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McCabe & Savage Thriller #6
A Fatal Obsession
"James Hayman’s edgy, ingenious novels rival the best of Lisa Gardner, Jeffery Deaver, and Kathy Reichs. A Fatal Obsession is his finest to a ferocious live-wire thriller starring two of the most appealing cops in contemporary fiction." —A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
Someone’s watching...
Zoe McCabe is a beautiful young actress on the verge of stardom who has been basking in the standing ovations and rave reviews she’s been getting from critics and fans alike for her portrayal of Desdemona in an off-Broadway production of Othello. As she takes her final bows, Zoe has no idea that, seated in the audience, a man has been studying her night after night, performance after performance. A man whose carefully crafted plans are for the young actress to take a starring role in a far deadlier production he has created just for her.
Portland, Maine detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage are settling into the new rhythm of their relationship when McCabe gets a late night call from his brother Bobby that Zoe, McCabe's favorite niece and Bobby’s daughter, has suddenly disappeared. The NYPD is certain Zoe's abduction is the work of the man the tabloids have dubbed “The Star Struck Strangler,” a killer who has been kidnapping, abusing and finally strangling one beautiful young performer after another. Bobby begs McCabe to return to the New York City crime beat he’d left behind so many years ago, to work his old connections, and to help find Zoe before her time runs out. The stakes for McCabe and Savage have never been higher. Or more personal. And suddenly the race is on to stop a vicious attacker, before the McCabe family is torn apart beyond repair.
Someone’s watching...
Zoe McCabe is a beautiful young actress on the verge of stardom who has been basking in the standing ovations and rave reviews she’s been getting from critics and fans alike for her portrayal of Desdemona in an off-Broadway production of Othello. As she takes her final bows, Zoe has no idea that, seated in the audience, a man has been studying her night after night, performance after performance. A man whose carefully crafted plans are for the young actress to take a starring role in a far deadlier production he has created just for her.
Portland, Maine detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage are settling into the new rhythm of their relationship when McCabe gets a late night call from his brother Bobby that Zoe, McCabe's favorite niece and Bobby’s daughter, has suddenly disappeared. The NYPD is certain Zoe's abduction is the work of the man the tabloids have dubbed “The Star Struck Strangler,” a killer who has been kidnapping, abusing and finally strangling one beautiful young performer after another. Bobby begs McCabe to return to the New York City crime beat he’d left behind so many years ago, to work his old connections, and to help find Zoe before her time runs out. The stakes for McCabe and Savage have never been higher. Or more personal. And suddenly the race is on to stop a vicious attacker, before the McCabe family is torn apart beyond repair.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
288 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
James Hayman
13 books373 followersLike one of the heroes of my thrillers, Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe, I’m a native New Yorker. McCabe was born in the Bronx. I was born in Brooklyn. And we both grew up and spent much of our working lives in the New York City before eventually moving to Portland, Maine. However that’s where the similarities end.
McCabe, after spending a couple of years at NYU Film School, dropped out and decided to join the family business and become a cop first for the NYPD and then for the Portland PD.
For my part, I graduated from Brown University without having any idea whatsoever of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the one salable skill I thought I possessed was the ability of dreaming things up and writing them down. After looking around I realized the only companies I could think of that would pay me to do both were on Madison Avenue. I joined a major New York advertising agency as a cub copywriter. Over the next few years I drifted to a couple of other agencies and finally settled in as a senior creative director at the agency I considered the best of the lot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ad business and was good at it. I was well paid and spent my days dreaming up sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes dopey ideas for mostly TV ad campaigns.
But before I knew it, more than 30 years had passed, my hair had turned from dark brown to silvery gray and I began to realize that Madison Avenue, like the Texas/Mexico border in Cormac McCarthy’s great thriller, was No Country for Old Men. My wife and I decided to pull up stakes and move full-time to a house we’d built right on the ocean on an island a mile and a half from the city of Portland.
Up in Maine I spent a couple of years writing freelance marketing pieces. But in 2005 I decided that if I didn’t start writing the suspense thriller I’d been itching to write for years, I probably never would. My first effort which I called The Cutting told the tale of an villainous surgeon who killed people to steal their hearts for use in illegal transplants. It took me nearly two years to write. But I stuck with it and when I’d finally finished with writing, polishing, editing and reediting I started looking for an agent. Wanting to shoot for the stars, I sent the manuscript and a cover letter to one of the top agents in the business, Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York. Meg represented such top best selling thriller writers as Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Michael Palmer among others. Sending the book to Meg first was kind of a Hail Mary play on my part.
Hail Mary’s rarely work so a little more than a week later I was stunned when Meg called me in the UK where my wife and I were vacationing and after telling me she how much she liked the book, she asked “Have you sent this to any other agents?”
“Nope. None,” I replied. “You were the first.”
“Well don’t send it anyone else,” she said. “I’d like to represent you. That is if you’re interested.”
I’m not sure how I kept my cool but after no more than a few stutters and stammers, I did manage to let her know that yes, indeed, I was very interested in having her represent me.
Meg quickly sold The Cutting to major publishers in the both the US and seven other countries and I was off and running. Over the next seven years, I followed up on the success of that first book by writing five more McCabe/Savage thrillers: The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, and The Girl on the Bridge, which collectively sold over half a million copies and made a bunch of best seller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and my home town paper, the Portland Press Herald. My latest McCabe/Savage thriller, A Fatal Obsession, is the first of the series set outside of Maine, partly in New York City, partly in rural Connecticut. My publisher, Harper Collins, is bringing it out on August 21st both in paperback and e-book form.
McCabe, after spending a couple of years at NYU Film School, dropped out and decided to join the family business and become a cop first for the NYPD and then for the Portland PD.
For my part, I graduated from Brown University without having any idea whatsoever of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the one salable skill I thought I possessed was the ability of dreaming things up and writing them down. After looking around I realized the only companies I could think of that would pay me to do both were on Madison Avenue. I joined a major New York advertising agency as a cub copywriter. Over the next few years I drifted to a couple of other agencies and finally settled in as a senior creative director at the agency I considered the best of the lot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ad business and was good at it. I was well paid and spent my days dreaming up sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes dopey ideas for mostly TV ad campaigns.
But before I knew it, more than 30 years had passed, my hair had turned from dark brown to silvery gray and I began to realize that Madison Avenue, like the Texas/Mexico border in Cormac McCarthy’s great thriller, was No Country for Old Men. My wife and I decided to pull up stakes and move full-time to a house we’d built right on the ocean on an island a mile and a half from the city of Portland.
Up in Maine I spent a couple of years writing freelance marketing pieces. But in 2005 I decided that if I didn’t start writing the suspense thriller I’d been itching to write for years, I probably never would. My first effort which I called The Cutting told the tale of an villainous surgeon who killed people to steal their hearts for use in illegal transplants. It took me nearly two years to write. But I stuck with it and when I’d finally finished with writing, polishing, editing and reediting I started looking for an agent. Wanting to shoot for the stars, I sent the manuscript and a cover letter to one of the top agents in the business, Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York. Meg represented such top best selling thriller writers as Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Michael Palmer among others. Sending the book to Meg first was kind of a Hail Mary play on my part.
Hail Mary’s rarely work so a little more than a week later I was stunned when Meg called me in the UK where my wife and I were vacationing and after telling me she how much she liked the book, she asked “Have you sent this to any other agents?”
“Nope. None,” I replied. “You were the first.”
“Well don’t send it anyone else,” she said. “I’d like to represent you. That is if you’re interested.”
I’m not sure how I kept my cool but after no more than a few stutters and stammers, I did manage to let her know that yes, indeed, I was very interested in having her represent me.
Meg quickly sold The Cutting to major publishers in the both the US and seven other countries and I was off and running. Over the next seven years, I followed up on the success of that first book by writing five more McCabe/Savage thrillers: The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, and The Girl on the Bridge, which collectively sold over half a million copies and made a bunch of best seller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and my home town paper, the Portland Press Herald. My latest McCabe/Savage thriller, A Fatal Obsession, is the first of the series set outside of Maine, partly in New York City, partly in rural Connecticut. My publisher, Harper Collins, is bringing it out on August 21st both in paperback and e-book form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 14, 2018
4.5 Stars
They call him the Star-Struck Strangler. He abducts young beautiful women who are actresses, singers, anyone in the arts. So far, 5 have been found murdered, one has never been found and now Zoe McCabe, an up and coming Broadway actress has gone missing.
Zoe is the niece of Detective Michael McCabe, the daughter of Mike's brother. He returns to New York, along with his partner and future wife, Detective Maggie Savage to help locate his niece .. with or without permission from the NYPD.
Book Blurb -- The stakes for McCabe and Savage have never been higher. Or more personal. And suddenly the race is on to stop a vicious attacker, before the McCabe family is torn apart beyond repair.
This is a super series with credible and likable characters. McCabe and Savage made a formidable team when tracking bad guys. They are both dedicated to their jobs and giving closure to victims and their families.
The first part of the book takes the reader along as Zoe is abducted and meets her kidnapper face to face and the consequences it leads to. The second part of the book details how the police go about looking for a random face, a random man no one seems to know. Alternating chapters keep the reader abreast of what Zoe is doing to preserve her life and how she's fighting back.
It's an interesting look at police procedures; the suspense kept me turning the pages, long after bedtime. The major twist in the story took me by surprise ... never saw it coming. I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.
Many thanks to the author / HarperCollins / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of A FATAL OBSESSION. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
They call him the Star-Struck Strangler. He abducts young beautiful women who are actresses, singers, anyone in the arts. So far, 5 have been found murdered, one has never been found and now Zoe McCabe, an up and coming Broadway actress has gone missing.
Zoe is the niece of Detective Michael McCabe, the daughter of Mike's brother. He returns to New York, along with his partner and future wife, Detective Maggie Savage to help locate his niece .. with or without permission from the NYPD.
Book Blurb -- The stakes for McCabe and Savage have never been higher. Or more personal. And suddenly the race is on to stop a vicious attacker, before the McCabe family is torn apart beyond repair.
This is a super series with credible and likable characters. McCabe and Savage made a formidable team when tracking bad guys. They are both dedicated to their jobs and giving closure to victims and their families.
The first part of the book takes the reader along as Zoe is abducted and meets her kidnapper face to face and the consequences it leads to. The second part of the book details how the police go about looking for a random face, a random man no one seems to know. Alternating chapters keep the reader abreast of what Zoe is doing to preserve her life and how she's fighting back.
It's an interesting look at police procedures; the suspense kept me turning the pages, long after bedtime. The major twist in the story took me by surprise ... never saw it coming. I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.
Many thanks to the author / HarperCollins / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of A FATAL OBSESSION. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
August 21, 2018
I have not been following this series. Yet, I was able to jump right into this book. I thought that Detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage worked well together...both professionally and romantically. Although, I like that their romantic relationship was not a big focus in this story. It just didn't seem like it would have fit the story as well.
Speaking of the story. I did like it. In fact, I read this book pretty fast. However, when it came to the suspense; it was fine. I would have preferred it to be stronger in my opinion, but this is my personal feelings. There were a surprise or two that I didn't see coming. Yet, I didn't find the strong connection to the rest of the characters like I did McCabe and Savage. Overall, I did like this book and would read more from this author. In fact, I may go back and start with book one in this series.
Speaking of the story. I did like it. In fact, I read this book pretty fast. However, when it came to the suspense; it was fine. I would have preferred it to be stronger in my opinion, but this is my personal feelings. There were a surprise or two that I didn't see coming. Yet, I didn't find the strong connection to the rest of the characters like I did McCabe and Savage. Overall, I did like this book and would read more from this author. In fact, I may go back and start with book one in this series.
September 13, 2018
Honing his craft.
James continues to write first class crime thrillers. His Savage and McCabe books get better with each new book (not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the previous books). Fast paced with a finely crafted plot. Please continue with this series James and I promise I will keep reading them. Well done.
James continues to write first class crime thrillers. His Savage and McCabe books get better with each new book (not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the previous books). Fast paced with a finely crafted plot. Please continue with this series James and I promise I will keep reading them. Well done.
October 31, 2018
I had trouble getting into this book at first, wondering if I should continue or not. I went back and read some more reviews and decided to continue, and I’m so glad I did. This turned into a very good book, indeed. It was my first McCabe and Savage book, and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
May 6, 2021
A Fatal Obsession is book six in the McCabe and Savage Series by James Hayman. Early morning in Portland, Maine, detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage received an earlier morning called Mike McCabe's brother Bobby saying his daughter Zoe is missing and his mother is in hospital. NYPS believe that the New York City serial killer called "The Star Struck Strangler" kidnapped Zoe. Mike McCabe came back with Maggie Savage to see his mother and to help Bobby find his daughter. The readers of A Fatal Obsession will continue to follow Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage investigation to find out what happens.
I never have problems engaging with books by James Hayman, and A Fatal Obsession continues the tradition. Soon as I open this book, I could not put the book down until the end. I love James Hayman's portrayal of his characters and how they intertwine with each other throughout this book. A Fatal Obsession is well written and researched by James Hayman. I like James Hayman's description of A Fatal Obsession settings that allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of A Fatal Obsession will learn about law enforcement procedure during a serial killer investigation. Also, the readers of Fatal Obsession will learn about chronic traumatic encephalopathy and how it affects the suffer and everyone around them.
I recommend this book.
I never have problems engaging with books by James Hayman, and A Fatal Obsession continues the tradition. Soon as I open this book, I could not put the book down until the end. I love James Hayman's portrayal of his characters and how they intertwine with each other throughout this book. A Fatal Obsession is well written and researched by James Hayman. I like James Hayman's description of A Fatal Obsession settings that allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of A Fatal Obsession will learn about law enforcement procedure during a serial killer investigation. Also, the readers of Fatal Obsession will learn about chronic traumatic encephalopathy and how it affects the suffer and everyone around them.
I recommend this book.
April 17, 2019
While I enjoyed the McCabe and Savage series overall, this was my least favorite of the six books. It appeared to be overwritten and repetitive, and contained dialogue that was sometimes stilted and not credible. I read that there was a gap of ten years between books 5 and 6; perhaps this explains why this book feels different from the others. Book 5 had a wonderful flow that was missing here.
June 7, 2019
A really good read but the involvement of McCabe and Savage would be tough to buy in the real world so there were parts I didn't buy into. (Ex: their involvement at the final scene was hard to buy into.)
November 16, 2019
Another great novel by one of my favorite authors James Hayman.
September 21, 2018
Feel free to visit my blog for a full review: https://syllablesofswathi.wordpress.c...
This book is 6th in sequel to the McCabe & Savage series. To me this is first to read Hayman's books, and I found it to be standalone-ish. A stalker/killer is at loose. He stalks and abducts young woman who are artistic and aspiring in the field. He is obsessed with them and finally kills them. His kill count is 5 so far, and one of them was never found.
Recent victim Zoe McCabe is an aspiring actress and also the favorite niece of Detective Micheal McCabe. This provokes the detective duo McCabe and his wife-to-be Detective Maggie Savage to come rushing to New York in search of the killer. I like these two, they follow pure protocols and act fast. Well written characters that match with the pace of the story.
Coming back to Zoe the victim, there is detailed description of her abduction, the fear and despair she feels, when she comes to see her abductor. She has to stay strong and fight to keep herself alive, and that's gonna be difficult. Her struggles are explained meticulously by the chapters that oscillating between the police trying to find her, and then back to her own abducted situation!
Though I must say, if you're a constant reader of such thrillers, you might find it a bit of cliche, as there are some moments that happen exactly as you expect it to be. It's the words and the narration, that solely makes the reader turn the pages to reach the chapters you're looking for.
My thanks to HarperCollins/Witness Impulse, and the publicist for an advanced copy. Opinions are honest and unbiased, and they're entirely my own.
This book is 6th in sequel to the McCabe & Savage series. To me this is first to read Hayman's books, and I found it to be standalone-ish. A stalker/killer is at loose. He stalks and abducts young woman who are artistic and aspiring in the field. He is obsessed with them and finally kills them. His kill count is 5 so far, and one of them was never found.
Recent victim Zoe McCabe is an aspiring actress and also the favorite niece of Detective Micheal McCabe. This provokes the detective duo McCabe and his wife-to-be Detective Maggie Savage to come rushing to New York in search of the killer. I like these two, they follow pure protocols and act fast. Well written characters that match with the pace of the story.
Coming back to Zoe the victim, there is detailed description of her abduction, the fear and despair she feels, when she comes to see her abductor. She has to stay strong and fight to keep herself alive, and that's gonna be difficult. Her struggles are explained meticulously by the chapters that oscillating between the police trying to find her, and then back to her own abducted situation!
Though I must say, if you're a constant reader of such thrillers, you might find it a bit of cliche, as there are some moments that happen exactly as you expect it to be. It's the words and the narration, that solely makes the reader turn the pages to reach the chapters you're looking for.
My thanks to HarperCollins/Witness Impulse, and the publicist for an advanced copy. Opinions are honest and unbiased, and they're entirely my own.
September 10, 2018
A Fatal Obsession is another McCabe and Savage thriller, this time involving the kidnapping of McCabes niece Zoe. She is an aspiring actress who just broke up with her boyfriend, who was cheating on her. Unfortunately, she allows her kidnapper to walk her home after she meets him when she leaves a pub.
Her uncle and Maggie are in a committed relationship and want to purchase a house together, they are in fact in the process of looking at a house when McCabe gets a phone call from his brother telling him he is worried that Zoe is missing. When they can't find Zoe and she is not at her apartment, but the police find that a neighbor was murdered, then they become part of the investigative team.
While all of this is going on, McCabe also finds out that his mother is severely injured in a fall and likely dying. So worrying about his mother and trying to find Zoe, his mother weighs heavily on McCabe. He involves himself in the investigation, with time running out to find Zoe before the kidnapper does the unthinkable, like murder her, there have been other women murdered and it is thought that this was done by the same man who kidnapped Zoe.
Even though this is a McCabe/Savage story, Zoe becomes the central character. A tough, resilient young woman who will do all she can to escape her captor.
This story is fast paced, the plot is exciting, definitely a page-turner. I read another McCabe/Savage thriller, I think I like this one better than that one. Definitely one to read!
This review was done voluntarily.
Her uncle and Maggie are in a committed relationship and want to purchase a house together, they are in fact in the process of looking at a house when McCabe gets a phone call from his brother telling him he is worried that Zoe is missing. When they can't find Zoe and she is not at her apartment, but the police find that a neighbor was murdered, then they become part of the investigative team.
While all of this is going on, McCabe also finds out that his mother is severely injured in a fall and likely dying. So worrying about his mother and trying to find Zoe, his mother weighs heavily on McCabe. He involves himself in the investigation, with time running out to find Zoe before the kidnapper does the unthinkable, like murder her, there have been other women murdered and it is thought that this was done by the same man who kidnapped Zoe.
Even though this is a McCabe/Savage story, Zoe becomes the central character. A tough, resilient young woman who will do all she can to escape her captor.
This story is fast paced, the plot is exciting, definitely a page-turner. I read another McCabe/Savage thriller, I think I like this one better than that one. Definitely one to read!
This review was done voluntarily.
September 12, 2018
A Fatal Obsession is another McCabe and Savage thriller, this time involving the kidnapping of McCabes niece Zoe. She is an aspiring actress who just broke up with her boyfriend, who was cheating on her. Unfortunately, she allows her kidnapper to walk her home after she meets him when she leaves a pub.
McCabe receives the call from his brother that he can't find Zoe. When they can't find Zoe and she is not at her apartment, but the police find that a neighbor was murdered, then they become part of the investigative team.
While all of this is going on, McCabe also finds out that his mother is severely injured in a fall and likely dying. So worrying about his mother and trying to find Zoe, his mother weighs heavily on McCabe. He involves himself in the investigation, with time running out to find Zoe before the kidnapper does the unthinkable, like murder her, there have been other women murdered and it is thought that this was done by the same man who kidnapped Zoe.
Even though this is a McCabe/Savage story, Zoe becomes the central character. A tough, resilient young woman who will do all she can to escape her captor.
This story is fast paced, the plot is exciting, definitely a page-turner. I read another McCabe/Savage thriller, I think I like this one better than that one. Definitely one to read!
McCabe receives the call from his brother that he can't find Zoe. When they can't find Zoe and she is not at her apartment, but the police find that a neighbor was murdered, then they become part of the investigative team.
While all of this is going on, McCabe also finds out that his mother is severely injured in a fall and likely dying. So worrying about his mother and trying to find Zoe, his mother weighs heavily on McCabe. He involves himself in the investigation, with time running out to find Zoe before the kidnapper does the unthinkable, like murder her, there have been other women murdered and it is thought that this was done by the same man who kidnapped Zoe.
Even though this is a McCabe/Savage story, Zoe becomes the central character. A tough, resilient young woman who will do all she can to escape her captor.
This story is fast paced, the plot is exciting, definitely a page-turner. I read another McCabe/Savage thriller, I think I like this one better than that one. Definitely one to read!
August 27, 2018
Maggie and McCabe are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship when Mike gets a call that his mother is in the hospital in New York City. When they arrive, they discover that Zoe, Mike's actress niece, is missing and possibly the victim of a serial kidnapper and killer. McCabe and Savage team up with New York City's finest to find Zoe and stop the killer before it's too late.
I've really enjoyed the books in this series, but this one wasn't one of my favorites. For one thing, I missed the usual Portland/Maine setting; that setting is one of the things that makes this series different. And while the story was okay, I never got over the feeling that this was a book being 'phoned in'. The writing was just okay. As the reader, you know Zoe is going to be rescued, so it ultimately came down to Zoe's narrative alternating with the police procedural parts. And it just didn't grab me like most of the earlier books.
Still, I'm happy about Maggie and McCabe and look forward to the next book - being set in Maine.
I've really enjoyed the books in this series, but this one wasn't one of my favorites. For one thing, I missed the usual Portland/Maine setting; that setting is one of the things that makes this series different. And while the story was okay, I never got over the feeling that this was a book being 'phoned in'. The writing was just okay. As the reader, you know Zoe is going to be rescued, so it ultimately came down to Zoe's narrative alternating with the police procedural parts. And it just didn't grab me like most of the earlier books.
Still, I'm happy about Maggie and McCabe and look forward to the next book - being set in Maine.
March 7, 2020
I rounded up from 3 1/2 stars. Not quite 4 stars, but not three stars either because.....
Well, I really enjoy the McCabe/Savage characters. Hayman makes them feel real, people you cn relate to. Possibly because I read the entire series and am up to date with all the dynamics, but yet I think they are portrayed so well. Hayman get four stars for well thought out characters
On the other hand, the story lacked a little of the intensity of the previous 5 books. There were some good twists and turns that kept it interesting, but not quite to the level i would have hoped for.. And the ending, without giving a whole lot away, I thought the ordeal would have changed a few people and their outlook and direction in life.
All in all, I enjoy Hayman's books and writing and not easy to out down. Add thereat characters and to me, that is everything a good book should be.style. They are fun, easy reading, not easy to out down, and characters you can relate to. To me, everything a good book should be.
Will look forward to the next McCabe/Savage book
Well, I really enjoy the McCabe/Savage characters. Hayman makes them feel real, people you cn relate to. Possibly because I read the entire series and am up to date with all the dynamics, but yet I think they are portrayed so well. Hayman get four stars for well thought out characters
On the other hand, the story lacked a little of the intensity of the previous 5 books. There were some good twists and turns that kept it interesting, but not quite to the level i would have hoped for.. And the ending, without giving a whole lot away, I thought the ordeal would have changed a few people and their outlook and direction in life.
All in all, I enjoy Hayman's books and writing and not easy to out down. Add thereat characters and to me, that is everything a good book should be.style. They are fun, easy reading, not easy to out down, and characters you can relate to. To me, everything a good book should be.
Will look forward to the next McCabe/Savage book
August 22, 2018
Someone- a creep known as the Star Struck Killer- have taken Mike McCabe's niece Zoe. We know up front this is Tyler, who has some serious issues, You know, don't you, that Mike is going to go to New York from Maine and find her. No matter what it takes. With the help of his partner (and love) Maggie, he tears down walls (metaphorically). While it seems a bit surprising that the full resources of the NYPD (and the FBI under the scenario) couldn't do it (although it does find more bad things), that wouldn't make this a good read, now would it? And it is a good, fast paced read which will keep you turning pages. Mike and Maggie are both well done characters and the McCabe family dynamic is also entertaining. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Don't worry if you didn't read the first book- there's enough background here that you won't be lost AND now you'll be looking for the next one.
September 20, 2018
This was my first book by Hayman but it didn't take long for me settle into the characters and their chemistry. The setting fit the entire theme of the obsession plot. From a psychological standpoint, I had goosebumps several times throughout. As I continued getting twisted into the storyline, I found myself double-checking everything in my home. Were the doors locked? Did I leave a window open? Obsession is one of the ultimate creep-factors and this book nails it! McCabe and Savage have a great chemistry ( they should as they are couple!) and I hope to read more to follow their connection. Zoe is written as a strong character yet she has vulnerabilities as all humans do. As the thrill ride begins to unravel, I felt like I needed more. I could have easily enjoyed a few more chapters!
4.5 stars
I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
4.5 stars
I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
May 15, 2021
An ok read.
McCabe’s niece, Zoe, is kidnapped. There have been three murders of women with similar backgrounds to Zoe - in the limelight through their chosen profession. Zoe is an actress. Her kidnapper, Tyler, is so obsessed with her that he has been to every show of the limited performance of Othello.
Of course, McCabe and Savage wheedle their way into the investigation. The clues are fairly obvious and it doesn’t take the pair long to discover the identity of the kidnapper.
My problem with the book is the glossing over of the impact this experience would have had on Zoe and her family. And, at the same time this was happening, McCabe’s mother was in hospital expected to die. And nothing was mentioned about how this would compound the trauma for all involved.
Other than that, it was a police procedural that had little procedure and a quick resolution.
McCabe’s niece, Zoe, is kidnapped. There have been three murders of women with similar backgrounds to Zoe - in the limelight through their chosen profession. Zoe is an actress. Her kidnapper, Tyler, is so obsessed with her that he has been to every show of the limited performance of Othello.
Of course, McCabe and Savage wheedle their way into the investigation. The clues are fairly obvious and it doesn’t take the pair long to discover the identity of the kidnapper.
My problem with the book is the glossing over of the impact this experience would have had on Zoe and her family. And, at the same time this was happening, McCabe’s mother was in hospital expected to die. And nothing was mentioned about how this would compound the trauma for all involved.
Other than that, it was a police procedural that had little procedure and a quick resolution.
January 26, 2020
“A Fatal Obsession” by James Hayman is the latest in McCabe & Savage riveting thriller series. When McCabe’s niece is kidnapped by a man believe to be “The Star Struck Strangler”, his brother pleads for him to save her. The novel goes back and forth between the police investigation in New York City and the cat and mouse game between the kidnapper and the abductee, young, beautiful, Zoe McCabe. It is a race against time to find her before the man tires of her and kills her, but it is also a race to slow time as Zoe tries to stay alive. The dynamics of an intense police investigation to find the girl and stop a killer is brought to life on the pages of this thrill ride and I dare you to put it down prior to reaching the final page.
October 16, 2023
Big fan of this series and author but this book didn't really do it for me. The concept of the main plot was fine but overall plot thread was a little disjointed and unbelievable for me once all was said and done. Also, I felt a little cheated and rushed by the end. The setting was different and I prefer the main setting of the series. Lastly, I didn't like the title of this book prior to reading it but I will say that one of the title words definitely does fit the book.
Solid writing and like the main characters.
So where do I go from here? Still a fan and can't wait for the next one! I think this detective duo is great and just want them to get back to doing what they usually do in their main locale.
Solid writing and like the main characters.
So where do I go from here? Still a fan and can't wait for the next one! I think this detective duo is great and just want them to get back to doing what they usually do in their main locale.
March 24, 2019
This wasn't my favorite in the series. While I still enjoy the relationship between McCabe and Savage, the one aspect that I always enjoyed about the series was that it was set in Portland/Maine. Having it set in NY disappointed me, although I did enjoy the Art Astarita cameo.
That aside, the story itself was interesting and had some unique twists and turns, up until the ending anyway. I raised my eyebrows a bit at the events that transpired. Nonetheless, I do look forward to the next book in the series.
That aside, the story itself was interesting and had some unique twists and turns, up until the ending anyway. I raised my eyebrows a bit at the events that transpired. Nonetheless, I do look forward to the next book in the series.
October 11, 2019
Enough with family tragedies
So this time Maggie and McCabe self -invite themselves into a niece's abduction by a possible serial killer. This occurs while the family is in grief. The story minimizes the emotional impact to survivors and victims' families. Following the clues is easy, even though the reader knows that the author will split the clues and drive the investigators in a few directions. Great problem solving skills are highlighted but the psychological impact needs more understanding. I await the next Hayman book.
So this time Maggie and McCabe self -invite themselves into a niece's abduction by a possible serial killer. This occurs while the family is in grief. The story minimizes the emotional impact to survivors and victims' families. Following the clues is easy, even though the reader knows that the author will split the clues and drive the investigators in a few directions. Great problem solving skills are highlighted but the psychological impact needs more understanding. I await the next Hayman book.
April 28, 2021
Ugh... I hope, almost desperately, that this isn't the last installment in the series -- because it's easily the worst of the bunch, and I'd really hate to see it end like this. About 20-25% of the way in, when we'd seen almost exclusively *a* McCabe (and, for that matter, a lowercase savage), but not *our* McCabe & Savage (and when we did check in with them, they weren't doing anything remotely resembling police work, solving a mystery, nothing like that at all), I actually had to stop and read another book instead, before returning to this one. (And that's not to mention how Hayman seems to forget one of the ancillary characters' names at one point.)
August 23, 2018
A Fatal Obsession (McCabe & Savage)
Excellent work. Riveting. How police deal with their daily dose of desperation, degredation, violence, I have no idea. This novel is set in McCabe 's hometown of New York City. His mom is dying when the family discovers that McCabe's niece is missing....the niece is very clever and, in the end, compassionate. Good story but I like his Portland locale better.
Excellent work. Riveting. How police deal with their daily dose of desperation, degredation, violence, I have no idea. This novel is set in McCabe 's hometown of New York City. His mom is dying when the family discovers that McCabe's niece is missing....the niece is very clever and, in the end, compassionate. Good story but I like his Portland locale better.
October 23, 2018
Overall, it's a good read.
I've read all the books in the McCabe/Savage series and like the detectives. However, I feel that this one is not quite up-to-par. It's not so much the detectives or the investigation. More like I'm not that into the character of Zoe. At times, the narration seems to go too slow for me. Although I've read about Stockholm Syndrome, its signs, etc., I still feel disgusted about the so-called relationship between Zoe and Tyler.
I've read all the books in the McCabe/Savage series and like the detectives. However, I feel that this one is not quite up-to-par. It's not so much the detectives or the investigation. More like I'm not that into the character of Zoe. At times, the narration seems to go too slow for me. Although I've read about Stockholm Syndrome, its signs, etc., I still feel disgusted about the so-called relationship between Zoe and Tyler.
February 22, 2019
This book held up the high standards of the other McCabe/Savage novels. This is book 6 of 6 in the series. As always you can read this as a stand alone but I prefer reading books in sequence order. For me it gives me a deeper understanding of the characters and relationships. Can’t wait for the next. I do love the ones in Maine. However this NYC novel took on the excitement of the City, Theatre, Serial Killer, and believable characters.
August 25, 2018
WOW different
Take on serial killer story! This was original I haven't read a serial killer like this one before and I read a lot of them.So read it!!!
I enjoyed this book went too fast. I've read all of James Haymans work and have loved all of it I always look forward to his new releases. Thanks for all the excellent writing...
Take on serial killer story! This was original I haven't read a serial killer like this one before and I read a lot of them.So read it!!!
I enjoyed this book went too fast. I've read all of James Haymans work and have loved all of it I always look forward to his new releases. Thanks for all the excellent writing...
September 13, 2018
This is my first book to read in this series, but it was easy to follow as a stand-alone novel. I enjoyed the professional and personal relationships between Michael McCabe and Maggie Savage--they make a great team in every sense of the word.
The story is very suspenseful, with a few twists that I didn't see coming. It's a personal case for McCabe, as his niece has been kidnapped by a serial killer. We get to see the story from two perspectives--we follow Zoe during the events she is going through, as well as following the search for her from McCabe's point of view.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more of the series.
The story is very suspenseful, with a few twists that I didn't see coming. It's a personal case for McCabe, as his niece has been kidnapped by a serial killer. We get to see the story from two perspectives--we follow Zoe during the events she is going through, as well as following the search for her from McCabe's point of view.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more of the series.
January 31, 2019
Could be a true story .
This book is a work of fiction, but this story does happen in the world we live in. Children are abused and grow up to be mentally ill people. I enjoyed the characters and the story and I appreciate that this had a good ending. Kudos for another great book from this author.
This book is a work of fiction, but this story does happen in the world we live in. Children are abused and grow up to be mentally ill people. I enjoyed the characters and the story and I appreciate that this had a good ending. Kudos for another great book from this author.
March 27, 2022
This last (to date) in the series was sadly my least favorite. There wasn't enough McCabe and Savage. There was too much of the creepy relationship between the kidnapper and victim. And lastly I missed the Maine setting of the other books. Also there were a lot of errors, including several times where Corey Ziegler was referred to as Richard.
December 27, 2018
Love this series and the characters McCabe And Savage. Love the story lines and the direction the personal lives of main characters is going. Hope this series continues for a long time. After reading all 6 books in less than a month Mr Hayman can't write the next fast enough
October 10, 2019
Haven't been a detective genre reader over the years but after Hayman's work will be reading more. Felt like an actual account of events. Fast paced and unexpected plot twist. Kept me engaged and wanting to know "what's next." Good job.
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