I was attracted to this book because the blurb said it’s about an author who takes extreme steps to write the perfect suspenseful thriller. Battling writer’s block he finds the only way he can overcome those blank moments in front of his computer is by actually committing murder. This fascinating premise is played out in England and the authors describe their settings well enough for any reader to relate.

Author Raymond Lang is a madman on the loose, from London to Liverpool. Each killing he performs seems even gorier than the one before, building in intensity as the story moves forward. The mind of the killer is revealed throughout, neatly interspersed with the ongoing investigations.

In addition to the depravity of the killer the authors explore the illegal activities of a corrupt government official who uses extremely questionable methods to cover up his own nasty activities.

Basically the story moves around at a good pace, although there were portions involving private detective Alex Renshaw, his former mother-in-law and her mother, family friend Jayne, and Renshaw’s daughter Amelia that carried a little too much description. It did slow down the reading but not enough to set the book aside. As that potion comes to an end there is more than enough excitement to make up for the lag.

My favorite part of the story is the delicious twist at the end. I certainly never saw anything that occurred in the final chapters coming.

There were a few repeated words and typos but they in no way affected my enjoyment of the book. For a reader of gripping serial killer murders and the crafty machinations of the criminal mind this book is a good read. I plan to read more books by these authors.

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Carole Parkes Amazon Author Page

Doug Lafuze Amazon Author Page