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Prior Bad Acts (Kovac and Liska #3)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 5,461 ratings · 230 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag returns with a thriller that begins with a shocking crime scene you’ll never forget and follows two relentless detectives on a manhunt that ends in a chilling confrontation with the essence of human evil.

It was a crime so brutal, it changed the lives of even the most hardened homicide cops. The Haas family murders left a scar on...more

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Published March 21st 2006 by Bantam (first published 2000)

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Mar 06, 2010 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: it-is-for-class

do you know how long it takes to listen to audio books?? this one is eleven hours and thirty-nine minutes! and i am not one of you cyborg kids who have all manner of machines strapped to you and dangling off of your tool belts like a williamsburg batman. i can only listen to this in my house, doing the dishes or cooking etc. but - jesus - eleven hours!! of this guy's voice!! as he raises the pitch to make lady-voices or baby-talks through a five-year-old character or slaps this comical minnesota...more do you know how long it takes to listen to audio books?? this one is eleven hours and thirty-nine minutes! and i am not one of you cyborg kids who have all manner of machines strapped to you and dangling off of your tool belts like a williamsburg batman. i can only listen to this in my house, doing the dishes or cooking etc. but - jesus - eleven hours!! of this guy's voice!! as he raises the pitch to make lady-voices or baby-talks through a five-year-old character or slaps this comical minnesotan accent on for one cop, or gets gruff, or creepy, or MAKES THUNDER NOISES as the characters require. it's like listening to a grown man play with dolls (and i have used that expression privately, to one of you goodreaders, and if you are reading this review, the association is intentional)

this is only my second audio book*. i have dfw reading "brief interviews", which is wonderful because it is his voice, and he knows how to read his own stuff, but i have great difficulty paying attention to the aural. in class, i pretty much write down everything teacher says because otherwise i will drift off and not remember anything but when i read my notes, i can remember it. hearing shit? i tune out, i daydream, it is not ideal for me.(i actually watch all my netflix with the subtitles on, because i find it helps me remember what happened) i had to start several chapters over because i had been having little dreamthoughts in my head that were entirely separate from the cd. audio must be great for you commuters who have to pay attention to the road and all. because i am chauffeured daily by the mta, i can read guaranteed a couple of hours a day, and not have to resort to this medium which limits my involvement by telling me where the inflections are. maybe as a reaction to the imaginative limitations, i misheard several lines and conjured up mental pictures different than intended:

"he let his gaze wander around the room"
"i've got a unit on the house"
"you're a target"
"bucking wildly"
"see kyle"
"she could feel his gaze on her"
"headlights washed over them"

it is important to enunciate.

as for the book itself -what can i say? it is a perfectly serviceable thriller; it's got a dead lady with flowers stuffed in a slit down her chest, some red herrings, an oddly schoolmarmish attitude towards pornography, and a bunch of dead bodies. it would have taken me far less time to read it than it did to listen to it, but the syllabus wants what the syllabus wants. sieg heil, indeed.

* except, of course, for this: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49...(less)

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Aug 27, 2008 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, wishlist-ebook-rebuy

Last time I read a Tami Hoag novel, I remember feeling a bit flat; the book in question, Kill the Messenger, hadn't done much for me. Now, though, I've finally gotten around to reading her paperback from last year--Prior Bad Acts--and I'm pleased to report that Ms. Hoag definitely still has it in her.

This book goes back to revisit a couple of characters she's written about before: Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska, the cops previously appearing in Dust to Dust. I've seen the formula of a pair of mixed-g...more

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Aug 13, 2007 LJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, police_procedural, minnesota, contemporary_post_1945

PRIOR BAD ACTS (Police Proc-Minneapolis, MN-Cont) – VG
Hoag, Tami – 3rd in series
Bantam, 2006- Amer Hardcover
*** When Judge Carey Moore refuses to allow the prior bad acts of Karl Dahl, accused of committing the brutal murder of a mother and two young children, she is vilified by the police and newspapers as being soft on killers. But someone is even more angry and severely beats her and later threatens her. Detective Sam Kovac is assigned to the case along with his partner Nikki Liska. They, too...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Michelle Randall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kidnapping, mystery, murder

I picked up this book at a library sale. Now when I added it to do my review, I find out that it is the third in a series, and I hate to read books out of order, but I think I can manage this one.

I have read a few Tami Hoag books before and I have always enjoyed the way she writes and how she spins a story.

This was amazing, it was a well written story with lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing the whole time. The murders were intense and might be hard to handle for some, but the detail...more I picked up this book at a library sale. Now when I added it to do my review, I find out that it is the third in a series, and I hate to read books out of order, but I think I can manage this one.

I have read a few Tami Hoag books before and I have always enjoyed the way she writes and how she spins a story.

This was amazing, it was a well written story with lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing the whole time. The murders were intense and might be hard to handle for some, but the details and well written and give you just enough information to understand the crime without being overly gory or too intense.

The emotions of the people in the story are so easy to relate to you, and you find yourself understanding and feeling for all the people in the story, not just the good guys. Even the emotions or lack of emotions in the bad guys are understandable.

This is a hard book to review in that you don't want to tell to much about the story for fear of giving awsay too many things and spoiling the book for the next person, but at the same time you want to get enough information to spur someone into reading it.

The story follows two main detectives and other minor detectives as they try to make a case in the brutal murder or a woman and her two children. Everyone in the case, including the town, blames a drifter. The story opens with the judge in the case having to make a hard decision about the drifters past, weather it is admissable in court or not. The thing is the writer really dealves into the judges mind in making the decision, you understand her conflict and her reasoning for making the ruling, even though it makes her unpopular in a minute in town, she does what she feels she has to based on the laws.

The story goes from there and tells what happens after the ruling, how it effects certain people in the case and the unhinging of minds.

I would encourage anyone who loves a mystery to read this. It will keep you guessing and make you respect and understand the work of the police, the lawyers and the judges more too.

(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Maureen Casey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book, and it was a good ending for the Kovac/Liska series. As with the previous books, I like the multiple character narration, and it lends itself naturally to good suspense building as it cuts away from a suspenseful point in one character's storyline to the simultaneous (I assume) story of someone else in the book.

There were a few loose threads that made me give this a 3-star rating:
1. Who was the very first character in the book that found the bodies? I would have liked...more I really liked this book, and it was a good ending for the Kovac/Liska series. As with the previous books, I like the multiple character narration, and it lends itself naturally to good suspense building as it cuts away from a suspenseful point in one character's storyline to the simultaneous (I assume) story of someone else in the book.

There were a few loose threads that made me give this a 3-star rating:
1. Who was the very first character in the book that found the bodies? I would have liked to have him at least mentioned as a witness or something. I read pretty quickly so maybe I missed that somewhere. Also, wasn't the house pretty much destroyed in the tornado? It sounded pretty bad, but then the family is living there 15 months later...

2. I know he's crazy and murderous, but why did Karl Dahl confess to those murders? I was expecting some sort of tie-in between the kid - Bobby Haas- and Karl that never came. Like that they were father/son or brothers or something since the kid was adopted.

3. I would have liked to see more of Karl Dahl as Karla Dahl- interacting with people. There was some -albeit dark- comic release in Karla roaming around town dressed as a middle aged woman while the entire city was hunting for him. All Karla did really was buy lunch and sit on a bench stalking the judge.

4. The Porn industry makes big big money- why was the judge's idiot husband paying for porn business expenses out of his home money. Makes no sense. That was laziness in the writing, it would have been more likely and interesting to find a ton of extra money rather than the hotel charges.

5. The detective gone awry, Stan Dempsey, was a kind of weird unbelievable character. The fact that this case set him over the edge was OK, but the fact that none of the other detectives knew anything about him is strange. He wasn't a uniformed officer- he was a detective who had to have been promoted on merit at some point in time, and would have had to work long stressful cases with all the other detectives. He simply couldn't have blended in to the wallpaper while working on murder cases, some variety of personality would have come through. So I didn't like his subplot. I wish he was written as more of a bad-ass Steven Seagal supercop that went off the deep end.

I like the way that the author progressed Kovac's character- after the tragedy he saw in the last book, he developed in a very real and human way. Liska, too, through the series made for a really believable and likable character.

You don't have to have read the previous two books in the series, as each book is a stand-alone story, but the progression and development of the characters is stitched through all three books. I would recommend to anyone who likes mystery/crime thrillers. (less)

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Jun 03, 2009 Mrs. Foley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hickman

I listened to the abridged version (six hours) of this book on a trip. It is a thrilling murder-mystery.

Review from Publishers Weekly (January 30, 2006)
A simple court hearing explodes into a multifaceted case at the start of this stunning meld of thriller and police procedural from bestseller Hoag. Shortly after Minneapolis judge Carey Moore decides that the many "prior bad acts" of accused serial killer Karl Dahl can't be used in his trial, Dahl escapes from jail and someone attacks Moore. Homi...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Angela~twistedmind~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys suspense, mystery, psychological terror

Even though I rarely read Hoag........for what reason, I do not know.........she never fails to deliver when I do pick something of hers up. Prior Bad Acts is a fast paced story. I read it relatively quickly (for me, anyway), because I was always anxious to turn each page to find out what happens next. The anger, the helplessness, the unstoppable feelings of guilt and anxiousness the characters go through are all very believable. The story just draws you in. I would recommend this book to anyone...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime

Carey Moore, former prosecuting attorney, has achieved her goal and is now a judge, like her father before her. As a judge, objectivity is essential, and Judge Moore is able, with effort, to abandon her former biases and consider each case on its merits. Now she bites the bullet to make a highly unpopular ruling in the case of an accused mass murderer, deciding that his record of "prior bad acts" is not admissible, on the grounds that they have no bearing on the current matter. And all hell brea...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Karl Dahl is in court for arraignment and the judge denies the use of any prior convictions by the prosecutor, which makes her hated by most of the town even though she is following the law as written. Dhal’s supposed crime is the brutal murder of a woman and her two foster children and the town is out for blood. One old time detective is now on desk duty because he could not handle the scene of the murder, after the judge’s ruling she is attacked getting into her car and only her car alarm scar...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 08, 2010 Sharal Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Wow! What can you say about a book that rips the rug out from under you and leaves you speechless with the shock of not having seen it coming? Once again, Tami Hoag delivers a story so well written that not only can you relate to the characters but she creates them in such a way that it feels like you know them personally. I hope to see more of Kovac and Judge Moore in future books. This high energy, intense suspense and high speed thriller leaves me only wanting more from this author. As more l...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tami-hoag

This latest Liska and Kovac book by Hoag starts with a judge making a ruling on a particularly gruesome murder case excluding any “prior bad acts” made by the accused. That day after leaving the courthouse the judge making the ruling is brutally attacked and almost killed. Also that same day the accused murderer escapes from jail. Amidst the chaos that ensues the judge is kidnapped and various other players in the case are being threatened and attacked. Who is responsible; the escaped prisoner,...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Deborah Bobo added it · review of another edition

Hoag, as always, writes an excellent thriller with so many twists and turns that it is difficult to predict. Judge Carey Moore has to make some difficult decisions. To top it off, her marriage is on the rocks. Moore is attacked in the parking garage after being hard-nosed about admissible evidence for an upcoming trial for a man that everyone believes committed a heinous triple murder. Enter Detective Sam Kovak. Sam is a tough guy with a soft spot for women in distress. Read this book to see if...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Benjamin Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, audio-books

I've completed another audio book, Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag. As usual, I selected this one from the library because it was by an author whose name I had seen time and again and yet had never read. My research indicates Tami Hoag got her start in romance novels but later turned to thriller novels and has since had 13 best sellers. Thriller novels are usually a good choice for my audio book habit because their very nature makes the plot easy to get back into each and every time I start it up ag...more I've completed another audio book, Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag. As usual, I selected this one from the library because it was by an author whose name I had seen time and again and yet had never read. My research indicates Tami Hoag got her start in romance novels but later turned to thriller novels and has since had 13 best sellers. Thriller novels are usually a good choice for my audio book habit because their very nature makes the plot easy to get back into each and every time I start it up again. Since I only listen to these when I travel to and from work, that's a key element.

The plot surrounds a Minneapolis judge, Carey Moore, who hands down a decision that prohibits the introduction of evidence about a murder committed by an accused serial killer with numerous prior crimes. She feels the suspect's prior bad acts are not relevant to the murder of the moment. But then the accused escapes from custody and shortly thereafter the judge is assaulted and then later, kidnapped. All evidence points to the escaped serial killer but of course that would be too simple and thus the real mystery of whodunnit. The novel is a "police procedural" style mystery with lots of methodical detective work by the main character, detective Sam Kovac. There are also several subplots which serve to drive the story forward.

Unfortunately, I have a tendancy to pick audio books that are part of a series and I hate not starting at the beginning. I wish the audio book makers would disclose such information on the outside cover; it would sure come in handy. This one turns out to be the third featuring the two main characters and it was evident throughout the story that I had missed out on some important backstory. As a result the novel fell a little flat for me, especially in the beginning when I was trying to get a handle on who was who. The characters just didn't come fully to life the way I prefer. I don't blame the author for that so much as the audio book people. As such I don't really consider this a fair test of Tami Hoag novels so will probably have to try another in the future. (less)

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Jul 12, 2010 Barbara ★ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-fbi-pi-cop, read-2010, set-in-usa-michigan

In typical Tami Hoag fashion, this twists and turns with surprise after surprise. The cops think they have the triple murderer in custody until the unthinkable happens and he escapes. Then it's a race to find him and protect the ones in the most danger from him. I haven't read the first two books in this series (Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust) but I really liked the dynamics between the partners. They use humor and sexual innuendos to get past the horror of their jobs. The banter between all the c...more

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Dec 12, 2007 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery-thriller

Took a break from serious reading for a couple fluff paperbacks I picked up at the local thrift store. Over the years I've read almost all Tami Hoag's books. They are formulaic but page-turners, all similar to each other, but significantly elevated by the fact that they all manage to keep you guessing until the end. She is not beyond killing off major characters, or making someone good turn bad, which heightens the suspense and keeps you from getting too comfortable in your expectations. Tempora...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Edel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This book was sooooo good.I have had the good luck of reading a lot of great books recently and this is another five star read. The story begins with the death of a mother and her two foster children in a very grisly manner, and the result of the murder trial of the person who did it. The case became controversial due to a decision made by the Judge at the trial.Carey Moore is the Judge and her decision will now effect the safety of her small family . This is a tense and tragic story with distur...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Marca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Crud, I forgot that Tami Hoag weaves romance into her mysteries – not my thing. However, the mystery was good and I wanted to see how the book ended so I kept reading. The good: good mystery, generally good writing and characters. The bleh: unrealistic romance (grizzled detective lusting after young, beautiful judge); a weird 1940’s gangster dialog with said grizzled detective – I began to envision James Cagney in a fedora; and a police force that goes up in flames, enraged by a judicial ruling...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Shannan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't read Tami Hoag in several years, but I picked this book up on a whim from the used book store and it reminded me of why I like her. I figured out whodunnit pretty quickly, but it in no way spoiled the tension of the book, as the original "whodunnit" was more of a catalyst than a mystery in and of itself.

Characterization was sharp; plotting, tight. I'm looking forward to going back and reading the others in this series.

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Oct 17, 2008 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Kellerman, Deaver, Cornwall

This is the first Tami Hoag book I've read. I previously associated this author with the romance genre as opposed to mysteries.

I took Prior Bad Acts on a recent trip. For any book to hold my attention when I am reading it sporadically is a challenge, and this rose to the occasion. Though it didn't deviate from the standard mystery format, it was well paced and, well, mysterious.

As a fan of Linda Fairstein, Jonathan Kellerman and Jeffrey Deaver, I was delighted to discover a "new" novelist that...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Picked up via bookcrossing, wasn't aware it was a 3rd in a series so perfectly readable on it's own. I really enjoyed the book, found it gripping and thrilling. Mostly didn't know where the plot was going to end up, though I did have an idea on a couple of things nearing the end that turned out to be right. I thought it was very good crime thriller and may read some of the authors other books at some point.

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Dec 22, 2011 Donna Mcnab rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When a family is brutally murdered, Judge Carey Moore rules that the accused murdered's prior record is inadmissable. This starts a chain of actions against the judge. Detectives Sam Kovak and Nikki Liska are assigned to solve the case and to keep the judge from further harm. There is no lack os suspects as the case becomes more and more complicated. Tami Hoag weaves a good tale and this one does not disappoint.

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Feb 02, 2009 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first time I've read a book by Tami Hoag. It was a pleasant experience. This mystery is well written and has a very tight plot. Frequently I would realize that what seemed like an innocuous piece of information, chapters later is a significant clue. The story may take place on the streets of Mineapolis, but it has more twists and turns than a back road in the Rocky Mountains.

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Mar 31, 2013 Cindy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OMG- I've never read Hoag before- picked this one up out of curiosity. Forced, simplistic writing. I can't even call it a guilty pleasure :-( Predictable, the story line is so contrived, high school level writing. If this is indicative of her style, I won't be reading another of hers. I gave an extra star because it was so short, and I didn't have to suffer too long.

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May 24, 2011 Donna Halloran rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked the characters a TON, but the story was only ok. I figured out the true killer pretty early on. Then there was so much reference to the horrible crime - I am glad I didn't have to ever read about the details of it, but it got a little annoying that it was so mysteriously horrible. I would give it 2 1/2, but, alas, that is not allowed.

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Sep 21, 2012 Luan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You know, sometimes I'm thinking that unless a book in a series really falls off, that I should only review the first book and then just give stars. Because what more can I say? I like this author and get her books on tape to listen to while I clean house. Books like these make cleaning so much more enjoyable!

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Mar 15, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I had a lot of hope for this book because I loved the Kovak/Liska team but the story didn't have it's usual spice. It's as though someone else wrote the book based on the two characters. As a result I found it difficult to get through the first half, but luckily it picked up towards the end.

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May 16, 2013 Nel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed listening to this book on CD in my travels to and from work. The dialogue between Liska and her colleagues is great as it shows they all have a mutual respect for one another. The characters are easily identifiable and not confusing as to who they are. I can't wait for the next Kovak and Liska book to come out this summer!

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Mar 03, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After a horendous murder of a woman and her 2 foster children rocks the community Detective Kovac finds himself protecting a judge who was attacked after ruling for the killer. He subsequently escapes from jail and goes looking for the judge to voice his "appreciation".

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May 18, 2011 Darren Kirby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lots of characters, but they each had their own personality. A few too many cop characters for my liking, but that was a minor aspect to the story. Wasn't sure who the main culprit was, and there were a few candidates that could easily fit the bill. Good read!

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About Tami Hoag

Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of thirty books. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times bestseller list with Night Sins, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She lives in Southern California and Florida.

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“Perps didn't always get their just deserts in this life. That was one of the reasons she kept believing in God, the hope that he would kick ass in the afterlife.” — 1 person liked it

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Prior Bad Acts (Kovac and Liska #3)

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