- Paperback
- Publisher: Max Crime (Sep 6 2010)
- ISBN-10: 1843582678
- ISBN-13: 978-1843582670
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Fetish, the debut thriller by Victoria, BC's Tara Moss, who has become a celebrity fashion model in Australia, features Makedde Vanderwall, a Canadian who is similarly no stranger to the runway. But Vanderwall is also a forensic psychology student who finds, on arriving in Australia, that an old modelling friend has just been gruesomely murdered.
Naturally, our heroine gets caught up in the police investigation and, just as inevitably, becomes a target of the madman. An affair between the model and the tough-but-sensitive young homicide officer investigating the case likewise should come as no surprise to anyone who has even passed by a newsstand where crime thrillers are sold. Yet despite the predictability of many of her plot devices and a sometimes heavy-handed approach to red herrings, Moss weaves a tight, suspenseful story. It helps that the protagonist is likeable: continually underestimated because of her wage-earning cheekbones and refusing to leave her friend's murder investigation to the police, Vanderwall "preferred to think of herself as curious and resourceful, not meddling."
The writing isn't elegant by any means--the romance dance between the model and the cop is strictly Harlequin level, described with lines like, "One minute she wanted to wring his neck, the next she wanted to kiss it." Moss can also be a lazy writer, as when she describes one character as having a "confronting appearance." Fetish is formula, pure and simple, but it's page-turning formula, an enjoyable read enlivened by a dash of glamour and insider knowledge about the modelling biz. --Shawn Conner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Australian author Moss makes her U.S. debut with a steamy fast-paced romantic thriller, set in the not so glamorous world of international, middle-income fashion modeling. Struggling Canadian model Makedde Vanderwall has come to Sydney, Australia, to visit her friend and fellow model Catherine Gerber. But Catherine doesn't answer her phone, and soon Mak stumbles on her friend's mutilated body. A serial killer known as the "Stiletto Murderer" next targets Mak, who spends the rest of the novel trying to help solve Catherine's murder while avoiding her own. Moss, a former model, writes fluidly, carefully laying out the pieces of the puzzle as she builds to the twist ending. When the strong and independent Mak becomes so smitten with the handsome detective assigned to the case that she allows her heart to rule her mind and jeopardize the investigation, some readers may cavil. Still, this marks the arrival of a bold new female voice for American crime-fiction fans. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
3.5 stars, Jan 5 2006
By Angela Wilson "I love books & DVDs!" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Fetish (Mass Market Paperback)
"Fetish" has a great cover and intriguing intro on the back cover, but the story is not original. I gave it a higher rating because of author Tara Moss's use of psychological terms and understanding of profilers and stalkers.The romance is okay, though you see what's going to happen from a mile away. The killer is a bit formulaic - he would have been good in the early 90s, but today we are far more gripped by the ones that play with our heads. We get in his head some, certainly, but not to a degree that leaves goosebumps on the flesh.
It is a solid read, though, even with these problems. And I am curious to read the follow up to this, which I can so far only find on CD. I just want to know what happens to our intrepid heroine, Mak.
If you want something that's not too hard on your brain, get this one used.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Worth It, Feb 4 2007
By Thriller Lover - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Fetish (Mass Market Paperback)
FETISH is the first novel by Tara Moss, who was a 25-year old fashion model at the time of its publication. According to her website, Ms. Moss is apparently Australia's top selling crime writer, which is what led me to give her work a try.This novel is readable, but it's pretty unoriginal. This is a typical serial killer story, and many of the scenes in this book are familiar and predictable. The characterization is pretty cardboard and much of the dialogue is pretty flat. I read a lot of crime fiction, and you can do much better than this -- early Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Harlan Coben, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly are all far superior choices.
What makes this novel interesting is that it takes place in Australia and provides some insight into the world of fashion modeling. If either of those subjects interest you, then you may want to give this novel a try. Otherwise, my advice is to skip FETISH, since there are far better books out there worth your time.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
fine Australian amateur sleuth, Nov 30 2005
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Fetish (Mass Market Paperback)
Mid level Canadian model and forensic psychology student Makedde "Mak" Vanderwall travels to Australia to strut down the runways. However, she receives bad news upon arrival that her close friend Catherine "Cat" Gerber, who she was looking forward to seeing after six months apart, was hideously killed with the police unable to find the culprit.Unbeknownst to the police or to Mak, the culprit has the letter she sent to Cat that includes a picture of the newcomer. Unable to stay out although Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Flynn warns her off the case, Mak begins to investigate using what she has learned in school as a guide. While Mak and Flynn start seeing one another off duty, the killer hones in on her as his next target.
FETISH is a fine Australian amateur sleuth with strong police procedural elements. The story line is fast-paced especially when the heroine makes inquiries or when the villain takes center stage. Though the romance seems more like an unnecessary subplot that is tagged on to bring extra sexual tension between the cop and the model, Tara Moss writes an intriguing thriller that will hook her audience from the opening gamut when the killer murders Cat and never slows down until the final karma is settled.
Harriet Klausner
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