t such a big deal.
So where does this leave my thoughts overall? In a pretty happy place.
Good book. Interesting story. Captivating characters. If you are a thriller/mystery buff…take a chance. Apparently Hoag IS (as some may say) all that and a bag of chips.
Happy reading me fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Listening is only the beginning. Understanding is what matters.
***
90% of the time I start my reviews off with a personal story. I find it’s a great way to establish community with my readers. But today that is not the case. Today I am going to start by telling you why I decided to read and review Tami Hoag’s “The 9th Girl.”
Unlike most of you (that will decided to pick up this book) I have never read a Tami Hoag novel. I own all of them, for no other reason than I have a friend that lives and dies by Hoag’s words, but until her publicist contacted me asking if I would take a look…the idea of reading any of them (in the relative near future) was pretty much at ground level zero.
The truth of the matter is, I just don’t have the time to read a hand load of novels just so I can review one random one in the middle of the pack. I have over 200 books waiting (not so very patiently) on my review TBR, to stop in the middle for the sole purpose of binge reading a series just to review one doesn’t make a lot of sense. But, as a person who doesn’t like burning bridges, I agreed, deciding to approach this novel from an entirely different angle.
The angle? To see if it’s possible to pick up a Hoag novel (having not read any previously) and successfully follow along. Could I, having skipped books 1-3 in this series, establish an emotional relationship with the characters? Would I care at all about the story, if I had no connection to the past? Could this book ultimately stand alone? Or did it need the crutch of its predecessors?
The answer, I have to admit…shocked me.
“Kovac had seen more dead bodies than he could count: Men, women, children; victims of shootings, stabbings, strangulations, beatings; fresh corpses and bodies that had been left for days in the trunks of cars in the dead of summer. But he had never seen anything quite like this . . . “
On a frigid New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis a young woman’s brutalized body falls from the trunk of a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Questions as to whether she was alive or dead when she hit the icy pavement result in her macabre nickname, Zombie Doe. Unidentified and unidentifiable, she is the ninth nameless female victim of the year, and homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are charged with the task of not only finding out who Zombie Doe is, but who in her life hated her enough to destroy her. Was it personal, or could it just have been a crime of opportunity? Their greatest fear is that not only is she their ninth Jane Doe of the year, but that she may be the ninth victim of a vicious transient serial killer they have come to call Doc Holiday.
Crisscrossing America’s heartland, Doc Holiday chooses his victims at random, snatching them in one city and leaving them in another, always on a holiday. If Zombie Doe is one of his, he has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska begin to uncover the truth, they will find that the monsters in their ninth girl’s life may have lived closer to home. And even as another young woman disappears, they have to ask the question: which is the greater evil–the devil you know or the devil you don’t?"
Now, before I dive into the intricacies of characters, connections and the fate of reading a book from the middle of a series, I want to talk about the plot. Like most great suspense novels, “The 9th Girl” is overflowing with mystery, twists, and handful of artfully penned disfigured corpses. It is also a product of its environment. Meaning there is more than one plot line to sort through at once. However there is one very significant thing that sets Hoag’s “multiply story lines” apart from the others I’ve read. Not knowing what is significant and what is filler. So instead of guessing the killers identity 50 pages in, I had to collect ALL of the information, weave them together and THEN try to dissect them.
The result…I still got it wrong.
Which actually made me quite happy. I WANT to be surprised. I WANT to be strung along with the police, the families, and all of the gawking media outlets. I WANT to gasp and be outraged right along with the characters, and Hoag delivered that. The “way” in which the overall concept was built remained generic and formulaic (1. Murder 2. Investigation 3. Bump in the road 4. Killer’s perspective 5. The end.) but the way in which it was delivered showed Hoag’s maturity and ingenuity in what she DID or DID NOT deem worthy to present to her audience.
I KNEW the formula, yet I remained engaged.
And the moment I realized I was engaged, was the moment I realized it didn’t matter that I was reading a book from the middle of a series. I cared about the characters inside this novel. I was heartbroken for some, disgusted by others. Past cases, were exactly that…past, and ultimately had no bearing on my understanding of what was going on inside this novel. Relationships seemed natural, flitting across the page with easy and comfort. Soothing my instinctual feeling that reading this book was wrong.
In the end…it was just another (stand alone) psychological thriller, with amazing attention to detail, just the right amount of humor, and enough heart to make the story sink its teeth into you. I didn’t need to backtrack. I didn’t need to research. All I needed to do was kick back and take it all in.
Which (to me) is the sign of a successful novel.
That said…I actually DO recommend you read novels 1-3 first. Not because it’s necessary, but because I have a feeling they will be just as entertaining as this one was. And, since most of you read for fun (not work) adding a few more books to your list isn’t such a big deal.
So where does this leave my thoughts overall? In a pretty happy place.
Good book. Interesting story. Captivating characters. If you are a thriller/mystery buff…take a chance. Apparently Hoag IS (as some may say) all that and a bag of chips.
Happy reading me fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Listening is only the beginning. Understanding is what matters.
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