No Way Out (The Karen Vail Series)

"No Way Out"
By Alan Jacobson
Reviewed by Russell Ilg

No Way Out is the latest and greatest installment of the FBI Profiler Karen Vail series. In this best novel of the year contender, Karen is taken out of her comfort zone and sent to England to help Scotland Yard with a threat assessment. On the surface, it looks to be a quick in-and-out job. But this simple case takes on a life of its own that soon becomes a much more complex, challenging, and dangerous matter that puts her in a tough position: there appears to be No Way Out for her--and, quite literally, getting home may never happen. There is nothing you can do to get ready for what lurks around the corners in this thriller. It's fresh and original, and even makes you think--about our history, about personal and governmental security, even about enhanced interrogation.

All of Alan Jacobson's novels are two-read books for me, and No Way Out was no exception. It starts off with a bang and the pacing is exceptional. The twists and turns occur so rapidly, and frequently, that I found myself reading faster and faster because I had to know what was going to happen next. As with Jacobson's other novels, I galloped along with its breakneck pace, and after reaching the end, I took a day to absorb it all. I then started reading it again, from page one, to find all the small things that I missed the first time. I find it a great way to enjoy Jacobson's books.

As with all the Karen Vail novels, this is by far one of the best reads of the year and stands head and shoulders above the crowded field of new releases this fall. No Way Out will have you reading way longer than you had planned, well into the night. One of the reasons is Karen Vail. Not only do we respect her as a gifted profiler, but she feels "real" to the reader. She's not perfect as an individual or as a law enforcement officer, but she possesses a dogged tenacity that compels her to get to the heart of what's going on. It's this quality that makes her so good at what she does as she forges her way forward, looking for a way to get to the bottom of the hardest cases that come her way.

And just what is going on in No Way Out? Jacobson covers so much ground that it'd be impossible to recap the story, certainly without giving away key plot elements, because everything in this book builds on itself. Simply stated, it starts off with the find of a rare manuscript--one over 400 years old--that has significance to world history. More than that I won't say. But before you know it, there's a full-blown catastrophe afoot, and Karen Vail, and her covert operative friend, Hector DeSantos, have to sort it out. Will they? And will they do it in time? Equally important, who can be trusted?

Alan Jacobson is one of the very rare authors that writes what I have started to refer to as "fact fiction," where the novel is based on real places, capturing the way the local people really live and act, which makes the setting come alive. There is only one way Jacobson can do this and that is by spending a huge amount of time in the area to learn all he can about the place and its local culture, with the help and support of the police and other major agencies. You know that the areas where his novels take you are all real because he has been there and walked the streets and talked with people in each location. The result is that you learn how things really happen, whether it be a prison in the US or some country in Europe. There are very few authors who take the time, expense and effort to do this, and it adds levels of depth to the characters, setting, and dialogue that can't otherwise exist. That's one thing that makes No Way Out, set in England and featuring the clash of British and American cultures, a standout thriller.

No Way Out is a must read for all thriller fans, by far one of the most exciting novels of the fall and the perfect book to take on vacation. You will not read a better book this year.

Very good action thriller with all the normal fight scenes, car chases and James Bond type action. Good story line of CIA/FBI/MI5 operatives saving Britain from a terrorist attack. The main character Karen Vail I believe has been overworked as to me she was very unlikeable, gobby, know it all, with ego to match. She could have been toned down a little to make her acceptance with her peers more believable. Written for an American audience the author added various references to the differences between English and American English, one or two of these changes in language use is fine and makes the point, overuse makes them irritating, as does calling police cars "cruisers" .

The story was told at a fast pace with action in every chapter. This is the kind of story ideal for making into a movie, however I not sure Karen Vail would have the same appeal as James Bond. Although I have some misgivings the book is very enjoyable and therefore meets my criteria for recommendation.

I love Alan Jacobson's novel featuring Karen Vail. However, I couldn't get into this one. I gave up around page 30. It is much different than the usual novels. The main character (partnered with someone form the New Scotland Yard) is traveling from country to country and is involved with a case that doesn't seem to be her usual fair. Maybe one day I'll try reading it again, but it won't be any time soon.

I found this book to be a very hard read and not at all like Jacobson's previous books, he changed his format so much that I got bored and skipped to the last chapter after reading half the book.... It's espionage, so if that's what you like you may enjoy it but if you loved his previous Karen Vail books, I think you will be as disappointed as I was...........

In the fifth Karen Vail installment, the great FBI profiler gets to take a trip across the pond and enjoy some bangers and mash, visit Big Ben and help out some bobbies . . . no, actually, it's much more cooler than that. Vail finds herself on orders to help out New Scotland Yard with a special kind of case that soon turns into something much more complex and terrifying, dragging her from the world of profiling and tracking to outright black ops. But if there's anyone who can handle it, it's the awesome Karen Vail.

No Way Out opens with Vail teaching a class at a conference in Madrid, Spain and soon finds herself in hot water and on the wrong side of the policía. Before things can get too heated, Vail gets dispatched to jolly old England for the first time in her life to help out New Scotland Yard with an explosion at a private collector's gallery. But constables are not expecting much from a "profiler," even when Vail starts doing her detective work and putting the pieces together.

At the heart of the explosion appears to be an attack against the supposed discovery of an original folio of one William Shakespeare, penned in his own hand. What's more startling is its possible link to a theory that Shakespeare's works were in fact originally written by a "dark-skinned" Italian Jewish woman, one Amelia Bassano Lanier. Since England is more synonymous with Shakespeare than the Beatles, it would come as a shocking, thermonuclear blow to the Brit population as a whole.

But as Vail continues to dig deeper, everything is not as it seems, and the case is far more complex and sinister and has ties deep within the British government. Plus one of the guys involved in solving everything turns out to be an old friend of Vail's, Desantos, who's working undercover and will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of these terrorist attacks. Because the guy behind it all is on the world's most wanted list, Desantos has a score to settle, both on an international and a personal level.

No Way Out is the best Karen Vail novel yet, because Alan Jacobson has outdone himself with the research. As someone with a British parent and friends in Britain and having taken a number of vacations to London and the surrounding areas, I take a perverse joy in nitpicking and critiquing novels set in Britain that aren't always accurate. No Way Out whisked me away to London and planted me firmly there with the culture, the language, the vocabulary . . . Jacobson did a fantastic job.

As for the detail with the British police service, MI5, British military, and even a US aircraft carrier, Jacobson has again done the work and immerses the reader seamlessly into this world. There are also a number of scenes involving the unusual British aircraft the Osprey, culminating in a final action scene that may be one of the best you will read.

What makes a Karen Vail novel so enjoyable is that Jacobson makes them as real as possible. The characters try hunches and ideas and risky plans, but unlike most thrillers, they don't all work. There are failures and the characters have to go back to the drawing board and start again. It makes for more interesting and believable conflict in the story and keeps that reader reading.

No Way Out goes beyond being a great summer read, and may be one of if not the best thriller of 2013. Fans will love it, and brand new readers will also. Jacobson explains any necessary back-story, escorting the reader along on one wild ride that the reader wishes partly to never end, but at the same time want to find out how it all ends.

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The Karen Vail series is one that draws you in to get to know the characters. You are rooting for her while at the same time you are wanting to kick her butt!!! No Way Out is a very dramatic fast paced book that teaches you so many of the nuances that come into play while fighting crime. It's almost so well researched you feel like it's a true story account of an actual event. There is an element of right/wrong that makes the reader think about choices and what they would do in that type of situation. It is an excellent read and very well worth the purchase, you will want to read it more than once.

Great book, highly recommended!! My best friend got me one of the Karen Vail series books she found at the dollar store and after reading that one I had to come on amazon and purchase every other book ever written by Alan Jacobson. If you like shows such as SVU, NCIS and other criminal mysteries like those you will also love the series of books by this author, very talented!

Alan Jacobson has created an amazing female character in Karen Vail. Tough, sincere, logical, willing to take risks, intelligent, and, above all, will do whatever is required to see justice prevail. Have loved this series from the first book and Alan Jacobson never fails to disappoint his fans. This one had me biting my nails and keeping me up way too late. I want to thank Alan Jacobson for truly wonderful stories and the time spent enjoying them. Only hope we don't have to wait too long for the next one!

I have read all of Alan Jacobson's books and always love them, in particular the Karen Vail series. No Way Out is my new favorite of the series! The details are amazing,the twists are unexpected and the story is a thriller! A must read, pick up this book and the others in the series, you'll be hooked and become an instant fan of Alan's writing!

This is Alan Jacobson's best book yet. I was pulled in from the start. I found the premise facinating. The twists and turns kept me reading. I didn't want to put it down. Mr. Jacobson, I hope you're working on your next Karen Vail book. I can't wait to read more.