by Rico Lamoureaux
From school bullies to the crime-ridden streets of his hometown of Los Angeles, Jeremy Riker has always felt the need to do something about the injustice surrounding him. Just as he sets out on his journey as an urban warrior, he unknowingly gives rise to an obsessive adversary, who ends up becoming one of the most notorious serial killers the city has ever known. Dubbed by the news media as The Spyderco Killer, the methodical psychopath roots himself deep into Riker's life for the long haul, until his own madness propels everything into an intense climax.My Take:
- Warning - the descriptions in this review, while whitewashed, may be offensive by themselves...
Jeremy Riker's a veteran at being down but not out. After a tragic stray bullet prevents him from becoming a policeman, his police friends assist him in rebuilding his life in a vain attempt to make it back into the running to join the force. In a depression, he goes to the train station, considering ending it all, when he notices a woman weeping, sitting on a bench. He goes up to console her, but notices she's zip-tied to the bench. And things don't slow down from that moment on.
This novella had me on the edge of my seat from the start to the finish. This has some adult content and graphic descriptions of violence, as it's about a serial killer. It's not YA fiction, and I wouldn't hand it to a teen to read. It's a dark read but does end on a better note.
Content:
Violence:
R - The serial killer in this novella gets to leave a trail of bodies, all killed in a similar way, leaving a 'signature', of sorts. Their murders are described fairly graphically. In several instances the victims are left to rot before being discovered, according to plan.
Language:
R - There's a liberal dose of profanity in this book, with F-bombs dropped throughout.
Adult Content:
R - One of the female victims is forced to disrobe before being murdered. Multiple of the victims are left naked. There is some discussion of conquests and illegitimate children, one night stands, and clubbing. One character is a stripper. One person is getting an obscene tattoo. There is a bust of a sex trafficking ring, and a brief description of how they trapped the girls into it. A girl is freed from a dungeon where she was imprisoned for years because of that ring.
Christian content:
None.
About the Author:R - The serial killer in this novella gets to leave a trail of bodies, all killed in a similar way, leaving a 'signature', of sorts. Their murders are described fairly graphically. In several instances the victims are left to rot before being discovered, according to plan.
Language:
R - There's a liberal dose of profanity in this book, with F-bombs dropped throughout.
Adult Content:
R - One of the female victims is forced to disrobe before being murdered. Multiple of the victims are left naked. There is some discussion of conquests and illegitimate children, one night stands, and clubbing. One character is a stripper. One person is getting an obscene tattoo. There is a bust of a sex trafficking ring, and a brief description of how they trapped the girls into it. A girl is freed from a dungeon where she was imprisoned for years because of that ring.
Christian content:
None.
Final analysis:
Oh, this one was dark. A gripping, edge of your seat suspense crime thriller. The action kept me going but the content was disturbing. This was not for the kiddies. The book was well-written as crime thrillers go, though there were some minor editing issues and serial killers are not my cup of tea. The content was enough to make me want to pass on this one, but the action and suspense was enough to keep me going. Four Stars.
Rico Lamoureux considers himself a dramatist. He believes too much emphasis is put on genre nowadays, and not enough on actual story. From Historical Fiction to Contemporary Romance. From shocking Horror to edge-of-your-page Thrillers. A great story transcends genre, with dramatic elements being the utmost of importance.
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