What do you think?
Rate this book
Susan Pulaski #2
Strip Search
She likes the sudden seconds of sheer terror. The neon dreams fit perfectly with the dreams that wake her up at night: about the man she loved and lost, about the constant temptations in her life, and about the odds that inevitably she’ll be in the right place at the right time to look naked, human madness in the eye.
Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims� bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.
Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-six-year-old whose autistic savant skills are perfect for unraveling such mysteries as how many rivets are in the Eiffel Tower and how many Elvis impersonators there will be in the year 2020. As it turns out, innocent Darcy can also think along the arcane lines of Vegas’s most savage serial killer, peering into a numerological mystery that stretches back hundreds of years.
With her own life one spark away from going off the rails, her department turned against her, and the lives of those she cares most about in jeopardy, Pulaski hunts for dangerous prey in the shadow of the Strip–with herself as the perfect bait. And the closer she gets, the more terrifying and intriguing the case becomes, for the person she’s tracking possesses truly ingenious powers–and a heart full of hate.
The incomparable William Bernhardt brings to life America’s most fascinating city and the people who police it, while he invites the reader to join one woman’s fight to stay sane, stay alive, and keep a killer from making the most shocking score of all.
From the Hardcover edition.
Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims� bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.
Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-six-year-old whose autistic savant skills are perfect for unraveling such mysteries as how many rivets are in the Eiffel Tower and how many Elvis impersonators there will be in the year 2020. As it turns out, innocent Darcy can also think along the arcane lines of Vegas’s most savage serial killer, peering into a numerological mystery that stretches back hundreds of years.
With her own life one spark away from going off the rails, her department turned against her, and the lives of those she cares most about in jeopardy, Pulaski hunts for dangerous prey in the shadow of the Strip–with herself as the perfect bait. And the closer she gets, the more terrifying and intriguing the case becomes, for the person she’s tracking possesses truly ingenious powers–and a heart full of hate.
The incomparable William Bernhardt brings to life America’s most fascinating city and the people who police it, while he invites the reader to join one woman’s fight to stay sane, stay alive, and keep a killer from making the most shocking score of all.
From the Hardcover edition.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
47 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
William Bernhardt
99books492followersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.� The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.�
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.�
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.�
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.� The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.�
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.�
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.�
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 3, 2016
Suspense, genius, madness, math, addiction, sex, birth, cancer ... and a perfect cozy-type ending.
Looking forward to discussing this one with book club.
Looking forward to discussing this one with book club.
December 4, 2011
Strip Search is the 2nd book in the Susan Pulaski series by William Bernhardt. Susan is a psychologist working as a behaviorist consultant for the modern-day Las Vegas Police Department. Susan was a full-fledged officer for years until her husband's death and her alcoholic breakdown. Lead homicide detective Granger resents Susan for two reasons: he only got the lead job when she lost it, and her husband was his partner. Chief O'Bannon appreciates Susan's skill as a profiler but fears she may no longer be able to handle the stress of a tough murder case. Susan has a strong friendship with the chief's autistic son Darcy, and his brilliance has been key to solving previous investigations. Darcy wants to be a detective and has a powerful crush on Susan.
A serial killer is dismembering victims and leaving behind mathematical equations as clues. Darcy would be a natural to solve the math clues, but O'Bannon forbids Susan to include Darcy on the case due to the danger. Susan's best friend Amelia is a crime scene analyst who provides friendly "down time" support with dinners after work. Under mounting pressure, Susan finds herself unable to make significant progress profiling the murderer, and copes with tranquilizers (rather than alcohol).
The story effectively portrays how situations go wrong: Susan sabotages her ability by her weakness, and O'Bannon and Granger hamper the investigation by preventing access. Susan and Darcy must break the rules and place themselves in extreme danger to solve the case.
A serial killer is dismembering victims and leaving behind mathematical equations as clues. Darcy would be a natural to solve the math clues, but O'Bannon forbids Susan to include Darcy on the case due to the danger. Susan's best friend Amelia is a crime scene analyst who provides friendly "down time" support with dinners after work. Under mounting pressure, Susan finds herself unable to make significant progress profiling the murderer, and copes with tranquilizers (rather than alcohol).
The story effectively portrays how situations go wrong: Susan sabotages her ability by her weakness, and O'Bannon and Granger hamper the investigation by preventing access. Susan and Darcy must break the rules and place themselves in extreme danger to solve the case.
February 2, 2015
This is a fast-paced read that I can best describe as an intellectual thriller. The plot revolves around intricate math, philosophy, and religion. For me, the math really overpowers the story. This aspect is quite detailed, and at times feels as if we've shifted into textbook reading.
The characters feel secondary to the plot. They aren't especially well developed or believable. Susan has a background in psychology, yet is unable to grasp the most obvious cues in her personal and professional life. Granger, Susan's nemesis, is a a one-dimensional stereotype. The 'bad guys' are a muddled mess. I think, in the end, the author was going for sympathetic appeal, though it just didn't work for me. The only character I connected with and enjoyed was Darcy.
A major incident between Susan and her supposed best friend is just absurd. I don't want to give spoilers, and it's hard to clarify this without doing so. But this incident is a major turning point for Susan, and the fact that neither Susan nor her best friend foresaw the outcome, particularly given their levels of intelligence and experience, simply lacks credulity.
The writing itself flows well, and did keep me reading to find out what happened. But, in hindsight, I wouldn't choose it to read and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
The characters feel secondary to the plot. They aren't especially well developed or believable. Susan has a background in psychology, yet is unable to grasp the most obvious cues in her personal and professional life. Granger, Susan's nemesis, is a a one-dimensional stereotype. The 'bad guys' are a muddled mess. I think, in the end, the author was going for sympathetic appeal, though it just didn't work for me. The only character I connected with and enjoyed was Darcy.
A major incident between Susan and her supposed best friend is just absurd. I don't want to give spoilers, and it's hard to clarify this without doing so. But this incident is a major turning point for Susan, and the fact that neither Susan nor her best friend foresaw the outcome, particularly given their levels of intelligence and experience, simply lacks credulity.
The writing itself flows well, and did keep me reading to find out what happened. But, in hindsight, I wouldn't choose it to read and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
October 18, 2019
She likes the sudden seconds of sheer terror. The neon dreams fit perfectly with the dreams that wake her up at night: about the man she loved and lost, about the constant temptations in her life, and about the odds that inevitably she’ll be in the right place at the right time to look naked, human madness in the eye.
Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims� bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.
Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims� bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.
May 30, 2019
I’ve enjoyed most of the Ben Kincaid books but don’t care so much for the main character in the Susan Pulaski series. Her conflict with her boss gets old too. The only bright spot is the artistic son of the chief. Darcy is socially awkward but a math savant & has an endearing personality. Plot? Bernhardt has reread Silence of the Lambs too many times but despite the graphic violence can’t sustain the level of suspense that Harris can. Too long since I’d read Dark Eye. Otherwise I’d have given this one a pass
August 19, 2021
This is my first read for this series, which means I’m coming in late but I never felt lost. The author does give the perspective of the serial killers, so it has a nice, fun, ‘twisted� vibe to it. This alternates with the police procedural thing, but there’s a twist there too, thanks to the lovable Darcy.
Absolutely will read more in this series. Super fun read.
4 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Note:
I listened to the audiobook and found it to be a great performance. Production-wise though, there was a bit of extraneous noise and buzzing in the background.
Absolutely will read more in this series. Super fun read.
4 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Note:
I listened to the audiobook and found it to be a great performance. Production-wise though, there was a bit of extraneous noise and buzzing in the background.
October 23, 2018
I picked this book up looking for comparables to my own writing. I loved that I got caught up in the story so much I forgot why I picked the book up. I stopped being a writer "working" and just read.
December 28, 2017
Some unique stuff, including some math, which as a math teacher, I always appreciate.
September 5, 2018
A bit gory and violent - but I liked the way it was presented. Good story.
June 9, 2022
Gory but interesting thriller with an unusual protagonist....
June 20, 2022
I wish there were more in this series.
January 8, 2023
Audio version of this book 📚- An ok listen but needed to have listened/ read book one first as a lot of the storyline was mentioned
January 17, 2016
This was my first William Bernhardt book, so I may give him another chance but...
This book made me yell at certain pages like some people yell at a movie screen when something completely stupid happens. It would take pages to discuss all of the problems with this book so I will just give a few of the bigger ones here.
1. The characters are not well developed. It was all but impossible to know any of the people in the book well enough to care about what happened to them along the way.
2. On a scale of realistic situations between 1 and 10, with 10 being the most realistic, this book gets a .05. There were dozens of examples of things so outlandish that I wanted to call the author and ask if he was serious or if he allowed some young relative to write certain chapters.
3. Most of the premises meant to build "drama" or "suspense" lacked foundation. In one part the main character is said to have bungled the investigation in many ways and was hanging on by a thread. The problem was there were no mistakes made, just the usual process of putting the pieces together. The author just made other characters over-react to create tension.
In conclusion, I know that everyone has a different taste in books. This author has obviously sold a few copies, but I would not give this book more than fifty pages, if you don't like it, don't waste any more time. I won't give his next book more than that, if I find one I will even consider.
This book made me yell at certain pages like some people yell at a movie screen when something completely stupid happens. It would take pages to discuss all of the problems with this book so I will just give a few of the bigger ones here.
1. The characters are not well developed. It was all but impossible to know any of the people in the book well enough to care about what happened to them along the way.
2. On a scale of realistic situations between 1 and 10, with 10 being the most realistic, this book gets a .05. There were dozens of examples of things so outlandish that I wanted to call the author and ask if he was serious or if he allowed some young relative to write certain chapters.
3. Most of the premises meant to build "drama" or "suspense" lacked foundation. In one part the main character is said to have bungled the investigation in many ways and was hanging on by a thread. The problem was there were no mistakes made, just the usual process of putting the pieces together. The author just made other characters over-react to create tension.
In conclusion, I know that everyone has a different taste in books. This author has obviously sold a few copies, but I would not give this book more than fifty pages, if you don't like it, don't waste any more time. I won't give his next book more than that, if I find one I will even consider.
October 16, 2011
This was, I suppose, a relatively solid sequel to Dark Eye: A Novel of Suspense, but it wasn't as exciting or engaging as the first. I certainly would not recommend reading it without first reading Dark Eye: A Novel of Suspense. This set of serial murders revolves around math. I am not particularly inclined towards math, so I certainly did not catch any errata there, and found the premise to be more engaging than I would have otherwise expected. The book's main flaw fell into the realm of character development. In Dark Eye: A Novel of Suspense, Susan's weaknesses are well-grounded and explicable. Here, her addictions take a new and far less credible turn. The role her supposed "new best friend" plays is downright unbelievable, and caused a general lack of sympathy for both her and Susan. Susan's relationship with Darcy was still interesting, but also became less and less credible, and though it seems this is where the series ends, the conclusion is open enough that Bernhardt left room to continue their arc. Perhaps he ran out of ideas for Susan's addiction to turn? I did think that the autistic angle made for an interesting premise, but ultimately this one did not really measure up to the first book.
April 19, 2014
I liked Susan and Darcy's characters. I find the sexual abuse of children by parents to be more graphic thani wanted and more pervasive as a topic thani wanted to read in escape fiction.
Down to 2 stars due to the child abuse.
I do understand why he included it since it was contralto motivation.
But as a mandated reporter, I don't want my leisure reading to include it.
Sorry!!!
Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims� bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.
Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-six-year-old whose autistic savant skills are perfect for unraveling such mysteries as how many rivets are in the Eiffel Tower and how many Elvis imperso
Down to 2 stars due to the child abuse.
I do understand why he included it since it was contralto motivation.
But as a mandated reporter, I don't want my leisure reading to include it.
Sorry!!!
Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who’s already been canned once and has never been needed more. In the Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their past. The killer’s gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims� bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas–in their blood. Pulaski doesn’t have a clue what the codes mean. But she knows someone who will.
Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-six-year-old whose autistic savant skills are perfect for unraveling such mysteries as how many rivets are in the Eiffel Tower and how many Elvis imperso
August 18, 2009
This was a fast and furious suspense/thriller with elements of psychology and descrptions of gruesome mutilations (the book starts with a man getting his face “deep-fried�). This is the second in the series featuring Susan Pulaski (first one is DARK EYE), a Las Vegas police behaviorist and her sidekick, Darcy O’Bannon, an autistic savant and son of the police chief. Susan is hired to profile the killer that is targeting people who have in some way neglected a past offspring. A past alcoholic and quite obnoxious at times, Susan isn’t a particularly likeable character, but the story barrels along quite nicely despite knowing from the start who is masterminding the killings. One issue I had with the book was that at times I felt part of the explanations of autism and part of the plot was borrowed from THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME (an excellent novel of an autistic teen).
October 10, 2011
Strip Search involves a homicide investigation, as seen through the eyes of two people:
Susan Pulaski, a Las Vegas police behaviorist, and Darcy O’Bannion, an autistic savant.
Part of the story is told from Darcy’s point of view, with stream-of-consciousness paragraph-long sentences in which he treats himself like a computer, forcing himself to stop and reboot on occasion when he gets so overloaded with facts that he can’t communicate. Those sections are an enlightening look at how an autistic person’s thought processes may actually work. Even for those who don’t like police procedurals or suspense/mysteries might enjoy reading Strip Search for the insights it gives into an autistic savant’s mind and character. For those who do like this type of mystery, it’s also an exciting story.
Susan Pulaski, a Las Vegas police behaviorist, and Darcy O’Bannion, an autistic savant.
Part of the story is told from Darcy’s point of view, with stream-of-consciousness paragraph-long sentences in which he treats himself like a computer, forcing himself to stop and reboot on occasion when he gets so overloaded with facts that he can’t communicate. Those sections are an enlightening look at how an autistic person’s thought processes may actually work. Even for those who don’t like police procedurals or suspense/mysteries might enjoy reading Strip Search for the insights it gives into an autistic savant’s mind and character. For those who do like this type of mystery, it’s also an exciting story.
July 23, 2016
When I reviewed the first book in this series, a specific aspect of the violence described put me off. This second journey with Susan Pulaski also contained graphic violence, but this time my enjoyment of the tight story and intriguing complexity involved was in no way diminished. The characters were more vital this time around and the motivations well defined. This was a fine read. It was also exciting in a way that many books try to be, but aren't. I read it in a single sitting because I could not put it down. This is Bernhardt at the top of his form. I look forward to more stories with this protagonist and her astonishing assistant, Darcy.
August 2, 2009
This book is why we should never judge a book by it's cover, or in this case it's title. My husband got this book for free and I almost didn't read it because the title made me think it was something entirely different than it turned out to be. After reading the description on the back, I was intrigued. It turned out to be a pretty good read with enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
October 7, 2012
Definitely a weaker effort compared to Dark Eye, the first book in this series. But I simply find the Susan/Darcy dynamic really compelling -- unlike any other books out there. Plus, a good serial killer tale is always a plus. Will be interested to see where the author takes these characters on the third round -- if there is another. This second one was perillously close to repeating the first in certain key ways, so the third book will be make or break.
August 4, 2014
Susan is a typical flawed cop character, and I had a hard time not shouting at the audio book while driving because she does such stupid things. I suppose it's an indicator of a well-crafted story when it makes you react in some way. But my frustrations with this Susan not understanding basic math concepts while having a Masters degree overrode my willingness to accept her as a flawed protagonist.
May 11, 2009
This is a newer series created by William Bernhardt. The heroine is a recovering alcoholic, whose husband committed suicide. She is a contract employee for the Las Vegas PD and she partners with the autistic son of the police chief. It's a great story, and like the Ben Kincaide series, the characters are a likable bunch. . . the villian is very, very evil!
October 25, 2011
I wasn't impressed with this story mostly because of I got tired of the main character's fragile psyche and her dipping into drugs to deal with her demons. This made it hard to rally behind anything she did or accomplished. I doubt I will read anything more that involves her.
I did enjoy meeting the math whiz.
I did enjoy meeting the math whiz.
February 1, 2013
Someone in Las Vegas is murdering and mutilating people who who have had dealings with the Department of Human Services and is leaving clues in the form of mathmathecial formulas. Alcoholic ex-police officer and now police behavioral consultan Susan Pulaski aided by autistic math salvant Darcy, who is the police chief's son, have to profile the killer beffore the number of victims mount.
May 31, 2014
While this is hardly great literature, I did enjoy it. A detective procedural novel. The interesting thing here (at least to me) is the son of the chief of police. Darcy is a highly functioning autistic mathematics savant. It is through Darcy's extraordinary math abilities that his friend, Susan Pulaski, a psychologist and former detective, is able to solve a serial killer case.
May 1, 2015
I have read many Ben Kincaid stories...and I usually have a good time with the author's works. But this time his charming autistic helper, Darcy, could not get me past all the extremely graphic violence. The nature of the crimes was, well... yucky. A face melting in French fry fat... told in some detail? No.
August 11, 2015
This is the 1st book I have read by this author. The story is weird, creepy, scary as hell, takes you to the depths of depravity - and you can't put it down! The team of Susan Pulaski, police behaviorist, and Darcy O'Bannon, autistic savant who notices clues no one else does and uses math to setermine other clues no one else understands, is a winning team. I want more of these!
February 29, 2016
Although I liked the basic concept of this book, there was too much psychoanalysis stuff that was way beyond my understanding and the math explanations were really far out. The witty remarks between Susan and Granger were worth while. Darcy was delightful. I am glad he finally got his wish to become part of the police force.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.