So Close the Hand of Death by J.T. Ellison (Book Review)

Title: So Close the Hand of Death
Author: J.T. Ellison
Publisher: Mira Books

Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that The Pretender is back...and he's got helpers.


As The Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick tributes – stretching police and FBI dangerously thin – Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll: she's tripwire-tense and ready to snap.


The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch...


With her beau, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, So Close the Hand of Death follows a revenge-filled Homicide Lieutenant, Taylor Jackson, in her battle to stay strong and remain sane while fighting with the one person she’s out to get.

My thoughts:  I found out upon reading this book, that it is part of a series of books with Taylor Jackson as the central character. She is a very strong woman and is a homicide lieutenant in Nashville.  She lives with her FBI boyfriend John Baldwin.  This book read okay as a stand alone, but it did give lots of references to the past, which made me wish that I had read the five books that came before.

The conflict in the story is centered around serial killer who is dubbed the Pretender.  (He is also from a previous book).  The Pretender has taken on apprentices and for awhile I was a little confused, because no one was going by real names, as to who was in what area of the country doing what!   This resolved itself as I got more and more immersed in the storyline.  I thought it was pretty amazing how everything that you learned as you read the story had some bearing on the final outcome - down to very small details!  It almost makes me want to go back and read it again to see if I can pick up on other things the second time around.  Instead though, I think I will look up one of the previous novels and see if I can't get caught up before the next book comes out in September! 

I love this - the author has soundtracks for each of her books and it made me think back and realize there were a few songs mentioned throughout.  I am going to have to keep my eyes open with the next one that I read.

Here are her Taylor Jackson books in order:
1. All The Pretty Girls (Taylor Jackson)
2. 14
3. Judas Kiss
4. The Cold Room (Taylor Jackson Novels)
(just nominated for a Thriller award in the Best Paperback Original category)
5. The Immortals (Taylor Jackson)
6. So Close the Hand of Death (Taylor Jackson)
7. Where All the Dead Lie (Sept 2011)

You can connect with J.T. Ellison on her blog The Tao of JT.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Planned TV Arts in exchange for my review.~

So Close the Hand of Death (Taylor Jackson)
Publisher/Publication Date: Mira, Feb 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7783-2943-5
416 pages