Book Review: 9th Girl by Tami Hoag
Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
The first book that I reviewed on this blog was Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag. In it I was introduced to news reporter Dana Nolan who had been kidnapped by a serial killer, named Doc Holiday. Surviving her ordeal, she had left her career and returned to her home town to begin her long physical recovery while dealing with PTSD. I had loved the character, and I felt that she was one of the best heroines in modern literature. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know who Dana Nolan was before she met Doc Holiday. Luckily for me Cold Cold Heart was the independent sequel to another book by Hoag, 9th Girl.
9th Girl is the fourth novel in Tami Hoag's widely popular Liska and Kovac crime series. It is published by Penguin-Random House under their Dutton books imprint. Introduced in Summer of 1999, the crime fighting duo have solved dozens of crimes all while trying to balance a normal life. Their latest homicide to solve is that of a teenage girl who fell from the trunk of a car on a highway on New Years Eve. Badly beaten, stabbed, and doused with acid, the girl resembles more of a zombie than a young girl. This earns her the nickname Zombie Doe. What is believed is that she may be the ninth victim of the serial killer known as Doc Holiday. His previous victim had also been found on the turning of the year just twelve months prior (as told in the novella, The 1st Victim).
Detective Nikki Liska is the mother of two boys dealing with her neglectful ex husband's lack of parenting. Her oldest son, Kyle, is quiet and keeps mostly to himself. He attends a school for arts and rarely gets into trouble. Her youngest, RJ, is the opposite of his brother with his outgoing personality. Detective Sam Kovac is single, divorced, and the father of a child he does not know. He feels a sad connection to Zombie Doe. He may not be the father his daughter needs, but he would never want to see her end up like their latest victim. Together they begin the sad and time-consuming task of identifying the young woman.
As the mystery deepens and we learn the identity of Zombie Doe, a sad and tragic story of a girl just wanting to be accepted emerges. With a name to their victim, family members are told of her death, and Liska's son, Kyle, may have more information on Zombie Doe than he would like to share. But waiting in the shadows is Doc Holiday, who watches news reports exposing his latest victim to the public. Enter Dana Nolan, the perky and friendly reporter who has earned the exclusive to tell Doc Holiday and Zombie Doe's stories. And her reporting has her in cross hairs of Holiday's sight, which will ultimately make her the serial killer's next victim.
9th Girl answered a lot of my questions regarding Dana Nolan, and who she was before Cold Cold Heart. The tragic events that led to her becoming the traumatized woman fighting her nightmares is a sad tale. The narrative of Zombie Doe and the events leading to her death were equally as shocking. Neglected by her family and ostracized by her peers, this fifteen year old was on a path alone that shone very little light on her. There were often times where I would read her story and pause with emotion. Being a teenager is tough enough, but Zombie Doe saw more than she should have, and it cost her her life.
I read 9th Girl in part with the audio book narration of David Colacci. I found Colacci's reading to be very entertaining. And his conveying of the character's emotions were excellently done. I found his Sam Kovac to be particularly entertaining, as he brought out the seasoned detective's often abrasive personality with wit and humor. I definitely was happy to see that he had narrated a few of the Liska and Kovac novels. I like it when a narrator sticks with a series. It makes me feel like I am visiting an old friend.
Tami Hoag never stops surprising me, and always leaves me with a "book hang-over" that can be tough to shake. 9th Girl was thrilling, thought-provoking, and featured extremely likable characters that stuck with me. I was finding myself laughing out loud at Nikki Liska. Her bold and take-no-crap attitude always delivers. And if you are a principal at a school, and you want to accuse her son of something he has not done...look out!
At the end of this novel I was shocked, saddened, and on the edge of my seat. That alone gives this book a four star rating.
Have fun reading this week. If you can pick up a Tami Hoag novel, please do. You will not be sorry,
Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
All written content and top logo (c) Copyright 2017 by Thomas Bahr II
Detective Nikki Liska is the mother of two boys dealing with her neglectful ex husband's lack of parenting. Her oldest son, Kyle, is quiet and keeps mostly to himself. He attends a school for arts and rarely gets into trouble. Her youngest, RJ, is the opposite of his brother with his outgoing personality. Detective Sam Kovac is single, divorced, and the father of a child he does not know. He feels a sad connection to Zombie Doe. He may not be the father his daughter needs, but he would never want to see her end up like their latest victim. Together they begin the sad and time-consuming task of identifying the young woman.
As the mystery deepens and we learn the identity of Zombie Doe, a sad and tragic story of a girl just wanting to be accepted emerges. With a name to their victim, family members are told of her death, and Liska's son, Kyle, may have more information on Zombie Doe than he would like to share. But waiting in the shadows is Doc Holiday, who watches news reports exposing his latest victim to the public. Enter Dana Nolan, the perky and friendly reporter who has earned the exclusive to tell Doc Holiday and Zombie Doe's stories. And her reporting has her in cross hairs of Holiday's sight, which will ultimately make her the serial killer's next victim.
9th Girl answered a lot of my questions regarding Dana Nolan, and who she was before Cold Cold Heart. The tragic events that led to her becoming the traumatized woman fighting her nightmares is a sad tale. The narrative of Zombie Doe and the events leading to her death were equally as shocking. Neglected by her family and ostracized by her peers, this fifteen year old was on a path alone that shone very little light on her. There were often times where I would read her story and pause with emotion. Being a teenager is tough enough, but Zombie Doe saw more than she should have, and it cost her her life.
I read 9th Girl in part with the audio book narration of David Colacci. I found Colacci's reading to be very entertaining. And his conveying of the character's emotions were excellently done. I found his Sam Kovac to be particularly entertaining, as he brought out the seasoned detective's often abrasive personality with wit and humor. I definitely was happy to see that he had narrated a few of the Liska and Kovac novels. I like it when a narrator sticks with a series. It makes me feel like I am visiting an old friend.
Tami Hoag never stops surprising me, and always leaves me with a "book hang-over" that can be tough to shake. 9th Girl was thrilling, thought-provoking, and featured extremely likable characters that stuck with me. I was finding myself laughing out loud at Nikki Liska. Her bold and take-no-crap attitude always delivers. And if you are a principal at a school, and you want to accuse her son of something he has not done...look out!
At the end of this novel I was shocked, saddened, and on the edge of my seat. That alone gives this book a four star rating.
Have fun reading this week. If you can pick up a Tami Hoag novel, please do. You will not be sorry,
Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
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social media platforms, and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book
Depository. I am also looking for contributions to open my business. Please visit my GoFundMe page if you wish to help me out.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
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All written content and top logo (c) Copyright 2017 by Thomas Bahr II
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