Velocity

Renowned FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in Velocity, national bestselling author Alan Jacobsons most explosive thriller to date. Detective Robby Hernandez, Vails boyfriend, has vanished into the dense air of a Napa Valley evening. There are no clues to his whereabouts, other than blood stain and tenuous connections to a vicious serial killer operating it the wine country. As the task force struggles with Robbys disappearance, the killer challenges Vail by boldly leaving his high profile victims in public places. Is this offender somehow responsible for Robbys disappearance? Evidence suggests that he is-but just when Vail and the task force begin to make progress, the FBI orders Vail to return to Quantico to handle a case of vital importance. Back in Washington, Vail engages convert government operative Hector DeSantos to determine what happened to Robby. Its a move that backfires when DeSantoss confidential informants lead them into unforeseen dangers, forcing Vail to face off against powerful foes unlike any shes ever encountered, threatening her life, her career...all that she holds dear. In a frantic race against time that takes them from the monuments of Washington D. C. to the wealthy beach enclaves of San Diego and the bright excesses of Las Vegas, shocking truths emerge-truths that will forever change Karen Vail.

About the Author :
Alan Jacobson is the national bestselling author of the critically acclaimed thrillers "False Accusations," "The Hunted," "Crush," "Velocity," and "The 7th Victim," which was named to "Library Journal"'s "Best Books of the Year" list. Alan's years of research and training with law enforcement have influenced him both personally and professionally, and have helped shape the stories he tells and the diverse characters that populate his novels. Alan's books have sold internationally, and both "The 7th Victim" and one of his forthcoming thrillers, "Hard Target," are currently under development as major feature films. He lives in Northern California.

John M. Wills, "NY Journal of Books"
Carl Sandburg once said, "A woman is like a tea bag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is."
Karen Vail, the protagonist in Velocity, must be one tough cookie because she spends most of this story up to her neck in hot water. Readers were first introduced to Vail in The 7th Victim. In Velocity we once again find Vail back in wine country. The author employs an interesting method, he educates the reader about the art of wine making while weaving in a story about drug smuggling in the same milieu. Jacobson has obviously done his homework, since he uses the right lingo and terminology used by those in the industry. And just like in the second novel, Vail finds herself involved with John Wayne Mayfield, a serial killer. The twist in this story, one of many, is that Vail's boyfriend turns up missing.
The nonstop action surrounding the frenzied search for her missing boyfriend launches the reader like a steel ball in pinball machine, taking us from Napa Valley wineries, to historical Washington, D.C., to the coveted beaches of San Diego, and then to the absurd glitter of Las Vegas. What a journey! An added bonus will interest readers when they discover the lengths to which drug smugglers go to transport their illegal products. Jacobson has obviously befriended someone in the DEA: It's all spot on.
The only criticism is the sometimes over-the-top behavior of Karen Vail, in particular, shoving a gun into the forehead of an interviewee. That's pure fiction--but of course, that's what fiction is all about. It's an escape where anything can happen and usually does. Apparently, Alan Jacobson's readers don't mind this type of action. It is understandable that two of the author's books are under development as major feature films.
Jacobson writes for suspense junkies and gets the monkey off their backs; he's that good.

Michael Connelly, "New York Times" bestselling author