Reviews

Crush"Plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion...a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done."
–Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

"Crush rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion.”
–Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author

"Karen Vail is one tough character. Crush will keep you reading late into the night."
–Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author & creator of TV show "Bones"

"A smart, stylish whodunnit with lots of surprises, and a finish with all the punch of a blockbuster Cabernet."
–Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author

"Jacobson breathes life into the killer in a way that made my heart pound—and I do this for a living.”
–Mary Ellen O'Toole,  Senior FBI Profiler and Supervisory Special Agent (ret)

Crush is “addictive…(with) a shockeroo cliffhanger.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Blew me away. (It’s) the best the industry has to offer…from one of the very best writers in the industry today…sure to be a HUGE contender for major awards.”
–BestsellersWorld.com

“Jacobson has done it again. Crush is a fantastic page-turning thriller which should be on your reading list."
–The Strand Magazine

"If you’re an author who writes in the ever-so-popular serial killer genre, then you’ve got your work cut out for you: how do you kill your victims in a shockingly interesting way that’s different from how all the other authors have done it? How about crushing the victim’s windpipe and then draining her blood? Yep, just like a grape. FBI profiler Special Agent Karen Vail, last seen in The 7th Victim (2008), is on a forced vacation in the Napa Valley for some R&R after being involved in a public shooting right outside the White House. But there’s no rest for the weary as Vail stumbles onto a murder scene while attending a wine tasting at an elite winery. The murder has all the elements of a serial killer, and Vail is quick to offer her profiling skills to the local police, who are reluctant to believe a serial killer is involved. Soon the body count starts to rise and the police seek out her advice, but her involvement raises the ire and the interest of the Crush Killer. Fans of James Patterson, Michael Connelly, and Patricia Cornwell will drink deeply of this intoxicating tale."
—Booklist, Michael Gannon

"Jacobson's extensive FBI research background yields a gripping story laced with political underpinnings and dizzying twists that will have readers perched on the edge of their seats. In a style rivaling that of Patricia Cornwell or Harlan Coben, Jacobson surpasses his first Karen Vail thriller, The 7th Victim. VERDICT Essential for suspense aficionados."
—Library Journal, Mary Todd Chestnut, No. Kentucky Univ Lib.

"I have been finding it more and more difficult to find some truly great thrillers, but I have also enjoyed Jacobson's novels and Crush is no exception.
    Crush brings back our main character from the 7th Victim - Karen Vail who is fast becoming one of my absolute favorite characters. I love that she is so strong willed, yet is fighting her own brand of demons - I am always looking for really human characters with their faults and their good points and Jacobson does an excellent job of balancing Karen....
    The writing is top notch and the pacing is perfect - not too many boring details that drag the storyline down and at the same time, the author keeps the plot moving along at a very nice pace.
    At times, I kept thinking that I had the whole thing figured out, only to find out a few pages later, that I was completely wrong and I LOVE that in a thriller. This one kept me guessing until the very end.
    I love thrillers that I cannot put down - you know - 'just one more page' type of read and this one wassssss perfect.
    Loved it."
--Bookshipper Blog

"I don't just sell Alan Jacobson's novels, I'm also a big fan. Crush is outstanding. The terrific internal rhythm and flow of the story, and the interplay between the characters kept me reading until I finished it at 3AM. I couldn't put it down. Not only that, but the Napa Valley really was a character in the novel. Now I want to go back and visit!"
-John Hutchinson, VJ Books

"Jacobson has…written a full-throttle thriller that will keep readers hooked to the very end.”
–BookBanter, Alex C. Telander

Back to Crush

The 7th Victim One of Library Journal's "Best Books of the Year" (2008)“Karen Vail is as compelling a character as any created by Patricia Cornwell, or yours truly. The 7th Victim is packed with neat surprises.”
— James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author of Double Cross

"A good, spine-tingling thriller. Quite chilling."
— Fox News Radio

"Jacobson spent years of study with the FBI's profiling unit, and the research shows."
— Sacramento Bee

"The 7th Victim…makes Silence of the Lambs look like a young adult book. Lock your doors, blot the windows and make a pot of coffee; you'll be up all night, even after you finish reading. This is an incredible book."
— Crime Spree Magazine

“Alan Jacobson is a hell of a writer, and his lead character, Karen Vail, is a hell of a lady: tough, smart, funny, and very believable. The 7th Victim is an impressively researched novel about serial murder packed into a tightly twisting plot. Very scary, and very good. This reads like a Nelson DeMille book. And I should know.”
— Nelson DeMille, New York Times bestselling author of Wild Fire

“I’ve always been a fan of Alan Jacobson’s thrillers, but his latest novel, The 7th Victim, is a quantum leap in terror and suspense. Tautly written and brilliantly executed, here is a masterpiece of horror and murder. Read it with the doors locked and the lights blazing.”
— James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain

“In the fictional world of criminal profilers, Karen Vail is a knockout, tough and brilliant. In The 7th Victim she truly meets her match, and the twists and turns will astonish you.”
— Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Garden

“Surprising revelations provide a shocking finale. The author's seven years of study with the FBI's profiling unit have helped him craft a riveting, authentically detailed thriller that will ensnare readers. Strongly recommended for all popular fiction collections.”
—Library Journal

“The 7th Victim is an entertaining, fast-paced read in the style of Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series, but adding a further grittiness and realism with the killings and the harsh everyday fights Vail must go through as an FBI profiler and mother. It is hopefully the first of more to come in the world of Karen Vail.”
—Alex C. Telander, Borders Sales Manager

“This meticulously researched presentation of a profiling agent is realistic. The writing is smooth, and the mystery, presented from both the agent's and the killer's viewpoint, is thrilling.”  
—Romantic Times

"The 7^th Victim is chilling. I loved it. Karen Vail is an extremely appealing heroine."
—KKGN-AM, San Francisco, Jim Foster Show

“Move over Silence of The Lambs! [The 7^th Victim] is a fascinating book. It’s taken the genre to a different level.”
—KATU ABC-TV, AM Northwest, Helen Raptis & Dave Anderson

“One of the best stand-alones in this genre that I've read in quite some time. If you enjoy psychological suspense thrillers I can't recommend this book more highly. I dare any reader to figure out "whodunit" before the final reveal.”
—Back-to-books blog

“Fast moving with edge of your seat suspense. Jacobson has …breathed life into his characters, making them complex and believable….a well-planned thriller with all of the suspense and mystery to back it up.”
—Reader to Reader, Vickie Denney

“I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Alan  Jacobson's The 7th Victim. Like The Silence of the Lambs, it raises the bar on the entire thriller genre. It's been quite a while since I've been struck this strongly by a new thriller. Karen Vail is an amazing character, and I was totally swept up in her story. That character alone would have been enough to impress me, but add in the delicious plot twists and the obvious painstaking research which were integrated seamlessly into the novel, and the result just floored me! I intend on hand-selling The 7th Victim like crazy.”
—Jeff Broyles, Manager, Bay Book Company

The Hunted

"Jacobson keeps readers guessing right up until the last page, so trying to put this book down is like trying not to eat the last chocolate chip cookie: most of us will just give in."
–Booklist 

"Alan Jacobson follows up his exciting best-selling False Accusations with the chilling thriller, The Hunted, a novel that keeps readers' attention all through the long cold night...The fast-paced story line reads like a Jack Higgins thriller, but with a clearly Jacobson spin on the plot. This complex novel is worth the hardcover price."
–Midwest Book Review

"From beginning to end, Jacobson never falters in his handling of suspense and the multi-plot story. The characters are alive and the events credible to anyone who reads or watches the news. Jacobson has created a book that is impossible to put down and should be added to all fiction collections." 
–Library Journal

"The characters were like old friends and the inside look at the FBI was terrific. I absolutely LOVE this book!"
–Associated Press

"The Hunted is a wild page-turning ride through all kinds of interesting turns and corners and unexpected twists. The characters are so well fleshed out and well-developed that they live. It's a well put-together and well thought-out book, one I guarantee you're not going to put down." 
–National Public Radio

"An exciting, well-constructed story that kept me guessing without ever turning me off. I thoroughly enjoyed it." 
–TV Guide Television

"Many books aspire to be this engaging and intelligent. What Alan Jacobson spins is more than just a thrilling story full of plot twists; he has carefully created a hypnotizing series of characters…The narration is complete and compelling, and the action is top-notch. To compare Alan Jacobson's work to other masters is to cheat him of his natural ability to set his work apart. The Hunted is a treasure."
–TalkAmerica Radio Network, The Tony Trupiano Show 

"It'll keep you up all night...and maybe even give you a few nightmares. It's a terrific book."
–Connie Martinson Talks Books

"Jacobson again proves he's one of the best psychological suspense writers working today...For sheer reading pleasure, you won't find a better novel than The Hunted."
–Tulsa World

"The Hunted is the Lombard Street of suspense novels: twisty, turny all the way through. It's a tasty thriller that I just didn't want to put down."
–Good Day Sacramento

"Ingeniously thrilling...The ending is most satisfying. A must read."
–I Love a Mystery

"This is a novel of suspense with more twists and turns than a corkscrew...It is a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable thriller with enough substance in it to keep the gray matter working overtime."
–Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX)

"A first-rate thriller...[filled with] twists and turns that rivet the reader to his seat and spin him around until he's dizzy and unsure of where exactly he's been, where he is at the moment, and where he's headed."
–Winston-Salem Journal

“Move over John Grisham and Scott Turow; make room for Alan Jacobson. The Hunted confirms Jacobson’s ability to weave a terrific psychological thriller."
–Daily Republic

"Thoroughly entertaining." 
–St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"'It' is an important word. Frank Sinatra had 'it.' This guy Alan Jacobson has 'it.' He's a rising star on the writing horizon."
–KTKT-AM 990

"A complex tale full of heart-pounding action sequences, plot twists and fascinating characters…If you like thrills, psychological suspense and complex characters, this should definitely make your summer reading list."
–The Internet Writing Journal

"This psychological twister breaks the mold of the typical thriller."
–Bookreporter.com

"A thriller from page one. This page-turner will keep you awake."
–BookBrowser.com

"A Ludlum-esque paranoiac's nightmare...An intriguing premise...[with] good action sequences."
–The Pilot (Southern Pines, NC)

"[Michael Chambers'] escapes and fights with the bad guys are what great spy novels are made of."
–Arizona Daily Star

"Takes more twists and turns than San Francisco's Lombard Street. Chapters fly by. The more you read, the more you understand that no one is what he appears to be."
–The Reporter (Fairfield, CA)

"A great suspense novel."
-Fox6 News

"The Hunted looks like another hit!"
–News10 Midday

"Jacobson's Hunted is true cat, mouse thriller. Keeps the reader guessing."
–Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS)

False Accusations

"Alan Jacobson has crafted a riveting story with a truly frightening villainess. This is a terrific book!"
- John Saul, New York Times bestselling author

"False Accusations will grip you from the opening page to the... astonishing last paragraph. A great murder mystery. I hope I don't have to wait long for another Alan Jacobson novel."
- Times Record News

"A fantastic reading experience that leaves the audience clamoring for an early release of Jacobson's next book."
- Midwest Book Review

"It scared the heck out of me. I actually had to stop reading for a day and put it in another room. It will mess with your mind. A very good book."
- KBVI Radio, Boulder Valley Today

"A slick thriller, fast-paced and very much plot driven. You may think you know what's going on, but there are several surprises in store. Likely to appeal to fans of Grisham and Crichton, False Accusations measures up well."
- The Mystery Reader

"Jacobson keeps the plot in perpetual motion...Unnervingly plausible... It's enough to make the average Joe paranoid."
- Tucson Weekly

"I read it in one night-stayed up till 4 A.M., meaning I didn't want to wait till the next morning to find out who did what to whom. Intrigue and mystery...all in one book."
- KTKT Radio, The Bert Lee Show

"...The chilling realization that a similar scenario could happen to anyone."
- Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Essential for suspense and thriller collections."
- Library Journal

"An Edge-of-the-Seat Thriller."
- Review Publishing

"Chilling..."
- Booklist

Alan Jacobson is "one of the brightest stars in the publishing world."
- CNN

"Alan Jacobson is the next Grisham! Buy this book!"
- KLSX FM 97.1, Los Angeles

"Wow! Superlative writing—captivating suspense…a wonderful read!"
—Joan Hansen, Men of Mystery