A heroic lead isn't enough to salvage bestseller Brennan's frenetic second thriller featuring dogged reporter Maxine "Max" Revere (after 2014's Notorious). Max, the star of Maximum Exposure, a TV news series devoted to criminal justice, pulls off a coup when she gets an exclusive interview with accused serial killer Adam Bachman. Bachman was arrested nine months earlier in New York City, after a traffic delay gave time for his latest intended victim, Ava Raines, to call for help from the trunk of the car Bachman was driving and alert some nearby police officers. Although Bachman was charged with five murders, Max focuses on two victims, a middle-aged couple on their second honeymoon, whom she believed he also killed, but whose bodies were never recovered. She keeps digging, spurred by the killer's taunt that she'll "never find them." Largely self-sufficient, Max nonetheless winds up a damsel in distress. A plot hole involving Ava will leave some readers scratching their heads. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Investigative reporter Maxine Revere returns in this strong follow-up to Notorious (2014). Accused serial killer Adam Bachman is on trial for five murders, but Max, who specializes in missing-persons cases that have gone cold, thinks there are more bodies to be uncovered. She believes that Bachman may be responsible for the disappearance of a couple vacationing in New York City, but the D.A. doesn't want to hear it. Max scores a brief, pretrial interview with the defendant and becomes convinced that he knows something about the missing couple. She also thinks he wasn't working alone, but she can't persuade the police to investigate further, forcing her, of course, to investigate herself, along with her bodyguard, David, and her young intern, Riley. They find enough evidence that one cop is willing to search further, with devastating consequences for all of them. The pacing is relentless, and the suspense just keeps building until the satisfying ending. An excellent addition to the series.--Alesi, Stacy Copyright 2015 Booklist

Brennan's follow-up to the excellent Notorious once again features investigative reporter Maxine Revere knee-deep in dangerous research that could cost her life. Adam Bachman was found with a woman locked up in his trunk, and now he's on trial for several murders. Revere believes Bachman is behind the disappearance of a couple over a year ago, but the evidence doesn't support her theory. She's convinced her suspect is responsible and begins to question if he might have an accomplice. Revere and her savvy team follow leads that take them to terrifying places. VERDICT Brennan knows how to ratchet up the suspense while also balancing the tension with well-drawn, sympathetic characters. Revere's strength and confidence ooze off the page even when the odds get stacked against her, and her resolve in the face of danger is refreshing. It's not necessary to have read Notorious to enjoy this tale, but readers will feel compelled to track it down after reading this one. [See Prepub Alert, 10/13/14.]-Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Brennan gives Maxine "Max" Revere a makeover, though she's still a rich, beautiful and brilliant TV host and true-crime crusader. In the first novel of the series (Notorious, 2014), Max was a know-it-all with no friends, a monstrous ego and the conviction that she was right all the time. Brennan has taken her unlikable protagonist and turned her into a squishy, lovable curmudgeon who's adored by everyone except criminals. This time Max is on the trail of Adam Bachman, caught nine months earlier with a girl in the trunk of his car and now on trial for five murders; she's wangled an interview with him for her television show, Maximum Exposure. Max is prone to taking on dangerous assignments, going undercover to bust criminals and expose corruption. That behavior has earned her a bodyguard, David, who is now also her best friend. Max has also been looking into a couple named Palazzolo who disappeared on a trip to New York; she's positive that they're linked to Bachman. After calling in a favor from missing persons detective Sally O'Hara, Max insists that someone else was involved in the Bachman case andtorn between two handsome cops who both adore hertries to balance her life while working tirelessly, but always on her terms, for good. The first half of the book moves along nicely, though Max's sudden transformation from obnoxious to gracious is disconcerting; but the second half, while it starts with a bang, drags on and on, with one aha moment stacked upon another until exhausted readers will find themselves wishing the whole thing would just stop. Max has a few too many close calls to be believable, and the relentless introspection slows the action, which naturally includes cops shooting out the tires of a fleeing vehicle, Brennan's stock police response to crooks in cars. While Max's original bitchy attitude needed adjusting, this incarnation makes for some embarrassingly maudlin moments. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.