The Night Monster    by James Swain Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2009 (2009) Hardcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Bob Walch When Jack Carpenter was the head of the Broward County Missing Persons Unit, he witnessed the abduction of a college girl by a large assailant but could do nothing to stop the kidnapping. The investigation went nowhere and Jack eventually retired to become a private investigator. Now, Jack's daughter has asked him to look into a stalker who has been shadowing the members of her college basketball team. Once again, Jack witnesses a kidnapping and, even more disturbing, he recognizes the man responsible for the abduction eighteen years earlier. Joining forces with the kidnap victim's father, the FBI and his former unit's new commander, Jack follows a twisted trail that goes from a shuttered mental asylum with an infamous past to a small town that harbors a ghastly secret. Even more disturbing than the current investigation is the realization that there has been a pattern of disappearances over the years. Convinced that if the massive kidnapper isn't quickly tracked down he'll not only disappear again but more young women will go missing, Jack pulls out all the stops in a thriller you'll not soon forget. According to James Swain, part of the inspiration for this novel came from the fact that there have been a series of abductions of college coeds in his home state of Florida over the past two decades that have yet to be solved. He also used information a friend supplied on a homicide that went unsolved for twenty years before it was finally reopened and resolved. Swain's Jack Carpenter novels have been called immensely satisfying and compelling. You'll find out why his work has generated so much positive attention when you read The Night Monster. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews