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Compulsion (Emily Stone #1)

by Jennifer Chase (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 66 ratings · 26 reviews

When Serial Killers Terrorize a California Beach Community, One Woman Stands in Their Way
Emily Stone doesnt have a badge. But that hasnt stopped her from tracking down some of the Wests most dangerous child-killers. Armed with a digital SLR camera, laptop computer and her trusty Beretta, Stone uses her innate gift for detective work to identify the perps and then anonymou...more

Paperback, 308 pages

Published October 31st 2008 by Outskirts Press

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Sep 03, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are certain types of books that are almost guaranteed to keep me turning the pages into the late hours of the night. The first is any novel that develops a compelling story of the complexities found in human relationships. Second, I love a great piece of historical fiction that places me in a previous moment in time. And, finally, I gravitate towards thrilling mysteries that are filled with breath-taking action and plot twists. For literary satisfaction on the last count, I am so excited t...more There are certain types of books that are almost guaranteed to keep me turning the pages into the late hours of the night. The first is any novel that develops a compelling story of the complexities found in human relationships. Second, I love a great piece of historical fiction that places me in a previous moment in time. And, finally, I gravitate towards thrilling mysteries that are filled with breath-taking action and plot twists. For literary satisfaction on the last count, I am so excited to have discovered new author Jennifer Chase. Her first book, Compulsion, is a fascinating story of serial murderers, pedophiles, and the one amazing woman who is able to bring them all to justice. When a book contains these elements and is well-written, which Compulsion most certainly is, you have the recipe for an amazing read.

Author Jennifer Chase introduces us to the great character of Emily Stone. Working anonymously with her camera, computer, and trusted weapon at her constant disposal, Stone goes on the hunt for some of the most violent and deplorable criminals one can imagine. She uses her police background and natural ability to get inside the criminal mind to gather detailed, on-the-scene evidence. Then, she sends her information to the police and another villain is taken off the streets. When Stone’s identity is revealed to the latest killer on her radar screen, the fast-paced action that unfolds becomes the heart of the story and takes the reader on an amazing journey of heightened adrenaline and fear.

One of the greatest strengths in Chase’s writing is the careful unfolding of her characters’ personalities. The man known to the readers for most of Compulsion’s pages only as The Killer is first revealed through the gruesome crimes he commits. We learn of his brutal style of murder through the description of police on the scene. Further into the book, we are let into the mind of The Killer and the motivation behind his violent spree. Chase’s portrayal of a man sitting alone with his twisted thoughts brings the character into a more frightening focus. When the name and full story behind The Killer is finally revealed, the weight provided by the complete picture of this terrifying man is felt. The author employs this same development technique for her other characters, which adds an important element to the tension and sense of uncertainty. But don’t think that you are necessarily on the right track when learning more about a person in this novel. I found myself fooled by Chase’s convincing efforts to lead us down a path of assuming the guilt of an innocent person on more than one occasion.

Both the language and overall format of this book are evidence of Chase’s genuine talent in the genre of thrillers. For example, the tension and terror of the book escalates as The Killer and The Accomplice become more voracious in their need for prey. As they drive across the country with the intention of murdering Emily Stone, their need to commit violence at every step is overpowering. Readers can envision these men clenching their fists and tapping their feet with nervous energy and Chase reminds us at the close of every chapter in this climactic series of events that, “The Killers are coming.” It is a taunt that helps to create a sense of terrified anticipation. Each chapter is also quite short, often not more than three or four pages in length. This purposefully abrupt , snapshot approach jostles the reader from one event to the next, and is wonderful at generating the way that Emily Stone must feel when moving from one case to the next and not knowing who or what may be around the corner.

The new novel Compulsion by Jennifer Chase is a captivating thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page is read. The careful character development results in real, three-dimensional men and women, even if some of them are almost unimaginably horrifying. The plot, with its slowly revealed layers, is one that engages the readers immediately and takes them on quite an adventure. I was excited to read on Chase’s back cover that she is currently at work on the next book in the series. She can be certain that this new fan will be among the first to read the next installment. I believe that you, too, will find that Compulsion will leave you excited for more.
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Jan 14, 2012 Carolyn Arnold rated it 5 of 5 stars

A serial killer huntress

Everyone rates books on different things. For myself it’s whether or not the pages keep turning, and if it’s a story that draws me back to my Kindle to pick up where I left off. Chase’s unique writing style in COMPULSION fits this description.

Emily Stone has a past, and it drives her to find serial killers and bring the family of the victims some closure and justice. What she doesn’t realize is her line of work is about to catch up with her when she becomes the target of...more

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Oct 11, 2009 Author Anna del C. Dye rated it 4 of 5 stars

Compulsion
by Jennifer Chase tells the story of Emily Stone’s secret pursuit of serial killers, especially those who prey on children. Unce upon a time she was a police officer in her small town but soon realized that she had a nuck to figure out how the killers mind work. Her best friend is an officer in the force and he help her with her pursued of justice for the families and the child kill. She utilizes sophisticated high tech equipment both in her car and at home to track and identify suspec...more

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Mar 05, 2009 Tamera Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars

With her special talents and keen sense of criminal behavior, Emily Stone is on a mission to save innocent lives and take out the perpetrator at all costs. As a secret informer, she spends her time helping the police, revealing crucial information that she discovers.

As serial killers terrorize California, Stone is yet again on another mission to help the police stop the insanity before another victim is horribly murdered. But Stone becomes the target as the tables are turned and the serial kill...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Chase Brooks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Take a seat, grab a bag of popcorn, and get ready to dive into Compulsion. From page one, Jennifer Chase grips readers with a compelling story centered around the heroine Emily Stone and her passion for tracking down child abductors. When she discovers that a duo of local serial killers are after her, threatening to expose her identity and her end her life.

I found myself unable to peel myself away from this crime fiction novel, as the short chapters written from various perspectives kept the sto...more

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May 13, 2013 Peggy Holloway rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Dead Game before I read this one. This is apparently Jennifer's first book in the Emily Stone series. I think she learned a lot between the two books. In this one, she starts off writing in the present tense and then she begins skipping between the present and past, sometimes within one paragraph. It's very confusing and the only reason I didn't give it a five star.

I enjoyed the book very much. The plot was interesting and I love Emily Stone, the character. What she does, chasing serial k...more

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Jun 22, 2009 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Compulsion is a fresh and exciting debut focussing on crime and the devastating, life-changing effects it can have on everyone involved, including the cops who have the unenviable task of uncovering victims and digging them out of their shallow graves.

The heroine, Emily Stone, is a complex and well-written character who comes to terms with the injustice of a past tragedy by acquiring justice for her self and others through hunting down serial killers.

I have a weakness for cop and vigilante thr...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Darlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended

The Killers are Coming!

That's right two killers. Jennifer Chase takes us into the life of serial killer-hunter Emily Stone. Emily is the secret behind the resolution of many serial killings and kidnappings, but no one knows her name. Her messages to the appropriate detectives and investigators are always sent anonymously, but always full of information carefully collected to ensure convictions and long sentences for the criminals.

That is until one astute police officer traces the messages back t...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Vicki Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Page turner for sure, however it would have benefited from some editing. The story itself is compelling. Emily hunts for serial killers and provides the information to law enforcement. The clever twists in the plot, and the mounting fervor of the killer drive the story along relentlessly. I would have given this a 5 except for the need for editing, and I found that the dialogue and actions when it came to intimacy were quite awkward and stilted. Perhaps the author is more comfortable with crime...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Davis Aujourd'hui rated it 5 of 5 stars

Get ready for a page-turner! Compulsion is a thriller that will chill you as you turn up the heat flipping through the pages to see what will happen next. The action is furious and quick-paced. The plot twists and turns deliciously. The characters are engaging and will make you feel as if you know them intimately. God bless you if you ever meet up with a serial killer such as the two demons who do their dastardly deeds in this book!

I have not read a chiller that was as engaging as this book in y...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: psychological novel fans, crimes against women fans.

Recommended to Michael by: Author is a Goodreads friend and blog friend.

Shelves: hardboiled, action-thriller, author-s-first-book, mystery, own-it, read-in-2009, reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Emily Stone has a life mission. Her goal is to track down child killers and get evidence against them and then email the evidence to the police anonymously.
After one such report, she's run off the road in a hit and run accident.
Her car is wrecked and when police ask her about the weapons and laptop in the car, she tells them she's a writer and sometimes is in danger and the weapons, which are registered, are for protection.

When she gets home, her friend, Theresa Blandon, tells her about a crazy...more Emily Stone has a life mission. Her goal is to track down child killers and get evidence against them and then email the evidence to the police anonymously.
After one such report, she's run off the road in a hit and run accident.
Her car is wrecked and when police ask her about the weapons and laptop in the car, she tells them she's a writer and sometimes is in danger and the weapons, which are registered, are for protection.

When she gets home, her friend, Theresa Blandon, tells her about a crazy neighbor who just moved in and has been intimidating the neighbors.

Det. Ray Lopez is at his desk when Emily arrives at the station to ask the police to look into the neighbor, Donald Everett, and see what his background is. At first Ray is preoccupied but then he checks and finds that there have been many complaints against Everett but there's not enought for a search warrant. Ray is also captivated by Emily.

Emily can't seem to stop herself. At this point in the story, Emily's motivation is still unclear to the reader but not long after being run off the road and hospitalized, she hears of a murder of a young woman and she's back hunting serial killers. She goes to Pajaro, Arizona and looks for a likely place where the killers might commit their crimes. She finds the scene where the woman's body was found after being raped and murdered. Emily enters an old building looking for clues when the door slams behind her and someone locks her in. She hears a car leave and then a pit bull begins smashing against the door in an attempt to reach Emily. Emily is able to kick out an old wall and just reaches her car before the dog can get to her.

Back at home, she does something to upset Everett. Her motivation here is unclear and she seems to give no thought to what the crazy man might do to her friend Theresa or other neighbors. This seems illogical.

After leaving Everett, Emily knows where Ray Lopez is staying and visits him. She tells him about her past and that it is because her parents were murdered that she has this vandetta against serial killers. Then she asks Ray if he needs another pair of eyes to catch the serial killers who are working together in a current series of killings.

There is some good action in the book but the character doesn't make sense in some actions, i.e. going to the place where a murdered victim has been found without her weapons. Her decision against the crazy neighbor also seemed illogical.

That being said, it is an intelligent novel but still hard to read due to the sensitive matter of killers taking lives so easily. Still, give the novel a three and a half star rating.(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Nancy Silk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Emily Stone is a super crime fighter. For a woman so intense in revealing crimes, with evidence, of child predators and killers, you have to wonder what drives her to work alone without any back-up. She's a loner, telling people who inquire about her profession that she's a writer. But her massive collection of weapons and surveillance devices outshines even agents of local enforcement agencies. She has an uncanny skill of tracking down serial killers, and she only shares her reasons with Detect...more

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Aug 20, 2009 Alta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Where to start? I liked the book, however, I'm not a fan of present tense, it just throws me for some reason, I don't know why. That's not a deficiency of the book, just a personal preference of mine :)
That preference aside, it was a good story.

There were twists and turns in the plot. Some I saw coming, others I didn't. There were times I was confident in what I thought would happen, only to doubt myself a few pages later. I love to try to figure out who did it, and how an author's going to wra...more

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May 21, 2009 Diana marked it as to-read

Compulsion mixes CSI-style investigation with a ripped-from-the-headlines plot and a dose of romance for a keeps-you-guessing, fast-paced and savvy thriller, right up until the shocking finale. Read more about:
http://www.booklandheights.blogspot.c...

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Feb 23, 2009 Jennifer Chase rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

This book was a story in the making for some time. I finally decided to write it early last year. Thrillers, suspense and mystery novels are my favorite types of books to read. I hope that thriller lovers enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

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Feb 04, 2013 Shannon Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was the first introduction of Emily who spends her days searching out serial killers and child abductors. She has a special sense of where to start that the police do not. Very strong female character. Can not wait for many more books with Emily

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Feb 28, 2009 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here is a different kind of heroine who isn't afraid to take on the worst kind of killers.The story is fast paced and will keep you up all night reading.Chase knows how to build up suspense right up to the end. Great reading.

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Jan 15, 2012 Melana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Gave it three starts instead of four because of the lack of editing. It was distracting when reading. Otherwise I liked it and will keep reading.

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Sep 09, 2012 Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book even though I didn't think I would. The characters are well developed and developing; I actually cared what happened next. I look forward to reading Ms. Chase's other books.

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Jul 07, 2012 Jodie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great "who done it.". I also loved the short chapters. The book was really well-written. Surprising ending. Can't wait to read book 2. Highly recommend.

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Oct 06, 2010 Joyce Oroz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Emily book. Scared the socks off me! Jennifer knows how to put a great plot together...keep the lights on!

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Oct 11, 2012 Marian rated it 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this book down. Now I'm searching for other books by this author. Scary.

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Oct 18, 2010 Nicholas Beck rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was in general a good book. There were many things I liked about this novel including Emily's relentless attitude towards taking down serial killers, the looks into the lives of two radically different serial killers, and the way Emily was completely selfless in her pursuits of the worst kinds of killers. This novel was a little heavy on the police details which greatly effected my opinion, but to others that may be extremely appropriate. The book was a quick read and I will definitely read...more

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Dec 13, 2009 Nita Persaud added it

I am reading this book

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Oct 21, 2010 Georgiann Hennelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Compulsion tells the story of Emily Stone, talent for putting together pieces of evidence and recognizing things that elude law enforcement. Her main goal is to track serial killers and put them away she work,s alone, and anonymously, she sends an email with all the evidence to the police or the FBI.This is one of books you just don,t want to put down. Its a thiller and the suspense is strong. I look forward to more books by Jennifer Chase.

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Oct 07, 2011 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great characters and and a unique plot. Looking forward to reading the next Emily Stone novel from my "Goodreads friend", Jennifer Chase.

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May 19, 2013 Ali marked it as to-read

May 18, 2013 David marked it as to-read

May 18, 2013 Kimberly marked it as to-read

Apr 22, 2013 Ashley Bolden marked it as to-read

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About Jennifer Chase

Jennifer Chase is an award winning author, freelance writer, and criminologist. She has written four thriller novels, Compulsion, Dead Game, Silent Partner, and Dark Mind. In addition, she currently assists clients in ghostwriting, blog articles, copywriting, editing, and research.

She holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology. She also has certifications in s...more

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Compulsion (Emily Stone #1)

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