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Hocus
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Manufacturer: Pocket
Author: Jan Burke
Publisher: Pocket
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $7.99
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Pocket
Author: Jan Burke
Publisher: Pocket
Average Customer Rating:
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Hocus Description
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780743444538
ISBN: 0743444531
Label: Pocket
Manufacturer: Pocket
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 448
Publication Date: 2003-09-01
Publisher: Pocket
Studio: Pocket
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780743444538
ISBN: 0743444531
Label: Pocket
Manufacturer: Pocket
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 448
Publication Date: 2003-09-01
Publisher: Pocket
Studio: Pocket
Editorial Review of Hocus
For reporter Irene Kelly it's a terrifying investigation -- because it's so personal. Her husband, Detective Frank Harriman, has been kidnapped by terrorists who call themselves Hocus -- deadly manipulators who give Irene three days to meet their demands before killing their hostage. But Irene's biggest shock is yet to come -- as she uncovers her husband's history, and learns of a horrific crime committed a decade earlier. As seconds slip away, Irene willingly steps into a trap set by two madmen with a score to settle. And when she does, someone is going to pay for the sins of the past.
Customer Reviews of Hocus
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Never a Dull Moment
Review: This is the second Irene Kelly mystery that I have read and I found it quite enjoyable. The plot of this book was unique. Hocus is a small group of people (two in jail and two active characters) who kidnap Frank Kelly to try to get justice where they found none in their lives. In some sections, it is far fetched but it is never dull. Irene Kelly is one very interesting character.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: favorite in this series
Review: While I have enjoyed all of the Irene Kelly mysteries up through the next one, Bones, it is Hocus that is my favorite thus far. I found the characters, both the good guys and the bad guys, to be very interesting. They have depth. They're complicated and sophisticated. And thus very interesting. The intensity of this plotline is very strong throughout the book. I find all of the Irene Kelly books hold my interest, but this one was exceptionally compelling.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I WAS SPELLBOUND
Review: JAN BURKE DOES IT AGAIN.......I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I WAS ALREADY HOOKED ON THE MAIN IRENE KELLY CHARACTERS BUT WITH THIS BOOK SHE TOOK ME ON A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF EMOTION WITH BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW CHARACTERS............BRILLIANT!!!!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: wow this was good
Review: Wow this is worth every penny i spent.
It starts off with a bang and keeps going.
VERY good writer.
I really enjoyed this and my only disappointment is: it finished.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: "Hocus has news. We know where to find you"
Review: This is the first book in the Irene Kelly series that does not include the main character's first name in the title. I read an interview with the author in which she explains that it took a lot of courage to change that pattern, due to the fear of people not recognizing her books anymore. She should not have worried, since the quality is still there and the series has become even a bigger success. "Hocus" starts a series of books by Jan Burke that have a one-word title, creating a contrast between this succinct title and the excellent ability the author has for describing different scenes and setting up engaging dialogues.
Irene is a reporter for the Las Piernas News Express and is married to detective Frank Harriman. Since they met they have had a great relationship and they have only been married for a little while, but at the start of this novel things are rocky. Frank has just finished blowing a case wide open against two men that are supposed to be the ringleaders of a group named Hocus; a story has appeared in Irene's newspaper with information that should only be known by an insider. Even though Irene did not write the article, the department is putting pressure on Frank and blaming him for the leak. This in turn has created some strain in the couple, and to make matters worse there was the issue of an old girlfriend asking Frank to visit her.
When the action starts Irene has not heard from Frank all day and thinks he is blowing off some steam, but when not even Frank's partner, Pete, knows of Irene's husband whereabouts, things start to turn south. Is Frank in trouble? Is he alive? Besides these questions, Irene has to deal with the recent discovery of a troublesome secret on Frank's family. When she learns soon enough that Frank has been kidnapped by Hocus and that their demands are very peculiar, she has to embark in a dangerous and complex investigation to save her husband.
As has happened before, Burke delivers a high intensity thriller that does not lack an outstanding use of narration and three-dimensional characters. One of the important aspects for me in a mystery series is how well the author develops the characters from one book to the next, and I am happy to say that Jan Burke excels in this area. In "Hocus" we advance considerably in our knowledge of Frank's family and the relationship they have with Irene, and we also get a glimpse of several events from their past. The different aspects mentioned in this review make this book and the series overall a great choice if you are looking for a good mystery to plunge into.
Review Summary: Never a Dull Moment
Review: This is the second Irene Kelly mystery that I have read and I found it quite enjoyable. The plot of this book was unique. Hocus is a small group of people (two in jail and two active characters) who kidnap Frank Kelly to try to get justice where they found none in their lives. In some sections, it is far fetched but it is never dull. Irene Kelly is one very interesting character.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: favorite in this series
Review: While I have enjoyed all of the Irene Kelly mysteries up through the next one, Bones, it is Hocus that is my favorite thus far. I found the characters, both the good guys and the bad guys, to be very interesting. They have depth. They're complicated and sophisticated. And thus very interesting. The intensity of this plotline is very strong throughout the book. I find all of the Irene Kelly books hold my interest, but this one was exceptionally compelling.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I WAS SPELLBOUND
Review: JAN BURKE DOES IT AGAIN.......I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I WAS ALREADY HOOKED ON THE MAIN IRENE KELLY CHARACTERS BUT WITH THIS BOOK SHE TOOK ME ON A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF EMOTION WITH BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW CHARACTERS............BRILLIANT!!!!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: wow this was good
Review: Wow this is worth every penny i spent.
It starts off with a bang and keeps going.
VERY good writer.
I really enjoyed this and my only disappointment is: it finished.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: "Hocus has news. We know where to find you"
Review: This is the first book in the Irene Kelly series that does not include the main character's first name in the title. I read an interview with the author in which she explains that it took a lot of courage to change that pattern, due to the fear of people not recognizing her books anymore. She should not have worried, since the quality is still there and the series has become even a bigger success. "Hocus" starts a series of books by Jan Burke that have a one-word title, creating a contrast between this succinct title and the excellent ability the author has for describing different scenes and setting up engaging dialogues.
Irene is a reporter for the Las Piernas News Express and is married to detective Frank Harriman. Since they met they have had a great relationship and they have only been married for a little while, but at the start of this novel things are rocky. Frank has just finished blowing a case wide open against two men that are supposed to be the ringleaders of a group named Hocus; a story has appeared in Irene's newspaper with information that should only be known by an insider. Even though Irene did not write the article, the department is putting pressure on Frank and blaming him for the leak. This in turn has created some strain in the couple, and to make matters worse there was the issue of an old girlfriend asking Frank to visit her.
When the action starts Irene has not heard from Frank all day and thinks he is blowing off some steam, but when not even Frank's partner, Pete, knows of Irene's husband whereabouts, things start to turn south. Is Frank in trouble? Is he alive? Besides these questions, Irene has to deal with the recent discovery of a troublesome secret on Frank's family. When she learns soon enough that Frank has been kidnapped by Hocus and that their demands are very peculiar, she has to embark in a dangerous and complex investigation to save her husband.
As has happened before, Burke delivers a high intensity thriller that does not lack an outstanding use of narration and three-dimensional characters. One of the important aspects for me in a mystery series is how well the author develops the characters from one book to the next, and I am happy to say that Jan Burke excels in this area. In "Hocus" we advance considerably in our knowledge of Frank's family and the relationship they have with Irene, and we also get a glimpse of several events from their past. The different aspects mentioned in this review make this book and the series overall a great choice if you are looking for a good mystery to plunge into.