Primal Instinct

Jessica Coran's Hawaiian vacation is cut short when she is ordered to assist in the urgent investigation of a local serial killer called the Cane Cutter. Jessica is no rookie when it comes to dealing with serial killers, but this time she must infiltrate the seedy underworld of Hawaii--where she'll need more than her FBI badge to survive. From Publishers Weekly A bone-chilling page-turner, Walker's latest installment in his series starring Dr. Jessica Coran explores the underbelly of paradise incarnate, Hawaii. Coran, a beautiful, tough, dedicated FBI forensic pathologist, has her respite on Maui cut short when she's ordered to assist Honolulu's FBI chief in the investigation of a serial murderer. Walker keeps the tension taut as Coran and chief inspector Jim Parry close in on the Trade Winds Killer-so called by the press because the murders take place only when the trade winds hit the islands. The killer, who tortures and mutilates young, native-born female prostitutes, leaves little trace of his dirty work. Every bit as exciting as the chase is Coran's rigorous examination of the evidence. Her quest for the truth and the killer's identity requires more than the high-tech gadgetry found in modern police labs; it demands years of training and experience. Complicating the investigation is the distrust between the kanakas, or Hawaiians, and the haoles, or whites. The kanakas, who do not necessarily respect the law of the haoles, often take justice into their own hands. If there is a false step in this suspenseful yarn, it is the romance between Coran and Parry: it detracts from the pace and their sexual banter feels forced. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist The third installment in the Jessica Coran series by Walker ( Killer Instinct , 1992, Fatal Instinct , 1993). An FBI forensic pathologist on vacation in the Hawaiian Islands, Coran is asked to lend her skills in the search for a local serial crazy, the Trade Winds Killer. His latest victims are two Honolulu police officers, and his calling card is ritual murder with a cane cutter followed by mutilation of the body. By now, this is pretty standard fare for the genre, though Walker never gets lazy--there are strong details throughout on life in the Hawaiian Islands as well as the science of the medical examiner. His attempts to give his characters depth and inner conflict get Walker into some trouble, but he's saved by a good plot and solid pacing. Brian McCombie ϡ쯦랠