I didn't realize this is the second book in a series until I was about half way through it, so I will have to go back and read the first one soon. This has got to be one of the best mystery/suspense books I have read in a LONG time. From the first chapter, I was hooked. I finished this book in record time, staying up until 3am, until my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer.
The plot was very unique and it was interesting how we got just a glimpse of the club via chats. The investigation aspect of it was good, too, not giving such detailed information that the story became drowned in cop-speak and procedure. We've all seen cop and law TV shows and movies, we know general procedures. I think getting more computer-centric knowledge of police procedures and tech info was a real highlight for me, since I'm not the most computer-literate person, I needed some things explained to me.
I liked the sexual tension/romance story between Sophie and Darren. Although it didn't really have a conclusion, so I guess I'll have to read the third book to find out :) Also, it would have been nice to see Sophie really accept her "gift" of premonitions by the end. Maybe then she would have seen the twist at the end coming (I actually saw it coming, so I guess I'm psychic...nope, I've just seen way too much Law & Order lol)
Overall, an exciting, suspenseful read. Great plot, good characters. Definitely a I-can't-put-this-book-down mystery. ( )

FBI profiler Sophie Anderson is visiting a police officer friend on holidays in Arizona when an unidentified body is discovered. As has happened once before in her career Sophie experiences a psychic vision of the victim before his death when she goes to the crime scene with Detective Darren Carter. At the same time as this case progresses readers are treated to transcripts of the discussions of an online club who talk about victim selection and killing techniques in the same off-hand way that a knitting club might chat about wool selection.

This is brilliantly constructed novel. So good in fact I can think of some authors I'd like to send copies to with a pithy "this is how you build suspense" post-it stuck to the cover for their edification. The premise and characters are established well and the scene setting is followed by a genuinely edge-of-your-seat ride to an unpredictable climax. There are no extraneous scenes and no frustrating loose ends and the fact that readers know things that the police don't know is handled deftly.

I'm rather surprised that I like Sophie as much as I do because I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to psychic powers but Martin has developed a credible premise and I find myself curious about this element of Sophie's character. The fact that she struggles to accept and use her ability seems very natural and fits in well with the rest of her personality. Also, as she's a solidly trained expert who relies on evidence and all the other traditional methods for catching criminals, I find it much easier to accept the psychic element to crime solving than I do in other fictional cases (such as TV's Medium). The other key characters here are also well developed and have a very natural feel. Darren's support for Sophie developing her gift is particularly well handled. It's interesting (and more than a little creepy) to watch the individual characters of the group of villains be seen via their increasingly evil online chats.

Another point worth mentioning about this book is that it explains relevant investigative techniques and police jargon in a useful and somewhat refreshing way. Many books either assume readers know what all the acronyms and other language mean or prattle on endlessly with an unnecessary level of detail but Martin seems to have got the level of explanation just right with this book.

I was a poor New Years' Eve host last night as I'm sure I gave off 'please get out of my house' vibes because I needed to get back to this book and find out what happened next. What a great way to start my new reading year. ( )

Fanastic. Loved how it was set out with the murder's dialogue. The twist at the end was great. I would like to read more of her books. ( )

Sophie Anderson has a gift: She can "hear" what's going on in the minds of serial killers. It makes her very valuable at the FBI, as you can imagine, but it also keeps her on the fraying edge of total, irretrievable burnout. Shortly after a successfully solved case nearly costs her her life, Sophie takes an Arizona vacation to rest and recuperate.

Ha.

A rash of killings occur, clearly related but with key differences. It's the differences that alert Our Heroine to the fact that it's a plot...it's too coincidental that all these signature moves would show up in one place...but what kind of plot?!?

She solves it, of course. SPOILER! Turns out La Sophie is the target of a serial killers' online newsgroup, and her near-fatal case is used as a chance to finish her off while she's vulnerable. END SPOILER!

Pretty scary moments, very nicely plotted, decent writing...passed an afternoon, and that's not nothin' these days.

I picked this book up because the premise seemed so interesting to me: a club of serial killers have banded together, assembling a group of victims and watching one another’s exploits with glee. I wish that Martin’s heroine and first person narrator, Sophie Anderson, weren’t burdened with psychic powers as well as intelligence and good looks; the gimmick is completely unnecessary, and detracts from the story of how law enforcement personnel track down these murderers. The writing is not as tight and sharp as it should be to build a proper degree of suspense, and I found myself wishing I were watching “Criminal Minds” instead of reading this novel. If you need something to read on your next flight, you’d probably do better to pick up the most recent Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child – but if you’ve read them all, this will do in a pinch.