I Hunt Killers
This novel has a fairly unique premise. The child of a serial killer? What sort of crazy, fucked-up shit will we get to see?! Ahem, did I sound too excited there? Oops.
It's supposed to allow us an inside perspective on the mind of an organized serial killer, and how they see the world. As a dedicated viewer of Criminal Minds (though Thomas Gibson, WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN ANGRY FOOL), I've developed a bizarre obsession with serial murders. However, I assure my dedicated readers out there, I have never contacted one or willingly spoken to one. I haven't reached that level of insanity yet.
Jazz Dent
Jasper, or Jazz as he is known to his friends (though this immediately brought to mind, TLC's show about a transgender teen 'I am Jazz'), is the son of the most prolific serial killer America has ever seen. Even though Jazz was raised to follow in Billy's footsteps, Jazz has managed to live a relatively normal life. Kill-free.
It is no secret that I tend to loathe contemporary novels that primarily features a teen male's point-of-view. But I really liked Jazz. While I couldn't relate to him (and hopefully none of you can), I truly felt for him.
When a teen is involved in solving a crime, a certain suspension of belief is typically required. I didn't feel that way at all. The entire story was plausible, provided that the reader accepted the premise.
Everyone Else
Howie is Jazz's hemophiliac best friend. I enjoyed their banter and appreciated their strong bond. That being said, Howie's perspective would have driven me nuts, so I was glad to see him in the best-friend role. Connie is Jazz's girlfriend. I liked how their relationship was portrayed because it was (finally!) a realistic teen relationship. You know, as realistic of a relationship with a serial killer's son can be.
Since this is set in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod, we also get to know many other characters including Jazz's crazy grandmother, the sheriff that caught Billy Dent, and many more. All of that added to the ambience of the serial crime spree. I shan't touch on the mysterious murders too much because I think it's best to not know too much about it.
I enjoyed how the story progressed and how the overall story arc for the trilogy was developed. I raced to the library to pick up the next book, Game, immediately. I can't wait to read more!
Do you have a favorite serial-killer mystery book to recommend to me? Let me know in the comments below!
I have this book in my library and I keep looking at it thinking I should at least read the first book in the series. Thanks for the push!
ReplyDeleteI am so darn excited you read this and more importantly, that you loved it ! Yay! It is one of my all time favorite series!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I l really enjoyed this one, and I need to continue the series some time!
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad for being M.I.A. I was M.I.A. for a little while there but I'm glad to be back! But now I'm kind of in a bad book slump! Ugh! OHHH Netflix! That is the cause of mostly all of my procrastination... ugh. *shakes fist at Netflix even though it's totally my fault for binge watch The Walking Dead*
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. This book is unlike any other YA book I've read, and it was absolutely fantastic. I am so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did! Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3
ReplyDelete[P.S. In terms of mystery / thriller recommendations, my favorite YA mystery is Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas if you haven't read it already. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try when you're in the mood for another mystery.]