Dangerous Games (Tess McCallum & Abby Sinclair Book 3)

I began reading this novel on a Friday afternoon, and finished it by the wee hours of Saturday morning, that's how intriguing this tale is! This is the second book I've read by Michael Prescott, and I absolutely loved this one. The first story I read was "In Dark Places", and I didn't really care too much for that book.

Special Agent Tess McCallum is pulled from her Denver office into the LA branch of the FBI to help solve a series of kidnapping/murders by a perpetrator dubbed the "Rain Man", who abducts women for ransom, and then abandons them to die in the LA storm drain system. As she investigates information left on the "tip line", she is led to the home of a wealthy Bel Air woman by the name of Madeleine Grant. Ms. Grant is convinced that the "Rain Man" is none other than a former police officer who had stalked , and threatened her life a little over a year ago. However, Madeleine had difficulty persuading the police to believe that her life was in danger, and they nearly ignore her current fears of becoming a target once again. Abby Sinclair, a free-lance security consultant is called upon by Madeleine to protect her, and to help apprehend the perpetrator.
As Tess and Abby team up in solving the murders of Angela Morris and Paula Weissman, their trust for each other is tested. Especially when Tess discovers the reason that the police refuse to take Madeleine Grant's pleas for help seriously.
I found the characters of Abby and Tess interesting and delightful. Each character in this tale is well developed and believable. The story line pulled me in and held me until the very last page. This story left me hungry for another Prescott tale!

This was full of enough twists and surprises to keep me entertained and turning the pages. The description of the inside of the Los Angeles drainage system was rather interesting, and quite a nice addition to reading. Recommended read.

Everything you'd expect in a beach read, astutely observed and well researched, if a bit predictable. The characters seem a little too stock and not original enough, not like people you know, which would heighten the suspense. A very good writer delivering a solid mystery, but it would be fun to see him try something truly original and out of his margin of comfort.

Dangerous Games by Michael Prescott takes an interesting premise, a serial killer who kidnaps women and chains them in the vast storm drains that run underneath the City of Los Angeles, refusing to disclose their location unless the City of LA pays multi-million dollar ransoms to an offshore bank account. The kidnappings always occur on a day when rain is expected, making it even more imperative that the ransom be paid quickly, because if it isn't, the waters in the storm drain will rise and the victim will die-- as has happened to the first two victims.

Leaving aside the question of whether or not a city would actually pay up on such a ransom demand (I find it very unlikely.) This is really not so much of a thriller as it is a psychological examination of two women who form an unlikely partnership in investigating the kidnapper. The first is maverick FBI agent, Tess McCallum, who is brought in from the Denver Field Office as a media ploy because of her previous success in solving a major case in LA. The second woman is Abby Sinclair, a maverick sort of private investigator who specializes in putting stalkers behind bars by whatever means necessary- even if it means breaking the law.

Throughout the book, Abby insists to Tess that the two of them are actually the same-- they are both mavericks and they both play outside the rules; but Tess is reluctant to see the resemblance and finds ways to rationalize matters when she plays fast and loose with the rules.

The identity of the kidnapper is not a big secret as Prescott identifies him fairly early in the book as a disgruntled ex LA Police Officer who was sent to prison for stalking one of Abby's clients.

What is interesting about this book is the way Tess refuses to play the bureaucratic games of the FBI, while at the same time espousing her loyalty to the organization and to the law. She disdains Abby's tactics, and considers herself better than Abby because she is, after all, on the side of law and order. The book makes a statement that the higher people go in the bureaucracy of the organization, the more they lose touch with the way things really are out in the streets-- a common lament of front line law enforcement officers everywhere.

However, for those who think that the message of the book is to forget the rules, think again. Prescott at the end makes very clear that when investigators step outside the law, there are ripple effects and repercussions.

Abby and Tess are interesting characters, as is the kidnapper, William Kolb. The remaining characters are pretty one-dimensional-- the AD of the LA FBI Office is the stereotypical character of a stuffed shirt bureaucrat who cares more about image and publicity than anything else. But that's okay, because they are incidental to the main theme of the book, which is an exploration of what happens when people don't play by the rules.

For a book that is, on the surface, a pretty good thriller, the underlying message of the book packs a punch. Tess and Abby make an interesting team. It would be terrific to see them come together again in the future with Tess's newfound insight into her own character.

This is the first Michael Prescott book I've read and I am planning to read more of his books. I like his writing style, there is a lot of action and the characters are dark but compelling.The setting for the crimes is LA's maze of storm drains, which is pretty cool. I came to know a lot about the LA underground drainage system and just enjoyed the adrenaline.

Fast paced and exciting., I liked Abby a lot, she was consistently fun; most of the other characters didn't seem to know who they were; they ran hot and cold... hence the 4 rating. Still I liked the book and will read this author again.

Prescott has done it again, he is good at keeping you guessing until the last pages who did it. I love a good mystery and this is one in spades. I certainly will be telling my fellow readers to read this book as well as his others.

Never a dull moment! This is an exciting read, featuring both Tess and Abby, two of Prescott's characters from other books. The setting is unique and there are interesting plot twists that kept me up reading long after a reasonable bed time.

I've read several of Mr. Prescott's previous novels and enjoyed them all. This one wasn't as exciting as I had thought it would be, but still I enjoyed it. I will read the original book feature Abby Sinclair.

Unceasingly suspensful, amazing character development, fun, exciting, scary...this book has it all. Like my favorite Michael Prescott novels--The Shadow Hunter, Stealing Faces, and Mortal Pursuit (written under his pen name). Dangerous Games does not disappoint. I hope that Mr. Prescott will include Tess and Abby in future novels.

I've read all of Michael Prescotts books', as well as all the ones he wrote under the name Brian Harper.

I have to say that compared to all his other page turners, this one was bland and lacking.

Still a decent read - but I was definitely expecting more.

Michael Prescott has done it again....He has written a book that you cannot put down until you finish. Tess McCallum and Abby Sinclair are quite the pair like oil and water but this makes the story more compelling as the plot unfolds.

I am disenchanted with the authors deep horror of the story line and find these totally unnecessary. I used enjoy M.P's books but the style of his writing is no longer to my taste. I am not saying the author does not write well, just no longer my fast.