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thebookeer's review against another edition
5.0
See on detektiiv Robert Hunteri sarja teine raamat, kuid minu jaoks esimene. Samas tundub, et vales järjestuses lugemine elamust sugugi ei häiri. Tagasihoidlikust kirikust leitakse armastatud preestri isa Fabiani laip, mida on koletult rüvetatud. Kahtlemata on tegu mõrvajuhtumiga ning paistab, et kurikael on korda saatnud mingisuguse eriskummalise rituaali, mida ükski kirikuvastane ühing enda omaks ei tunnista. Juhtum jookseb peaaegu ummikusse kui toimub järgmine mõrv, mis ei jää oma jõhkruselt sugugi esimesele alla. Detektiiv Hunteril on nüüd käed tööd täis, et sarimõrvar tabada enne, kui leitakse järgmine ohver.
Tunnistan julgelt, et lugesin selle raamatu ning sellele järgneva osa läbi vaid 2 päevaga. No lihtsalt nii head, sünged ja jõhkrad kirjeldused, et selliste peale annab lihtsalt tulla. Tõlkija on teinud tubli tööd ning kirjavigade arv on minimaalne (seda saan tänapäeval järjest vähem tõlkekirjanduses nentida). Usun, et kujutlusvõime ning suurepäraste meeleolumaalingute eest võime tänada eelkõige autorit. Kindlasti saab see autor minu lemmikute krimikirjanike edetabelis vähemalt esiviisikusse. Paigutaksin ta hetkel Lars Keplerist veidi nõrgemale kohale, kuid ainult seetõttu, et Kepleri raamatuid olen rohkem lugenud. Kõik võib veel muutuda!
Jõhkrate kriminullide sõpradele on see raamat kindel raamatusoovitus. Usun, et te ei pettu.
Tunnistan julgelt, et lugesin selle raamatu ning sellele järgneva osa läbi vaid 2 päevaga. No lihtsalt nii head, sünged ja jõhkrad kirjeldused, et selliste peale annab lihtsalt tulla. Tõlkija on teinud tubli tööd ning kirjavigade arv on minimaalne (seda saan tänapäeval järjest vähem tõlkekirjanduses nentida). Usun, et kujutlusvõime ning suurepäraste meeleolumaalingute eest võime tänada eelkõige autorit. Kindlasti saab see autor minu lemmikute krimikirjanike edetabelis vähemalt esiviisikusse. Paigutaksin ta hetkel Lars Keplerist veidi nõrgemale kohale, kuid ainult seetõttu, et Kepleri raamatuid olen rohkem lugenud. Kõik võib veel muutuda!
Jõhkrate kriminullide sõpradele on see raamat kindel raamatusoovitus. Usun, et te ei pettu.
martinej's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jupjupiter's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
abiwilkes24's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The second Robert Hunter thriller, this book sees the star of the Robebery Homicide Division of the LAPD face crime scenes that even he has never seen the like of before.
I read this book years ago, and it's definitely the one I remembered best of all of the Chris Carter books I have read (about half the series). The murders in this are particularly memorable in their gruesomeness, and definitely set the tone for the series more than 'The Crucifix Killer' in my opinion. It's certainly not for the squeamish, but where you're looking through the eyes of the detective, the descriptions are objective enough for you to see past the gore to the evidentiary value of the bodies, while simultaneously being subjective enough to evoke an emotional reaction from the reader. It's a very well trodden line.
The plot is clearly well thought out and meticulously paced, taking you through the twists and turns of the investigation and keeping the reader engaged throughout. The eventual reveal of the killer and their motives made sense and it was all to easy to understand, and perhaps even sympathise a little.
I did find the chapters to be a little too short in this one though; for the most part, it still flows well, but on the occasions where you shift from Robert's POV to that of the killer or another character, it's a bit jolting and you don't get a chance to get into their mindset before it's shifted back again. Similarly, a lot of the chapters end with an exclamation from one of the characters at something they've just seen, or another sort of mini-cliffhanger. It's fine at first, but it does get a little repetitive. And when the cliffhanger is resolved on the very next page, it felt a little pointless after the first couple of times.
I also didn't get as much depth from this one. It sticks pretty closely to investigating the case rather than exploring Robert and Garcia's characters in greater detail, which I feel is still necessary at this early point in the series. There are moments where you get more, but not enough. The last scene is a case in point - it felt like a great opportunity to see a little more of the 'real' Robert, but there just wasn't really anything to it and it left me a bit underwhelmed.
There are trigger warnings a-plenty in here; definitely one to read with the lights on!
I read this book years ago, and it's definitely the one I remembered best of all of the Chris Carter books I have read (about half the series). The murders in this are particularly memorable in their gruesomeness, and definitely set the tone for the series more than 'The Crucifix Killer' in my opinion. It's certainly not for the squeamish, but where you're looking through the eyes of the detective, the descriptions are objective enough for you to see past the gore to the evidentiary value of the bodies, while simultaneously being subjective enough to evoke an emotional reaction from the reader. It's a very well trodden line.
The plot is clearly well thought out and meticulously paced, taking you through the twists and turns of the investigation and keeping the reader engaged throughout. The eventual reveal of the killer and their motives made sense and it was all to easy to understand, and perhaps even sympathise a little.
I did find the chapters to be a little too short in this one though; for the most part, it still flows well, but on the occasions where you shift from Robert's POV to that of the killer or another character, it's a bit jolting and you don't get a chance to get into their mindset before it's shifted back again. Similarly, a lot of the chapters end with an exclamation from one of the characters at something they've just seen, or another sort of mini-cliffhanger. It's fine at first, but it does get a little repetitive. And when the cliffhanger is resolved on the very next page, it felt a little pointless after the first couple of times.
I also didn't get as much depth from this one. It sticks pretty closely to investigating the case rather than exploring Robert and Garcia's characters in greater detail, which I feel is still necessary at this early point in the series. There are moments where you get more, but not enough. The last scene is a case in point - it felt like a great opportunity to see a little more of the 'real' Robert, but there just wasn't really anything to it and it left me a bit underwhelmed.
There are trigger warnings a-plenty in here; definitely one to read with the lights on!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Gore, Torture, and Body horror
Moderate: Bullying, Infertility, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Gun violence, Animal death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Incest, Sexual violence, Vomit, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Cancer, Death of parent, Abortion, Medical trauma, Excrement, Infidelity, and Abandonment