The Eleventh Victim

Hailey Dean’s interest in psychology falters when her fiancée is murdered weeks before their wedding. From that point, Hailey, committed to seeking justice, obtains her law degree. As an assistant district attorney Atlanta, she becomes known for her success record and vigilance in seeing criminals fully prosecuted. But her final case, that of a serial killer who murders prostitutes, takes its toll. After the killer is sentenced to death, Hailey packs up her belongings and heads to New York City, where she begins her psychology practice in hopes of leaving her past behind. But two years later, two of her patients are murdered, similar to those in Atlanta, and the evidence points to Hailey, who must find the killer before she herself show more ends up on death row.

Grace’s fiction debut seems to be loosely based on herself, which is interesting, but at times reads like a first novel with awkward dialogue, overuse of exclamation points, and repetitions of the same words. Confusing to this reviewer are the two separate plots which are not related to one another and the way the author switches back and forth between the two. Each is viable enough to stand alone without sharing space in the same book. Hailey Dean is a very likable character and the mystery regarding her portion of the book intriguing, although inconsistencies (such as the fact that the serial killer’s conviction is reversed and no one seems to know about it) are distracting. Now that Dean has established herself as a mystery writer, it will be interesting to see what’s next. show less

"The Eleventh Victim" is a complex murder mystery about a woman who loses her fiance in a senseless crime and then embarks on a career as a prosecutor. The author, Nancy Grace, was herself a prosecutor in Atlanta GA and she brings her knowledge of the (in)justice system and writes with compelling authority about the twists and turns 'justice' can take.

Hailey Dean's finace was violently murdered shortly before their wedding during a mugging, for a whopping total of $35. The crime propels the young college graduate into a depression that lifts only when she decides to go after the criminals who perpetrate such crimes. She becomes a prosecutor who fights for the victims left behind and her record is nothing short of stellar, 100 wins, no show more losses. She doesn't DO 'deals'. Instead, she and her investigator sidekick put together strong evidence that results in convictions. Her last case as a prosecutor involved the conviction of a serial killer for the murders of eleven women. When the verdict is read, the killer leaps toward Hailey in the courtroom and is only tackled AFTER she feels his hands close around her neck. That's the moment when Hailey knows she's done. Now it's two years later and Hailey has moved to New York and is a practicing therapist. But when two of her patients are murdered and Hailey's DNA is found at the scenes, her life takes a violent and terrifying turn. Now SHE's the one on the defensive and who, exactly, is after her, isn't clear.

This is author Nancy Grace's first foray into the world of mystery/thriller/fiction and I sometimes got lost in the stories of 'sidebar' characters which include a rich man trying to circumvent environmental protections, a good-ole-boy crooked judge, a friend's new love affair, and a very rich, but very pissed, defense attorney. All these 'other' stories do tie in to the main story, but for me, they mostly detracted from the story at the heart of the book...Hailey's story.

I was left with many questions regarding Hailey's future and also that of a 'wrongly' paroled serial killer! For me at least, I need closure in a book. But the serial killer just fades out and Hailey decides to return to Georgia...to do what I have no idea. That's not a real ending for me.

The plot was clever and even though I quickly figured out the 'bad guy' (other than the serial killer), there were still plenty of red herrings. I did find the flow of the story choppy as it jumped from the side character's stories to Hailey's story regularly. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of who was doing what! Ms. Grace's disgust with 'special interest' politics comes through loud and clear and her portrayal of bargaining and dealing to cater to political aspirations was enough to make me believe some of those bad lawyer jokes...

In the end I did finish "The Eleventh Victim" and I did find it interesting. I must admit that I would be wary of reading Nancy Grace's next novel without getting a better idea of its pace and flow and how she pieced the story together. But I consider an author's first novel a kind of learning experience for both author and reader and I like to think we both get better with age and experience. show less

Hailey Dean has fled Atlanta, Georgia, in search of freedom.

Freedom from crime scene photos, the heartbreak of victim's families, and the burden to make sure criminals paid their dues to society.

But can she escape her problems down South in New York City?

Not when you've got a Georgia Supreme Court Justice willing to set a serial killer free in exchange for becoming the state's next Governor; or a elite businessman that will do whatever it takes to convert Georgia's marshlands into million dollar resorts.

And, amazingly, all of these scenarios will tie into one explosive ending!

I'm a Nancy Grace fan, watching her show on HLN most every weekday evening.

However, I wasn't really expecting much out of her first attempt at fiction writing. show more After all, she's a prosecutor turned journalist; not a writer, per say.

But all I can say is WOW! Grace has some serious talent when it comes to writing fiction that will keep a reader so engaged in a book that it's hard to put down!

Aside from the in-depth description of places 'round and 'bout Georgia that provides a clear picture for readers, a lot of what contributes to the intrigue of The Eleventh Victim is that it features some of Grace's real life history: she is a native born Georgian and switched careers following the murder of her fiance.

Nancy Grace receives kudos and applause for a well-written, extremely engrossing first time fiction novel.

I'm hoping that we can expect more in the future! show less

I slogged through this one, basically just waiting for it to end. Two separate storylines VERY loosely related, if at all. Poor writing -- ridiculously clichéd and annoying. I think this may have been exaggerated by the fact that I was listening on audio. The reader's southern drawl further compelled me to want to turn it off numerous times. But I rarely quit a book mid-stream, so I persevered, hoping for a redeeming ending, which never came.

I had a hard time with this holding my interest. If I had not needed to finish this book for a challenge I am not sure I would have. I enjoyed the story about Hailey Dean. The environmentalists I could have done without. I think it would have been better had they been more connected.

A wonderfully and intriguing story about a veteran DA. Hailey Dean is a quirky, energetic, and intelligent woman out to right a wrong and save her own life.

A fast, exciting and solid mystery with well-defined characters.