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liz_ross's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I am not even sure why I bought this book. But I can say without doubts that I don't regret it even for a second. This book is really good!
The surprises started right when I began reading and I guess that's one of the things I liked the most, because it never really stopped surprising me. And I am not talking about the regular surprises you can find in a Murder Mystery like who the next victim or the killer is. I am talking about surprises that you could have found in any genre and that allowed this book to stand out, to be different from every other book.
So, let's start by the first, pleasant surprise, which was also the one that gave me the most joy. I had read the synopsis before starting reading the book and I knew Nate was a police sketch artist and that the assassin was avery troubled artist himself. But I never thought for a second that I would get the chance to see their drawings myself, I just assumed they would be mentioned and I would have to try to imagine them. But I did get to see the drawings. They appear as part of the story, complementing it and making it extraordinarily more realistic, in a way that Santlofer would have never achieved if they hadn't been included. But the joy those drawings gave me wasn't just about how much more realistic they made the story. It was also about that childish fascination and joy I was able to get.
Let me explain. We all have those memories from when we were children that we cherish and love. When it comes to books, they are obviously about those moments when people you love read you this or that story while you delighted yourself with the pictures that filled the book. And when I got this book and saw all those pictures those were the memories that came to my mind and obviously it's not the same thing - please don't show the drawings in this book to any child because of my comparation, I don't want to be responsible for them needing therapy! -, but a part of my brain associated the two things in such a way that I would get incredibly happy just for the chance of seeing those drawings.
So, my happy inner child was somehow not getting traumatized with those drawings while my adult self was delighted with the plot itself, which was really good and also different from the typical (although I can't say it is original, because I've seen other authors do this).
The pace was a bit too slow in the beginning, but the chapters were so short that they would make up for that fact, making sure the book would never get hard to read. After all, I didn't need to bore me to death just in hopes of getting to the next chapter, because when the pace was starting to actually make me feel bored, chances are the next chapter was just a few paragraphs away.
But despite the pace, the plot itself was good. I found myself drawn to the mystey, trying to find out who the murderer was before Nate and Terry and actually enjoying the story. I didn't even get mad I couldn't guess the murderer (it's one of those books where you just can't do that), because everything else was just incredibly great.
And - surprise number 2! - somehow the reason why I got so invested in the story was actually the mix of Nate's first person PoV with other characters' third person PoV. Something that usually doesn't work for me but that Santlofer managed to make me enjoy. It was just so easy to get used to this mix; it was like no other choice wpuld have worked so well for this book. It made the story flow not exactly at the perfect pace but flow nonetheless, allowing me to feel invested in every single side of the story - the main plot line and the side plots -, which together make the story richer and much more interesting.
Of course, having several characters sharing their points of view, even if in the third person, also makes it easier to connect with the characters. And I know, I know, I have said several times that when it comes to Mysteries, specially Murder Mysteries, I don't care that much about whether I like the characters or not. But it's always better when I like them! And I really like Nate and Terry and Nate's grandma is such a lovely old lady! And Terry's chief, whose name I kept forgetting while I was reading and therefore I can't remember right now, is an idiot, but even my dislike for him made reading this book much more interesting!
Specially in the end, when that dislike was such a great asset for picking my curiosity and wanting to read the second book - I want to see that man burn! 🗡🗡Literally Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Speaking of the ending, what a great way to finish a book! And to tell you about it, I need to divide the ending in two parts - the discovery of the murderer and the open ending. The discovery of the murderer and the whole rush against time was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I loved it and I couldn't put the book down until I finish. And then there's also this open ending side of it, that is more about the characters and the side plot lines. It just left so many questions unanswered and me desperately wanting the next book to get those answers.
After all this you can see why I liked this book so much. There's nothing I didn't like aside from the pace. And I haven't even told you about the last (and most unexpected) surprise!
Magic is such a great element to have in Fantasy books and I would love to see a Murder Mystery happening in a Fantasy world filled with magic, because things would get even more messy, complex and interesting. But while I can't find a Murder Mystery like that, I will stick with those happening in the real world, where there's no magic. Which translated means - inserting magic in a book like that will not work for me, because it will feel too unrealistic; you are in the real world, your character should be ruled by the real world laws of nature.
However, this is theory. And in the real life, there's always some exception to the laws of our theory that completly destroy it. Well, ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people, I have the pleasure to present to you the book that destroyed my theory - Anatomy of Fear!
Santlofer introduced some magical elements in his story and if you read it, there's no way you can deny that fact. But they are so discreet and for some reason feel so right that you can't help but getting along. I think the main reason why it was so easy for me to accept those magical elements was the fact that just like me Nate wasn't buying them at first. And just like Nate, I grew to accept them and believe them, because how else could all these things have happened?!
And this last sentece was what I am talking about when I say it was the most unexpected surprise. Me accepting the magical elements if the rest of the book was good, just so my joy wouldn't be ruined would be a surprise (there are these certain things I am just really stubborn about), but me accepting the magical elements and making sense out of them?! Santlofer has a big talent, that's for sure!
Overall, this is a really great book for any lover of Murder Mystery books, that will fascinate you. It has all the things a good murder mystery book needs - a thrilling crime, a complex murderer and a great plot that will keep you hooked - and even more. It is unique, different from all the other books of the genre and definitely deserves you to give it chance!
The surprises started right when I began reading and I guess that's one of the things I liked the most, because it never really stopped surprising me. And I am not talking about the regular surprises you can find in a Murder Mystery like who the next victim or the killer is. I am talking about surprises that you could have found in any genre and that allowed this book to stand out, to be different from every other book.
So, let's start by the first, pleasant surprise, which was also the one that gave me the most joy. I had read the synopsis before starting reading the book and I knew Nate was a police sketch artist and that the assassin was a
Let me explain. We all have those memories from when we were children that we cherish and love. When it comes to books, they are obviously about those moments when people you love read you this or that story while you delighted yourself with the pictures that filled the book. And when I got this book and saw all those pictures those were the memories that came to my mind and obviously it's not the same thing - please don't show the drawings in this book to any child because of my comparation, I don't want to be responsible for them needing therapy! -, but a part of my brain associated the two things in such a way that I would get incredibly happy just for the chance of seeing those drawings.
So, my happy inner child was somehow not getting traumatized with those drawings while my adult self was delighted with the plot itself, which was really good and also different from the typical (although I can't say it is original, because I've seen other authors do this).
The pace was a bit too slow in the beginning, but the chapters were so short that they would make up for that fact, making sure the book would never get hard to read. After all, I didn't need to bore me to death just in hopes of getting to the next chapter, because when the pace was starting to actually make me feel bored, chances are the next chapter was just a few paragraphs away.
But despite the pace, the plot itself was good. I found myself drawn to the mystey, trying to find out who the murderer was before Nate and Terry and actually enjoying the story. I didn't even get mad I couldn't guess the murderer (it's one of those books where you just can't do that), because everything else was just incredibly great.
And - surprise number 2! - somehow the reason why I got so invested in the story was actually the mix of Nate's first person PoV with other characters' third person PoV. Something that usually doesn't work for me but that Santlofer managed to make me enjoy. It was just so easy to get used to this mix; it was like no other choice wpuld have worked so well for this book. It made the story flow not exactly at the perfect pace but flow nonetheless, allowing me to feel invested in every single side of the story - the main plot line and the side plots -, which together make the story richer and much more interesting.
Of course, having several characters sharing their points of view, even if in the third person, also makes it easier to connect with the characters. And I know, I know, I have said several times that when it comes to Mysteries, specially Murder Mysteries, I don't care that much about whether I like the characters or not. But it's always better when I like them! And I really like Nate and Terry and Nate's grandma is such a lovely old lady! And Terry's chief, whose name I kept forgetting while I was reading and therefore I can't remember right now, is an idiot, but even my dislike for him made reading this book much more interesting!
Specially in the end, when that dislike was such a great asset for picking my curiosity and wanting to read the second book - I want to see that man burn! 🗡🗡
Speaking of the ending, what a great way to finish a book! And to tell you about it, I need to divide the ending in two parts - the discovery of the murderer and the open ending. The discovery of the murderer and the whole rush against time was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I loved it and I couldn't put the book down until I finish. And then there's also this open ending side of it, that is more about the characters and the side plot lines. It just left so many questions unanswered and me desperately wanting the next book to get those answers.
After all this you can see why I liked this book so much. There's nothing I didn't like aside from the pace. And I haven't even told you about the last (and most unexpected) surprise!
Magic is such a great element to have in Fantasy books and I would love to see a Murder Mystery happening in a Fantasy world filled with magic, because things would get even more messy, complex and interesting. But while I can't find a Murder Mystery like that, I will stick with those happening in the real world, where there's no magic. Which translated means - inserting magic in a book like that will not work for me, because it will feel too unrealistic; you are in the real world, your character should be ruled by the real world laws of nature.
However, this is theory. And in the real life, there's always some exception to the laws of our theory that completly destroy it. Well, ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people, I have the pleasure to present to you the book that destroyed my theory - Anatomy of Fear!
Santlofer introduced some magical elements in his story and if you read it, there's no way you can deny that fact. But they are so discreet and for some reason feel so right that you can't help but getting along. I think the main reason why it was so easy for me to accept those magical elements was the fact that just like me Nate wasn't buying them at first. And just like Nate, I grew to accept them and believe them, because how else could all these things have happened?!
And this last sentece was what I am talking about when I say it was the most unexpected surprise. Me accepting the magical elements if the rest of the book was good, just so my joy wouldn't be ruined would be a surprise (there are these certain things I am just really stubborn about), but me accepting the magical elements and making sense out of them?! Santlofer has a big talent, that's for sure!
Overall, this is a really great book for any lover of Murder Mystery books, that will fascinate you. It has all the things a good murder mystery book needs - a thrilling crime, a complex murderer and a great plot that will keep you hooked - and even more. It is unique, different from all the other books of the genre and definitely deserves you to give it chance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
The deaths and murders are literally graphic as there's drawings of the dead bodiesbookbitch's review
This has to be one of the most exciting new books to come out in a long time. Santlofer brings considerable skills to his latest endeavor, as both an emerging talent over the past few years as a thriller writer, as well as a life long career as a significant artist, with work represented in various museums. Graphic novels have gained significant popularity in the past few years, along with a healthy new respect - these are not your childhood comic books anymore. Now that respect for the illustration is transcending into other genres.
In his latest novel, Santlofer combines his story with his art in the character of Nate Rodriguez, a police sketch artist of some renown. But this is no graphic novel; it is a thriller that happens to have an occasional illustration born out of Nate's work that tends to help the reader visualize the story as well as propel the story forward.
Nate is an interesting character; half Puerto Rican and half Jewish, and he uses both his heritages to his advantage. A serial killer is on the loose in New York City, leaving drawings of each murder victim at the scene of the crime. NYPD Homicide Detective Terri Russo thinks highly of Nate's skills, and convinces her bosses to let him help out with the case.
Meanwhile, Nate's abuela, his Puerto Rican grandmother who dabbles in Santeria, is having vivid dreams that are somehow tied to the murders. Between his grandmother's visions and his own visions, and the clues the police are able to obtain, Nate's drawings are honing in on the murderer. This is a page turner of the finest kind, and the illustrations just ratchet the tension up a notch. I loved this book and ripped through it in one night, sadly turning the last page - I didn't want it to end, and I hope we will see more of this character.
In his latest novel, Santlofer combines his story with his art in the character of Nate Rodriguez, a police sketch artist of some renown. But this is no graphic novel; it is a thriller that happens to have an occasional illustration born out of Nate's work that tends to help the reader visualize the story as well as propel the story forward.
Nate is an interesting character; half Puerto Rican and half Jewish, and he uses both his heritages to his advantage. A serial killer is on the loose in New York City, leaving drawings of each murder victim at the scene of the crime. NYPD Homicide Detective Terri Russo thinks highly of Nate's skills, and convinces her bosses to let him help out with the case.
Meanwhile, Nate's abuela, his Puerto Rican grandmother who dabbles in Santeria, is having vivid dreams that are somehow tied to the murders. Between his grandmother's visions and his own visions, and the clues the police are able to obtain, Nate's drawings are honing in on the murderer. This is a page turner of the finest kind, and the illustrations just ratchet the tension up a notch. I loved this book and ripped through it in one night, sadly turning the last page - I didn't want it to end, and I hope we will see more of this character.
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