Lover Boy
Michele Jaffe
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Buy *Lover Boy* online

Lover Boy

Michele Jaffe
Ballantine
Paperback
464 pages
June 2004
rated 4 1/2 of 5 possible stars

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Loverboy, a most elusive serial killer, strikes again. This time he kidnaps nuclear physicist Rosalind Carnow from her hotel room in Las Vegas. As per his usual habit, after the kidnapping the supremely confident killer sends the baffled FBI a collage of clues leading to where the victim is being held and where her tortured dead body will be found three weeks hence. Up until now, the FBI had always solved the collage too late to be of help. In desperation, they bring back agent Imogen Page, who’d had the most success with solving Loverboy’s clues thanks to her peculiar talent of tasting clues - literally.

Imogen, who made herself famous by capturing the notorious Connoisseur serial killer, is still reeling under the loss of her big brother, but her over-developed sense of responsibility forces her return to the case. She’s not pleased to find that playboy automotive mogul Benton Arbor, a very close friend of Carnow’s, pulled strings to insert himself into the investigation. And then there is Detective J.D.Eastly, that famous ex-ballplayer who was also involved with Carnow. With her penchant for always falling for the wrong guy, Imogen finds herself battling her growing attraction towards the charismatic Arbor even as the killer grows bolder and bolder. As the body count mounts, can Imogen solve the case before it’s too late?

In a style that's uniquely hers, Michele Jaffe once again takes the readers on an exhilarating journey of murder and mystery, a scintillating game of cat and mouse like nothing before and with an ending that’s sure to surprise even the most ardent mystery buffs. The serpentine plot, the stream of red herrings and twists upon twists are all purely Jaffe and neatly showcase her copious talent for misdirection. Thanks to this, readers are kept guessing until the very shocking end and enjoy themselves thoroughly trying to figure out the challenging mystery.

What always make Jaffe’s books stand out is the meticulous care she lavishes equally on mystery as well as characterization. The lead character in this story, Imogen, is one such unique character whose unusual talent for literally tasting clues and uncanny instinct for solving puzzles and putting together vague clues must be read to be believed. Romantic entanglements, both past and present, add mayhem and sex to the plot. Even the killer’s twisted psyche and its manifestation is explored in full. Despite its overtly Hollywood-style ending, Lover Boy remains a treat. Thoughtful and provocative, this Jaffe book isn’t to be missed.



Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Rashmi Srinivas, 2004

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