Hush

Anne Frasier's Hush is the best crime/thriller/suspense novel I've read in a long time. Very tight plot line. All questions are answered at the end, yet like real life not everything can be tied up pretty with a red ribbon. Some things are left open ended, but this talented author leads the reader so that they can definitely read between the lines and come up with their own satisfying solutions. The main characters are complex with the same problems real people have. I found myself relating to some of the same issues that Ivy and Max faced on an emotional level. Of course not on the same twisted psycho level! The Killer is not some cardboard cookie cutout bad guy, this guy has real issues! A very complex and frighting character, but one that at times evokes the readers sympathy. Of course he is really crazy and must be stopped! This is fiction, and fiction at it's best. It will keep you entertained until the very end. Some books just go on and on, blah blah blahing, but this storyline keeps jumping ahead and keeps the readers interest, not easy to do with so much on the bookshelves to choose from in this day and age. You will not be disappointed with Hush. I am currently ready Sleep Tight and that story is just as promising as Hush. Anne Frasier is a welcome and refreshing author to this genre! I will continue to buy and enjoy her novels.

18 years ago, a killer ravaged Chicago killing unwed mothers and their infant sons. A total of 13 women and babies were killed in the rampage, and the killer was never caught. The Chicagp PD named the killer the Madonna Murder, after the Virgin Mary. But unknown to the killer, one of the women survived. And 18 years when the crimes resurface, a woman with a different name and no past returns to find the man who ended the life of her son. With the help of Detective Max Irving, Ivy Dunlap gets on the case. But the search to find the killer will take her to places she never thought she could go.With a damaged heroine, an original and terrifying villan, HUSH is a fantastic freshman effort which covers new ground with the serial killer plot. An entirely absorbing plot, HUSH is required reading for the thriller buff. One might want to settle down in front of the fire just to read it in one sitting to get all the clues together.

Anne Frasier has delivered a very nice freshman effort with this book. The book flows easily and reads quickly. Ms. Frasier took two uncommon approaches that I particularly enjoyed:1) Many of the secondary characters were fleshed out with unsympathetic characteristics, and the primary characters were similarly "blessed" with ambiguous, less-than-angelic motivations and actions.2) Many tangential characters appeared, then did not return. For a reader used to seeing every single character reappear to have loose ends wrapped up at the end of the typical book, this realistic portrayal of life was much appreciated. For example, the scene taking place in the bagel shop adds more realism to the book than any amount of police jargon could, even though it's completely irrelevant to the main story. Do I really need the co-worker showing up later as a witness or victim? No, I don't, and in this book, you don't get that.This book is a very quick, very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

Anne Frasier writes a high stakes, fast-paced tale with strong characters to make it a journey you won't forget. And what impressed me even more is that she does a great job with the details! She obviously knows her stuff when it comes to crime and police procedure and spoon feeds her readers to add texture to the story. The protagonists are both real, with real problems and that, too, adds to the books authenticity. Nicely done!

This book has so much to offer the reader who enjoys suspense. I picked up this book and could not put it down until I read the last page. I felt like I was part of the team trying to track this serial killer of new moms and their baby boys. I think Anne Frasier has a hit on her hands and I can not wait until March 2003 for the next book.