cover image Extreme Instinct

Extreme Instinct

Robert Wayne Walker. Jove Books, $6.99 (400pp) ISBN 978-0-515-12195-7

Walker's latest outing for FBI pathologist Jessica Coran pits the talented forensics specialist against a serial killer who believes he's descending through the layers of Dante's Inferno. Once again, Coran teams up with her affable sidekick, J.T., to stop this latest sicko on a killing spree from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Fans will appreciate Walker's flair for grisly murder scenes, as well as the detailed descriptions of the bureau's procedures and hi-tech toys. Profiling maniacs may currently be the vogue, but Walker knows that action is what makes a thriller: the final face-off between Coran and the killer is a seat grabber; however, an accidental murder that occurs after the climax seems an unnecessary addition to an otherwise chilling and well-paced tale. (Jan.)