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hectaizani's review
4.0
The Internet is the new meat market for gay men. It’s easy and anonymous to hop online, browse a website and pick out a partner. So what if the descriptions are misleading and the pictures are ten years out of date, as long as the sex is hard and hot?
Then a predator starts using Men4HookUpNow.com as his hunting grounds. Chameleon-like he knows how to seduce his prey by becoming any man’s fantasy. They invite him over, let him in, and wish they hadn’t when the blood starts flowing as he satisfies his own dark and depraved lust.
After the first killing, openly gay Chicago Police officer Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. He is well aware the opportunity is less about his skill as a detective and more because he’d publicly outed himself. Maybe his homosexuality could somehow help him to figure out why a young man is dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Even after two years on the force, it was difficult for Ed to remain composed when confronted by the bloodied corpse floating in its bathtub of gore. His mind busy cataloging the gruesome details, the missing fingers, the phone cord wrapped tightly around the corpse’s neck, the severed penis inserted into the victim’s rectum. Finally after taking in all that he still has to interview Timothy Bright, the dead man’s best friend and the one who reported the crime. What leads will Timothy give him to help him catch the killer?
The following day Ed gets yet another early morning phone call from his boss. This time it’s his day off, and he’s being called into the supervisor’s office. Ed knows it’s going to be bad, but doesn’t realize just how bad. He’s off the case, but not just the case; he’s off the force. Fired! For fabricating witness statements! It seems that Timothy Bright doesn’t exist, or rather he doesn’t exist anymore. Timothy Bright has been dead and buried for two years. Ed knows he didn’t interview a ghost or fabricate anything, but he has to prove it if he wants his job back.
The hunt is on. Will Ed figure out the truth in time? How many more men will be savagely murdered before the killer is caught? Ed is on his own, the Chicago PD isn’t interested in his “crazy theories.” It’s a non-stop race to catch the killer before Ed loses everything, his boyfriend, his career, his life itself.
If you like page-turning psychological thrillers with clever dialogue, you’ll probably like IM. An intense read, not for the faint of heart. Plenty of gory details to excite the most jaded aficionado. There are a few minor flaws, a few mistakes that have been overlooked in the editing, and the ending was a touch anticlimactic, but otherwise it’s one hell of a ride.
In their October 2006 issue, Unzipped magazine said about Rick R. Reed: “You could call him the Stephen King of gay horror.” Rick R. Reed is also the author of the novels Obsessed, Penance, and In the Blood. Most recently his short story collection, Twisted: Tales of Obsession and Terror was published in 2006.
Then a predator starts using Men4HookUpNow.com as his hunting grounds. Chameleon-like he knows how to seduce his prey by becoming any man’s fantasy. They invite him over, let him in, and wish they hadn’t when the blood starts flowing as he satisfies his own dark and depraved lust.
After the first killing, openly gay Chicago Police officer Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. He is well aware the opportunity is less about his skill as a detective and more because he’d publicly outed himself. Maybe his homosexuality could somehow help him to figure out why a young man is dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Even after two years on the force, it was difficult for Ed to remain composed when confronted by the bloodied corpse floating in its bathtub of gore. His mind busy cataloging the gruesome details, the missing fingers, the phone cord wrapped tightly around the corpse’s neck, the severed penis inserted into the victim’s rectum. Finally after taking in all that he still has to interview Timothy Bright, the dead man’s best friend and the one who reported the crime. What leads will Timothy give him to help him catch the killer?
The following day Ed gets yet another early morning phone call from his boss. This time it’s his day off, and he’s being called into the supervisor’s office. Ed knows it’s going to be bad, but doesn’t realize just how bad. He’s off the case, but not just the case; he’s off the force. Fired! For fabricating witness statements! It seems that Timothy Bright doesn’t exist, or rather he doesn’t exist anymore. Timothy Bright has been dead and buried for two years. Ed knows he didn’t interview a ghost or fabricate anything, but he has to prove it if he wants his job back.
The hunt is on. Will Ed figure out the truth in time? How many more men will be savagely murdered before the killer is caught? Ed is on his own, the Chicago PD isn’t interested in his “crazy theories.” It’s a non-stop race to catch the killer before Ed loses everything, his boyfriend, his career, his life itself.
If you like page-turning psychological thrillers with clever dialogue, you’ll probably like IM. An intense read, not for the faint of heart. Plenty of gory details to excite the most jaded aficionado. There are a few minor flaws, a few mistakes that have been overlooked in the editing, and the ending was a touch anticlimactic, but otherwise it’s one hell of a ride.
In their October 2006 issue, Unzipped magazine said about Rick R. Reed: “You could call him the Stephen King of gay horror.” Rick R. Reed is also the author of the novels Obsessed, Penance, and In the Blood. Most recently his short story collection, Twisted: Tales of Obsession and Terror was published in 2006.
alandd's review
4.0
An intense novel that doesn't let you put it down until yo reach the end. I actually blinked several times when I realized I just turned the last page! although this is not romance, there was enough to make it a balanced reading, filled with horror, gore and blood. Creepy and charming at the same time.
nicola949's review
5.0
***** Audio book review = 5 surprising stars *****
I 'read' this book in its audio format so my enjoyment was impacted by a number of factors: the plot, quality of the story, style of the telling, characterisation and finally the narration. Ideally I would like to be able to assess the two components (the story and the narration) separately but actually find the narration has too much direct impact on my views of the story to do this effectively.
This is a mystery/thriller and is a beautifully crafted tale that takes the listener deep into a darker side of the world of internet hook-ups. It plunges straight into a series of brutal murders. It is blunt and graphic and violent and horrific. The murders are descriptive, grossly so, with descriptions of sights, sounds, smells and feelings giving a sense of realism to the scenes. It was almost like being plunged into an episode of Criminal Minds.
During the early part of the story, we are introduced to the various murder victims before they face their final moments. Even though each of these characters only play a short role, the author does a wonderful job of bringing a real personal element to each one. He describes their homes, personal traits and provides an insight into each man's emotional state. We learn how feel about their online hookups and the men they meet and what they are really looking for in life - and all are looking for love.
Ed Comparetto is the main focus of the story (apart from the killer). He is a cop who gets caught up in the murder investigation but ultimately gets suspended. I am not sure why the killer singled Ed out but contact from the killer and a desire to get his job back gives him no choice but to solve the mystery himself. While going through this really difficult period in his life, Ed meets Peter, which adds a romance element to the story. But mostly this story is focused on Ed's efforts to catch the killer.
It is difficult to talk about the killer and other characters without giving away the plot so I will keep it short. I thought the character of the killer was brilliant. He was perfectly creepy and his true evil nature was evident. There were some devices used in the story which provided a fabulous view into the past and the pyschy of the killer. A word of warning that the story does have some scenes, apart from graphic murder, that could be upsetting to some readers .
Now to the narration which was brilliant! I am not an expert (I've only listened to 3 other audio books) but truly believe this guy (Taavi Mark) got it right. The accents were perfectly suited to each character and he switched effortlessly between them.
He mastered the voice of the killer, truly adding a real sense of creepiness. The voice is breathy but chilling. It was quite clever how the killer's breathy voice deepened when he was switching into character for his IM hook ups which even included when he was reading them.
This story had large sections of dialogue and switched between different characters points of view so it was even more important to get the voices right - it wasn't just small sentences here and there but large tracts of narration while in character. One of the significant characters was female and I found her voice (the pitch, tone, accent and inflections) perfect!
It is really hard to make this claim because I hadn't read the book first but I'm going to put it out there anyway - I think listening to this book actually added to my enjoyment. I felt the use of the voices, particularly the killer and his family member, actually helped immerse me into the story, added to the atmosphere and gave a great sense of the emotion.
In summary, I highly recommend this story for lovers of a good graphic, murder thriller (it's focus is not romance) and the audio book is excellent.
If you do choose to listen to the audio version then be aware that it is long (you can change the pace of the narration but it does have a big impact on how it sounds - I listened at x1.25). I think this one was nearly 10 hours. I listened to the first half during a weekly commute to and from work and the second half on a 4 hour road trip which made good use of my time!
If you're not sure if the audio version is for you, you can listen to a sample before completing your purchase. If you already own the Kindle version then the audio version is sometimes cheaper. If you own both, you can switch back and forth using WhisperSync which is brilliant.
Finally I would like to pass on my thanks to the author who provided me with this Audio book in return for an honest review.
I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
I 'read' this book in its audio format so my enjoyment was impacted by a number of factors: the plot, quality of the story, style of the telling, characterisation and finally the narration. Ideally I would like to be able to assess the two components (the story and the narration) separately but actually find the narration has too much direct impact on my views of the story to do this effectively.
This is a mystery/thriller and is a beautifully crafted tale that takes the listener deep into a darker side of the world of internet hook-ups. It plunges straight into a series of brutal murders. It is blunt and graphic and violent and horrific. The murders are descriptive, grossly so, with descriptions of sights, sounds, smells and feelings giving a sense of realism to the scenes. It was almost like being plunged into an episode of Criminal Minds.
During the early part of the story, we are introduced to the various murder victims before they face their final moments. Even though each of these characters only play a short role, the author does a wonderful job of bringing a real personal element to each one. He describes their homes, personal traits and provides an insight into each man's emotional state. We learn how feel about their online hookups and the men they meet and what they are really looking for in life - and all are looking for love.
Ed Comparetto is the main focus of the story (apart from the killer). He is a cop who gets caught up in the murder investigation but ultimately gets suspended. I am not sure why the killer singled Ed out but contact from the killer and a desire to get his job back gives him no choice but to solve the mystery himself. While going through this really difficult period in his life, Ed meets Peter, which adds a romance element to the story. But mostly this story is focused on Ed's efforts to catch the killer.
It is difficult to talk about the killer and other characters without giving away the plot so I will keep it short. I thought the character of the killer was brilliant. He was perfectly creepy and his true evil nature was evident. There were some devices used in the story
Spoiler
Aunt Helene's diarySpoiler
pedophilia and rapeNow to the narration which was brilliant! I am not an expert (I've only listened to 3 other audio books) but truly believe this guy (Taavi Mark) got it right. The accents were perfectly suited to each character and he switched effortlessly between them.
He mastered the voice of the killer, truly adding a real sense of creepiness. The voice is breathy but chilling. It was quite clever how the killer's breathy voice deepened when he was switching into character for his IM hook ups which even included when he was reading them.
This story had large sections of dialogue and switched between different characters points of view so it was even more important to get the voices right - it wasn't just small sentences here and there but large tracts of narration while in character. One of the significant characters was female and I found her voice (the pitch, tone, accent and inflections) perfect!
It is really hard to make this claim because I hadn't read the book first but I'm going to put it out there anyway - I think listening to this book actually added to my enjoyment. I felt the use of the voices, particularly the killer and his family member, actually helped immerse me into the story, added to the atmosphere and gave a great sense of the emotion.
In summary, I highly recommend this story for lovers of a good graphic, murder thriller (it's focus is not romance) and the audio book is excellent.
If you do choose to listen to the audio version then be aware that it is long (you can change the pace of the narration but it does have a big impact on how it sounds - I listened at x1.25). I think this one was nearly 10 hours. I listened to the first half during a weekly commute to and from work and the second half on a 4 hour road trip which made good use of my time!
If you're not sure if the audio version is for you, you can listen to a sample before completing your purchase. If you already own the Kindle version then the audio version is sometimes cheaper. If you own both, you can switch back and forth using WhisperSync which is brilliant.
Finally I would like to pass on my thanks to the author who provided me with this Audio book in return for an honest review.
I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
becandbooks's review
3.0
Trigger warnings:
Okay, first thing's first. This is a book in which many gay men die.
I know this is something that some LGBTQIA+ readers find upsetting, particularly as the sole plot device of the book. If so, this book isn't for you. I am unsure where my feeling exactly land in this dilemma. But as Reed is a predominantly LGBTQIA+ author, I see no harm from the outset personally.
This is all I will say on this discussion throughout this review.
I love messed up, gory, creepy characters. Or I love hating them at least. And this is where Reed got me hooked in this story.
Reed's development of Timothy Bright, our main creepo & serial killer, was a fascinating character. There are some pretty graphic scenes with him, so just a heads up if this isn't your thing. And while the character certainly wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked and there something a little thrown-together about his eventual backstory, I did enjoy him as a character.
Our other characters - namingly, our MC, Ed, and his love interest, Peter? Left me a little wanting. The relationship was very insta-romance, which didn't fit the story at all. And Eds entire career situation is riddled with plot holes.
The story itself, while mostly enjoyable, was fairly generic as far as a serial killer plot goes. I guessed the twist about a third of the way in and it wasn't anything special. IM is a quick to digest book but by the second half I was pretty underwhelmed.
If you want something quick to jump through and a creepy-as-all-heck antagonist - maybe you should check this out. Just don't be hoping for a gob-smacking plot ending to write home about.
Spoiler
murder, violence, body mutilation, pedophilia, sexual assault, necrophilia, child/domestic abuse & neglectOkay, first thing's first. This is a book in which many gay men die.
I know this is something that some LGBTQIA+ readers find upsetting, particularly as the sole plot device of the book. If so, this book isn't for you. I am unsure where my feeling exactly land in this dilemma. But as Reed is a predominantly LGBTQIA+ author, I see no harm from the outset personally.
This is all I will say on this discussion throughout this review.
I love messed up, gory, creepy characters. Or I love hating them at least. And this is where Reed got me hooked in this story.
Reed's development of Timothy Bright, our main creepo & serial killer, was a fascinating character. There are some pretty graphic scenes with him, so just a heads up if this isn't your thing. And while the character certainly wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked and there something a little thrown-together about his eventual backstory, I did enjoy him as a character.
Our other characters - namingly, our MC, Ed, and his love interest, Peter? Left me a little wanting. The relationship was very insta-romance, which didn't fit the story at all. And Eds entire career situation is riddled with plot holes.
The story itself, while mostly enjoyable, was fairly generic as far as a serial killer plot goes. I guessed the twist about a third of the way in and it wasn't anything special. IM is a quick to digest book but by the second half I was pretty underwhelmed.
If you want something quick to jump through and a creepy-as-all-heck antagonist - maybe you should check this out. Just don't be hoping for a gob-smacking plot ending to write home about.
Note: Review copy received via NetGalley. This does not impact opinions within this review.
blog • trigger warning database • more links
Happy reading! ❤
suze_1624's review
4.0
I did enjoy this - although the grizzly murders mean 'enjoy' is a qualified term.
The threat of the murders was felt each time a new victim was introduced - wanted to tell them not to open the door!
Normally this sort of book is done from the police/PI perspective so having this from the muderers made it a bit different. Though I did miss the investigations of either the police or Ed.
As well as the murders, I did find the victims lives (having to use pick up sites) sad and Timothy's life was doomed from early on and only secured in its path by the events as he grew older. He was a suitably creepy and disturbed indiviual.
Ed and Peter together are quite low key but were critical to the story.
I didn't mind that we knew the killer early and the gradual telling of his story added to the tension as we discover his why and how.
There were a couple of incidents of TSTL and certainly Ed's firing was not right - and did no one have a mobile?
But I did like it.
The threat of the murders was felt each time a new victim was introduced - wanted to tell them not to open the door!
Normally this sort of book is done from the police/PI perspective so having this from the muderers made it a bit different. Though I did miss the investigations of either the police or Ed.
As well as the murders, I did find the victims lives (having to use pick up sites) sad and Timothy's life was doomed from early on and only secured in its path by the events as he grew older. He was a suitably creepy and disturbed indiviual.
Ed and Peter together are quite low key but were critical to the story.
I didn't mind that we knew the killer early and the gradual telling of his story added to the tension as we discover his why and how.
There were a couple of incidents of TSTL and certainly Ed's firing was not right - and did no one have a mobile?
But I did like it.
runeonilyn's review
Loved this. The mystery is less who and more why. Twisted. Fantastic read.
mrella's review
3.0
It was a good book, I am just not into horror and gruesome details.
Peter, Ed's lover, is rather bland, even though he is present in more than half of the book. We know more about David (Timothy's aunt's b-friend), than him. That made me feel like I was missing something.
Timothy's aunt was written beautifully, though. She is the most vivid character in the story.
Peter, Ed's lover, is rather bland, even though he is present in more than half of the book. We know more about David (Timothy's aunt's b-friend), than him. That made me feel like I was missing something.
Timothy's aunt was written beautifully, though. She is the most vivid character in the story.
iguana_mama's review
4.0
Timothy Bright is a serial killer who targets his victims through a gay hook-up site. After the first murder, openly gay detective Ed Comparetto is asked to investigate. Once he questions a witness, Ed’s life takes a turn for the worse. Nevertheless, he is determined to solve the murders and find out the truth about Timothy Bright, even if no one else believes he exists.
I really enjoyed this story! If I didn't have to complete a class project, I'd have gobbled it up in one sitting. Its relentless pace left me breathless and on the edge of my seat.
There were some very brutal, violent and disturbing scenes, but none were gratuitous and all were necessary to reveal the twisted mind of the serial killer, Timothy, and the pain and suffering that drove his actions.
I liked the shifting points of view, from the detective who is trying to solve the case, to the aunt who has kept a journal revealing her own mental instability and showing glimpses of Timothy’s childhood and teen years, and to Timothy himself.
Timothy is a monster, and I had no compassion for him, but I understand how families and life circumstances can lead to behavior disorders, violence, and possibly murder.
The horrible end to Timothy's lonely victims looking for sex and companionship made me very sad. It bothers me that in a society that is supposedly more enlightened and tolerant, that people continue to engage in risky anonymous sex.
The bright spot in this story is the relationship between Ed, still grieving the loss of his previous relationship, and Peter, a librarian he met while conducting research on the case. Their growing friendship and love is in sharp contrast to Timothy’s hate and self-loathing.
I really enjoyed this story! If I didn't have to complete a class project, I'd have gobbled it up in one sitting. Its relentless pace left me breathless and on the edge of my seat.
There were some very brutal, violent and disturbing scenes, but none were gratuitous and all were necessary to reveal the twisted mind of the serial killer, Timothy, and the pain and suffering that drove his actions.
I liked the shifting points of view, from the detective who is trying to solve the case, to the aunt who has kept a journal revealing her own mental instability and showing glimpses of Timothy’s childhood and teen years, and to Timothy himself.
Timothy is a monster, and I had no compassion for him, but I understand how families and life circumstances can lead to behavior disorders, violence, and possibly murder.
The horrible end to Timothy's lonely victims looking for sex and companionship made me very sad. It bothers me that in a society that is supposedly more enlightened and tolerant, that people continue to engage in risky anonymous sex.
The bright spot in this story is the relationship between Ed, still grieving the loss of his previous relationship, and Peter, a librarian he met while conducting research on the case. Their growing friendship and love is in sharp contrast to Timothy’s hate and self-loathing.
bookishtabby's review
1.0
I am incredibly sorry to say that I DNF'd this book a little under 60% of the way through. I really wanted to love this book and had all the elements that I normally would but I didn't.
This story has an amazing premise that hints at mystery, the unknown, and the possibility of the supernatural. The reason I didn't like it as I thought I would is two-fold. The first being that we switch perspectives a lot. Almost every new section is told from a different character's point of view, which made it incredibly difficult to connect to any one of them - especially the main character. We don't get to spend enough time with the main character to really emphasize with him. This is highlighted by the fact that he is dealing with a homicide case that hits really close to home and I didn't care how he felt about it. And we spend a lot of time in the victim's perspective which is really hard to read.
The second part follows the first. One if the perspectives we read from is the killer's. I feel like this is already an incredibly difficult point of view to write from because the author has to get us to understand their killer's motives without making it seem like a cartoon/over exaggerated version of one. In this book, that was not helped that there is kind of this possible mysterious/supernatural feeling to the character. the beginning of the book, we are made to question if the killer had actually died and someone was posing as them or if something else was going on. But we find out pretty early on who the killer is and this negates any mystery towards the killer. I feel that this could have been helped some if the author learned into this supernatural/spooky aspect and not had the killer be a POV we read from. Maybe kept it to the detective's POV and make us wonder/the detective wonder if the killer was really who he thought it was, if someone was playing with him, or if something supernatural was going on.
I would give trigger warnings for sexual abuse, under age sex, animal harm, and necrophilia.
*SPOILER SECTION*
The killer is maybe gay (was not confirmed when I DNF'd) who has had to deal with some awful abuse and takes his anger and pain out on gay guys. It is very graphic and hard to read. I guess I assumed that the killer was gay and for that I did not care to see this book perpetuate the "villianize your gays" trope. It could be argued that the MC is also gay, which is fair, but I don't feel that this offsets the fact that the killer is gay because we spend a lot more time in the killer's point of view than we do in the MC's.
This story has an amazing premise that hints at mystery, the unknown, and the possibility of the supernatural. The reason I didn't like it as I thought I would is two-fold. The first being that we switch perspectives a lot. Almost every new section is told from a different character's point of view, which made it incredibly difficult to connect to any one of them - especially the main character. We don't get to spend enough time with the main character to really emphasize with him. This is highlighted by the fact that he is dealing with a homicide case that hits really close to home and I didn't care how he felt about it. And we spend a lot of time in the victim's perspective which is really hard to read.
The second part follows the first. One if the perspectives we read from is the killer's. I feel like this is already an incredibly difficult point of view to write from because the author has to get us to understand their killer's motives without making it seem like a cartoon/over exaggerated version of one. In this book, that was not helped that there is kind of this possible mysterious/supernatural feeling to the character. the beginning of the book, we are made to question if the killer had actually died and someone was posing as them or if something else was going on. But we find out pretty early on who the killer is and this negates any mystery towards the killer. I feel that this could have been helped some if the author learned into this supernatural/spooky aspect and not had the killer be a POV we read from. Maybe kept it to the detective's POV and make us wonder/the detective wonder if the killer was really who he thought it was, if someone was playing with him, or if something supernatural was going on.
I would give trigger warnings for sexual abuse, under age sex, animal harm, and necrophilia.
*SPOILER SECTION*
The killer is maybe gay (was not confirmed when I DNF'd) who has had to deal with some awful abuse and takes his anger and pain out on gay guys. It is very graphic and hard to read. I guess I assumed that the killer was gay and for that I did not care to see this book perpetuate the "villianize your gays" trope. It could be argued that the MC is also gay, which is fair, but I don't feel that this offsets the fact that the killer is gay because we spend a lot more time in the killer's point of view than we do in the MC's.
jpjackson's review
5.0
Let's face it, writing is hard. Personally, I think horror is one of the harder genres to nail down because let's face it, not everyone is scared of the same thing, right? For one person it's spiders, for the next, it's small enclosed spaces. What drives our fear is very personal and individualistic. When you start out to write a horror novel, you have a big task in front of you. How do you terrify your readers?
Turns out the definition of horror literature is a little broader. A story is considered to fit into the horror genre if the writer instills feelings of terror, dread, repulsion, and fear. I would argue disgust also should be added as well.
Reed has, as I mentioned above, nailed it. And in this tale, the antagonist uses whatever knife he can get his hands on to get the job done. He also preys on something that any gay man will resonate with - dating apps. Now, I'm a married guy and have been for a very long time, so the dating app scene came long after I was already hitched. But I've watched friends use them for years. Meet someone through pictures (or not), instant message them, have a conversation and decide to hook up. There's a lot of misplaced trust going into this scenario. How well do you know this stranger? Maybe a little, perhaps not at all. Reed plays on this - one of our most basic primal instincts - the need for sex - and creates a world where inviting strangers over for a good time, turns out to be the worst, and the last time.
I personally have a thing with metal going into the skin. Always have, always will. It's the sensation of the foreign object embedded where it doesn't belong, and the pain associated with the penetration of the metal through layers of tissue.
For those who do not deal well with graphic depictions of violence, or blood, or any of the other tags listed above, this is NOT the book for you. Reed takes us on a disturbing journey by using multiple points of view in the first person so that we can live each part of the story.
In one chapter, you're the victim.
In the next chapter, you're the cop trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
And then you're in the head of the killer, seeing what makes him so twisted and vile.
The backstories for each of the characters put on display are intriguing. Some are rather non-descript, or 'every day'. We all know people who would fit. And then the story of the killer is so incredibly bizarre, and yet believable, you're too fascinated to put the book down.
The other thing I loved about this book is that Reed went with a killer who is described as waifish, and elf-like. Small and petite. How could someone so fragile looking end up holding so much power and sway over his victims? How could he have gotten away with murder so many times over? And yet, he does.
Reed had me thoroughly repulsed, not only with the violent acts, but with the warped thoughts of the killer, the toxic relationships he endured in his family, and his sexual abuse. All of these layers contributing to the rage that created a serial killer.
It was fascinating.
And, for those who like some sexy fun times in their books, Reed had me hooked on Ed Comparetto's love life with the sexy librarian, Peter. Ed had several character failings and was at a very low point in his life throughout this tale, but his relationship with Peter was a highlight. One that kept him alive, and one that made you want to cheer him on because he deserved Peter in his life.
I've always said there are at least two good markers of a really good book:
1.) I don't really want to put it down. If I zoom through a tale, I know it had me hooked (Check)
2.) If I feel something...shed a tear, laugh out loud, or in this case, felt anxiety and nausea from the horrific crime scenes, then the author has done their job. (Check)
Reed has lots of books available. Third Eye is next on my list. What will be yours?
Turns out the definition of horror literature is a little broader. A story is considered to fit into the horror genre if the writer instills feelings of terror, dread, repulsion, and fear. I would argue disgust also should be added as well.
Reed has, as I mentioned above, nailed it. And in this tale, the antagonist uses whatever knife he can get his hands on to get the job done. He also preys on something that any gay man will resonate with - dating apps. Now, I'm a married guy and have been for a very long time, so the dating app scene came long after I was already hitched. But I've watched friends use them for years. Meet someone through pictures (or not), instant message them, have a conversation and decide to hook up. There's a lot of misplaced trust going into this scenario. How well do you know this stranger? Maybe a little, perhaps not at all. Reed plays on this - one of our most basic primal instincts - the need for sex - and creates a world where inviting strangers over for a good time, turns out to be the worst, and the last time.
I personally have a thing with metal going into the skin. Always have, always will. It's the sensation of the foreign object embedded where it doesn't belong, and the pain associated with the penetration of the metal through layers of tissue.
For those who do not deal well with graphic depictions of violence, or blood, or any of the other tags listed above, this is NOT the book for you. Reed takes us on a disturbing journey by using multiple points of view in the first person so that we can live each part of the story.
In one chapter, you're the victim.
In the next chapter, you're the cop trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
And then you're in the head of the killer, seeing what makes him so twisted and vile.
The backstories for each of the characters put on display are intriguing. Some are rather non-descript, or 'every day'. We all know people who would fit. And then the story of the killer is so incredibly bizarre, and yet believable, you're too fascinated to put the book down.
The other thing I loved about this book is that Reed went with a killer who is described as waifish, and elf-like. Small and petite. How could someone so fragile looking end up holding so much power and sway over his victims? How could he have gotten away with murder so many times over? And yet, he does.
Reed had me thoroughly repulsed, not only with the violent acts, but with the warped thoughts of the killer, the toxic relationships he endured in his family, and his sexual abuse. All of these layers contributing to the rage that created a serial killer.
It was fascinating.
And, for those who like some sexy fun times in their books, Reed had me hooked on Ed Comparetto's love life with the sexy librarian, Peter. Ed had several character failings and was at a very low point in his life throughout this tale, but his relationship with Peter was a highlight. One that kept him alive, and one that made you want to cheer him on because he deserved Peter in his life.
I've always said there are at least two good markers of a really good book:
1.) I don't really want to put it down. If I zoom through a tale, I know it had me hooked (Check)
2.) If I feel something...shed a tear, laugh out loud, or in this case, felt anxiety and nausea from the horrific crime scenes, then the author has done their job. (Check)
Reed has lots of books available. Third Eye is next on my list. What will be yours?
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