psychological thriller

Hunting Evil by Chris Carter – Book Review

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Hunting Evil by Chris Carter – Book Cover

Chris Carter has an uncanny ability to tap into the zeitgeist: his crime novels, which verge on slasher horror, manage to satisfy fans of multiple genres at once. His infinitely detailed descriptions of gruesome crimes fill readers with both a shudder and a morbid curiosity. And just when you think Carter is merely rewriting the same book over and over again, the American author delivers An Evil Mind, a true monument to human depravity. Hunting Evil is the sequel to this work.

Experiments of a serial killer

In the preface to Hunting Evil, Chris Carter himself suggests starting with the preceding novel, a recommendation that’s hard to disagree with. Without the context of the sixth installment (see An Evil Mind) of the Robert Hunter series, this book is far less impactful.

Without this background, as you progress through the pages of Hunting Evil, you might mistakenly believe that Lucien Folter is just another annoying, attention-seeking, and thus particularly irritating, subtype of serial killer—a mere clown, so to speak.

You couldn’t be more wrong. An Evil Mind makes it clear that this elusive human chameleon, who aspires to create an encyclopedia of serial killers, is the devil himself!

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Holly by Stephen King – Book Review

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Holly by Stephen King – Book Cover

Stephen King read a newspaper article about an elderly couple who had committed murder. Everyone considered them to be kind and decent people—until the buried bodies were found in their backyard. “Perfect material for a novel,” thought King. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic was raging worldwide. All that was needed was Holly Gibney, the beloved character from the Mr. Mercedes books who had since become a private detective, and the result is the thrilling and chilling crime novel titled Holly.

Ultra-conservatives, beware!

Why?

Because you’ll get angry right at the beginning of this book.

One of the main threads in Stephen King’s Holly is the coronavirus. Interestingly, and almost inexplicably, anti-vaxxers primarily come from the staunchly right-wing voting demographic worldwide. I’m not entirely sure, but many believe these people are also the ones more susceptible to conspiracy theories.

(For example: The Earth is flat and is carried on the backs of four bristly armadillos.; or the Moon is made entirely of Emmental cheese. Watch out! These theories might seem entirely plausible at first glance, but they are not true!)

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The Last Move by Mary Burton – Book Review

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The Last Move by Mary Burton – Book Cover

Mary Burton is the author of dozens of romance novels. This fact alone might scare off many crime readers from picking up The Last Move. However, if you enjoy living dangerously, go ahead and give it a try.

The Last Move: A Decent Serial Killer Thriller

If you’ve already read a thousand crime novels where some vicious madmen is murdering innocent American citizens, it might be hard to surprise you. Mary Burton doesn’t really manage to do so either. But that’s not necessarily a problem, as it doesn’t seem to be her goal.

There’s a minor hiccup, though: theoretically, the Samaritan is already behind bars, but we’ve seen enough copycats, mentees trained by serial killers, or wrongly convicted criminals. It’s up to Dr. Hayden and Mazur to figure out which category the Samaritan falls into.

Minimal Romance Factor

Naturally, the protagonists have to work together. And here Burton surprises us: neither of them is unbearable, they don’t hate each other, and they don’t immediately want to rip each other’s clothes off. Instead, they work together excellently. Both are smart and dedicated, so it’s no wonder they develop a mutual attraction, right?

No.

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When You Are Mine by Michael Robotham – Book Review

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When You Are Mine by Michael Robotham - Book Cover

Michael Robotham, the Australian author of the Joseph O’Loughlin series, enjoys stimulating his own mind with standalone novels. However, reading about the adventures of policewoman Philomena McCarthy, it quickly becomes apparent right from the beginning of the book that this lady herself could easily handle an entire series. With his book “When You Are Mine,” Robotham adds to the lineup of strong female characters who seem to have been created for crime novel protagonists.

Do you hate those miserable cops? If you didn’t before, you’ll hate those bastards by the end of the book! Philomena McCarthy is just a simple patrolwoman, but guided by her own sense of justice, she stands up against anyone to protect the innocent. Now, who do you think is that dirty, rotten scoundrel, terrorizing both his wife and mistress, who clashes with Philomena?

Another cop.

Moreover, all his scumbag buddies rally behind him without a second thought. Of course, they’re all cops too. Heck, even the other cops who aren’t his buddies side with him. And they all behave in a really scummy way towards the girl.

Michael Robotham’s book makes you suddenly realize (besides making you hate the fuzz) that your blood pressure is through the roof, and you need to take breaks constantly just to calm down.

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Knife by Jo Nesbo – Book Review

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Knife by Jo Nesbo – Book cover

How to Write a Harry Hole Novel

What’s the formula behind every Harry Hole novel? (Including Knife). It’s made up of four elements:

1. Harry’s EPIC struggle with alcohol.

2. During the investigation, someone close to him gets killed. (You wouldn’t want to be his colleague, trust me.)

3. A dizzying mix-up of suspects that leaves you in a daze.

4. A style that’s far more fluid and lively compared to typical Scandinavian crime novels, making it nearly impossible to put down.

    The Recipe Fails

    This formula worked pretty well up until the previous novel (The Thirst), but that’s where it all fell apart. It became impossible to take seriously the endless stream of obvious red herrings, each one blatantly screaming “fake” from a mile away. And they really were just that—fake. Then, of course, another one of Harry’s hunches would come along, and the whole cycle would start over again.

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    The Lost Man by Jane Harper – Book Review

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    The Lost Man by Jane Harper - Book Cover

    Family Drama in Scorching Heat

    To start, it’s helpful to know that Australia is scorching hot. It’s a wonder half the continent hasn’t caught fire. Oh, wait—it already has. Much like The Lost Man, Jane Harper’s first novel, The Dry, was set against this intense heat. However, The Dry turned out to be a fairly average crime novel (despite trying to present itself as more) and left me questioning whether I should bother reading anything else by her.

    But of course, I couldn’t resist. (Damn curiosity!) And in the end, I didn’t regret it. The Lost Man is definitely an improvement over its predecessor, though for a long time, you might not even realize you’re reading a crime novel—it’s unclear if a crime has even taken place—or a leisurely paced family drama. In reality, it’s a bit of both. Regardless of what it turns out to be, I can imagine that the slow pacing might eventually deter some readers.

    Australia’s Loneliest Man Investigates

    The middle brother, who runs the family’s vast property far away from anything—except the desert—is found dead in the middle of nowhere. He left his car behind. Now, anyone who abandons their car in a place where 45°C (113°F) isn’t considered too hot is he is done for. Nathan, the LONELIEST PERSON in all of Australia and the estranged brother of the victim, doesn’t exactly conduct an investigation; like the rest of the family, he’s just trying to process the tragedy.

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    An Evil Mind by Chris Carter – Book Review

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    An Evil Mind by Chris Carter – Book Cover

    Are All Chris Carter Books the Same?

    I decided that An Evil Mind would be the last Chris Carter book I read; never again in my life. I only read this one so I could say goodbye to the series with a good, scathing review. But why? BUT WHY!?

    Well, my friend, because every Robert Hunter story is exactly the same.

    Victims drop like flies. Each book features increasingly horrific massacres. The detectives analyze, brainstorm, but they never get anywhere.

    And in the end, it always turns out that some entirely average criminal has been weaving these elaborate, time-consuming, and ridiculously complicated plans. And it’s always disappointing when the Hunter books reveal that the GREAT MANIPULATOR is nothing more than, say, an ordinary hater, the ex-girlfriend or maybe poor old Aunt Maggie from next door.

    Moreover, if Detective Robert Hunter happens to meet a hot woman who’s a perfect match for him, she’s likely to get killed off before Hunter even has a chance to sweep her off her feet.

    But then, dammit, it turns out that the sixth installment in the series, An Evil Mind, is an entirely different story!

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    Locke & Key: Master Edition, Volume Two by Joe Hill – Gabriel Rodriguez – Comic Book Review

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    Overflowing Imagination and Gothic Horror

    If, like the author of these lines, you’ve never been a big comic book fan, Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez’s volume is the best way to change your attitude. Don’t worry, there’s no superhero nonsense here; despite the everyday protagonists, the main feature of the illustrated pages of Locke & Key is the overflowing imagination – where teenagers’ struggles to fit in and their romantic troubles are elegantly accompanied by thriller, gothic horror, and surrealism.

    Although at the beginning you might feel like you’ve signed up for a teenage story (after all, the main characters are teenagers), and the scheming villain who almost laid all his cards on the table in the previous part isn’t nearly as frightening, you’ll soon be shaken out of your complacency by the captivating “shadow” section. Yes, Zack Wells still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

    Locke & Key is an Exceptional Experience

    Locke & Key: Master Edition, Volume Two by Joe Hill - Gabriel Rodriguez grapic novel cover

    And although there are repetitions in the second part of Locke & Key (if someone comes up with some information, you can bet it’ll be dealt with soon), thus reducing the excitement factor a bit, the absurd ideas, the variety of the Locke family’s keys, and the astonishing twists guarantee an above-average experience.

    Especially if the illustration switches to “Tintin” style for a few pages. Okay, maybe not. Besides making you wonder what the point of that is, it probably doesn’t have much point. Unlike the comic book cover within the comic, which doesn’t hesitate to punish with a brutal spoiler!

    Brutally Exciting – Joe Hill Shocks You by the End

    Did I say something about the excitement factor? Oh yes, the second part of Locke & Key becomes much more thrilling by the end. Can you imagine that? Getting excited over a comic book? Absolutely, when the investigation kicks in, the pieces start to come together, and our heroes race against time – with a cunning bastard as their opponent. And it ends with a nice little cliffhanger in your face. But one that really makes you think: there is no justice in this world.

    Rating: 8.1/10

    Locke & Key: Master Edition, Volume Two by Joe Hill – Gabriel Rodriguez
    312 pages, Hardcover
    Published in 2016 by IDW Publishing

    (Master Edition, Volume Two collects Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows (#1-6), Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom (#1-6))
    —
    Review of the previous volume:
    Locke & Key: Master Edition, Volume One

    Perfect Remains by Helen Fields – Book Review

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    Perfect Remains by Helen Fields – Book Cover

    Well, here we go again, another blonde chick with a psycho-thriller? Which, according to authoritative opinions (primarily my own), is the bottom of the barrel in crime literature. “-Why did you even bother, smarty pants?” Well, because I thought Perfect Remains was just a regular crime thriller.

    And indeed, half of Helen Fields’ book is exactly that: Inspector Callanach, exiled from Interpol to Scotland, has plenty of problems dealing with a serial killer and his own French accent.

    The investigation starts promisingly, and based on the beginning, you’re sure the inspector will have his hands full with a wicked genius, but the chase for the culprit gradually loses its significance. Lacking ammunition, Fields tries to fill the void with side plots: a colleague’s case takes more space, then some romance pops up, and the inspector’s less-than-glamorous past comes to light.

    The weakest parts of the book are the forced conflicts with colleagues, but aside from these few scenes, there’s not much wrong with Perfect Remains… until about halfway through the book, where the style starts to deteriorate, which is most evident during Superintendent Overbeck’s hysterical outbursts… later compounded by the addition of an irremovable amateur profiler, making the pursuit of Dr. King downright laughable and unprofessional. And Helen Fields’ book as well.

    Parallel to the investigation, in chapters intended as psychological thrillers, you get a glimpse into Dr. King’s petty and pathetic mind. Evil genius, you say? Yeah, sure! He’s just a simple psychopath afflicted with inferiority complexes, getting himself deeper into trouble with his increasingly grandiose plans. The realistic description of the tortures committed by tricky Dr. King would be better suited for horror movies than crime novels. I wouldn’t be surprised if at the point when Dr. King demonstrates his autodidact knowledge of dentistry, some people would throw Fields’ psycho-thriller out the window in terror.

    By the end, the standard of Perfect Remains completely sinks: relatively intelligently written chapters alternate with logical somersaults (the cunning Dr. King bases his plan on an utterly unfounded assumption, which, darn it, works for him) and plot twists akin to shark jumps. When the old acquaintance appears at the “payroll” and also during the pathetic bargaining with the car dealer, it’s you who feels ashamed, deeply so, instead of Helen Fields.

    6.5/10

    Perfect Remains (D.I. Callanach #1) by Helen Fields
    416 pages, Paperback
    Published in 2017 by AVON (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.)

    Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver – Book Review

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    Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver - Book Cover

    You might already be drooling in anticipation because Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver seems like one of those dark and brooding crime thrillers that Dennis Lehane typically delivers. And to be fair, the book does start off on the right foot: you immediately empathize with David Raker after his great tragedy, and maybe you even grow to like this meek, good-hearted soul. The investigation is solid enough too, barring a few hiccups in the dialogue, like:

    “Yes?”
    “Yes.”
    “Really?”
    “Really.”
    “Are you sure it’s really real?”

    Why is everyone acting so weird here?!

    Furthermore, Tim Weaver introduces such a twisted antagonist that you might just crap your pants! You’re so freaked out that you barely notice how bizarre most of the characters in Chasing the Dead are. For instance, they casually rat out their well-paying clients for a measly 200 quid or, for no apparent reason, suddenly off themselves!

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