No. of pages: 499
Rating: 6/10
Series: Carson Ryder (Book 1)
Synopsis: A body is found in the sweating heat of an Alabama night; headless, words inked on the skin. Detective Carson Ryder is good at this sort of thing - crazies and freaks. To his eyes it is no crime of passion, and when another mutilated victim turns up his suspicions are confirmed. This is not the work of a 'normal' murderer, but that of a serial killer, a psychopath. Famous for solving a series of crimes the year before, Carson Ryder has experience with psychopaths. But he had help with that case - strange help, from a past Ryder is trying to forget. Now he needs it again. When the truth finally begins to dawn, it shines on an evil so twisted, so dangerous, it could destroy everything that he cares about...
Review: When men start turning up dead with their heads missing, Carson Ryder and his partner are called in. But they need help to solve the mystery, and the help they need has to come from Ryder's very ugly past...
I didn't find this as enjoyable as the book I've read futher into the series, and I don't know whether it was because the storyline was just too slow for my tastes, or whether this book just wasn't up to par as it was his debut novel. The writing itself was really easy to read, and enjoyable in that respect, but I felt the story was so slow moving, the action only happening in the last 60 or so pages in a 500 page book. I liked the characters though, I thought they were well fleshed out and it was easy to get to know them. I will carry on reading this series as I know that it does get better several books down the line, I just wasn't feeling it with this one.
