Jonathan Hayes (1) (1960–)

Well, this did very much appeal to me. Be advised that it would not be for the faint of heart because there are some very graphic descriptions. However, if you are a fan of CSI then you are used to graphic details.

Dr. Edward Jenner (the choice of name can't be a co-incidence because Edward Jenner was the person who first used vaccination as a preventative for disease) is a forensic pathologist in New York City but he had a melt-down after 9/11 and has been doing consultations for a while. show more However when the roommate of a girl who is his best friend's niece is brutally murdered and the niece, Ana de Jong, barely escapes the murderer his friend asks Jenner to become involved. This means that Jenner has to go back to the department headed by the man whose girlfriend left him for Jenner and who despises Jenner. When Jenner finds clues the chief overlooked he is even more of a persona non grata. These clues lead Jenner and two homicide detectives on a trail that involves ancient manuscripts and religious symbology. At one point they are so close to the murderer they end up at a murder scene just after he has finished. Ana, who has been staying with Jenner, is spiralling down into depression and drug dependency and Jenner is very worried about her. Then Ana is kidnapped from Jenner's apartment and Jenner knows he has to solve the mystery in order to save her.

Very gripping reading. I'm looking forward to more by Dr. Hayes. show less

When disgraced pathologist Dr. Edward Jenner loses his medical license in his home of NYC, he is happy to receive the invitation from his old mentor to fill in during his vacation. The pay in Port Fontaine, Florida might not be much, but it's something. That is until he called to the site of a body found out in the glades, a body that appears to have been tortured before his death..and it turn out to be that same mentor, Dr. Martin Roburn. Things get even worse when he is called to another show more murder, in fact four decomposing bodies, of Mexican migrant workers, tied up in the trees on an island deep in the swamp, and their are signs the murders may be connected.

Before you can jump in the airboat, we are in the middle of a fast paced thriller involving drug cartels, the very wealthy local country club set, child sex trade, and a sick and violent conspiracy that will go to the very heart of the community. It soon becomes apparent to Jenner that there may be very few people he can trust and it will be a race to see who will get taken down first, them or him.

Jenner is a classic flawed, troubled hero, yet smart and with a deep sense of justice. I think to fully understand that you would have to read the author's first book, Precious Blood, that had Jenner in NYC pursuing a serial killer. I didn't, but I think we receive enough information in this book for that not to be an issue.

Jenner, like so many of these flawed fellows. has a bad habit of going after the wrong woman, in this case a local rich girl, Maggie Craine. Her scene with her father by the pool was truly creepy and will leave you considering taking a shower. Meanwhile there is that nice park ranger Deb, who our good doc seems to ignore again and again. Will these guys never learn? But Jenner is not above talking on some danger, even the female variety, for a good cause.

A fast paced, totally entertaining thriller, as hot and dangerous as the steamy Everglade setting. show less

I didn’t read the first book in this series. Despite there obviously being a lot that happened, you get the gist of it through this book. Jenner took things into his own hands while in New York, and as a result he is now working in Florida, trying to lay low and just do his job. But when the man who hired him is found dead, just the first in a chain of strange events, laying low is no longer an option.

This isn’t a happy book. Hayes does a nice job of maintaining the noir feel, even when show more there is a little bit of romance involved. I thought the forensics were well handled, and was interested in the portrayal of the migrant farms, of both the workers and the people who run them. And Jenner is a man who believes in doing what’s right, no matter the consequences to himself.

My one complaint is that Hayes goes a bit overboard with making the bad guy bad. There’s one aspect of him that is particularly horrifying, and I’m not sure it was necessary. The guy was bad enough without throwing in that extra dysfunction.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to not only picking up the first in the series, Precious Blood, but seeing what comes next. show less

Jonathan Hayes' Precious Blood touches on NYC during the time of 9/11. The hero is NYC medical examiner Edward Jenner who worked throughout the horrifying days after 9/11. The aftermath left Jenner emotionally scarred and he'd left the field of pathology. But when one of his closest friends calls for his help, Jenner is forced back to help in the forensic investigation of the brutal mutilation of a young woman.

The victim is found naked and nailed to the wall. Jenner is certain that there is show more a serial killer prowling NYC. Jenner has taken it upon himself to help his friend's niece, the victim's roommate and a witness to the crime. The young woman's stay brings about all sorts of complications for Jenner - in his personal life and professional - and draws the attention of the dangerous and unstable killer.

While I enjoy a certain amount of violence and action in my thrillers, my threshold for gore is quite low. As far as graphic violence goes, Precious Blood is quite explicit. That was something that kept me from fully enjoying the novel. On the other hand, the plot is complex and the lead characters are well fleshed out. If you enjoy the grittier, violent, thrillers, then Precious Blood will give deliver both in excitement and thrills. It has the added bonus of giving us an inside view of what NYC was like during the frantic days after 9/11 from the point of view of someone who truly lived it. show less